Usually this isn’t a good thing. Unless you’re a blue heeler, or some mix thereof.
I started working with Sully over trot poles this morning, and I took Blue with me. I worked Sully in the paddock with Chuck, who was extremely curious of Sully, and his usual rambunctious self. He even attempted to mount Sully while I was cinching him up. Sully stood perfectly still, but looked around at Chuck, and then at me. His expression was something between “Whaaa-?” and “Get. It. Off.” I snapped the whip at Chuck and he cavorted away like a spastic fawn, only to return as soon as my back was turned.
I decided to just ignore him, and got down to business with Sully. About 15 minutes into our session, I realized neither Blue nor Chuck were underfoot. I looked around for them.
It took a minute to spot them. Blue had taken Chuck about half way back to the barn, and was sitting perfectly still while Chuck nuzzled and licked and sucked and slobbered all over him. Chuck would tire of that after a minute, and Blue would jump up and run to him, and they would fake left and right with one another, then Chuck would head towards me and Blue headed him off, took him back to that same spot, and they’d start all over again. It was the funniest thing.
I worked with Sully for over an hour, both on the ground and in the saddle, and that whole time, Blue “Chuck-sat.”
Because Chuck-sitting is, after all, a dog’s duty.
