Herding skills..

[wnylib]

4. So true. I had a border collie as a pet several years ago.

No formal herding training, just a pet. But when we were at a park next to the mouth of a creek where it emptied into Lake Erie with a 10 foot drop from the creek bank, our border collie noticed an 18 month old toddler wandering toward the creek bank.

Her parents were chatting with us and none of us, except the dog, saw where the child had gone. The dog yanked hard on the leash and let out a sharp warning bark. When I saw what he was looking at, I let go of the leash. The dog raced to the girl faster than any of us could have done, tugged the girl down on the lawn and stood over her until her father reached her.

Nobody had given him a command. He sized up the situation and acted from instinct.