We have agility classes on a working farm in the town where we live. Gryphon had a full hour private lesson yesterday – a long time for a dog who isn’t truly an athlete. We gave him a break in the middle, and I took him on a walk to visit the cows, which he’d never seen before.
There was a ton of mud from all the snowmelt. Gryph hates getting his feet wet, so his attention was focused on jumping over and dodging around puddles. We got close to the cows, and Gryphon stopped short, with an astonished ‘oh sh—‘ expression. He’s never seen cows before.
He stood absolutely still, staring at the cows. The cows, convinced I was there to feed them, starting in with their low, demanding calls. The calves came gamboling along, and gradually the whole herd, close to fifteen individuals, moved near the fence.
Gryphon inched forward, stretching his neck and sniffing the air. While the cows were all thinking about food, the bull, standing near the fence, was focused on Gryph. He stepped forward along the fence line, eyeing the dog and ignoring me.
Gryph moved closer until he was only a few feet away from the bull’s nose, still sniffing furiously. The bull swung his head toward us; he didn’t seem menacing. I think he just wanted a closer look.
The cows continued their approach. I considered the thin wooden slats of the fence and decided it was a good idea to turn around and go back to agility. The cows serenaded us the whole way back.
packmagic 
Hello– I love your use of personification in the story, how you broke down their movement and the dance between you.
“The calves came gamboling along, and gradually the whole herd, close to fifteen individuals, moved near the fence.
Gryphon inched forward, stretching his neck and sniffing the air. While the cows were all thinking about food, the bull, standing near the fence, was focused on Gryph. He stepped forward along the fence line, eyeing the dog and ignoring me.” I hope you are able to share your writing with students 🙂
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Thank you! As a biology teacher, I don’t get much opportunity to share my writing, except in the assignments I give them. I think a few students are following my blog, though. 🙂
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Dogs I love…cows, not so much. I would have made a quick get away too! But I do like the unhurried way you told the story. Nicely done!
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Thank you very much!
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Your words described Gryphon’s meeting so well. From him trying not to get his feet wet…and then stopped in his tracks when he saw the cows…stretching to smell them…and then they began their serenade. Wonderful! I could have been there.
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Thank you! That’s great feedback – I often feel that I’m not saying enough to convey the experience. I guess I’m wrong about that. Good to know!
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What a terrific story! What kind of dog is Gryphon? He sounds so cute trying to avoid all the puddles. Makes me miss my pup at home!!
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Gryph is a sable Shetland sheepdog. There’s a picture of him on a previous post. Glad you liked this!
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Such richly descriptive writing! This is one of my favorite slices that you’ve written this month. I could just see that moment when Gryphon stops short seeing the cows for the first time.
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Thank you so much! This was probably the easiest one to write – maybe because the mental image was so strong for me. It was one of those moments when you just absorb everything.
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