Lucy entered my life when I accompanied my best friend Lee to the Redmond, Oregon, Humane Society Pound. One puppy stood out. We were told she was an Anatolian Shepherd, a 6000 year old, fiercely independent breed, bred specifically to protect livestock. They will live with a flock of sheep year round, guarding them day and night. Anatolians bond with the sheep and protect them with their lives. They form a perimeter around the flock and spend their days and nights patrolling, always changing their positions to confuse predators. They are known to have turned away grizzlies & wolves. Their demeanor is so fierce they often don't actually have to fight. Anatolians are hard to train since they have been bred to make their own split second decisions. They are not a sit up, roll over, chase the ball kind of dog. However, without any training, Lucy lays at our bedside in the night and periodically opens the back door and patrols our yard.
The most dramatic trait Lucy has is her extreme affection for the ones she loves, be it sheep or humans. This is not a dog one should leave alone in a house. She would plunge into any danger to protect us, but she needs our constant love.
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