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May 1936. "Sheep ranch in Converse County, Wyoming." Medium-format neg by Arthur Rothstein for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.
Herding behavior in dogs is a modified prey drive. Herding dogs have been bred and taught to use their hunting instinct to control livestock. They know the sheep are food, just not now.
But I do think Descartes would enjoy this train of thought.
Sorry I can't resist a pun! Wonderful photo.
In addition to herding dogs, some sheep herders today use llamas to drive off coyotes that often threaten the flocks. Large dogs also can be used for anti-coyote work, but they have shorter lifespans, and sometimes they forget what they're there for and eat the sheep themselves.
According to the movie Babe, sheep know they're sheep and, what's more, they know that dogs are wolves.
Do herding dogs think of themselves as sheep, or do they think of the sheep as dogs? Do sheep even think? Do I think I know? I do not.
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