At first glance, a young Wyoming border collie named Maya doesnât seem to have much going for her. Sheâs about only half the normal size for her sheep-herding breed, doesnât want to herd sheep and is terrified of the ranchâs barn cat.
Maya was, ironically, born under a sheep wagon on one of Wyomingâs oldest sheep ranches, the Warren Livestock Co., founded near Cheyenne in 1886.
Susan McMurry Samuelson and her husband represent the third family to own the ranch, and dogs are a vital part of the operation. Great Pyrenees guard the herds, and border collies help herd sheep.
Born Out On The Range
The dogs are particularly busy when the sheep herds are on their summer range in the mountains between Cheyenne and Laramie.
The ranch employs expert Peruvian sheep herders who work on three-year visas. So, herders must return to Peru every three years and come back to Wyoming once their visas are renewed.
Thatâs how Maya came into the picture.
A couple of years ago, her mother was pregnant with Mayaâs litter when the Peruvian sheepherder who owned the mother dog had to return home and await the renewal of his visa.
So, Maya ended up being born under a sheep wagon out on the range.
While that should have foreshadowed a great career for a dog literally born to herd sheep, Maya had other ideas.
Skittish Little Dog
When Maya was still a pup, Samuelson couldnât get anywhere near her. The dog had essentially gone feral and was afraid of people.
One of the Peruvian sheepherders finally managed to scoop up Maya and brought her to the ranch headquarters.
There, Samuelson tended to Maya, patiently waiting for the young dog to get over her skittishness and work on basic commands, such as âdown,â âsitâ and âstay.â
Maya took up residence in the house and eventually bonded with Samuelson.
âMaya is with me all the time,â she said. âShe sits with me where I sit and she follows me from room to room, wherever I go.â
Maya was tiny from the start and has remained so, Samuelson said. Border collies typically weigh 45-60 pounds. Now fully grown, Maya weighs 25 pounds.
No Interest In Sheep
Border collies usually have a natural herding instinct, Samuelson said.
They donât need prompting to start trying to herd sheep â only some training and discipline to learn how to do it properly, she said.
Not so with Maya.
âShe just never had any interest in the sheep,â Samuelson said.
She and her husband are still the only people Maya is completely comfortable with.
And while Maya loves going up to the summer range in the mountains, Samuelson said the little dog stays right next to her husband and doesnât try joining the other collies in herding duties.
For whatever reason, Mayaâs herding instinct has never kicked in.
âI think itâs maybe because sheâs small and the herders had other dogs that did all the work,â Samuelson said. âAnd I think she just become accustomed to hanging out, as a pet.â
But that doesnât make Maya worthless on the ranch, by any means. She has become a great companion and is overflowing with personality.
âSheâs a funny girl,â Samuelson said.
âI canât get rid of her. If we have a dog, theyâre with us until the end. We donât get rid of our dogs,â she said.
When working dogs at the ranch get old, they retire and get to hang out on the front porch of the ranch house. Maya has that privilege sooner than normal.
âShe Thinks Heâs A Mountain Lionâ
Mayaâs most hysterical quirk is her crippling fear of the ranchâs barn cat, Samuelson said.
Out on the range, mountain lions can be a serious danger to sheep.
Samuelson said she thinks Maya might have witnessed a terrifying mountain lion attack when she was a puppy and was imprinted with a fear of felines.
âWe have a calico cat named Bob, a barn cat,â she said. âAnd Maya thinks heâs a mountain lion. If she sees him, she runs away. Even if she sees him through the glass of a window, sheâs afraid of him.â
Despite having a cat phobia and a disinterest in sheep, Maya will continue to live her best life at Warren Livestock Co., Samuelson said.
âSheâs my dog now,â she said, adding that nobody needs to feel sorry for a pint-sized sheep dog who doesnât like sheep. âSheâs living a life of luxury.âÂ
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.