You know what annoys me about this awesome BaaaStuds video?

[firecat]

If you are a bunch of sheep herders in Wales with way too much time on your hands, a grant from Samsung, and a bunch of battery packs, and you outfit a large herd of sheep with LEDs, and then send them out in a field to make pretty patterns like fireworks, pinwheels, and sort of a game of Pong or Pong Tennis, what do you need to make it happen?

Border collies.

The border collies didn't get credited! They did all the work!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw

Comments

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

The border collies are incredible. I'm not even sure how to describe how the sheep are running clearly enough to tell them to do it in real time, and here the herders are explaining to their dogs -- by whistling -- exactly what they want to have happen and the dogs just make it so.

Also, whew, those sheep got some exercise. They were moving pretty fast there!

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

The border collies are AWESOME!

[loracs.livejournal.com]

Too hilarious - and yep, I bet those dogs were dog tired by the end of the day!

[19-crows.livejournal.com]

I know! I want to at least know their names!

[boxofdelights]

Exactly!

[dr-brat.livejournal.com]

I agree that the Border Collies deserve credit, as do the people who trained them (they don't just do it, you know; most dogs would rather chase sheep than herd them); but it is my understanding that the whole thing is simulated - it's not real sheep herding. Is that an incorrect understanding?

[clever-doberman.livejournal.com]

who cares, it's great fun.

and yes, the dogs get the lion's share of the credit. I've seen some of the trials, tho not in the field, but at the Cow Palace dog show and it is incredible.


Border Collies are so intense, and they live to work, so they may have been tired, but they will work like that until they drop, so the human trainers really have to know their stuff.