Rip - Herd Supervisor

Meet Rip, a Blue Australian Cattle Dog who has appointed himself Herd Supervisor, Chief of Security, and Executive Director of Everyone Else’s Problems. Nobody voted for him. Nobody asked for his services. Rip does not care.

Rip approaches every day with the energy of a retired foreman who has come back to work specifically to complain about how things are being run. He has very little patience, even less tolerance, and a firm belief that everyone within sight should be exactly where they belong at all times.

If a goat wanders somewhere unexpected, Rip notices. If a cat appears on the property, Rip notices. If someone spends thirty seconds standing in the wrong location, Rip notices and immediately files a formal complaint.

As far as Rip is concerned, the world functions best when everyone follows the rules he invented five minutes ago. Disobedience is not tolerated. Poor decision-making is frowned upon. General nonsense is grounds for disciplinary action.

His greatest joys in life are chasing cats and herding goats, preferably at the same time. Nothing brings him greater satisfaction than gathering up a scattered herd and putting everyone back where they belong. He treats every loose goat as a personal insult and every successful roundup as a major professional achievement.

Rip shares his home with his younger brother, Beau, whom he tolerates in the same way a grumpy old man tolerates a noisy neighbor. Beau's constant goofiness, butterfly chasing, and complete lack of common sense are a source of endless frustration. Rip spends a considerable portion of his day looking at Beau as if he is personally responsible for the decline of civilization.

Despite his grouchy attitude, Rip is fiercely loyal, endlessly hardworking, and deeply committed to the safety and order of his herd. Beneath the permanent scowl is a dog who genuinely loves his family—he just wishes they would all get in line and stop making his job harder.

Special Talents

*       Detecting disorder from impressive distances

*       Herding goats with military precision

*       Judging everyone's life choices

*       Looking disappointed when nothing is actually wrong

Hobbies

*       Conducting unauthorized herd inspections

*       Chasing cats off the property

*       Reorganizing goats that were perfectly fine where they were

*       Watching Beau make bad decisions

*       Patrolling the pasture for violations

*       Grumbling about things that have not yet happened

*       Being right, or at least strongly believing he is right about everything