For the past few weeks, surveyor Mati Lillo has been working in a rural region of southern Chile, taking measurements of the land and plotting maps. It can be a somewhat lonely job, but Lillo soon discovered he wasn’t actually alone in that place.
Turns out, there’s someone else who works there, too.
Recently, while going about his business on a dusty dirt road, Lillo noticed a flock of sheep strolling around in the distance. But this was hardly a directionless group of wooly grazers.
A closer look revealed the sheep’s intrepid leader — an adorable little dog who, evidently, acts as the group’s protector and guide.
“Obviously, he is a very skillful pup,” Lillo told The Dodo.
Lillo saw just how true that statement really is.
While Lillo looked on, the little dog began leading the sheep in his direction. The flock, however, seemed wary of the stranger in their path ahead.
Noticing the sheep stalling on account of Lillo, the dog got close and turned to him — gesturing as if to ask Lillo a favor: «Could you please move out of the way?»
Lillo got the dog’s message:
Naturally, Lillo was impressed by the little dog’s ability to express himself and was more than happy to accommodate him and the flock.
Call it professional courtesy, from one hard worker to another.
“My mom taught me to treat animals well and love them in all their forms,” Lillo said. “Animals express themselves, same as people. It’s up to us to understand and appreciate that.”
