Huck wants to be a grownup

Our sweet little Huckleberry is just over 18 months old now. He still looks like a big lamb to us, but he is feeling like quite the big boy.  We were so happy when our adult sheep Bonnie and Piper took him into their little flock when he was quite young and loved their baby Huckleberry (while also firmly teaching him sheep manners as a rambunctious little boy).  The three of them, along with Annie the blind dwarf cow, have the most adorable little family.  

​Lately I've been noticing Huck do something strange - he will sometimes put his head on the backs of Bonnie and Piper when they are all hanging out together.  It seems innocuous but they immediately push him off and give him a firm nudge away from them.  So I did some research to figure out what this meant in sheep language. ​

I learned that it is most likely a rank-testing behavior - the sheep who wants to be dominant will put his or her head on the backs of other sheep.  The idea of Huck trying to "dominate" Bonnie or Piper kinda rubbed me the wrong way, because it just doesn't fit in with what I have seen of them.  Bonnie very clearly has always been in charge and made that known from day 1, and Huck has shown nothing but respect for that.  But I thought about it some more and realized that Huck has been acting more and more like a big boy "adult" sheep and that he  probably feels ready to be the big man of his flock.  

So what Huck is really saying to Bonnie and Piper is "I am big now and would like an important role in our family."  And Bonnie and Piper's response is essentially, "You already have one. It just does not involve you being in charge."  To which Huck essentially shrugs in sheep and says Ok fine and goes back to eating.   

There is always so much to learn and so much going on with our animal family.  I just absolutely adore sheep and find them so funny and sweet.