My friend Harold, of Q-fever fame, for Christmas gave me a
bumper sticker that reads: “It’s hard to
be humble when you own a Border Collie.”
Without shame or apology, that is true.
Border
Collies are great dogs. Hard-working
people-pleasers, devoted, intuitive, they are at the top of every list of
smartest breed of dog. I have often
thought the world would be a much better place if only Border Collies had
opposable thumbs.
My
wife and I currently have two Border Collies.
They help me everyday with my chores, doing general sheepdog tasks like
herding, gate monitoring, and “watching my back” from charging rams.
Robbie
came to live with us four years ago. At
the age of three months and one week, she became a sheepdog. I walked her, with a piece of twine for a
leash, out to the sheep pasture, not so much to train her, but to get the sheep
used to her presence. Robbie,
disappointingly, wasn’t intrigued much by the sheep, but was more interested in
eating sheep manure.
Suddenly,
a small group of ewes made a break for the barn. Robbie’s head came up, I let the twine slip
through her collar, and she was off like a flash. She caught up to the ewes, turned them as if
directed by something deep in her brain, and brought them back to the flock.
From
that moment, Robbie hasn’t slowed down on her herding. When she gets the notion it’s time to herd
sheep, I can’t make her stop; I can’t make her not want to herd. The desire and instinct are too strong.
Jimmy,
Robbie’s younger brother, just celebrated his first birthday on January 19. He
became a sheepdog at the age of four months with an experience similar to
Robbie’s. Jimmy shares Robbie’s
enthusiasm for the job, if not quite the undying dedication. But, he is still a teenager.
For
more than 400 years, Border Collies have been bred for one purpose: to herd
sheep. The manner in which they herd is
not unlike that of a wolf stalking its prey.
In fact, it is exactly that, only enhanced and, hopefully, controlled.
The
reason for this wolf behavior is simple.
Border Collies and all domestic dogs were developed from wolves. Genetic selection, with a few good mutations
thrown in, has resulted in the vast array of dog breeds that we have
today. Like Border Collies, each of
these breeds was created for a specific purpose or need, from companionship, to
hunting, herding, working, guarding, or fighting. When selecting a breed of dog for your
family, it is imperative that this purpose be understood.
Much
has been written recently about pitbulls and what nice dogs they can be. I agree.
Some of the nicest, sweetest dogs in our practice are pitbulls. The same can be said about German Shepherds,
Rottweilers and Chow Chows.
Unfortunately, in too many cases, the opposite can also be said. These are guarding or fighting breeds. Mean and aggressive is what they were bred to
be. However, not all of them are. To find the nice ones may require some effort,
but the effort will be worth it.
Learn
as much about your desired dog breed as possible. Visit and talk extensively with breeders. If you have a puppy in mind, carefully
observe the parents’ temperament. If
there are any doubts about their actions, forget that puppy and move on.
You can’t know too much about any dog when choosing a pet for your family. Every breed is not right for everyone, or every situation. Do your homework, ask your veterinarian lots of questions, and really think things through, if for no other reason than I can’t make my dog not herd sheep.
Author: Dr. John Jones
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