Border Collie Insanity

~~~Todd, Brooke, Festus~~~

My friend Lori may have her cat Pudgy well on the way to being potty-trained, but I'm quite pleased to say I have discovered the perfect, painless method for keeping the grandpuppies at the Lovestead where they belong.

Let me backtrack.  

Todd, who's on the left, aims to please---big time.  Lately, however, he has taken on an uncharacteristic rebellious streak. 

Maybe he's doing so because his sister Brooke is taking a break from digging holes under all of Bill's trees, going off to visit the neighbors and often refusing to come when called, especially when it's time to get in the car and go home to the condo.

Don't tell Brooke, but Debbie and Willie have learned a ploy for that one.

"Kennel, Brooke, Kennel," they announce when Brooke's playing the daily runaround.

Brooke knows that having to sit on the roof of the dog house within the kennel can go on for hours when adults are gone.  

So, when she hears that command, she cooperates and jumps in the car, bound for her condo home.

This recent Todd rebellion has us both stymied and, at times, scared.

One day I received a call from Geneva next door who had received a call from Janice up the road, reporting that one of our Border Collies was running down the road to Meserve's place.

I thanked Geneva, ran outside and was shocked to see Brooke home, Todd gone.

Rushing to the end of the driveway, I looked both left and right.

No Todd.

I yelled his name several times, then saw him bounding back home through Meserve's field near their house.

I told him not to do that again.

Should have worked, right?  Border Collies are intelligent, comprehending dogs.

A few days went by.  Then came last week's heavy snow dump.  All day long I kept the grandpuppies in the house whenever I was inside.  

Tons of snow continued to rumble off the roof throughout the day.  I did not want them anywhere near it.

Later in the afternoon, I plowed the driveway while all doggies stayed inside the garage.

Then, it turned dark and time to put horses in the barn.  Brooke and Todd are my dedicated assistants during this chore.

 Every night I tell horses to settle down as they buck,  kick and race around, and I tell my assistants to stay back out of the way.

That particular night I noticed Bill come into the driveway from work just as I led Lily (first horse) into the barn.  Then, I noticed only one assistant.

I figured Todd had gone to meet Bill and had followed him inside the house.

So, I went about the rest of my chores, calling his name, just in case he was outside.

I got to the house, opened the door and asked Bill if Todd was inside.  He hadn't seen him but went upstairs to check the bedrooms.

No sign of Todd meant instant hysteria for Granny Love.  

My first horrid thought was that another huge hunk of snow had slid off the roof, burying Todd. 

Shovels came out.  We dug furiously in the areas where snow had slid from the roof since I'd gone to the barn.  

I screamed Todd's name at least two dozen times while digging into the snow.  

Then, Willie pulled into the driveway; still, no sign of Todd.  Another shovel went to work, and I kept screaming.  

Then, I ran inside and called Meserves, asking if they'd seen Todd.  Geneva said they'd turn on their outdoor lights and look.

By the time I walked back outside, there was Todd racing to door from the north, from Meserve's----and the most welcome sight I'd seen that day.

Since then, Todd has gone over to Meserve's one more time.  

At least on that day no snow was sliding off the roof.  Upon his return home, he got into some big time trouble, and I've kept a close eye on him ever since.

Todd and Brooke LOVE cats.  They LOVE to just sit and stare at them---for hours.

Yesterday was one of the first days Festus has been allowed outside because of the snow and cold.

When I walked by the sliding glass door half a dozen times and still saw those dogs transfixed on their buddy Festus, I knew I'd struck pay dirt on keeping them home.

Now, if I can train Festus to stay home, not go over to Meserve's (it's okay if the cats go there; not dogs) and sit on that step all day long, I'd never worry about Todd or Brooke disappearing again.

And, speaking of Border Collie insanity----it goes with the dogs and their owners.  

I saw my former colleague, friend and fellow parent Stephanie Berghan yesterday at Wal-Mart.  

After her initial hello, she announced to me and to the folks in the check-out line that she and Pete own two black and white Border Collies. She'd seen our dogs on Facebook.

I don't even know if the checker got my tab right cuz I instantly became a  crazy lady,  racing back to Stephanie and giving her a big hug-----just cuz she's a Border Collie lover.

And, when she told me that her son Michael (one of Willie's classmates and owner of a winery in Walla Walla) has two Border Collies too, that sealed the deal.  

The Berghans and the Loves are joined at the hip, just as we are with every other Border Collie owner we know.  

Yes, it's insanity, but the good, the bad and the ugly (vomited potatoes) of Border Collies always brings out our deepest passions.

And, as I said to Stephanie and Pete after meeting their dogs yesterday, the Border Collie nation gets along a lot better than a lot of nations do---both owners and their dogs.