Good morning, Cbz and good morning, Zoners. Bob, it is interesting that the only thing Australian about Australian Shepherds is the name.
I have friends who had one for years. They used to take Bandit trail riding with them. She loved to be tagging along, sniffing and wandering and socializing with everybody. I was always impressed how well she did with the horses and she was always friendly with all of us.
When she got older, I know that her owners worried about her ability to keep up and they tried a pouch for her to ride in. She didn't really like that and did pretty well with her routine until she was around 15. We were up for a visit to their place one weekend and she was nowhere to be found. She normally slept in the barn, but had been sleeping on the front porch for about a month. Our friends look back and felt that maybe she was trying to say good-bye.
We looked all around their place, but couldn't find her. Our friends wondered if she had just gone off to die somewhere quietly or had lost a confrontation with coyotes. Either way, she was a great dog. The only drawback I had was that she shed and I had major dog hair in my truck. Allergies were my undoing with short haired dogs. I think Bandit found my sneezing funny. I'm pretty sure that some of that panting she did was actually her laughing at me.
My current dog is the antithesis of an outdoor dog. My Shih Tzu is a rescue dog who we believe was kept in a crate and was likely part of a puppy mill. She likes to play occasionally by battng her paws at you and making fierce faces, but she really doesn't know what to do when i get her outside and let her off the leash. She just sits there and waits for us to run around. We're working on that and she is good company, but I can't help but wonder about her time before we got her.
ABQ, as a former owner of a Border Collie (as a kid) it's likely that your wife wouldn't have to train any of these cattle or sheep dogs. They seem to take to it pretty naturally.
Well, enough of my reminiscing. There is work to be done. Enjoy your coffee, folks and have great day.
BTW, I wouldn't leave a stray cutlery around Bob.
