“Border Collie Lesson on Life”

One of the things I looked forward to when I retired from the legislature was having the opportunity to read a book for pleasure.  During the fourteen years I served in the House of Representatives, I spent all my time reading constituent mail and legal documents.  I missed the luxury of time spent losing myself in someone else’s written thoughts.  In March, my friends Paul and Bette Slayton of Bedford County gave me a book written by author Jon Katz entitled “A Dog Year.” With great enthusiasm, they assured me I would love this book, since its main subject was a Border Collie.

Several months went by before I picked up the book that had been staring at me every time I walked past the table where I had left it (it’s cover features the photo of its protagonist, Devon,  a Border Collie ‘gone wrong’).  There were always more important, more urgent things that I needed to be doing.  I was far too busy to take the time to pamper myself with this intriguing tale about four tail-waggers.  Those piercing eyes kept following me right off the cover of the book until I was cornered on a rainy, ‘can’t do anything outside anyway’ day.  It had been seven months since I closed the legislative chapter in my life.

I began to read, and immediately became immersed in Katz’ recounting of “Twelve Months. Four Dogs, and Me” --- when a rescued Border Collie invaded his life.  I found myself laughing and crying as I poured through the chapters, sometimes having to put the book down --- unable to bear reading what I knew would inevitably be coming in the next paragraph.  I hated to turn the final page and have this 209-page literary treat come to an end.  I realized how much I had missed the opportunity to take some time away from work and all of life’s demands by opening the cover of a good book.

Katz has accurately captured the intricate personality of Border Collies on the pages of his book.  He has shared the frustrations and challenges he faced when trying to out-smart and out-maneuver these intelligent canines.  I empathized with the author at every stage of his experience, having spent the past twelve years of my life being trained by Border Collies.  I won’t give away the treasure I found in Katz’s tale, but encourage you to find it at your local library or neighborhood bookstore.  I have already shared my copy with someone who loves Border Collies as much as I do.

Even though Katz’s book was about dogs, his story was about life and how his four-legged companions helped him cope, mature, and move forward during his mid-life to new and ever changing challenges.  Border Collies helped take him out of his comfort zone and helped him transition from a “Labrador” lifestyle of contentment into a life focused on possibilities and the drive to accomplish each task with gusto.  He also learned how to accept his dogs for what they were, and learned to work with their personalities, quirks, and shortcomings.  They helped each other reach goals and find new meaning in life, relying on each other for strength and understanding.

I can’t remember what life was like before Border Collies came to our farm, except that we did a lot more yelling and running when moving cows from pasture to pasture.  Our first pup, Bonnie, is closing in on twelve years but acts like a three-year old.  She taught us how to herd beef cows with her help.  Over the years, we have recognized and appreciated the natural talent and instincts these dogs display when allowed to work.  It is something they live for.  They’ll invent tasks for themselves if they aren’t kept busy.  New holes in our yard are signals that our five Border Collies are bored and need some action in the pastures.

My four-legged farm hands are not perfect angels, or faultless herding dogs.  Like me, they have their bad days.  But they help me to keep my perspective on life well grounded, just as Devon and Homer did for Katz.  They make me laugh when they slide into a play bow and voice their throaty “rrroooo”s to coax me into throwing rope toys or balls for hours on end.  They make me marvel at their keenly intense eye and natural ability to make a ton-and-a-half bull do their bidding.  I never tire of seeing my sixty-pound canine cowpokes work --- crouching low to the ground and then stalking closer until their bovine quarry turn and move away in the direction my dogs intend for them to go.  Well, at least that happens most of the times!!!

And, after doing their job, my Border Collies are content to receive a pat on the head, a cool water tub, a crunchy biscuit treat, and a comfy spot to rest their weary bones at the end of a long day.  When it’s all said and done, that’ll do! 

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