Border Collie Ballet

My lawn becomes a stage every morning when four of my five Border Collies begin their performance.  They need no choreographer for their dance routine.  The melody that accompanies them in this daily ritual is the song of birds.  This harmony is punctuated by their growls and barks as the cadence of sixteen paws reaches a frenzied crescendo.

This Border Collie ballet is a special treat for me as I begin my non-stop days on and off the farm.  I take a few moments just to watch these black and white marvels race at break-neck speed to the end of the yard, crossing each other’s path with an agility that would trip up lesser canines.  They spin and surge across the well-worn grass that is more brown than green most of the year.

Back and forth the fearsome foursome run, sometimes looking over their flanks for their dance partners.  Intent on watching for a cue, they sometimes come within a hair of crashing into a tree or bush that inconveniently gets in their way.  They leap to the side with only a fraction of a second to spare, making me gasp as I watch what I sense to be an inevitable collision-course with a stationary stage prop in the path of my intense Border Collies.

When they tire of the full-tilt death-defying dash around our quarter acre “stage,” the four latch onto a stick or rope and become a black and white blur, spinning circles like an evenly-balanced top.  Round and round and round they go, heads tugging on their hapless quarry in a manner that reminds me of what these domesticated predators would have done to prey before they evolved into man’s best friend.  Their sharp fangs make short work of the center-pivot pull toy around which their pirouette takes place.

They end their dance with tongues lolling as they drop to the ground to rest.  The morning sun climbs higher and spotlights the star performers as they bask in its rays before escaping to a shady spot.  After a brief intermission that finds them lapping fresh water from a pail, the interlude ends.  Act two begins.

My Border Collies would never understand that I see their crouches and stalking as steps in a dance routine.  As members of the working dog class, they would probably be offended to be thought of as ballet dancers.  But to me, their performance is more enjoyable than watching a prima ballerina perform Swan Lake or any classical dance on stage.

Their timing is impeccable, their coordination and conditioning vital for herding, and their understanding of each other’s moves uncanny.  They are a troupe that works together and plays together.  Whether driving our Herefords or entertaining themselves with a toy, they are always a joy to watch.  They enjoy life and have a great time playing as a pack, or going solo to gather our beef herd to move them to greener pastures.

These workaholics of the canine world are always in motion.  It is a rarity for my four-legged farm hands to take siestas during the day.  Their non-stop energy is what gets them in trouble with people who buy them and then discover their obsessions.  But, when harnessed, this drive is an asset on a livestock farm that is immeasurable.  For dog biscuits and rawhide chews, kind words and many pats on the head, these working dogs perform duties that make them integral parts of the farm family.  And, when off-duty, they add simple pleasure to life as they dance to their own music.

My Border Collies’ audience includes passing cars whose drivers and passengers slow down to enjoy encore performances, repeated every few minutes on my paw-beaten stage.  I’ve heard from some of their fans that it is the highlight of their trips down our township road.  The show continues until its time for my dogs and me to get busy.  It’s a tail-wagging way to start each day.

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