What I want to talk about is the new dog we got. We both wanted a smart dog, because--let's face it--stupid dogs are a big pain in the ass, only they're too dumb to know, care, or fix the problem. Growing up, we'd both had dogs that were mutts but had border collie in them--and we had liked these dogs. I had fun dreaming of all the things we could teach such a smart dog, and since the dog we already had was "Brandon's" I got to pick our new dog. And I wanted a border collie.
A few things you should know about border collies if you don't already:
1. They are supposedly the smartest breed of dog there is.
2. They are herding dogs, mostly used for sheep.
3. They need to have a "job". If you do not give them one, they will come up with one you probably won't like.
4. They aim to please--they are very people-focused and the reason they're able to do so much cool stuff is that they want to do what you want them to do.
5. We probably shouldn't have gotten one.
Don't misunderstand me--we LOVE our dog Moe. We really do.
For one thing, he knows all kinds of cool tricks:
-the standards like sit, shake, roll over
-if you ask him, "Where's Santa?" he looks up the chimney.
-if you tell him to "be sneaky" he will crawl along the ground (although, to be honest, he couldn't sneak up on anyone)
-he listens for all kinds of words and we often find ourselves spelling 'ball' or 'play' or 'toy' around him
-he brings us his bowl when he's hungry
-and my personal favorite--if you sneeze, he will bring you a kleenex. No lie. Granted, you probably wouldn't want to use the kleenex he brings you, but you could.
Another great thing about Moe is he's amazing at agility. I have taken him to agility classes during the summer when I'm off of work--and he's a superstar. His main challenge is me--I don't learn how to lead him through the course as fast as he learns to run it. Here he is a few years ago being run by someone who knows what she's doing. He has gotten even better since this:
In addition, Moe is a loving dog. He follows us everywhere, LOVES to cuddle, will chase a ball to the ends of the earth to bring it back and place it directly into your hand so you can throw it again, and always wants to be as close as possible to us....
Navigating
Moe, meet Carson
Okay, so now I'll get to the point. Brandon and I have come to realize that, while we love Moe and he is a great pet, we probably should have thought it through a bit more before getting a border collie. The fact is, Brandon and I are just too lazy to give this dog everything he needs. He needs way more exercise and he's not the kind of dog that can entertain himself. Because he's so people-focused, nothing is fun unless we're involved. The poor thing sometimes just runs circles around the den.
The other day, I got another example of why Moe would be better off on a sheep farm. While I was making my oatmeal in the kitchen, he started herding Carson. Who doesn't go anywhere. In the video below, you will see Carson laying in her swing, staring at the ceiling. You will see Moe herding her (and the couch and the coffee table). (You will also see lots of clutter in our house. Pay no attention to that.) He did this for about 20 minutes this morning. At one point, he seems to feel she was getting out of line and gives her a gentle bark to get her to shape up. And this is now a morning routine--Carson swings. Moe herds.
Poor dog. Poor Carson too, because the very first chore she's going to learn? How to throw a ball.
2 comments:
clutter?? what clutter?!?! hysterical video!!
I love this....it is perfectly "Moe!"
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