My Dogs

April 29, 2019

I’ve written many times about the morning ritual I have with my three Border Collies.  Every day we walk around the back acreage, something they look forward to after they eat their morning meal.  Every day in the dark morning hours they watch my every move, especially for the moment when I’ll comb my hair.  That’s their first clue that the main event is close.  After morning chores are done I gather the trash to take outside, another sign that a run is imminent.  Two of the dogs stand up in anticipation.  Tommie, the black and white BC, is stretched out on the living room rug watching me.

When I let them out the back door they run onto the blacktop in front of the garage and turn and wait for me.  Then Tommie and Bodie stand back as Razz opens the gate to the back yard and freedom.  She uses her nose to push the poorly latched gate and all three dogs explode into the yard.  There is usually a squirrel for them to chase.  I think the little tree rats use this daily ritual to hone their survival skills.  They seem to know the dogs will be down below and they run in front of them, across the yard and up a tree.  My dogs wouldn’t know what to do if they caught a squirrel and the little creatures seem to know that.  But today my dogs were disappointed.  There were no squirrels to chase.

The dogs sniffed along the fence line, no doubt hearing or smelling the baby fox in the woods.  But after checking the grounds they were done with their serious work and started running and playing.  The early morning dew turns their feet dark and the sand mixes in to cover their bellies.  But they are dogs and I don’t get mad for them being dirty.

This morning I was happy to see them eventually fall in line near me as I walked.  They are unleashed but they chose to follow me.  There is a warm feeling in my heart that these dogs allow me to be part of their pack.  When I finally turn back to the house they follow without any commands.  They seem willing to be involved in whatever I have planned next for their day.

I love and cherish the easy relationship I have with my three Border Collies.