Old Dog Needs Love

October 9, 2018

Imagine being told that you have to retire due to your age.  But you are despondent because you are still full of energy and consequently very restless.  What should you do to fill in your time?  What new hobbies can you learn, like jogging, bike riding or hiking or any number of things that have nothing to do with age but will keep your mind and body engaged?  That’s fine for a human but when a dog has been told he has to retire from his work he (or she) suddenly has no outlet for all that pent up energy.

That dog would be Border Collie, Twister, who is ten years young.  He’s done it all.  He’s a breed champion as well as a Utility Dog Excellent obedience titled dog.   But when there are multiple dogs in the kennel, multiple titles to earn with other dogs, people with jobs and not enough time to give to each dog then the big, old guy with all the titles and ribbons has to sit on the sidelines.  But Twister ain’t having none of that and his smart owner wants more for her Champion.

For the past six weeks Twister has been in a new home with a friend of mine and his seven-year-old Border Collie, Catcher.  Catcher is no slouch in the BC intelligence department either, although not as highly titled in obedience like Twister.  But Catcher was an “only” dog and loved all the attention and spoiling he felt was his station in life.  Along came Twister.  Catcher realized he was going to have to share his person and was not happy  He sat off in the corner and moped.  Don’t get me wrong.  Twister and Catcher are gentlemen.  There was no growling, or fighting or barking or posturing.  They looked at each, said hi, and that was it.  Twister knows how to demand attention though, shoving his handsome mush into the new owner’s lap, running in circles with his many toys, squeaking the noisiest toy over and over, playing by himself and then running to his new person.  Catcher sulked in the corner.  All was not well in Catcher’s kingdom.

Twister walks on leash perfectly, obeys commands perfectly, rarely barks, never growls.  He “only” demands love and pats and toys and attention.  Well that and the fact that he is a big bundle of energy who doesn’t know that he is the human equivalent of seventy and should be slowing down in life.  At least Catcher, who is the equivalent of about fifty in human years, knows how important it is to nap after exercise.  Not like that crazy Twister dog who knows all about quick power naps and awakes fully charged and ready to go.

To be honest Twister really needs a single dog home so he can inundate a human with all the love and attention and calorie burning that perfect person deserves.  If this were a singles ad it would read something like this:

Single, movie star handsome, black and white Border Collie is looking for long term love, senior in years only, no gray hair, ready for long walks on the beach or moonlight walks in the neighborhood.  Champion titled, from royal British lines, with many, many ribbons and obedience titles.  Looking for someone who is willing to live only for me; (not that I am afraid to mingle with other dogs or cats but I have too much love to share with others).  Looking for someone who perhaps would like to do Rally obedience, nose work, tracking, trick dog titles or even earn all the Preferred Obedience titles.  (No Agility though, please.) 

If you are this person, man or woman, who can match my energy, goals and need for constant endearing words of affection, please contact the author of this post at clvangee2@aol.com.

Here’s looking at you, Sweetheart!