He was born on 9/12/93 on a farm in PA. Well to be honest he was whelped in upstate NY and when the litter was old enough to go to their new homes they were brought to the PA farm. I had always wanted a Border Collie. From when and what age , I can't remember exactly. I had lost my previous dog just a few months prior to Cancer. Ironically Kilts parents had bred the day my dog Raven had passed away. I always wonder about things falling together in such ways.
He was always busy and getting into things, always thinking.
I had a crate set up in our kitchen. He had a nice dog bed in it, but he had chewed away a corner and so I had taken it out and put it up on top of the crate until he was a little older and more trustworthy. Our Siamese cats enjoyed the dog bed where it had been located. Nice and comfy with a lovely view of the side yard. I happened into the kitchen and found the three cats in their usual spot, but to my surprise Kilt had climbed up on the chair and then joined them on the dog bed! I was so happy I had a camera on top of the refrigerator and quickly took the shot.
Kilt was I think the smartest dog I have ever known. Housebroken at about 10 or 12 weeks old. Learned his basic commands faster than I could give them.
He knew all of his toys by name and there were well over a dozen for him to pick.We used to hide them about the house and then ask for them by name. He always found them and brought the correct item we requested.
At the time I got him I was interested in competing in Obedience. I felt that living where I did at the time , herding sheep was not really an option.
Kilt did very well in Obedience but when he was a pup of about seven months old , I took him back up to PA and went to a clinic. Kilt was "keen" to say the least. I was hooked on the complicated dance of human, dog and sheep. I wanted the challenge . I started taking herding lessons when Kilt was a little over a year old. He had already had several Obedience Titles and to be honest we were both bored with it.
The next thing I knew I had sheep at home and started off on my journey into the sheepdog world.
I never looked back, nor have a regret to my choice. I have Kilt to thank for every thing that has changed due to that first sheepdog. Sheepdog trials, sheep, a move to a 54 acre farm in PA, each dog that has come after him is all BECAUSE of him. I can't ever thank that dog enough for the changes he has brought to our lives.
I was at one time very involved with horses, showing them. I still was riding and training when I first got Kilt but the shift was permanent. Where I once looked at and open pasture and would think "wow, would I love to open a horse up on that"...was now "Oh man, What a huge outrun you could do out there, what a great place to work a dog".
While Kilt and I never amounted to much on the trial field , he was a good dog. Just not the stuff for sheepdog trials. As time went and I came to realise/accept this he still taught me so much about dogs, handling and training.
Never, ever to be coined and "easy" dog he was a dog that was ahead of my time.
Never, ever to be coined and "easy" dog he was a dog that was ahead of my time.
Had he come to me now I know things would have been better for both of us.
As he aged and I had other dogs to work and train he became my husband Paul's farm dog. He helped Paul with the chores when I was off training or at a trial.
He was keen to work right to the end. I still remember several weeks before he left us , I was starting one of my young dogs out in a bigger area. Somehow, while we were out there I saw out of the corner of my eye a black and white blur squeeze through the gate and join the pup in the balance exercise. The two of them out there keeping sheep to me, the sheep not too thrilled about two dogs on them.
I yelled to my husband to call Kilt.
He yelled back "Just tell him to lie down!"
I responded "That dog never took one stop his whole life, what makes you think he's gonna start now!"
Good old Kilt. We mourn your passing to this day but celebrate the life and love you gave us.
That'll do , That'll do
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment