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[clhw AT InfoAve.Net (clhw)]

Hot Dog showed up at our dairy farm one day. No collar.
This was shortly after our registered BC Chickasaw Misty Morning had died
of parvo (before shots were widely recommended).

Now, according to family lore, my father owned one of the first BCs born in
America. My dad's family lived on a ranch in west Texas on property owned
by Mr Max Turner, who had thousands of acres of land and tens of thousands
of sheep. Mr. Turner decided to quit using cowboys to handle his sheep (I
believe both sheep and cowboys thought it was demeaning) and imported some
Basque shepherds. The shepherds came on condition that Mr. Turner would get
the RIGHT dog for them -- BCs.

Mr. Turner sent to Scotland and bought a dog and a bred bitch. The people
at the quarantine center on Ellis Island told him that they had never had a
Border Collie come through there before. This was in the early 1920s, so I
don't know how true it was. Anyway, Mr. Turner gave my dad the pick of the
litter, and Dad kept Max (the chosen pup) for many years.

There are pictures of Max in our family albums....a larger dog than today's
BC, nearly solid black, with a white bootie and a small chest blaze. He
appears to have shorter hair also. When I came along, Max was jealous and
snapped at me so he lived out his years with my grandparents at the ranch
house, El Ranchito.

So Hot Dog arrived. Our neighbor here, Mr. Milford of Milford Dairies,
raises BC that have been seen on TV at the national sheep dog trials. Mitzi
won some ribbons for him. Sam (Milford) came over, looked at Hot Dog, and
said he wasn't positive but believed she was one he had sold as a pup to a
farmer.

Now, Hot Dog had pellets in her right ear, and a rattly sound when she did
heavy breathing and winced with any heavy-handed patting on her right ribs
(same side as the pelleted ear). Sam M. said he understood the purchaser of
the pup didn't think she worked with his animals and he, Sam, would not
contact him as he thought it obvious someone had shot Hot Dog with a
shotgun.

Hot Dog lived with us at least 13 years. Ate one or 2 chickens, but rapidly
realized this was not acceptable behavior and didn't chase them again.
Helped herd the dairy cattle and horses. Was a wonderful companion. Did not
want to come indoors but we only rarely tied her up.

She attacked all strange dogs, killing one while we watched. We didn't
realize it would happen and it was so quick, there was no getting to them
to stop it. She would body block strange dogs, rolling them, and then be at
their throat while they were still trying to re-gain their feet. She kept
hawks, owls, possums, skunks, raccoons, fox and probably bob cat away from
our poultry.

Hot Dog, like Max, was an extremely intelligent dog. THe whole family loved
her and it has been said if we ever get another dog, we will look for a BC.
Congratulations, Bev, on being chosen.
Lynn in SC

>On 12/18/06, EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>
>> Today, possibly the perfect dog fell into my lap.
>> Someone let out a stray, as typical when you live out in the boonies.
>> It's a border collie, looks to be under 2 years old, and is THE calmest
>> BC I have ever seen, definitely a low energy BC.  There was only one time
>> that
>> I saw the infamous BC "eye", and he hasn't barked yet.