I came home from work yesterday with a nauseating headache. I had spent a good deal of the day tediously manipulating computer files in classic Sisyphean style. My impulse was to collapse on the couch, escaping the searing mid-90 summer day. But there my ever-faithful running buddy stood, greeting me at the door, giving me the "can we go" look.
Despite being nearly 13 years old, our Aussie-Border Collie, Meeko, has always loved to run. (Her greatest accomplishment was summiting King's Peak, Utah's highest mountain, with Lumber many moons ago, a 32-mile, 5080-ft-elevation-gain trip.) With who knows what percentage of Border Collie in her, this is no surprise. According to the Border Collie Rescue organization: "To truly exercise a Border Collie, you must be willing to put in a couple of hours each day, in some form of exercise or activity. Border Collies can remain confined to the house all day while you are away at work but do not expect to come home and relax. Border Collies have been described as having the energy output of a miniature nuclear reactor. And like all nuclear power, it can be quite dangerous if it is not controlled." www.bcrescue.org/bcwarning.html
I was not a "dog person" when I met Lumber. I remember on one of our early dates, we had dinner at the house where he was dog sitting. The dogs greeted me at the door with jumps and whines and licks and I started to cry (yes, it didn't help that the timing was during a monthly biorhythm low point). He turned to me and said, "I am sorry but these are like my brothers. If you can't get along with dogs, I don't know how we will do together as a couple." I didn't take it as an ultimatum for that was not his intention. It was just a simple sentiment summing to: "I love dogs and I hope you can grow to love them too."
And admittedly, I have. No, I do not love the constant stream of dog hair and the occasional dog messes in our house. But as my dad said, "A dog will be good for you; it will make you more relaxed." And yes, it has. Our house has an organic feel to it with the dogs. They make the outdoor/indoor division less stark as the dirt travels freely from the garden to the kitchen floor. And as much as I panic when a visitor comes to the door (the jumping/whining/licking phenomenon replayed) and swear each time that "we will get these dogs trained", I can't help but appreciate their welcoming reception. Who else is that excited to see you.
So, I walked right past the couch, put on my running clothes (as little as was decently possible for a 42-year-old woman) and shoes, grabbed my other new love (an Ipod shuffle that Lumber keeps forever novel by downloading selections from his 5000-some song collection) and headed out the door with Meeko and our four-year-old mischievous Jack Russell Terrier, Maisy. And not so surprisingly, my headache disappeared.
More thoughts about camping
13 years ago
2 comments:
Cannot agree with the quoted comment about the needs of a Border Collie -
To truly exercise a Border Collie, you must be willing to put in a couple of hours each day, in some form of exercise or activity. Border Collies can remain confined to the house all day while you are away at work but do not expect to come home and relax. Border Collies have been described as having the energy output of a miniature nuclear reactor. And like all nuclear power, it can be quite dangerous if it is not controlled."
This is utter nonsense.
Border Collies are just as capable of being a couch potatoe as any other breed.
Excercise is not their priority - mental stimulation is.
One mile a day with sufficient mental stimulation will satisfy them.
20 miles a day without mental stimulation will leave them looking for more.
The breed is designed (selectively bred) to be a sheepdog. As part of this selective breeding, they are 'designed' to spend the time they are awake in the company of their chosen handler (one man and his dog)and time asleep (quiet time) away from their handler, either alone or in the company of other dogs.
Daytime - with handler - preferably working in a way that stimulates their brains. Night time - own space.
300+ years of selective breeding and this sort of lifestyle has designed this dog breed to be the best working sheepdog in the world
To suggest that the Border Collie can be left 'home alone' all day without some sort of company and stimulation and be satisfied with some sort of physical excersise in the mornings and evenings is completely contrary to the hereditary instincts and needs of the breed.
They only become "minature nuclear reactors" if they are denied this sort of lifestyle.
Given the right lifestyle that fits into their natural inclinations they are a quiet, disciplined and focused breed.
We are surpised that such a comment could be attributed to someone who claims to rescue Border Collies. We have spent the last 32 years rescueing border collies from exactly that sort of "home alone" lifestyle and would not dream of influencing people to believe that this is right for the breed.
If people are to be persuaded (or allowed to think) that they can give a good home to a Border Collie if they work full time, it is no wonder that there are so many of them needing rescue and that so many Border Collie Rescue specialist organisations exist around the world and are full to the brim with misunderstood dogs.
I can only atribute this comment to someone who really does not have any basic understanding of the true nature of the breed.
Wow Mike Cooke-You sound like you are the ultimate expert. I tend to disagree with you being a dog person myself. I know meeko well and she is a happy well adjusted dog. Learn to try not to be a know it all. Great article Karen.
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