Saturday 9 April 2011

Jack and Trixie

In my experience, you are either a dog person or you’re not. There seems to be no middle ground. If you have clicked here and you’re not a dog person, you have probably moved on. If you are a dog person, I will continue with my story.


 
Jack and Trixie are Border Collies, they are my constant companions.
After years of not having a dog, I was surprised and delighted when my wife Colleen agreed that it would be a great idea. And so I we got Jack, nine years ago. At 8 weeks old he was in the truck with me everyday.
Border Collies are famous, among other things, for being ‘one man’ dogs. Jack is true to the breed. Colleen often longed for a dog of her own Four years later we got Trixie.
She was supposed to stay home with Colleen, who was off work on a sabbatical, but she quickly learned there was more exciting stuff when she went in the truck.

“How do you tell them apart?” is one of the most frequently asked questions. To me it’s so obvious: their size, their shape, their ears, the way they walk. The easiest way, however, for newcomers: Jack has a broad white stripe between his eyes and up onto his forehead, Trixie has only the tiniest stripe between her eyes. They look so much alike but their personalities are like night and day.

“How do you cope with two of them, aren’t Border Collies hyper active?” is the most asked question. The simple answer is no. They both love to be on the go, not necessarily running, but ‘at work’.On the whole they are quiet and calm travelling in the truck and around the house. When we asked the breeder that very same question she replied that exercise was not the main concern. “ Border Collies bond very strongly to their owners”, she said, “I don’t care how big your backyard is, if you can’t be with this dog all the time, don’t bother.”

As I write this Jack is curled up at the base of my chair, Trixie is upstairs snoozing on the back of the couch.

1 comment:

  1. I too am a dog person, but more importantly, I am an animal person. I love animals...all animals! I have discovered through my love of animals that all people who have a dog are not necessarily dog or animal lovers; they just love their own dog. Your comments lead me to believe that you are in the category of an 'animal lover.' I thank you for writing about your dogs...border collies are first on the list for intelligence...they are the smartest of all the dogs. And you are correct when you stated, that they are work oriented...very much so. From what I have seen of them, they do appear to be one-person dogs. I congratulate you on your devotion to Jack and Trixie and that you have incorporated them into your life as a 'member of your family'; because dogs are like having a surrogate child and need you more than you need them. Actually, a dog can have a vocabulary of up to 300 words. Bet your dogs know more words than you realize.
    At any rate, thank you for the picture you have painted of your family life and your surrogate children...it touches my heart and inclines me to believe you and your wife are a very kind and compassionate person. I also read your comments on the ravine along the shore of the lake, and your description of the wildlife also prompts me to believe the aforementioned statement.

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