got sheep?

extreme adventures with urban border collies.

people who own border collies may be insane. i read on a website once that you might be addicted to border collies if, instead of counting sheep to fall asleep, you give commands to the border collie 'driving' them.

my two older dogs introduced me to a whole 'dog' subculture i never knew existed.
obedience classes, dog food, dog sports. Karma - a mixed breed, probably jack russell and pit bull, introduced me to the sport of flyball (although he was never very good.... he continues to entertain)

in 2003 a beautiful but troubled border collie came into my life, shortly after being thrown out of a moving vehicle. borders are described as the type A personalities of the dog world. Pipp was a triple A personality. while the drive to run faster and further would have made him a serious competitor in a flyball tournament, severe injuries always hampered his style. dabbling in agility and tracking, Pipp had lots of fun but hadn't found his 'groove.'

in fall 2008, a random call from the local SPCA resulted in my picking up a then 16 week old border collie puppy, abandoned by owners who thought she was too much to handle. She soon became 'agent scully.'

long before owning border collies, i was fascinated by watching these amazing dogs herd sheep. in April 2009, i finally had the opportunity to begin training them. This blog will explore their adventures in sheep herding and other activities (along with those of their 'brother', Karma)