Rose came to live with us about two months ago in May 2004.
We have enjoyed every minute of her company and she has become
an integral part of our happy little pack.
We have had Australian Shepherds since we first got our first
one, Monte, as a puppy in early 1986. In my life I have had
all kinds of dogs: Beagles, Fox Terriers, a Cocker Spaniel,
an Irish Setter, a St Bernard, a German Shepherd, a Black and
Tan hound and Heinz 57. I loved them all. But I never really
had a dog until I had an Australian Shepherd. Marie and I have
had several over the years and currently share our home with
three, counting Rose. I intend to have one for as long as I
can feed and care for him or her.
Monte was Mr. Everything. Tana and Tee Tee were known as the
Gator Girls and were Marie's protectors when I used to have
to travel for a living. Beamer was lost to us early in her life.
Lore was born knowing more about a cow than I have learned in
40 years of working with cattle. Maggy is a beauty queen and
the most faithful of companions. And now Rose, who has some
of the finest qualities of all of them, reminds me of different
ones from my past almost with every motion. Our Aussies have
all been smarter than most people we know and somewhat better
behaved than most we see these days. Rose is no exception.
Rose is the first that we have not raised from a puppy. Lore
and Maggy are getting up there in years and I did not want Marie
to have a single day without a dog in this house. Me either.
So we started looking tentatively about a year ago. I never
found a pup that inspired me. Found them all to be color and
flash and Border Collie looking. Not knocking Border Collies,
but I wanted an Aussie, and wanted it to look like an Aussie.
So I did some searches on the web and accidentally
stumbled onto Aussie Rescue. I looked around a bit and found
two dogs that looked like what we were looking for. I put in
applications.
The process was kind of slow, and it was a good while before
we heard anything. But finally, we got a call about Rose. I
never did hear anything from the group that had the other dog
we applied for. I learned a little bit more about Rose and decided
we wanted to look at her. I thought it would be nice not to
have to housebreak a puppy and go through puppy chewing and
such but was wondering what kind of bad habits I would inherit.
I knew as soon as I saw her that Rose was the dog for us. Marie
was more worried about her not getting along with the two older
residents -- that is Maggy and Lore, not Marie and I. Marie
drug her feet a little but I finally got her moving and we got
Rose here. Lore did pick a fight with Rose on the second day
but that was soon over and after about a week Marie got over
being mad at me. Everybody is lovey dovey again and all the
dogs get along like they have always been together.
Marie has fallen in love with Rose every bit as much as I, if
not more. We don't know a lot of her background but we were
told that Rose was three or four years old. I think she still
has a bit of puppy in her and may be younger. She is full of
boundless energy, blazing speed, quick wits, eagerness to learn
and eagerness to please. Super friendly to all but has claimed
her home and has been promoted to assistant watch dog. She quickly
learned our routines and has made her place within them. In
typical Aussie fashion, she figures out how things work and
learns something new every day. She follows me everywhere. She
has learned that donkeys don't love dogs. She knows that sometimes
the electric fence hurts and sometimes it doesn't, and I will
tell her when it is okay or warn her it is hot. She has learned
that no matter how much fun it might be, I don't want her to
chase the gunieas and will let them walk over her now. Medicine
and treats are dispensed at breakfast and supper and any dog
present is subject to getting treats. She does not miss many.
She also figured out my livestock feeding routine
and knows when I am going to the next field, and when I am going
to a far field. And of course, she accompanies me on the longer
trips, and waits patiently for me to come back during the short
ones. I think she knows what animals there are, and how many
are supposed to be where. She is lying here beside my chair
as I write this note and waiting patiently for me to go into
the den so she can lie on the sofa with her head in my lap.
In short we are thrilled with her, and to the folks who were
too trifling to pick her up from the pound when called about
her.....Your loss is definitely our gain !!!!
A special thanks to Susan Nepomuceno,
a volunteer and foster home, who was instrumental in helping
to place Rose with the Tates. Rose couldn't have a better home
and really enjoys helping out on the farm.
© 2004 Jim and Marie Tate.
