A small miracle

Today as we struck out for our morning walk I could sense Moss was in an odd mood.  As many of you precious readers know, she’s a Border Collie, she’s got pointy ears, which make her extremely alert, and she’s an Alpha which means her natural place is to be the pack leader.  This doesn’t make her the easiest of dogs to handle.  She’s an absolute delight with humans, but intense with other dogs.

There are times when I’m envious of a docile Labrador, or and easy-going Retriever, Moss will never be one of them.  She’s hyper alert and intense.  It’s not a complaint, it’s just a fact! 

She’s a good dog, but her instinct is to crouch, to stalk and to nip at heals, that’s how collies control sheep.  I think that other breeds respond to this intensity, and I’m not yet sure how to effectively manage the behaviour.

Today we met Bert a small Schnauzer, full of attitude and Moss was reactive towards him (dog speak for stroppy).  Then we met a Border Terrier and Moss lurched at it, had she not been on the lead there would have been an incident.  I felt myself becoming increasingly tense.

After all this time and all the work I do with her every single day, I must admit that my heart was falling steadily into my boots.   

We live in a close-knit community, I’ve lived here for nearly thirty years, I don’t want Moss to be unpredictable with other dogs.  I’m beginning to feel as though Moss is becoming the bad kid on the block.  Please No!  It really matters to me.

As I walked to the river feeling despondent and wondering what to do about Moss’s behaviour, a small miracle happened. 

As I stood with my back to the path looking out to the river, John and his Spaniel Scout appeared out of nowhere.  They were exactly the pair we needed to meet.  Scout is playful, fast and confident, he and Moss had a really good run together.   John is good natured with kind sparkling eyes, we just chatted.

It was such a relief I felt my whole body relax.

Photo:          Scout and Moss, both fast, busy and playful.