Miss Moss turns two

As I took Moss for a walk on the morning of her second birthday, I was reminded of the first time we met her.  Moss was bred by my ex-sister-in-law, who farms in Devon and is pretty keen on collies.  Moss’s litter was the third and final litter of a cross between Mai and Rook, both working dogs.

Personally, I think that pure collies don’t make ideal family pets, since they are working dogs and need a job or something to focus on.  But we wanted to get a puppy from a known and trusted source, and it felt like a good idea.  Plus the litter was due on the 23rd May which was Wavey (our previous dog’s) birthday.   It felt auspicious.

We went to visit the litter on the farm in Devon when they were six weeks old, pure luck gave me the opportunity to sit with the puppies for almost an entire weekend.  I watched them for hours.  I am no dog expert but, even at six weeks old their personalities were there.  I remember one puppy, I called him Piglet, was a bit charmless.   Another rather beautiful bitch puppy seemed confrontational, so despite the fact that she was a stunner, I steered clear of her. 

The one I was drawn to was quite independent and liked pottering off and doing her own thing.  She wasn’t the prettiest of the litter, nor the most affectionate, but she had a spirit that I was drawn to. 

Two years on and we have a good relationship.  She’s not easy, this afternoon we are having a lesson on how to manage her intensity and obsessions, she’s still independent minded and still good at amusing herself. 

As I sit in woods recording this, she’s at my feet, eating a stick as is her wont.  What really fascinates me is the bond between humans and dogs, why is it so special?

Photo:  Moss as a puppy