Cutter

The Force and I went together to pick out my potential real working Border Collie at 2 weeks old.  Who can pick a puppy at 2 weeks – well apparently he can… all I saw were wiggly little sausages, but Bill saw something in Cutter.   He also named him… there ya go.  

this isn’t a blow by blow of this dog’s life as I am on the other side of the screen and I can’t seem to see the words I am typing right now.

I will spare you any suspense by giving you the thelos at the beginning.  No matter how small your farm is, if you are a shepherdess your place will benefit from a working dog that you work.  Even if your sheep are friendly, even if you only have a few acres, even if you feel like you are wasting your dog’s talents.  There will be days this animal is indispensable.

was still worth the days that you want to pull your hair out when he is 3  and still a puppy.  The days you ask yourself if he will ever grow up.  Those times that you have him tethered to your body to learn just a little self control.  Times when you go chasing after him up the pasture screaming “NO, Cutter NO, NO” while the neighbors look on because chasing horses is not ok.  Even when he costs a small fortune at the vet…  And the day you give him back.  

I am so thankful I had the opportunity to train him myself.  If you have the inclination, do it.  Yes, you will ruin your first dog, or he will turn out wonderful anyways.   I am so blessed to have experienced the latter.   One of my fears and reasons for training myself was that, as a sensitive shepherdess, I didn’t think I wanted my dog gripping the sheep.  Turns out there are some days I wished he would just bite’em!  I can’t recall a time that he ever did.  He was even more patient than I.  

In my humble opinion there are few things in this world like watching an animal do what it is bred to do.  When you know that the animal you are seeing is using its God given instinct and talents to work to the best of its ability gives me goosebumps.  This amazement is compounded by knowing that of all the breeds of dogs out there, there are just a few breeds with these desires, and even further not even every animal within those breeds show the capacity.  As the farmer all you can do is set back and encourage those behaviors to move in the right direction.  Unless you have dyslexia, then you holler out the wrong way and your dog sees through your backwards mind and does the right (correct) thing anyway. This was the way with Cutter and I.

  this dog is working out for the pleasure of a “Good Boy”, and “That’ll do”: What more could you ask for?  To be the handler is to know when to holler out the “good boy” or the firm “No”, and the “That’ll do”.  And if the handler doesn’t take that job on, there will be chaos, and harm.  Leaving this talented dog to himself would be a waste.  If left by himself with the sheep, if he doesn’t hurt the sheep, will work himself into a dither.  Pretty soon he will be so obsessed he will not have the ability to hear anything else.  I am so blessed by the life lesson of balance that comes from working a good dog. 

Can you see the analogy of how we can be used to our best purpose?  Cutter’s single purpose was to go out and help me with the sheep, when it was time, and in the way I needed him to work with the sheep.  If you need another good read I highly recommend “Lessons from my Sheep Dog”  Phillip Keller

 without my mom’s favorite Cutter snapshot.  Mom and dad came over for something and I needed to put the chickens away.  Cutter had the capacity to be a multi species herder.  The older girls know where their house is and don’t need much coaxing to make it back into the pen.  Not so, adolescent roosters, more on the tween side of adolescents.  So I showed mom what Cutter could do.  My way to the coop is not without a fair share of obstacles including Cutters kennel.  He didn’t like to come inside till later in his life.  There were many kamikaze moments, when this crazy little buzzard would run-fly back to the yard.  But in true Cutter fashion he would go-bye, way-to-me, and step up till the roo finally succumbed to the coop.  I do believe this was one of the babies that Cutter hatched…

Yep he was quite the guy.  I think what I love most about him was his kindness.  I will never forget the time I learned the hen was using his house as her brooder.  All the babies hatched and not a single one was harmed.  I still don’t know if he went in to sleep with them, or if he just gave it up for them? 

As a farmer by choice and a genetically disposed animal lover there comes a time to make some hard choices.  My favorite most excruciating thing on the farm are the old animals.  I love that they have spent their time here.  We know each other,  they understand the routine, or they know how to gracefully skirt it.  I think particularly in the case of a good farm dog they have worked with us.  Working together has the ability to bring you closer. 

We all know they don’t live long enough, and I have decided for our farm when I know you are not your usual happy self anymore, it is selfish to keep you around just for me.  Most times I have agonized over timing.  Time and I have never been friends especially when making hard decisions.  Thinking maybe I could eke out another week, or day.  But God in His infinite grace, blessed me with this peace: “Molly, just give him back to Me…”