Good Dogs!

Jessie

Sue

These are my Good Dogs. Ten year old Jessie is a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd cross. She is mother to Sue who is two years old. This breed of dog is great for those of us who ranch because make excellent herders. They primarily like to herd sheep, but since we also have cattle, they'll gladly jump out of the pick-up to chase a few bulls down a fenceline. These good ol' dogs are also handy with a frisbee or a golf ball. They love to play catch with both and probably catch more throws than we do. And just imagine the coordination it takes to catch one in your mouth! I don't even want to try it!

The girls are at attention because one of the boys is about to throw a golf ball for them to fetch, but this is also The Stance when watching a herd of sheep in the pasture or when staring down a bull who doesn't want to move along. Did you notice that Jessie has just half an ear? She was born in the winter and the owners had the litter of pups under a heat lamp in the barn to keep them warm. Jessie had her ear burned in the process, but she hears just fine (when she chooses to). In her old age, she's more choosy about what she hears.