Dogs

About a week and a half ago, some friends of ours brought over two dogs for us to take care of while they go to Missouri for a couple of weeks. They’ve had the older dog, an almost three-year-old border collie, for a couple of years. The other dog is a young puppy that someone dumped out on their road a few weeks ago. He’s a bit of a mutt, but he’s cute and sweet.

Originally, they asked if we wanted Bodie, the border collie, since they were looking for a good home for him. I told them I didn’t know. After we spent a day with them (they live about 40 miles from us), we offered to babysit the two dogs while they were in Missouri. That would give us an opportunity to see if we like having a couple of dogs on the farm.

So far, having them here has been fine. Bodie enjoys trying to herd the animals on the farm. The cows don’t herd well for him. Initially, they wanted to be right in Bodie’s face and chased him. Now, except for Tilly, they’re getting used to his coming near the fence and barking at them. Tilly still thinks she has to protect Cleo. So, she growls and roars at Bodie, although she is getting a little more used to him.

The puppy’s name is Freddy. He’s soft, cuddly, and adorably cute. He’s a whole lot more laid back than Bodie is. Bodie can’t stand still; he’s always running somewhere to do something. Freddy hangs out on the back porch and loves the children.

The thing that has probably taken the most getting used to is having a dog barking near the house at night. Bodies is still getting used to things around here. So, whenever anything moves, he starts barking and chasing it, whether it’s a cat, a coyote, or the donkey in the nearby pasture.

Both dogs seem to have settled in quite well and are happy here. We still haven’t made up our minds for certain about keeping them. Freddy will stay. He’s young, easy-going, and should train well. Bodie is fun and smart, but he needs some training. He’d be good for keeping varmints out of the garden and corn patches. There are advantages and disadvantages. We have another week or so to decide.