Before we rescued the Westie Brigade (TM)), we had a black lab-Border Collie mix named Jenny. We got her from the shelter when she was just over a year, after her first owners abandoned her. When she was two, she was hit by an antique motorcycle that dislocated her hip, and she was then diagnosed with shallow hips and told she’d have to be put down by age eight. Jenny made it to sixteen before she wandered off to die four years ago, and while she had really bad hip dysplasia, was mostly deaf, and going blind, she could still hear a bag of M&M’s being opened across the house and could see a squirrel (tree-rat, in my family) running at 100 paces. It turned out her medication, Rimadyl, was giving her seizures and probably leading to a toxic build-up, and the first night we caught her having a seizure, she didn’t look scared, more embarrassed. That was the night she asked to go out as usual, looked back at my mum for several seconds, and set off into the yard. We never found her, though we have a feeling she crossed the street and headed into the woods on the battlefield (we live on the Chancellorsville battlefield) to die. She was proud enough not to inconvenience us and she didn’t want us to watch her die, but it still broke our hearts.

In her day, Jenny was a champion frisbee-catcher, would hyperventilate if Daddy didn’t take her to the dump (they always stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts and she’d get a few munchkins, not to mention riding in his truck), and herded us all around like we were her sheep. She escaped from every sling they put her in when she was hit by the motorcycle, and within a week, was jumping off the deck, not bothering with the stairs, and hitting the ground running. She really was one-of-a-kind, and after she passed away, my parents swore we’d never have a dog. Four months later, we brought home the first of the Westies, and we now have three of them. So much for ‘never again’.

My wife has two cats, one a total, but nice, neurotic. The other has no fear whatsoever. She had taken to my collie tricolor because, like him she is black and white. They slept together most nights, even the hight before we said good bye to him.

Collies have always had hip issues late in life and usually is the reason they are put down. Some breeders have begun to advocate feeding the dogs a diet of “people food” and ignoring veterinarian services. Supposedly will extend a dogs life. There’s a name for it, but it escapes me at the moment. I won’t argue the merits of such thinking, but my dogs have always been and will continue to be treated in the traditional fashion.

Sorry if this is a little disjointed, but we are on edge here waiting to here from a collie breeder who was expecting two small litters this weekend. We are supposed to be on the list for a look see!