Stray

[burnt]

He showed up here kinda shadowy like sometime in the past three days. At first, our two outdoor dogs would kick up a hullabaloo and we would see him slinking off across the field.

But then he hung around close enough to see that he's a really well built, well marked border collie with a good, shiny coat. He has no collar or tags.

Yesterday, he followed me for an hour as I cut greenfeed, all the time watching me on the tractor out of the corner of his eye . When I got off to check something, he sat as still as a rock until I called him over to me.

He came over very cautiously and put his head under my outstretched hand. I think he claimed me in that action.

I went out back to feed a lame bull and he went along and sat and watched the bull like a hawk while I dumped the feed in front of him. Always in that "ready" collie stance.

A bit later when I went to pick the bales up, he would sit by a bale until I loaded it on the wagon and then move to another to wait until its turn. I never saw a dog herd bales before.

He just seems to anticipate what I am doing next.

When I took the load home, he waited by the gate to watch the cows. When I took a bale to the feeder, he tried to herd the cows away from the feeder, I guess figuring that he was helping me.

Well he nearly got me trampled because the cows took strong exception to this stranger and tried to get him, bellaring their heads off! Where did he go? Right behind me! I had to hop up onto the feeder until he disappeared - under the tractor.

So, when I finished, he followed me to the house and much to our own dog's dismay, right into the garage, which is their castle. He went out when told.

He waited by the door and when I told him to "sit", he immediately sat down. When I put the dog's tie-up cable around his neck, he sat down and didn't move until I took it off again. Even though I walked away.

I woke up very early this morning and checked to see if he had left. There he was, sleeping with his back against the door on the back step - in the rain. So I fed him.

We don't really need or want another dog. Maybe somebody will claim him . . .

[Broke Cowboy]

Sorry pal - this one claimed you.

I suspect he will be a keeper - but be honourable and see if someone owns him.

When no one shows up - realize fortune has smiled upon you.

Sometimes these dogs make the best dogs.

BC

[gcreekrch]

[burnt]

Well that was a fairly short-lived mystery! It turns out that he came from just a few miles away. The folks who own him were away for the Thanksgiving weekend and their dogs, which were penned in, got the door open and ran.

I had called the municipal office to report this stray and the owners also called in, later this morning, to see if any had been turned in.

Sure enough, it all connected and they are very glad to have him back as he is indeed a cow working dog.

Nice ending.

[katrina]

Great ending...... Great story.....

[Big Muddy rancher]

Now your going to have a hankering for a pup.

Or offer to dog sit when they are away.

[burnt]

Well I don't know. We have had a lot of pups here in the past few years and are just about pupped out. So we got the girls spayed. Our present set of canine companions are about the nicest dogs we have ever had so we're set pretty good.

I'm glad we didn't have to decide on whether or not to keep that fella because we don't need another dog and he was too good to pass up if the owner didn't show up.

[RobinFarmandRanch]

We had a stray show up here a few months ago. My mom fell in love with her. Just the sweetest little lab/golden mix. you cant keep this dog out of the water troughs. She had a collar when she showed up, but no tags. Told the town to see if anyone reported her missing. so far nobody has claimed her. She has a new place here i guess. We had her fixed because i got a male black lab, and a male weimaraner running around and i dont want any puppies. Ive been workin with her lately and she might make one hell of a duck dog.