Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Oh no, Scout.

This is Scout.

He is a beautiful border collie who belongs to my co-worker, Andy. He was the first dog Andy and his wife saw on a day-long trip to shelters in southern Minnesota. They met many dogs but couldn't stop thinking about him.

Andy shot these photos in the fall and winter, but I didn't want to wait to post them. I've become a sucker for border collies in general (not just Pops).

Scout is way more obedient than Pops. But like her, if he doesn't get enough exercise, he gets into stuff: shredding toilet paper and leaving it all over the floor, chewing on the cat, etc.

What?

“She’s allowed on furniture and he’s not, so if she wants to get away, she can,” Andy says. “Usually, though, she’ll just bat her paws at him and he’ll growl at her and chew. It’s pretty funny to watch.”

Oh no, Scout. Not the cat!

Scout will chase anything that moves: “Waves crashing on the beach drive him crazy; he’ll nip at the waves like he would a sheep’s heels. He chases after the embers coming off a fire (that’s what he’s doing in that second picture), and sometimes catches them. He pounces on moving shadows. It’s that herding dog instinct: If it’s in motion, he’s interested.”

And yet it's hard not to be charmed by dog antics. As Andy says, “We clean up after them, buy them stuff, and take lots and lots of pictures.”

4 comments:

kt :) said...

Scout is my hero.......My dog Sabrina (part German Shepherd, part some-kinda-collie & part whack-job) is just about his size, and was over playing with him in Andy & Sheryl's backyard one evening. However, whereas Scout is a wonderful, watchful, obedient type of guy who can be trusted off-leash, Sabrina is a wild-child who was rescued from the streets of Chicago & has never gotten over her unfortunate, um, "taste" for poor, furry, defenseless little critters.

So, Sabrina was tied up to a tree on a long piece of clothesline attached to her leash, romping around with her friend Scout. Suddenly, I heard a snap, turned my head, & saw only the white blur of Sabrina's fluffy collie-butt, fading into the distance, heading for the next county. Hot on the heels of some poor cottontail headed for imminent cardiac arrest. Scout, hearing me freaking out & his mom trying to calm me down while we were running in their wake, took off like a shot, heading straight for Sabrina.

When we caught up to him, I saw the coolest thing: my hero Scout was running circles around his clueless buddy the bunny-bagger, herding her & keeping her in check-!! Scout saved Sabrina from a possible second stint living on the street, or worse, finding her way into it & possibly being hit by a car. Scout is The Dude.......what a guy :):)

Naomi said...

Good boy, Scout! That is a great story — and I'm glad it has a happy ending. Sabrina and her fluffy collie-butt sound adorable (if not a bit naughty).

kt :) said...

more than a bit(!!) But I love her anyway.....As you say, ya can't helped but be charmed :) Thanks for profiling her bud, he deserves it :):)

Naomi said...

I always think naughtiness is a sign of intelligence. Sometimes it's hard not to laugh at stuff, too. By the way, if you want to email a photo of Sabrina, she can have her own post, too. She has definitely earned it. :) cooljewelsnaomi AT gmail DOT com. (That goes for all naughty dogs!)