Aussies...........I didn't even know what they were, I thought, someone from Australia? Over the years,we have had a number of purebred and mutt dogs and usually more than one kind at a time, as our kids didn't agree on size and type. We became acquainted with Australian Shepherds by raising dairy calves for Wayne, a friend of Mels. Wayne called and said come and get the best thing for helping with calves. It was "Pup". I thought, "I need another dog like I need a hole in the head." We had 5 of them. We soon thinned them 'till all that was left was Pup. She lived for 18-19 years. She was a working dog. If a fence was down you said, "don't let anything in or out" until it was fixed. She was on duty. She exercised the calves. Guarded the farm (you didn't come in without an invite), she never barked, just was there, staring with clear blue eyes, watching things. Our protector.
Now that we have retired our Aussies. I thought it might be fun; to do a running dialogue
[provided by Marci] of one of the last pups we had.The first thing a Aussie owner needs to know.... you have to be smarter than the dog.
There isn't anything they can't do;if you are willing to put your love and attention into them. I use to think Super dogs were "born that way"; but they are a product of love and companionship.
Our Aussies are OFA'd, DNA'd, Dual registered; ASCA and AKC. And retired.
Now if there was a Super dog breed; in my honest opinion it is a Australian Shepherd.
..... and are they were the reason we raised AMagic Touch Australian Shepherds.......
"Poo"
"Ami"
Black Tri Male
Name: "Moonlight's Poo Happens"
Sire: Moonlights Roll Over Beethoven
Dam: Moonlights London Fog
Blue Merle Female
Name:"AMAGIC OsageCanyon Ami"
Sire: O'Sages Stone Washed Denim
Dam: Applegates Grand Finale
"Jerry"
SO YOU WANT TO OWN SOME PEOPLE? ..... aka .... THE LIFE OF JERRY, Reported by MARCI [edited just a tetch, by me, for you know the language dogs incite]!
I was born 1-20-06, the first and the most beautiful of course. This is what my people, I was soon to own said. In a diary form of course and you can keep checking as it is added to!Oh, and there is two other dogs and a cat, I forgot to mention, that I will have to teach who is the boss.
3-20-06 [Marci, before I got there]
Thank you sooooooooooo much for letting Jerry be part of our family. I promise I will take care of him and love him as my own offspring. I can't wait to hold him!!!
07-07-07 [Marci's update to the life of Jerry]
So. . . . . a year has come and gone since the passing of my dear Grampy. He has been such an influence on who I am, and who I hope to become. I continue to be affected on a daily basis by his death, in many ways. Some of which I'm sure I still don't fully realize. I only hope I come close to being the kind of human being he was. 8 kids, countless grandkids and great-grandkids, and he made every single one of us feel like we were special, like we had a special place in his heart nobody else could touch.
Although I have always loved my dogs (more than most humans I know), I feel like I now see them in a different light. They are my teachers, my mentors, my life partners. They are far more knowledgeable about life than I am. Zeus, for example, turned 10 years old last week. That's old for a dog. I can't begin to even describe how he has impacted my life. He has changed me, for the better. He is my soul mate. I look into his eyes, and feel his love. I sense his presence, whether he's by my side or not. I feel him, he is part of me. He has taught me, especially recently, what life is about. How it's important to not just to quickly get to your destination, and perhaps set a personal time record doing it, but to stop and really see life on the way. There's a lot that we were so eager to hurry and get past before. I remember how he would stop at Sugarhouse Park after a 10 mile run in the middle of summer. He would immediately run to the water and lounge in it. He loved that. He would wade for a few minutes and cool down, chase a duck or two. I would get impatient, I couldn't stop thinking about getting back to our house under 1 hour, or under whatever our fastest time happened to be. He was trying to teach me something then. I realize that now. If I had only listened. Now I know. Now I see. I realize now more than ever how important it is to stop and smell the flowers, or the trees, or whatever might catch your fancy. Just to live in the moment - whatever that might be - and forget about all the other meaningless shit we seem to get so wrapped up in. If you want to jump in the pond and completely jeopardize your time record, you shouldn't hesitate for a second to do it. He has taught me that. He will never be replaced, he is part of my breath. He will be part of me forever.
Abby. She's now approximately 8. You see, with her, I've never really kept track of dates, anniversaries, etc. My friends always used to joke, when it was just her and Zeus, that Abby was the "red-headed step child." She was always left behind on hikes and runs. Only now, I notice that she's the one that's always there, waiting. Whenever I walk in the door, step out of the shower, look at the side of my bed, she's there. By my side. Waiting for me. Watching over me. Like a guardian angel. Zeus might be too tired to climb the stairs, Jerry might be sidetracked by a dust bunny (yes, that still happens), but I can always count on Abby to be my girlfriend. She's always right there, waiting for me patiently. She has taught me about loyalty. About consistency. About waiting for the ones you love. No matter if you're left behind, or maybe made to feel like you're not a priority - that doesn't change the fact that you love someone, and they're worth waiting for. She has a new place in my heart, one that only she can fill. I find myself scanning the room looking for her. As soon as eye contact is made, I feel peace. I know that she's on my side, that she'll never leave me, that all is well. She comforts me. She feels like home.
Jerry. He's still on crack. He jumps like Tigger . . . constantly. I'm not kidding. He leaps over 5 foot in the air when I come home from work, just to get to be eye level with me. He whines and makes almost human voice sounds that I swear sound like "momma" when I'm in bed, dreading the day, and he's ready to love me like no other. No matter where I am, his two big blue eyes are watching me from somewhere. We've been hiking like no other human and dog. He's by my side, regardless of how steep the mountain is, how deep the water is, how cold or hot the weather is. Jerry is there. He says "come on, Mom" with his eyes. You don't see it? It's so obvious. I stop and take pictures of flowers, of mountains, of a certain pattern of dirt on the trail that intrigues me, and he waits patiently. He knows that's what I love, what makes me happy. And he's content to wait for me, watch me, feel my happiness. He's my match, physically and mentally. He goes non-stop. He will open a door with his paws if he thinks that's the direction I'm headed, then turn to watch and wait for me. He climbs rocks by my side to reach the summit of a mountain when other humans are far down the mountain and swearing they're going to die. He sleeps by my side in a tent - by choice. He tirelessly runs after and catches the frisbee, no matter how many times I throw it. He dances to Grateful Dead music with me in the kitchen after I've had too many glasses of wine. He listens when I sing. He lays with me on the bed when I'm home alone and he knows I need a warm body. He's eager to go for a drive with me, just to go for a ride. I sing to him. I talk to him. I cry to him. He understands it all. When I tend to his torn paws with Neosporin after we've hiked too much, he makes eye contact with me and I immediately know how he feels. I feel guilty that I've pushed him too far, but 3 or 4 days later when I get my pack out to go climb another mountain, he's right there, looking at me - eager for an invitation. He's not deterred for a second. I know it's something he loves, and he wants to be with the ones he loves, despite any physical ailments or setbacks. He reminds me how exciting life is, how we should embrace every second in this short existence we have. How important it is just to love and be with the ones you love. You see, he's in my heart like I thought no other dog would be, besides Zeus. Why? Because I now realize, more than ever, that life is just too damn short. And I'm gonna love every minute of it.
"Pup" never registered female Deceased Best Dog Ever
"Tia" blue merle female Deceased Registered Name Mi Tia Easy Mel's companion
