Working Dog

I've mentioned I am a fan of the author, Jon Katz. He has written many stories about his life with dogs. His latest e-book, The Story of Rose, tells the story of his beloved Border Collie that passed away not too long ago. Rose came into Katz's life at the same time he was moving into a farm in upstate New York. From day one, Rose worked hard. She herded sheep, protected Katz from all sorts of danger and most importantly helped guide Katz out of a deep, dark state of depression. Finally helping him open doors to a new, happier life. He says that all Rose wanted to do was work. That is all she was focused on. She never cared about toys, or food, or treats, or cared much about other dogs. All she wanted to do was work. When she was in the house she just peered out the window looking at the sheep or keeping an eye on the farm. She wasn't about being cuddled or loved on. She was a non stop working dog and it was only because of her hard work Katz was able to make it through some very difficult years on the farm. Rose was a remarkable dog and Katz tells a great story. For those of you with kids, he also has some great children's books out. Check out www.bedlamfarm.com

This got me thinking about Gypsy. She certainly isn't a working dog like a Border Collie. Actually Standard Poodles are in a group the American Kennel Club classifies as "non sporting." I never really understood that one. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that yes, Gypsy does in fact work. And she works hard. She has many jobs like, knowing where we are every second of the day. Keeping an eye on the backyard. Knowing where Dino is all the time. Smiling nonstop from the moment she wakes up. That one makes us happy. She has the very important job of acting like a clown as much as possible. When we laugh at her, she just acts more silly. She has the job of emitting as much love on us that any dog could possibly give. This is a job she excels at. Yep, Gypsy works hard every day. Her job is to bring us joy and happiness and she is very good at her job.

Whew, I'm bushed. I've been working too hard!