This is what the world looks like to me these days – Jimi, my six-month-old border collie, running as fast as he can. Usually with a shoe in his mouth, usually toward water.
He loves to chew things that smell like people’s feet and he loves anything wet.
It surprises me a little. I didn’t think border collies were dogs that liked water. One of our BCs, Juno, hated to even get her feet wet. On rainy mornings when it was time to go outside and do her business, she would stand inside the back door and look at me with eyes that said, “Seriously? You want to go out there?“ Our other BC, Skippy, tolerates water but is not a big fan.
But Jimi! The day we brought him home, he pawed all the water out of his water dish in the kitchen and splashed around in it. He drops his tennis balls in the toilet. He drinks out of the toilet. He tries to swim in the toilet.
And today, when we were walking on the paths near August Derleth Park, he spotted the Wisconsin River.
I could see, actually see, the thought forming in his puppy body: “WATER!” He jumped over the bank, raced down through the weeds and went right out into the big river with complete confidence.
I wasn’t so comfortable with the notion of swimming in the Wisconsin, so I lured him out with a lamb jerky treat. Five minutes later we were back home, a little wetter but intact.
Every dog is its own dog, with stuff to find out and explore that belongs only to them. They are always moving away, always in motion.
tags:border collies
