måndag 20 oktober 2008

Vallhund

Mitt i allt bestyr med kor, kvigor, kommande kalvning och projektering av hagar började vi att jaga hund. Peter fick bestämma ras, jag valde färg och alla ungdomar och barn var med och godkände våra förslag. Valet föll på rasen Aussie som är en vallhund för större djur, men som även är en stabil familjehund. Vi lusläste webb-sidor om olika hunduppfödare och Peter ringde runt och pratade med de uppfödare som vi tyckte verkade intressanta. Till sist var det två olika kennel som valet stod mellan.

I had had a border collie years ago when I was a herdsman on dairy farms. Kia was a nice dog, always willing to put out 120% effort on any job, but that was the problem. A dog like that is just way too nervy and not quite right for cattle.

Some people say that Aussies originated in California. I don't know but I remember a lot of them all over the place back home. It was considered really cool among the "cowfolk" to have one of those bob-tailed, blue merle, two-different-colored-eyes mutts riding in the back of your pick up truck. There was always a pack of them running around and generally getting in the way at all the barbecues and parties back home. Charlotte said definitely no to a merle colored dog. Never understood why but that's just details. Aussies are cool animals no matter what their color and tail length.

Vi bestämde oss för att åka och titta med den valp som vi tyckte verkade passa oss bäst. Vi skulle bara titta,- inget annat.

"Mmm", sa min dotter Freja och log förtjust. "Mina vänner säger att det går inte att bara titta, det slutar alltid med att man köper", sa Freja.

Again, I knew that, too, but didn't say it out loud. So I spent a lot of time to find a pup that I wanted: one with a good herding pedigree that was bred by someone who really cared about working dogs. We had to get it right on the first shot because once Ulf and Freja got sight of a litter of cute little puppies we just weren't getting out of there without one.

Så blev det! Athena heter den valp som vi köpte. Hon var absolut oemotståndlig!
(And she is plenty rowdy and has a bob-tail just like any bad-ass cow dog should. Everybody seems to have gotten what they wanted!)

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