Just a word about one of the greatest genetic creations on the face of this earth........the Border Collie.
Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall fences in a single bound.
The dog that all sheep talk about but never want to meet.
The fur that legends are made of.
Makes coyotes cringe, sheep trip the light fantastic, and eagles soar somewhere else.
Invested with the energy of a litter of puppies, the work ethics of a boat person, and the loyalty of Lassie, they ply their trade on sagebrush flats, grassy fields, and precipitous peaks from sea to shining sea.
"Away to me!" I command. They streak and sail, zipping like pucks on the ice. Black-and-white hummingbirds, in out, up down, come by.
Sheep. With head up, one eye cocked over their shoulder asking directions. To the gate through the race. Mighty dog moves behind the bunch like a towboat pushing barges around a bend.
And heart. Do they try? "Just let me at'em, Dad!" Stay. "C'mon, I'm ready!" Stay. "Can't you feel me hummin'! Listen to my heart! It's purrin' like a cat! I am primed! Aim me, point me, pull the trigger!"
"Away to me!" It makes me feel like Robin Hood. He leaves my side like an arrow.
Workin' dogs is like manipulating a screwdriver with chopsticks. Like doing calligraphy with a plastic whip. Like bobbing for apples. Like threading a needle with no hands. Like playing pool on the kitchen table.
There are no straight lines in nature. Only arcs. Great sweeping curves of sight and thought and voice and dog. Always having to lead your command about a dog's length.
Sheep bunched like logs on the river. Dogs paddling in the current. Always pushing upstream. A ewe breaks loose. Then another, another. The log jam breaks. Dogs and sheep tumble about in the white water.
Calm again, they start back upstream.
Border collies. Are they truly smarter than a chimpanzee? Cuddlier than a Koala? More dedicated than Batman's valet?
Can they change course in midair? Drag Nell from the tracks and locate the missing microfilm?
Yes. I believe they can. They are the best of the best, the epitome of "above and beyond the call of duty." Head dog. Top Gun. I salute you, for man has never had a better friend.

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10 Commandments for Prospective Dog Owners

1. My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years.
Any separation from you will be painful for me.
Remember that before you buy me.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me - it's crucial to my
well-being.

4. Don't be angry at me for long and don't lock
me up as punishment. You have your work, your
entertainment and your friends. I have only you.

5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand
your words, I understand your voice when its
speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I'll never
forget it.

7. Remember before you hit me that I have teeth
that could easily crush the bones of your hand but
that I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative,
obstinate or lazy, ask yourself if something might
be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right
food, or I've been out in the sun too long, or my
heart is getting old and weak.

9. Take care of me when I get old; you, too, will
get old.

10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say,
"I can't bear to watch it, or, "Let it happen in my
absence." Everything is easier for me if you are
there. Remember, I love you.