Els Voorhoeve: NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN
Our first drover was……no, no border collie. Does include a Flemish Cows Dog. A beautiful bitch: sturdy, firmly, stable, calm, a slow learner, which was offset by a memory like an elephant, and a most loving character.
So, 12 years later, came another cattle dog. No better than pure breed indeed true Bouvier, and especially if you are in Wapenveld middle between the real red spotted Yssel lives. Man,dog and I were happy people. Until unfortunately increasing noise,fuss,construction and movement announced itself.
And when…we put our lives on the head, even though we did not fully realize how radically our choice would be: we got the chance to live and work on a large quiet family estate in France, while we barely even language were powerful. Seize the day, grab opportunities and make the best of: that was about the insertion (and even more,everyday, Splatter me that french….what I have respect for foreigners who really contact level dutch learned!)
The estate life a shepherd and his wife and hundreds of sheep. And yes, there for first time I saw, with increasing amazement- a border collie at work. Almost in everything the opposite of the Bouvier: rapidly, agile, governed, intelligent (with all of the- and disadvantages), a tremendous will to (co-)work… I looked my eyes out. Absolutely indispensable in the “escapees” who live in large pastures and fields, and that alone for their vaccinations and deworming regularly to the fold must be attained.
Well, and the rest is easy to guess: a litter, 2 the estate will continue to be in front of the work used to go to. Cleo and Collie go, with inexperienced neighbor and myself, a wonderful first year of life in. The education appears “a piece of cake”, if you regularly / carefully / with sufficient challenge tackles. There is much to do in the woods and fields, the sisters love to play and we “braid” basic obedience through it. We always try for the next day scheming to make good (See photo) and for me it is also much needed lesson french. The more the “dressage” in sight, the more difficult it. And wrong habits are (what a different experience with Bouviers) superfast learned. We are still in full: and the dogs and ourselves have a long way to go. But we are gripped by the “virus”, by the special qualities of the borders, we want to learn and develop. And it can also be a disadvantage to be so far from civilization to live, without clubs, of trainers of trainingscentra of….
And then the surprise in the Netherlands, where visiting family and friends always makes return- Zwolle training of Dick van Dijk to discover: “just” 2 weekends I could insert, I saw many different people with their dogs to work, I did ideas, I got suggestions handed, both with regard to sheep- like dogs- if handler behavior.
Dankjulliewèl!
See you, Els Voorhoeve
