Cassie Rose

Our Border Collie Cassie came to us as an unwanted pet that was herding a vast amount of cattle without command or guidance. Border Collies have a natural instinct to herd but without the proper training can become a thorn in anyone’s side. The simple problem is they are intelligent, high energy dogs, that get bored quickly. If you can't find a way for them to stay busy, they will. There idea of staying busy may not be advantages or beneficial to anyone but themselves. When Cassie first came to our farm, she would jump our front gate and make her way into our front field before we ever missed her. She would herd the baby calves from one corner to another until they would drop from exhaustion. Her other favorite past time was to lay low in the grass along side the road and run along side the cars. She would hit their door as if she were playing tag. There was many a frightened passer by that thought they had hit her instead of her hitting them. It wasn’t long before we caught onto her antics and put a stop to them. No, we didn’t tie her, hit her, or find other degrading means to stop her behavior. We simply put her over abundance of energy to good use. First we tried training her to bring in the sheep when we were there to supervise. She was brilliant! She would watch my hand commands and bring them all the way in. Our problem surfaced when she felt it was necessary to bite them on the heels when she got too close. I spoke with a trainer for herding dogs and she suggested muzzling her during the time we were working the sheep. Cassie spent a good bit of her time buried beneath the grass trying to work that muzzle off her face with her paws. Rather than give up on her abilities, we found a book that showed all the uses for Border Collies. We asked Dustin if he could make us some jumps and a ring as a obstacle coarse and set her to the new task. It didn’t take long before she was clearing the jumps and making her way flying through the hoop. She was a natural! This was not only fun for her but we really enjoyed watching her gracefully glide through the air.
Cassie always had an aversion for ground hogs. One day, I was standing in the field with her and I saw her bury her head in a hole. The next thing I knew, she had lifted that ground hog from it’s hole, snapped it’s neck, threw it in the air, and then tossed it at my legs. I let out a scream, took flight and landed to see the proud gaze and wagging tail of our little black and white Border Collie. It was plain and simply, a job well done.
So often I hear or see of people who misunderstand the abilities and the way a dog thinks and reacts. More times than not, it’s the problem owner not the problem dog. A dog will always give you back the love and respect you give them.
To one of the best little ground hoggers bar none. You are a part of so many cherished memories here at the farm. You will always be loved and your presence forever missed. April 14, 1999 - December 12, 2011
C.A. Bresin (Welcome to My World)

The Border Collie originated in the border country between Scotland and England where the shepherds' breeding selection was based on biddable stock sense and the ability to work long days on rugged terrain. As a result of this selective breeding, the Border Collie developed the unique working style of gathering and fetching the stock with wide sweeping outruns. The stock is then controlled with an intense gaze known as "eye", coupled with a stalking style of movement. This selective breeding over hundreds of years developed the Border Collie's intensity, energy and trainability which are features so important that they are equal to physical size and appearance. The Border Collie has extraordinary instinct and an uncanny ability to reason. One of its greatest assets is the ability to work out of sight of its master without commands. Breeding based on this working ability has made this breed the world's premier sheep herding dog, a job the Border Collie is still used for worldwide.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/border_collie/