Steadfast, Loyal and True

© Copyright 2012 Darlene A. Kerr.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4669-1454-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4669-1453-7 (e)

Trafford rev. 3/26/2012

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Steadfast, Loyal and True

DARLENE A. KERR

Contents

THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE

FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG

THE MEETING

THE LAST NIGHT

MY ANGEL’S FLIGHT

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO:

In Loving Memory of my father LIONEL G. KERR who inspired in me from early childhood a love for dogs and who taught me a greater understanding of the way of a collie.

To my friend of 44 years, Marlene Kopeck (Krushlucki). Together we learned about collies and shelties.You truly are and remain the sister of my heart

Lastly I dedicate this book to all family and friends who believed in me and tirelessly urged me for many years to write a book.

Thank you! I hope this book pleases you.

THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE

They were the best of friends, the beautiful red-gold champion collie and the slender, pretty 40 lb mahogany sheltie/border collie cross. From the day Shane arrived, at 11 weeks of age, he and the nine month old Lad formed a strong kinship with one another. Pal, the nearly six-year-old sheltie, at first, tried to join the two younger dogs in their games. But the two youngsters, while courteous enough towards the older dog, displayed little interest in sharing their friendship with him.

A little better then a month after Shane’s arrival, I took the two youngsters out in the lane back of my house for a romp. I was, at the time, unaware, that Dice, a rather mean tempered Dalmatian was running loose at the same time. As we entered the lane, Shane spotted Dice, and the playful collie pup romped up to him, thinking no doubt, that he had discovered a new friend. In the wink of an eye the big dog had the hapless pup by the scruff of his neck and was shaking him as a terrier would a RAT. In a flash of mahogany and snow, the young crossbreed, himself barely eleven months old, launched himself at the much larger dog.  Snatching the now terrified collie pup up in my arms, I ran for the kennel, while screaming for my father to come help save poor Lad, who, from the sounds of it, was being well nigh killed by the big Dalmatian.  

My dad came on the run, snatching up a broom, as a weapon to separate the battling dogs. Dad and I ran back out into the lane and stood mouths a-gape, at the sight of the nearly seventy pound dog racing down the lane, tail between its legs, with the forty pound Lad in hot pursuit.  At my shout, Lad whirled and came back, but not to me. Instead he ran past me to the kennel, wherein crouched, the still whimpering pup. Pawing at the kennel gate, Lad looked beseechingly up at me. I let him in, and he laid down close beside his young friend, licking the pups face and giving him comfort, while at the same time assuring himself that Shane was okay. That was the beginning of a protective guardianship.

A few days after this episode, I decided to take the three dogs out to Boggy Creek for a run in the country. I took Lad’s beloved softball along as well.  Lad had found this softball himself and was VERY possessive of it. Not even his young chum was allowed to play with it. Lad, unlike many collies and shelties, loved to fetch out of water. Because Lad enjoyed it so much, Shane too, developed an affinity for water. Pal, the sheltie, refused to go in the water at all!! After Lad, accompanied by Shane, had retrieved the ball from the water several times, we began to walk along the creek, I decided it was time Pal took a swim. I started to call the little dog too me, but Pal, as though having read my thoughts, flattened his ears and headed off into the near-by brush. I followed, coaxing and cajoling him to come. He and I were soon out of sight of the two young dogs.  I finally managed to capture Pal, and with him firmly tucked under my arm I started back towards the creek. That’s when the relative quiet of the countryside was shattered by Lad’s barking.  Like all dog owners, I was familiar with the different tones of my dog’s voices. Lad’s barking held a tone of anxiety that caused me to drop Pal, and take off running. Bursting out of the brush, I saw Lad standing atop an embankment, looking worriedly down into the water as he gave voice to his concern.

Arriving breathlessly at his side I peered over the embankment to see poor barely five-month-old Shane completely submerged in the water except for his eyes and his little golden muzzle. He had obviously leaped or fallen from the embankment and was mired in the black ooze that covered the creek-bed in certain places. Without hesitation, I scrambled down the embankment. Placing my left foot firmly near the base of the embankment I plunged my right foot into the water, and immediately sank almost up to my knee in the black gumbo. Grabbing Shane by the scruff of his neck, I wrenched him free of the mire, and slung him up to the top of the embankment, beside Lad. Now, all I had to do was get out!!

That proved to be rather difficult. I noticed a small bush growing out of the sandy side of the embankment. I grabbed hold of it and endeavoured to pull myself free, but the bush started to give way. Lad stood on the brink of the embankment looking curiously down at me. Down Lad I commanded.  Reaching up, with my left hand, I grabbed hold of his mane. PULL Lad, come on boy BACK UP!!

Though Lad had never been issued these particular commands, he seemed to understand what was needed. Using every bit of his sinewy strength he hauled back. He did not let up despite what must have been a painful grip on the side of his shaggy ruff. Between Lad’s efforts and the last strength of the partially uprooted bush, I managed to pull my leg free. Scrambling upwards I managed to land chest down on top of the embankment. Well, that ended the adventure for the day. Both Shane and I were a mess. Glancing over at the warily circling Pal, I assured the little dog he needn’t worry, we were heading home.

And so, the days and the months sped past. In November of that year, Shane went to his second dog show, where at nine months of age, he attained his championship, going Best of Winners to his illustrious sire’s Best of Breed. It proved a ‘family’ affair when his half sister Gypsy (owned by Marlene) went Winners Female at the same show.

Shane and Gypsy, by the way, eventually became the sire and dam of my beloved Bruce, the greatest collie I have ever known. But HIS, is another story.

The winter came and past uneventfully. The friendship between Lad and the now MUCH larger Shane continued to grow.  As soon as the snow cleared up in the spring, Marlene and I loaded seven dogs into the back of my father’s station wagon and headed to the country to give the dogs a good gallop. Piled into that station wagon we had two Samoyeds, two Collies, one Keeshond, one sheltie and Lad. When we reached our destination we opened the back of the station wagon and the dogs poured forth. Being city dogs, an opportunity for a race in the country was pure delight. Six of them took off in six different directions. The seventh dog was Lad. Lad, who had a strong herding instinct, could not stand the disorderly way the other six dogs spread out over the field. Immediately, he set about rounding them up and trying to drive them back together in an orderly pack formation!! Though Lad was the third smallest of the dogs in this group he was undeniably the fleetest of foot. With patience and perseverance, Lad worked at bringing those wildly racing canines into a semblance of order. The fact that three of the six were themselves herding breeds and were as adept