I’m getting hundreds of questions about Red,and while I can’t answer them personally, I will try and speak to some of the most frequently asked. I appreciate the interest. He has touched a nerve and many hearts.

– Red is not a rescue dog. I think he was roughly handled at some points, but I would not describe him as abused. He was born and bred in County Tyrone, Northern Island, then made his way to Karen Thompson in Virginia. She is a famous border collie breeder, trainer and advocate, the kind of person I approach when I want a dog. We talked for weeks and for many hours before she agreed to let me have Red. She was as careful about me as I was about him.

I believe there are two good ways for me to get a dog: “rescue” dogs like Frieda or Izzy have been wonderful dogs for me. But both have experienced sometimes severe behavioral and medical problems, including the savage cancer that ended Izzy’s life prematurely. Izzy and the dogs in his line had a number of breeding/health issues and Frieda came close to being euthanized for her behavioral issues towards men and dogs and other animals.

With a working dog – or a therapy dog, or a companion animal that goes into the world  – I don’t play Russian Roulette with behavioral and medical histories. I have to know precisely where the dog came from, what the breeding lines were, what the health,  litter and other experience is. Karen has that information about Red, worked with him closely, even daily, for some years. I knew just about everything about this dog before I met him. That is generally the way I like to choose dog. That is how I got Pearl,  Lenore, and then Rose. The most important part of getting a dog for me is the process of choosing one, often the part of the process many people spend the least amount of time on. I don’t get a dog in order to rescue one or not to rescue one. That is secondary.

The best traits in Red and Rose came from good breeding and training. That is why Red is a remarkable dog. Many rescue dogs are remarkable dogs – I have two – but it is a different process. I  reject the moral and often unknowing bullying of many people about there only being one way to get a dog. This harms as many dogs as it helps.  There are several ways to get a dog, of course. There are several ways to do anything.

I am using a number of positive reinforcement training techniques with Red – and he is already very well trained. The issues he has do not relate to herding, but to living in a household, which he has never done, jumping up, riding in a car,  basic obedience. He will come for me, but not for anyone else yet. He was not fully housebroken and tends to jump up and paw people – a minor thing but not something I want him doing to the many people who reach down and hug him, and who inadvertently reinforce this behavior. Red is more than appropriate with other dogs – is calm and easy with them. He is not used to leashes, and is not street trained.

Right now, training is pretty basic. Five minutes, two or three times a day. I want him to be successful, confident, relaxed.  I stand 20 feet from him and Maria calls him. Takes two or three times, but he is beginning to do it. I ask him to “lie down,” and then, “stay.” When I get him staying for three minutes, he will have learned that. That will take about six months.

Border collies are obsessives and are easily driven mad by people throwing balls and stimulating them all day, often out of guilt. They can also attach powerfully to people to bring them to sheep. So they have to get to know other people and obey them. They have to have more than one activity. Red is coming along with me as I shop and see people. There is no playing in the house, no toys. He spends two hours in the crate for every hour herding. In the crate at night. Works in the morning. To get to sheep he must lie down at the road for two minutes, then cross. Then lie down, and then come to me, and if she is there, to Maria. I don’t want him obeying only me. We are making him stay at the gate, stay before going out the door, stay before coming in. I don’t permit “push” dogs who plow ahead of me or behind me. People go first.

These are the things we are working on. I’ll provide more details through the week. It’s going very well. No accidents in the house, no incidents with other dogs, and he is really getting the “stay,” “lie down” and come commands. Going slow, very patient, very focused. Few words, clear commands.