Fate is cute, but make no mistake about it, she is a she-devil, a rascal, a hellion. This morning I got up early to let Maria sleep and I let her out in the back with Red. When I fed the cats I heard a tearing sound in the back and went to the door. Fate had taken off the bottom board and pushed open the back door, which was now open. There was no sign of her in the yard, Red was sitting quietly at the back door staring up at me.

I ran outside, thinking she had gotten through the fence, but it is a powerful sheep fence, it was intact. Then I heard a lamp falling over in the house and rushed back inside. So she had taken off the bottom board of the outer door, nosed open the back door, slipped into the house, perhaps right behind me and was making for the back of the house chewing on a bone. Lord, I thought, border collie chess, I know it well.

Fate is shockingly bright, she strategizes like a raptor. Staying over in Pennsylvania, our friend Deborah brought out the portable pen she had used to contain two big Lab puppies. Neither had ever gotten out of it. Fate tried three things. Rushing the fence and trying to push it over. Then leaping to the top. Then, stepping back and throwing herself towards the fence and using a wire to push off against with her front paws. She sailed over the top of the fence, astonishing us and the labs. It took about two minutes.

She is going to be a handful.  Border collie people know about this. You make a move, they make a move. But what happens when the dog is smarter than you are? I’ll let you know.