A new chapter at Bedlam Farm, we went out to open the pasture gate this morning and, on impulse, brought Fate along. If she is going to live here, she needs to know who and what else is on the farm. Fate is a hellion, fearless and strong-willed. She nearly took the back door off trying to get into the house, yowling and screaming. (If she yowls and screams, she gets absolutely nowhere, she is learning this.) She had a great night, slept all the way through, not a peep. She seems totally housebroken.

The sheep were curious about her, and Red didn’t seem to notice her out there, she sat alongside of him and then crept up to take a look at them. The sheep could not be happy about another dog to deal with. We do not plan to train Fate in sheep  herding, we plan on her being a farm dog who can be out in the pasture and help out once in awhile. But this is Red’s turf and Maria is not especially interested in herding, she has a lot of other good plans for Fate.

The big news is that Fate and Maria have bonded in a very beautiful way. This is going to be a great love affair, at this moment Fate is lying next to Maria in her studio chewing on a rawhide strip (please do not warm me about rawhide and dogs or it will not go well for you, thanks). They just click, in just the way I had hoped and she had hoped.

Karen Thompson can pick them. Fate is a high-energy explosive device, I always saying getting a border collie puppy is like getting a portable nuclear reactor. Fate is easily distractable and has a mind of her own for sure, she will be a happy handful to train and learn from. Given that she has been here one day, she is extraordinarily settled in, already part of the farm life and pattern. I like that she can come out and sit with Red, maybe join in some outruns.