At the gate, in the morning, there are not two eager and focused working dogs ready to go inside. They look at me with great intensity and expectation. Can we go to work? Will you open the gate? This eagerness is the hallmark of the border collie, although it is also the hallmark of the dog who gets to work – the agility dog, the herding dog, the seeing eye dog, the hunting dog, the dog who loves to chase a ball.

This eagerness, this enthusiasm, this passion of expectations, is infectious, it makes me want to go to work too. The working animal is a sacred ritual of the human-animal bond, one of the joys and beauties of life. It is humbling to be the source of such power, such expectation. I always remind myself not to take it for granted, or to ever misuse or abuse it.