Fate is a good time girl, a fun dog. She and Maria have a blast, throwing balls, catching frisbees. I have fun working with her and the sheep, training this explosive and intense creature. Fun is a big part of working with a dog, I know some awfully grim border collie people, and some even grimmer training people. Some of them seem to have forgotten to have fun, or to value it.

Fate has brought a lot of fun into our lives, and we try and return the favor. She is an amazing ball dog (what an agility dog she would make, though it’s not for me or Maria), she is faster than a Lab and just as determined. She runs after the ball, tracks it down, brings it back and demands to do it again. Two obsessives, having fun.

Fate’s purpose in life is not to herd sheep, her purpose in life is to shake up our lives, brighten them, challenge us, and get us to smile about 100 times a day. Good and precious work.