Our Open Houses are about many things, but in a sense, our dogs are the heart of it. People come from great distances to see Red work with the sheep and to meet Fate, as they met Lenore, Frieda, Izzy and Rose. Our dogs love Open Houses, they love to meet people, greet people and show off for them.

In so many ways, they are the soul of the our Open Houses, they set a tone of welcome, enthusiasm and joy. Farmers love animals and Ed Gulley will drop anything he is doing to greet a dog. Or cat. Or goat. Or cow. Red and Fate were overjoyed to see him yesterday, and they hardly know him. Ed is like that, once you meet him, you know him.

In a sense our Open Houses are a celebration of the love of animals, especially dogs. After all, dogs started it all.