Bringing Home Baby

This is where the story really begins. I gave Dal and Kate a money order for Data. Kate's only bit of advice to me then was "He'll keep you honest about your kitchen." Kate, no truer words have ever been spoken.

Today, I consider both Dal and Kate dear friends. Kate has offered me some more words of wisdom around the campfire with the courage that only vino collapso can offer.

I loaded Data into my truck and headed home. It was pretty late, and the five hour drive home turned into a seven hour drive due to a navigational error. Data was a perfect gentleman the whole trip.

When we arrived home, Data made his way up the stairs, through the front door, down the hall and straight to my bed. PLOP! He was home and we all knew it. I finally had a proper dog. Little did I know how proper he really was. Data is now affectionately called 'Thistle Dew Sissy Pants'. He refuses to get dirty. There is one exception to this, the day he fell in the 'pit'.

Data does not like to lie in the tub to cool down, especially when the water is dirty. He will sit in water, clean water please, if he is very very hot. Overheating hot. Otherwise, "Talk to the paw woman, that water is gross!" If he gets wet from the grass while working sheep, or dirty from the barnyard while working sheep that is acceptable to him. I have watched my little Sissy Pants go around puddles, and hop over mud. I guess if my dogs are going to be in the house, having one that refuses to get dirty is a good thing. I recall a dog trial where he felt the need to get his feet wet which he will do from time to time. Step in the tub with all four feet and step right back out. As he lifted a front paw to get in the tub, he noticed the state of the water and put that paw back down on the ground. There were some spectators watching, they laughed at him and said. "I don't blame you! that water's dirty!" It's that obvious how much he dislikes dirt.

We settled into a bit of a daily routine with walks. I tried to play ball with him at the dog park but that was just stupid to him. At the dog park someone decided they knew how to teach a dog to fetch, just use treats. Data went for the ball, brought it back, dropped it and got a treat. Next time he ran out for the ball, dropped it, came back for his treat. Dal took on this project once. Only once. He had a piece of pie crust on his plate, tossed the ball for Data and Data just grabbed the pie crust off Dal's plate. Data doesn't play fetch but will certainly help you with the scraps off your plate. Thank you very much!