Meeting Data

We arrived at Dal and Kate’s sometime around Valentines day. Dal and Kate were going out for dinner but welcomed us into their home. They, well Kate, showed us where we were going to stay and various other important facts like where the bathroom was, the kitchen and so on, and then took me to meet Data. I remember that moment vividly. He was almost completely black with dark eyes, small, and cute as anything. I knew instantly he was going to be mine. Of course Nik and Spike both made the trip. In case you may have forgotten my Motley Crue: Spike: drooling, barking and insane. Nik: still held some promise in my eyes. What a sight I must have been to Dal and Kate. Neither of them have ever made mention to me of their thoughts. I imagine they knew that I absolutely needed Data.

Dal and Kate went out for dinner. I fed my dogs, chatted with Data in his run and, being tired from the 5 hour drive, went to bed before Dal and Kate got back.

The next morning, we made plans to work dogs and Dal would show me what Data had. I was nervous and excited. I was pretty incredulous that these people, whom I had never met, would be so welcoming. Over the years, I have learned that this is commonplace in our little sheepherding world. Regardless of education, career, financial status we are all equals in this sport. Equals in our love for the dogs, love for the sport and in our ability to be humiliated by both.

Dal and I donned our winter woolies and ventured out into their big field. Perhaps Kate was there too, holding sheep – I don’t recall really. What I do recall is how far away those sheep seemed to be. Dal sent Data to get the sheep. He went out there, all the way out without barking, biting or even going through them first, and brought the sheep. He actually did an Outrun. I was starting to pick up some of that lingo now. ComeBye - go to the left, Away to Me - go to the right. Well in my eyes, this outrun of Data's was just about the most spectacular thing. I had witnessed this before to be sure. I had watched a few dog trials and had been around some far better hands than I by this point but this dog, this little fella, was going to be mine. My mind started to reel with the possibilities, as it seems to do each time I get a new dog. I thought about the fact that now I was going to be able to run in dog trials.