Nik

It wasn’t much longer after that clinic that I realized Spike was never going to be very adept at herding sheep. Ok, ok, there are those who actually knew him that would say he had no ability whatsoever. Likely, they are right but I do recall those flash in the pan moments that seemed to hold a little promise. At least for me. I continued to take Sally to sheep occasionally, but had really decided that a proper working dog, not a rescue, would be the right move. With that, I set about purchasing a new Border Collie. I called Alice and posed the question; “Do you have any pups for sale?” She had a 10-month-old male available. He was big and fluffy and goofy. I had met him on a few occasions while at her place. Her kids had named him Nike. Nike being the "Goddess of Speed" was highly incorrect for a boy, so I shortened the name to Nik.

Dog #2
I remember the day I picked him up. He sat patiently as Alice clipped his nails. A new experience for him, but he maintained his composure during the ordeal. I paid for him, signed the appropriate paperwork, loaded him into my truck and headed home. Yes, my truck. You see, my Civic hatcback had been stolen and I needed to replace it. Of course I had to get a vehicle to transport Spike so I bought a pickup truck. I digress. The entire ride home, Nik was as quiet as a mouse. Things were looking great for this new prospect. I beamed as I thought about how he would be raised just right and he would get to work sheep and we would go to trials and he and I were gonna be stars. Ok, I had no clue about raising a Border Collie puppy, but had raised several other puppies and was sure it would be easy. In fact, Nik proved to be a very easy lad to raise. He was sweet and enthusiastic – something he still hasn’t outgrown 5 years later. I taught Nik to lie down, to come when he was called, to heel, sit, and stay. Good thing too…