Dogs & Heelers

11 stories in this category.

Mentor Dogs - A Blueprint

THEIR ROLES WERE instantly defined. Dirt was in charge, and Mud wanted to be just like him. Conversation over. As I look back on the photos of Mud's first week in our lives, I’m reminded of how I could feel a noticeable shift in Dirt's personality. Dirt enjoyed his new role. He loved showing Mud the ropes, and Mud enjoyed not having to question how to navigate the new world unfolding before him. Mud had a blueprint.

Calm, Ready, No Longer Afraid, The Mud

If it’s alright with you, I’d like to try something. I’d like to try splattering a few non-related paragraphs, varying in topic, on the page today and see where we end up. Sound good? Good. Let’s get started… I’ve had to train Dirt to be calm. Let me repeat. I’ve had to train Dirt to be calm. Calm. A word I never gave much thought to the first chunk of my life. Calm. It’s even peaceful to say. Let’s say it out loud. Calm. Once more, and say it with me this time. Calm. Nice, isn’t it? I know. It’

Dog Disney World

We’re lucky. We live in Dog Disney World. Just outside the door is a dreamland for dogs. There are endless amounts of critters to chase and smell, toys to ride on and run alongside, and a constantly changing landscape. The possibilities of what could be just outside the door or what critter has broken the perimeter keep me in constant motion—I can’t shut off my mind. Can you relate?

Hey Westminster!

Thomas Hall, AKA “Hall’s Heelers,” crossed the Blue-Speckled Collie with the Dingo to create the first batch of Cow Dogs. Now, I don’t know this first certain, but I have a hunch, that Mr. Hall quickly realized mixing the two created more of a Velociraptor than a useful cow herding canine and it wasn’t long before he threw some Dalmatian and Kelpie in the mix to tone down the “raging lunatic” to just “lunatic.”

Instincts | Herding Of A Doodle

DIRT WAS A pain in the ass as a puppy. He was every bit a typical Blue Heeler. He had every Heeler trait and had it to the fullest extent. Nipping, barking, extreme loyalty, attacking the window when I roll it down, doesn’t like driving on the interstate (which I can’t blame him; i-26 is a disaster), tearing up toilet paper… Come to think of it, he might still have most of those.

Mud's Story | Part II

We turned the truck around and headed back to the house. I introduced the little dude to Dirt, grabbed my treat pouch, and filled it with a cup of kibble. After a quick medical analysis of the pup, ensuring he wasn’t injured anywhere, we left Dirt at home and went to town. The first stop was our vet. “Alright, Dad, he needs his shots,” Dr. P said as she looked the little guy over. “Yea, yea.” I muttered, “Let's get him ready for a good home.” “Gotta check with Dirt first, huh?” “I already have.

Mud's Story | Part 1

It rained so hard in November of 2020 even the septic was flooded. The first sign of the rain slowing, I threw the three days of trash in the back of the truck, and Dirt and I headed to the grocery store. Rushing water washed out the logging road, but no four-wheel-drive was needed. Dirt and I drive everything like we stole it. The windows were so fogged we had to wait two minutes to regulate the temperature before turning right onto Good Hope Road. Just as all four tires hit the pavement, a sm

Eat More. Bark Less.

Dirt’s a "bark-first-ask-questions-later" dog, and that’s only if he feels like it. Mud is an eat first and the only question he has is “Got any more?” The majority of the time when Dirt barks, it's for no reason. As a matter of fact, he mostly barks at what he doesn't know. He’s not even sure why he’s barking or what he’s barking at, he just thinks barking must be the answer. Ice machine drops ice, bark. Loud car goes by, bark. See someone you know, bark. See someone you don’t know, definitely

Tinya's Report

TINYA HAS SAVED, watched, trained, put-down, and raised more dogs than most of us will ever come into contact with in our lifetime. Her dogs are her family. And the dogs she lets stay with her become part of that family, too. I texted her, “6min.” I know I shouldn’t have since I was driving, but I hadn’t seen the boys in two weeks and I was giddy. Yea, I get giddy. When you give her the proper heads up, she’ll have all their “stuff” (food, leashes, etc.) waiting at the gate. I whipped into the e

The Name We Choose For Our Dog, Reflects Who We Are.

I SAT IN his lap as he drove down the dirt driveway in the opposite direction of the only house I’d ever known. I watched from the window of his truck as the place I spent my first eight weeks of life faded out of view. It hit me, that I better imprint this guy’s face to my tiny little brain since he was my only connection back to the only place I’d ever known. So I jumped from the passenger seat into his lap. As I sat under his stretched out arms that led to the steering wheel, I turned my head

Everything's A Dog Park

DOG PARKS ARE fascinating. Little plots of abandoned real estate lined by a fence all thanks to yours truly, the taxpayer. In theory, they sound like a great idea, but Dirt is not a big fan, and neither is his dad. To a herding dog like Dirt, anything deemed as un-organized is chaotic and overwhelming, and a dog park is pretty much nothing more than a designated place for unorganized canine chaos. It wasn’t long before Dirt and I got sick of the doodlers being all up in our business and we decid