I'm her person...part 4

Dogs, because of their close relationship with us, have been widely studied by humans.  Many profess to be experts in canine behavior, but I do not claim to be an expert in any way, shape or form.  While I am not an authority, I am fascinated by my collies and how they develop their unique personalities.  I’ve watched as our litters grow and change, and I’ve seen each puppy develop his or her own distinct likes and dislikes.   While I agree there is a definite impact on how a dog is raised and trained, some of their behaviors are just the result of their own individual characters.

Abby at Sunnybank

Abby is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever known, and her son Ryder, is just like her.  She is so calm and gentle that fearful dogs and puppies, who shy away from other dogs, tend to gravitate to her side.  She is friendly with most people she meets, and always hopeful they will give her some attention.  But while she seems happy to meet them, she only has a few “favorite” people in her life.  There is a marked difference in the way she greets my mother, sister and daughter, and you can see that these are people that matter to her.  And there is an even greater difference in how she responds to me, as she has chosen me as her “person.” 

My daughter was her handler at dog shows, and most evenings she feeds the dogs too.  So she has been a big part of Abby’s life.  Abby definitely loves her, but she has some odd quirks when it comes to her relationship with my daughter.  Abby will sit on the couch with me, content and happy to be by my side.  But if my daughter comes and sits down on the other side of Abby, she will get up and leave the room.  Abby will not sit next to my daughter on the couch, and she will not sleep on her bed.  And when Abby, now a senior, decides she wants to play, she will find a toy and stand in front of me with her tail gently wagging an invitation.  My daughter finds it funny, and always asks Abby, “what did I ever do to you?”

Abby has her preferences in toys, and she will play with any of them when the mood strikes, but she has one favorite toy.   She won this toy at a dog show years ago, and she loved it so much that we saved the toy just for her.  No one else is allowed to play with it, in case it gets damaged.  We have tried to find others, as back ups, but they stopped making it. 

May 2012

Abby also has a particular affinity for stinky things.  I realize this isn’t unusual, and many dogs like malodorous things, because what smells awful to us may be highly pleasant to them.  But Abby carries this enjoyment to an unusual degree.   We live near the beach, and she doesn’t roll on things she finds there on our walks.  She doesn’t try to roll on the occasional dead animal we pass on the road.  She prefers to rub herself all over people who have body odor.  Fortunately they don’t realize why she is winding herself around them, rubbing back and forth, they always exclaim that “she must really like them,” and “what a friendly dog!”  We just smile, and thank them for indulging her silly behavior.

We had a couple close calls over the years, the first when she had to have an emergency spay.  Then last year she developed an intestinal obstruction, and became critically ill, almost overnight.  Fortunately we didn't  hesitate and rushed her right to the animal hospital, it was a very scary experience.  Abby has done so many things for me.  She was my first champion, dam of my first two litters, and she is one of my best friends.  Abby is everything a collie should be, and has the beauty to match.

Abby - Winter 2016

For Abby's full story:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3