He trotted along to the twicey show again this year, was entered in the class titled "the best looking collie dog" and hey presto! once again he won the red (1st prize) rossette which is no mean feat for a dog clocking on 11 year old and with half his teeth missing, not to mention a slightly bent leg! The show were even kinder this year and split the class between dogs and bitches which then meant good ol' Glen had to strut his stuff against the first prize bitch to try and take the championship.
Fortunately for him and unfortunately for her she was coming in heat, me being wise I decided to follow her around the ring which had Glen up on his toes, showing his best side and trying to woo the female, she wasn't too impressed with the idea and tucked her tail tight between her legs, glowered at him and spent her time looking for the exit route. Believe it or not but he won the Championship rossette - bless him!
There's no doubt he is a very bonny dog and considering his age he doesn't show it, not a grey hair to be seen (not like some of us!)Infact Glen is more than just a bonny dog, he's one of the kindest natured dogs I've ever had, a true gent, not an ounce of bad in him unless it's dead and rancid or female and on heat. Over the years he has also proven to be one of the most expensive dogs I've ever had. The accountant has even queried the vets bills although I quickly explain and do remind him that he is still working and as such is still a business expense.
This year was looking up. Other than his daily medication for arthritis the dog hadn't incurred any other costs - amazing! That is until he decided to misbehave.
At lambing time he was bequethed to the other half. I had Moss, top dog, and of course the little whipper snapper Kale to contend with, the logistics of Glen as well was all too much so he was left at home to keep an eye on the other half, or was it the other way around? Anyhow, he became tractor dog until I returned when he decided he really was a sheep dog and would sooner travel with me and the other two.
Odd days he would be left behind with his new 'owner' and on one of these occasions he had found himself barred up in the dog run. However, life wasn't that simple, the other half found he had vanished, after first ripping up the weld mesh of the dog run. A 'phone call received from a farmer a few miles up the road soon had him tracked down. Bloodied and lame he was collected and returned to where he belonged.
A car had passed him on the road, apparently going like the clappers and it was presumed by the driver that the dog may have been hit by a vehicle as his white bib had quite a pinkish/reddish hue about it, he was also lame. The car driver very kindly offered Glen a lift and took him to the nearest farm which fortunately was one we work on and the dog was recognised.
No. he didn't get a trip down to the vets, he likes those vets far too much in my mind, anyhow, he might have won £6 prize money but that wasn't even going to pay to repair the dog run let alone a trip to the vets. A thorough inspection of his battered body showed that it wasn't battered at all but all totally self inflicted, bloodied mouth and sore feet from tugging at the weld mesh. Upon my return I got a sheepish wag of the tail, when I scolded him and threatened him with a gun I got a bigger wag of the tail! huh! them dogs have just about got the upper hand on me!
The other half got scolded as well for not looking after his dog properly, after all he was always an angel in my care!
The incident was put behind us and Glen was put to work for the next few weeks, he loves penning sheep and is very useful at clipping time, except he hasn't yet learnt how to open gates, otherwise he will work his butt off in the pens keeping sheep forward all day to be clipped.
Many days he would be filthy, covered in sheep shit and clarts from running back and forwards on concrete pens, where possible he was always taken down to the burn at the end of the day to at least get the rough of it off his coat.
Eventually the dog run was repaired and all was looking well when once again Glen took a funny turn. The four of us were actually working at the farm which had taken Glen in after he was picked up on the road, I say four of us were working........ Glen had been left in the car whilst Moss and I, with Kale trotting along on a learning curve, brought sheep in to the pens. Once in the pens Glen appeared. Oh! It wasn't really a problem and I just presumed that I'd left the window of the car too far down and he'd jumped out (although he has never jumped out of a car window before)
A little later and the farmer came up from the buildings and asked if I'd wanted air conditioning in my car. A puzzled look and a frown made him laugh as he explained the drivers door window was shattered.
It was no joke, good old Glen had gone one further and managed to smash the window. A dog who has travelled in a car all his life, never attempted to escape and here he was, as happy as a sand boy in the sheep pens leaving carnage behind him. !?**?**/! Aargh...........! I got home at night and ranted to the other half "YOUR dog......... he was never like that when he was MY dog!"
An online trip to a scrap yard eventually tracked down a replacement window which other half and nephew fitted and dog was back out of the dog house. Until....... he finally won and got a trip down to the vets - Aargh!
Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with him. I've raided his piggy bank and paid for the privelege of being told his is very well. Unfortunately new regulations saw him unable to receive his repeat prescription for his anti inflammatory painkiller until he had had a check up. Seemingly this is a new policy with animals checked every six months. The vets and receptionists were so pleased to see him, after all he did spend a lot of time in their care a few years back and like everyone else who meets him, they do like him.
A few minutes with a vet who sounded his heart and told him what a lovely dog he was and off we went, medicine in hand and a few quid lighter in the pocket. The old bugger is worth it tho' but I do keep warning him that a bullet would be a lot cheaper, he just wags his tail!
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