Moss the sheepdog has a birthday

Yup - Happy Birthday Moss. 20th January 2006 was the day when Grip (his mother) gave birth to her litter of three pups, one of these pups being Moss, one of the others became Kales mother a few years later.

GRIP

Moss' father was Tyne, my dog, the only responsibility Tyne took in the fatherhood thing was when he shared an hour or two with Grip in the back of a Landrover, he came out smiling and that was it. Not like the human race, where the male is supposed to be supportive, Tyne had an easy life, until that is a little fluffy bundle turned up at Shep's house!

TYNE

Was due to the kindness of the out bye shepherd that Moss came about, a desire to keep my bloodlines going saw me being given the opportunity to line a bitch with Tyne. Tyne was clocking on at this stage, it was an opportunity I was extremely grateful of and a succesful one at that.

So here he is, 6 years on, middle aged, at his prime and about to go past it. Hard to believe it is six years - time doesn't half seem to fly.

Moss is very similar to his father in appearance, his leg markings are a mirror image of what Tynes were, if one ear didn't stick up he would look almost identical facially to how his father looked. As for character wise........ well, he possesses the same strong will, but is no where near the dog his Dad was. Don't get me wrong, he is a fine fella, but he isn't quite as hard as Tyne was, he is capable of turning off sheep if he feels threatened where as Tyne would never back down. Moss did unfortunately get bashed by a Swaledale ewe in his youth and I do believe this has caused his 'yellow' streak. Having said all that though Moss is still a more than capable hill dog and just like his father he is just a bit strong in fields, he needs a good outrun to knock the wind out of his sails!

Unlike Glen, Moss is beginning to show his age, grey is beginning to show on his face. A kind face it would seem, however this is not always the case.

Moss is a very fortunate dog. As a pup of 5 months of age he bit someone, not a play bite - a real bite, with needle sharp puppy teeth. Unfortunately last year, five years on since his last misdemeanor he once again bit someone, in fact the same person. It was malicious and uncalled for. He is indeed a very lucky dog.

It is of little consolation to me that Moss only seems to like to sink his teeth into one particular person. I own a dog which cannot be trusted. A dog which had it not been that he is a good working dog and provides me with my livelihood would have been put down, or at best sold on to a farm away out in the back of beyond. I am fortunate the recipient of the bites showed compassion, the dog ought to be even more grateful.

Moss adores me, which isn't probably the best should he decide to be over protective. We don't exactly live on a knife edge, he does seem to like almost everyone he meets, however this can never be taken at face value. He is a dog who cannot be trusted. Will never be able to be trusted. So, on his 6th birthday he ought to be thanking his lucky stars that he is still around to appreciate life, I know I do!