The owner, a farmer, of Blade’s Mom, named him. Mary Thompson is in western Ontario and has been one of the better comparators in the sheepdog trials across Canada and the United States. She has a lovely sheep farm on the windy flat land. Mary competes very seriously and sells pups every so often.The pups are from her line of working Border Collies, using her females which she breeds from time to time to well-chosen males who have done well in sheepdog trials. Mary is breeding for good if not champion sheepdog trailing Border Collies. She is also breeding for good health of course.Blades Mom, Paris has done exceptionally well on the National level in both the US and Canada.Paris listens to Mary,”is very biddable” and does well on “light sheep”, flighty sheep. And Blades Dad, Slim from Georgia, is great at working with light sheep and also tough,hard to handle Western range sheep. It seemed like a very good “cross” to Mary.
When I was looking for a pup a few years ago,I knew about Mary’s dogs and was excited and put my name in for the pups Paris just had. I told Mary we would trial the pup someday, but primarily we were looking for a good goose dog and a good farm dog.Mary was happy with that as not every one who buys her pups can trail at all, but they all go to good homes.
Caleb got into one of our goose mobiles, Honda Element, and made the 8-hour trip to pick up the weened pup.It was well worth it. Caleb enjoyed meeting Mary and seeing her farm and seeing her Border Collies work with her sheep. Blade slept most of the way home, which pleased Caleb. Lori, Caleb, Sam and I were excited to introduce the little guy into our family and pack of dogs. He was a shy pup but not afraid of his new home or anything. I kept Marys”working “name for him, which she choose because we use a kayak with the goose control work.As Blade grew into a young dog, who is very fast and has swift maneuvers which are useful for working with sheep and goose control work. Blade is also a vocal dog.He greets you with a series of sounds and often comes up with a howl. I have read that suppressing a dogs vocalization, as we are apt to do in America, may not be for the best of the dog. Dogs should be able to express themselves vocally and with their body language.
Blade became a good farm dog on our homestead, working with the sheep and chickens and ducks. Like our other Border Collies, he grew to learn how to work the sheep by herding them to pasture and back. Farm work, herding helps dogs when it comes to herd-chasing geese for clients in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Blade surly has his way of herding, which I had to figure out so I could handle him well.He can be emotional, but when you work with him just right, those emotions get used well. He has the desire to work and a close relation with his handler. Blade is more of a”gathering dog” than a “line dog”. A gathering dog is a herding dog which naturally runs out wide to bring in the sheep. A line dog naturally likes to move the sheep from place to place after they have been gathered. Most Border Collies, Kelpies, another herding breed, are one or the other in personality. Gathering comes in very handy, to use an old-time word, for goose control.A dog that runs around ponds well causes geese to think there is a real predator out there and they are apt to leave quickly. Blade can get goose-control visits done very well, and more efficiently.
Blade is often seen in play bounding almost like a deer through fields and woods.He loves to play with a ball, more than our other Border Collies and he does what is called a fount foot stab. A wild canid pounces on pray with their front feet, a front foot stab. With Blade this is play. Yes, and he has completed in sheepdog trials, I am happy to say.This year he is going to compete in the third level of Novice classes, Ranch classes. He did well last year in Pro Novice classes, coming in third in NEBCAs Novice Sheep Dog Trial Finals, after a successful trialing season.I am very happy that he is finding his inner “line dog”. This is making him an even better trialing, farm and goose dog.
It is great having a young Border Collie of his character and talent on the team, in the family. We love him as we do all our dogs. I think some year, I will see if Mary has another pup we can buy.