My dog's name:
Spunky

Breed:
Border Collie

Hometown:
Heaven. (formerly Pennsylvania, US)

How we met:
My family and I went to a farmer who's BC had just had a large litter, and after 15 minutes, we knew he was the dog for us. I was 11 years old at the time, and I had saved up all my all my allowances and birthday money for about a year so I could buy my first dog. My parents and I had several Borders before, so there was no question that I'd have to get another one!

What makes my dog special:
"There are few things that remind me of my childhood: sweet meadow tea on hot summer days, bluegrass music on car trips, my dad's old Ford Custom 100 truck, and a Border Collie by my side."
-Elisabeth Stahl

When Spunky was alive, he was probably the most intelligent dog any of us had ever seen. It was like talking to a human sometimes. I taught him his first trick after we had him for 2 weeks. He learned to 'sit', and then a few days after that, I taught him to 'lay down'. At the time of his death, he recognized over 100 words and voice commands. Besides the usual 'sit, stay, heel', we taught him to open, close & unlatch doors, 'say your prayers' in which he would kneel with his front paws on a chair and his face between them as if he was praying. We taught him to bark at different volumes on command, to crawl towards us with his belly on the ground, to dance in circles on his hind legs, to sit with his front paws in the air balancing treats on his nose, to 'play ball' with a plastic bat and whiffle ball, to 'play dead' where he'd fall over and lay there no matter what he'd previously been doing, to bring his dishes to us when they were empty, to 'show your belly' where he'd lay in a submissive position, and to herd our chickens, among other things. We were all amazed by his intelligence, and I haven't met a dog since that could stun me the way Spunky could.
More important than any of that, Spunky was my best friend. He was the warmest shoulder I ever wiped my tears on, and the fluffiest pillow I ever slept on. He was also the best alarm clock ever, because there's nothing sweeter than waking up to your puppy's kisses all over your face!
Sadly, Spunky had to be put down at age 8, on October 25th, 2004 because of advanced Cancer and Diabetes.
I don't think I'll ever have a bond with a dog quite like that. Almost 2 years have gone by now, and I'm still not ready to purchase another dog. There's no doubt that when I do get a new dog, I'll get another Border Collie. My sister has a Boxer, and while I've learned to embrace (and dare I say it...love) that breed, I know when a kind of dog is right for me, and I found it in the Border. :)
[ wipes tear... :'( ]

My dog's likes/dislikes:
Spunky used to love warm Gravy Train dog food. He also used to love the many treats and table scraps he'd get. We'd trained him to stay out of the room we were eating in so he wouldn't beg, but sometimes he'd sheepishly sneak around the corner, and saunter under the table where he'd rest his chin on my knee and lick his lips! He also used to love to be brushed. He used to shed *alot*, so brushing became a weekly endeavor. Spunky also used to love if we'd scratch his butt. Haha... he used to back his rear up to anybody who'd pay attention, and wait for a nice scratch or two! I think his favorite thing of all was sleeping with my parents, sister or I at night. He used to wake up to take turns making his rounds from bed to bed. :D The onyl thing he didn't like was people messing with his chow. If you touched it and he wasn't done, you'd never hear the end of it!