BraveHeart

                                                                     Taco Belle

                                                                             Silver Bullit

Hobby farm

        Thursday October 10^th my wife Shirley and I awoke to a day sparkled with sunshine against a bright blue sky. From experience we knew the leaves over Carson Pass would be at their most colorful. So off we went on our fall pilgrimage to Nevada. Living in the mother lode is so rich with color. Each season brings a new color. Many people believe California is nicknamed the golden state because of the 49ers but I wonder if the nickname refers to the “Golden Hills” of California.

       I couldn’t help but feel blessed as I dove to my interview for this month’s story. I was driving through yellow valleys with house after house having magnificent white fences. Behind the white fences were animals ranging from horses to goats and of course dogs. The animals were grazing on the golden grasses that come with fall. Still in the midst of the gold there were patches of green. At the end of my journey I met with the owners of a dog family.

       Dog families like mine consist of four dogs who get pampered more than my relatives when they come to visit. Dog families consist of an Alpha dog (usually the older male) and his pups chasing after the various wild animals, deer, squirrels and turkeys that share these hills with us. In this case the dog family consists of various colors and sizes of collies that had joined a hobby farm.

      The dogs were a natural to this farm. They once lived a stone’s throw away down the road until the owner lost their home to foreclosure. The people whose farm I visited (they wish to remain anonymous) were natural caregivers to the dogs. They own a hobby farm consisting of several acres of land. The dogs have the run of the farm including sleeping on the furniture inside the house.

      The farm is home to more than a dozen goats, a mule, a donkey and numerous other animals who come to visit. The Collies, vary in color and style from a blue merle rough collie (long coat) named Silver Bullitt to a smooth blue merle named Braveheart. All have been neutered because the owners have no desire to become breeders. They merely wanted to give the dogs a good home. There is also a rough coat tri headed white and black collie named “Buddy.”

      Collies are herding dogs. So the farm is like heaven to them. The goats tend to think otherwise as they really aren’t that fond of being herded but on a farm everyone has to adjust. In addition, there is a Donkey named Taco Belle (not a misspelling) who just prefers hanging around eating hay.

        The collies all run to the fence to bark at passing cars of which there are few as the farm is on a country road. While I was there I noticed more than one car slowing down to observe the collies at full stride. To a collie lover, such as myself, one of the more beautiful sights in the world is watching a collie at full stride their coat flowing with the wind. These collies are no exception, being well groomed. Combine that with the fall colors of grasses, trees and white fences and its straight out of a Terhune novel. Terhune was a writer and owner of Sunnybrook farm back in New Jersey. He is perhaps most famous for his story : “A dog Named Lad” which was made into a movie starring Carroll O’Connor (All in the family) and Angela Cartwright, (Lost in Space).

    During my visit, I toured the farm with the collies close behind. The breed loves to be with people. The farm is completely off the grid and while it doesn’t have the lush green fields of Terhunes Sunnybrook it does have the golden hills of California. For a dog lover in general and collie lover like myself I was in heaven for a few hours during my visit. Then as I drove my car toward the gate to leave the dogs escorted me out. It was hard to say good bye but I will be back.

                                                Max, Greta and Jasper

 

        Each month I find myself trying to find something unique about each dog I am going to write a story on. I was staring into space, which is easy to do here in the Mother-Lode, when my dog Owen jumped on me asking for food. In that second I wondered what breed of dog is Owen? We brought him home from the animal shelter and they indicated he was part German shepherd and part lab. The Shepard part was easy to believe because he is very hyper but the Labrador was questionable. I wondered if I submitted his DNA for testing what would I find out. Then into my minds vision enters Maximus Canine AKA Max.

       Max is owned by Kelsey Mort and Kevin Conklin. Max has no apparent features that tie him to one breed although he does look like maybe a Shepherd-Rottweiler mix. He has one unique feature not found in either a shepherd or Rottweiler and that is one ear is peaked up like a shepherd and the other hangs down. Kevin and Kelsey discussed Max’s heritage with previous owner and Kelsey’s mother, Marie Mort, on the possibility of having Max’s DNA tested.

      They found a laboratory in Sacramento on the internet that does DNA testing on dogs.  Kevin and Kelsey e mailed the lab and soon found a DNA swab kit in the mail. One cheek swab of Max and a photograph was all that was needed and they sent the sample for analysis. The results indicated that he is part Staffordshire terrier, Chow, Weimaraner, Collie, English setter and part Labrador retriever. One look at him with his one ear up, other down there is no way a person would guess this combination.

      Max came to his current home with Kelsey and Kevin via Marie and John Mort, Kelsey’s parents.  Max first lived with the Morts, but because they both work Max was left alone. When the Morts came home in the evening after work another part of their house was destroyed (separation anxiety).  Kelsey and Kevin, who live right next door took custody of Max giving the original parents, the Morts, visitation rights.

      Because they live next door to each other with the properties being separated by a fence with two gates there was never any doubt that Max could visit any time he wanted. Now Max shares his life with four adults and two other dogs Greta and Jasper who live with Marie and John

     Jasper is the youngster and is a Malinois breed. If you haven’t heard too much about this breed they are from Europe and are being brought into this country as police dogs. They do not get hip dysplasia, as Shepherds are prone to do. Thus they can work longer as a police officer than a shepherd. Jasper spent some time with Margraet Blair in Jackson to see if he would be a fit to be trained as a police dog. That didn’t work out so these days he is a fun loving playful puppy residing with Marie and John.

   Greta is a full German Shepherd, Marie wondered out loud if she requested a DNA test on Greta, if the results would come back that she was a pure German Sheppard. 

  Max is the friendly one, he loves everybody. Greta is kind of stand offish which I think is the shepherd background--they seem to be one owner dogs. Greta however is good friends with Max as is Jasper the energy charged puppy.

     When I arrived at Marie and Johns house Greta and Max greeted me. Jasper was over at Kelsey and Kevin’s house whining through the fence to come meet me. Once the gate was open Jasper grabbed his favorite toy (A blue child’s ball with a tennis ball stuffed inside). He has so much energy that all he wanted to do the entire time I was there, was chase the ball. They have a big yard in Pine Grove for him to run. Greta and Max are more than happy to play with Jasper.  Between the three of them they expend a lot of energy. Once the day is over a tired Jasper, weight 50-60 pounds, loves to crawl on Johns lap in the living room recliner and rest his big head on John’s chest recharging his batteries.

    One thing I have to say about my visit for the interview. Marie, John, Kelsey and Kevin are true dog lovers. They have three dogs that require a great deal of attention and together they make sure that at days end there is nothing these dogs lack. That includes everything from food to love.

Molly 

    Since I began writing this column I have been fortunate enough to meet all breeds of dogs, from the largest being a Newfoundland to the smallest a miniature Dachshund. Just when I thought I’d come across them all I find another breed that inhabits these golden hills.

    A person hears that the older you get the faster time flies. On television they conducted an experiment to determine how time flies in your life. Take a stopwatch and start it running and without looking at the face stop it, after what you perceive as 60 seconds. The scientist conducting the experiment said that the older generation will stop it before the sixty second mark indicating that what they perceive is 60 seconds is actually less. Thus time moves faster the older you get.

    What I am leading up to is the fact that I write this column once a month and that deadline comes quickly. Thus I had one day to go before having to meet the deadline and no subject for the story. Then my wife and I stopped to grab a bite to eat in Pine Grove and there right before my eyes was the sign “Guard Shitz Tzu on duty”. Magically I had my story.

    Molly is the Shitz Tzu who is the guard dog. Of course the sign was just kidding because Molly was at home with her owner Belinda Massaro.  Belinda and her husband Steve own the 76 station in Pine Grove.  Molly resides in the hills above Pine Grove. She shares her home with 4 cats and two dogs or maybe it would be more appropriate to say the cats allow Molly to be there. Cat owners can relate that cats generally rule a house that has both cats and dogs. Four birds also share her life.

    I looked up the breed on the internet and it said one of the owners that would be a “fit” for the breed is a hairstylist. Looking at Molly I can see why. Her silver and black hair covers almost all of her face, eyes included. A hairstylist would have a field day with one of these dogs.

    Molly is definitely at a disadvantage when it comes to size. She is the same size, if not somewhat smaller, than the four cats she lives with. Plus in a fight a cat would have clear vision of her hair covered body while Molly would be looking through streamers.  In fact one cat at Molly’s home, Knuckles, loves to play with Molly. Knuckles likes to hop on Molly and pin her down then take off running daring Molly to catch her. From that point on it’s a game of tag where Molly runs after Knuckles, catches him and next Knuckles grabs Molly tackling her and then running away once more waiting for Molly to find him.

   Also living with Molly is Hunter a beautiful chocolate lab and Digger a rat terrier.  Hunter is like a big brother to the rest of the house. His bass woof would scare anybody away until they see him come out of the house with his tail wagging.  While Digger figures it’s his job to announce that a person has arrived. Molly may be a lot of things including Mom’s (Belinda’s) dog but a watch dog she isn’t. In fact around others she tends to run away preferring to let Hunter and Digger deal with any threat.

    Molly also spends her days with four birds. She enjoys hearing the birds in their cages chatter. She may not understand bird chatter but she loves the sound of their voices. She can be easily entertained just watching them flitter about their cages.

    Still when the day ends and all the activity at the Massaro’s house ends you can find Molly on Belinda’s bed contently curled up looking more like a fur pillow than a dog. She loves her family and returns every bit of affection they give her.