Monday, August 15, 2005

Gypsy, the World's Cutest Dog

****In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I have the world's cutest dog as my daily companion.

Gypsy is an unusual mixture of Golden Retriever, Sheltie, and Long-Haired Dachshund. The result is a mid-sized beauty of a pooch with a sweet temperament, sharp intelligence, and the desire to herd everything in sight. She doesn't require a leash, because I am her herd and she needs to keep me in herding range... she won't leave my proximity no matter what.

In doggie years, she is now slightly older than me. Notice the gray hairs around her muzzle, just like the silver hairs appearing among my brown ones. She's not as athletic as she once was, until we take her out into the mountains to hike. Then she becomes a wild mountain dog, sniffing and chasing around the bushes and under the trees, always looping back around me before taking off on her next chase. It's a beautiful dance to watch: she races off up a path, then loops back behind me, then off down another path, then loops back around me, then does a few circles around a bush full of chipmunks, then loops back around me. It's the dance of a herder, keeping her charge in line. If Gary and I take separate paths around a hill, for example, she will loop a constant figure 8 between the two of us until our paths merge again.

She performs this service - making sure we are well and where we should be - all day and all night. As lightly as I sleep, I hear Gypsy get up and make the rounds of the house and back yard around four times nightly. The first of those rounds includes patrolling the cat food dish, to clean up whatever Puff the cat hasn't gotten to yet. It's all in a dog's line of duty.

7 comments:

More Questions Than Answers said...

You are correct, She's the cutest dog alive. (Now that my sheltie has passed on to greet me later.)

Glad you two have such a smart, able companion to herd you along life's paths. I have a feeling she has some good directions to give, for those that know how to listen.

Anonymous said...

THAT'S NOT THE CUTEST DOG!!!
I HAVE SEEN CUTER DOGS THAN THAT!!!

Anonymous said...

that dog is ugly compare to mine

Anonymous said...

that dog is soooooooooooooooooooo cute! I cant believe people say its ugly or wat eva but 2 me it is cute! really cute!

If i was allowed a dog i would try 2 get 1 like that cause its soooooo cute!

Anonymous said...

OMG
that dog is soooooo cute!
who would think its ugly
if people think that its ugly then they are jelous!
but any way that dog is sooo cute i cant stop saying that its soo cute b cause it is sooo cute!!!

Anonymous said...

I think that your dog is cute, but I'm sorry not really the world's cutest. I don't mean that offensively, but I think the term "cute" is generally associated with tiny, cuddly-wuddly fur balls. Which your dog is not.

Anonymous said...

I agree - your dog is the cutest! There is just something about that sweet face. Darn it - I want it!