Andy wrote:

> Kathleen said...
>
>
>> "We're better than the Discovery Channel"
>
>
>
> So were we with the Sheltie, JRT, two mutts of something and the
> Borzois i the back yard.
>
> Except for our Annabelle (JRT) the Borzois, pedigree show dogs, were
> the coolest dogs I ever did know. Standing maybe eight feet tall on
> their hid legs, staring through the window into the kitchen watching
> us cook. And as awesome as they were, they were SO mellow to me. They
> never barked. They could run like the wind when they got loose. A
> thing of beauty in full stride!!!!!!

Borzois are gorgeous dogs but I know my own limits. Training one to the
standards I expect from my dogs falls well outside what I could
reasonably expect from a sight hound.

As it was, after a lifetime of border collies, I had to force myself to
consider Cooper, a JRT, as something entirely different, like a cat or a
lemur or something, to avoid being permanently angry with him. It's not
his fault that my mental picture of "dog" is drawn in black and white.
JRTs aren't even actually stupid - in fact they are quite intelligent.
They just don't give a rat's ass about anybody else's idea about what
they ought to be doing (in point of fact, JRTs consider rat's asses a
delicacy and if you plan to try to lay hands on one currently in their
possession, you'd better have brought heavy leather gloves and a bite
sleeve). It's normal for the breed. They were bred to hunt
independently, as terminators of all those things small and squeaky that
threaten the stored food supplies of humans.

I love him dearly. He rides on my shoulder at tournaments, lounges on
my lap when we watch TV in the evening, and sleeps under the covers
plastered against my back at night. But I'm not used to dogs who expect
an explanation beyond "because I said so" when given a command. I'd
rather have a case of herpes than another terrier. Cooper is my first
JRT and if I have anything to say about it, he'll be my last.