Our dog, Jasper, is not a typical border collie. In fact, he is quite unusual. Unlike Luka, the other furry member of our family, who is a border collie in the extreme sense of the breed.
Jasper (apparently that was the only name he would respond to) - or Jassie, as I like to call him - is a runaway. We guess that he was about 1 year old when my husband, Waldo, found him. Malnourished, frightened and most likely abused. Oh but had he known the royal life that was awaiting him!
The sad reality is that, even though they are declared to be the most intelligent of all canine breeds, border collies are often abandoned or neglected, as they are very high energy dogs and need a huge amount of attention. They are not typical family pets and are not generally known to be very child friendly, since they have a tendency to want to herd little children!
I do not really think this was the case with Jassie though...
 |
| sitting for his sip of water |
 |
| lazy day dreaming |
But he does have some other very odd mannerisms:
He has a tendency to bark continuously when he gets excited (like when he knows we are going for a walk). Then he sounds like a male dog. Deep loud barks that vibrate through your being, making you want to yell very loudly back at him. But when something outside draws the dogs' attention, the bark is quite different. Then he sounds like a squeaky toy! Piercing, high pitched barks. Even more annoying. And making Luka, the female dog, sound much more masculine than him.
When I first started walking the dogs, Waldo was too embarrassed to be anywhere near us. I was too embarrassed to be anywhere near! Jasper, at the very top of his voice, would make the most unbearable noises - sounding suspiciously like a hyena! While all the while jumping up against me and fervently yanking at his leash. It probably sounded like I was torturing the poor dog. (Fortunately we managed to get rid of the hyena noises. Now he just chews on his leash... while yanking at it and occasionally jumping up).
Another strange habit of his, is drinking sea water. Somehow his brain does not make the connection that it actually makes him quite sick. Let me not go into the detail of that... Waldo's theory is that he is a bit of a jock (I have to disagree, but I may be just a little biased). Does he love sea water! He would run into the waves and lap it up enthusiastically, ignoring my pleas to drink from the water bottle, that I pointlessly carry around for his convenience.
 |
| caught in the act! |
When we are out walking, the water bottle is quite a different story. I have heard that male dogs tend to dehydrate faster and pant more than female dogs, which is definitely the case with Jasper. So I have taken to carrying a water bottle with me on our walks, purely for his enjoyment. He insists quite frequently on his sip of water, looking like he hasn't had anything to drink for hours. Personally I think he is just refilling the reserves to mark our route, as he also does very passionately.
When it rains, Jassie refuses to go outside. He would just stick his nose out the door, turn around and go back to his bed. Or to which ever spot he happened to be laying at. I don't think he likes to get his feet wet. But then again, I don't blame him. I would also not want to go out in the wet weather.
 |
| afraid I might leave him behind... |
Jasper is definitely not all strange and unusual habits though! On the contrary, he is the most adoring, lovable dog I have ever known. Passionately showering you with loving wet kisses. He loves everyone (especially me), almost always begging to be petted and cuddled. Apart from that, he does not ask for much. He is happy as long as he has you in his sight - lazily snoozing on his bed, or mine (he has this way of making sleeping look like the most enjoyable activity in the world). Or at your feet. Or in front of the oven. He is a real kitchen pooch - always very hopeful that he might get something to snack on in the process. He follows me everywhere, even to the bathroom - my own canine body guard - never far from my sight.
They say pets are like their owners. For the typical border collie, I would probably not be the perfect match (Waldo is quite another story), but Jasper is different - like me. Even though I only entered his life at about three years of age, he has formed an eternal bond with me, loyal to a fault. It is like he has been waiting for me to come into his life. We were meant to be together.
 |
| open adoration |
Like Jasper, we each have our own, very unique personality. We were made that way.
Jeremiah 1:5 MSG “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you...”
Even though we have learned strange and unusual habits. Even though we may not always have known God or made an effort to grow closer to Him, He is always with us. Even at our worst. He loves us no matter what. Each one of us is like a special child to Him. We are all uniquely different, with different needs, requiring different treatment and sometimes different discipline. He adores us and wants to shower us with His gracious blessings in abundance. He knows what is best for us. And all He asks in return is our faith.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139:13-18 NKJV
The Message translation says: You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
