I knew that Red was a great working dog, but I did not grasp that he was also a Love Dog, a shameless flirt who chases skirts and puts his head against the beating hearts of women and melts their hearts. Dr. Suzanne Fariello of the Cambridge Valley Veterinary Hospital, our vet, has seen a lot of dogs and loves many, but she said she was not prepared for Red. “I was expecting something different,” she said, “an intense dog I might have to scrape off of the ceiling.” She was not expecting Red.

Red has been  here for 24 hours, and he does a great job herding the sheep, but I have to say, he is a heart stealer, and everybody who has come near him is crazy about him. Men love him too. He is a pretty tough working dog. Even Darryl Kuehne, the tough-skinned farmer from Vermont who was here this morning said Red had him thinking about getting a border collie. They are not all like Red, for sure. Red is more like Lenore than any other dog I know. He seems to accept everything and everybody, and he has a gift for connecting with people. When I left the vet, Dr. Fariello and the techs urged me to drop by often with Red and let him hang around. (I don’t remember them inviting Frieda :). Frieda has become more loving in her own way, and it is wonderful to have three such generous canine spirits here. I’ll write more tonight about my training with Red, how it is working out.

Another note on Karen Thompson. Dr. Fariello said Red is in amazing health, great weight, heart, coat and muscle tone. She is an amazing breeder, dog lover and border collie advocate. I only brought him in to drop off the papers Karen sent, but great to hear that. He was neutered last week and he has healed beautifully. “You’re a shameless little hussy,” I told him when we got into the car.

Below, Cassandra and Dr. Fariello.