Farm Fresh Blog

     Longtime reader, Jan, asked for an update on Lily since I haven't written much about her recently. Fear not, The Perfect Dog is doing just fine. While Lily may not be everyone's definition of The Perfect Dog, I'm a big believer in positive affirmations and I've always told Lily, and everyone else, that Lily is THE Perfect Dog, thus she has a pretty high opinion of herself.

Lily loves to herd, but she does not LIVE to herd. She LIVES to serve, or rather, be my minion in a shared quest for world domination. She is not pushy when it comes to herding. Mesa is pushy. Mesa insists that she be the dog you reach for when you need assistance with the stock. This is aided by the fact that she often leaps over the gate (yes, OVER the gate) to accompany you on whatever chore you set out to do. If you do not want or need her assistance, you must lock her up.

Lily is quite happy to let Mesa do all the hard work (i.e. running.) As long as she gets to sit in the RTV in a supervisory (front seat) position, Lily is content. Mesa is a doer. Lily is a supervisor. Mesa often has to be caged when you are doing something and you do not want her help (interference). Lily never needs to be caged, at any time, for any reason. It is beneath her dignity. She is a rule-follower. Lily understands the rules, follows them herself, and expects the world to do the same.

On the other hand, Mesa will scream, rage, and claw her way up the canine, or corporate ladder, because she firmly believes that while she is in charge of dishing out punishment for all other rule breakers, rules are meant for everyone else, lesser beings, and not her. Over time and with a determined campaign on her part, Mesa has slowly taken the reins as the Primary Herding Dog from Lily, who seems okay with letting it happen. As long as Lily gets the VIP treatment she is quite happy to let Mesa do all the hard work.

Unlike the other dogs, it's difficult to get a good photograph of Lily because she's always at my feet. She has three poses: at my feet, sitting in the front seat of the RTV, or hunched over a chased stick.

Lily is calm, cool, collected. Dignified. Royalty.

Mesa is an upwardly mobile Brutus, quick to shank Caesar with a knife if it would secure her a position up the ladder.

As long as Lily rides in the front seat, sleeps in the bed, and plays a game of fetch, she doesn't care what else goes on in the canine world. It takes entirely too much effort to climb the ladder, and if a girl is going to put forth that much effort, it may as well be in pursuit of a stick.