For the past 15 or so years I've attended a local wool and sheep festival. A highlight was always the sheepdog demos (duh!)

The folks who did it put on a great demo and have some nice working Border Collies. One "mainstay" for several years was a tough, no nonsense male named Russ. His looks were nothing to write home about either, but he was loaded with grit and heart. What a worker and what a partnership you could see with his boss. And the kicker was his really great personality off sheep. This was a dog who'd been through multiple homes where he been been through the grinder because the hands he went through just weren't ready to handle that much dog. So they'd tried everything from shocking to beating him into compliance. But you'd never guess it by his rock solid personality. He lived to work for the person who finally understood him. He was an awesome dog.

Several years after that first time I saw Russ, I was looking for BC #2. I approached this guy at the festival one summer and ended up getting a young adult from him - who just happened to be a grandson of the old Russ dog. And he drove me nuts the first year But I see bits of what I admired in Russ in him - he is a tough, drivey little dog. A little wimpier in some ways perhaps, but he's got loads of try, really wants to work with me and he's got the same brindle color.

 Quote: joyce salazar

Isn't it a strange coincidence that this is a Ridgeback named Oscar?? Just realized it now,no connection to Natalya's Oscar.

Great story, Joyce, and yes, what a funny coincidence!
Oscar had a "girlfriend" back in VT, whom we sadly had to leave when we moved to MA. She was a beautiful blonde (Golden) named Pip... they exchanged all the same obvious affection you described, and Oscar's eyes would just completely glaze over whenever he was with her... giant grin all over his face...

I actually don't have heaps of dog experiences from before my days with Oscar, but at some point I lived in a building, third floor apartment, that had retail space at street level, and political campaign offices on the second floor. One of the guys that worked on the second floor had this unbelievably sweet shep mix (maybe shep/rott) named Rosa that was one of those rock steady rescues... 100% calm, unflappable, trustworthy, and soooo sweet. When I'd come home from work and walk upstairs, she'd often be lying on her side in the carpeted hallway. Her tail would start to thump and I'd have to go say hello. This dog could neutralize any stress, nervous energy, frustration... whatever it was, after a visit with her, I'd just be at peace.

At some point she started getting up and starting to follow me upstairs to our apartment... she was hesitant, but I'd leave our door open so if she wanted to, she could come all the way up. Occasionally she would, and we'd sit and snuggle on the living room floor while her owner finished working (ours was the only apartment in the bldg, so her owner always knew where she was ) - she would just melt like butter once you started rubbing her ears. I seriously fell for that girl... besides being a total love, she also imprinted on me the truism that shelter dogs can indeed be head and shoulders the BEST dogs in the world... too many people overlook that fact, or haven't had the pleasure of learning it for themselves. When I think of adopting, Rosa will forever be the first thing that comes to my mind, and for that I owe her a lot of thanks.

~Natalya