A Border Collie Puppy
Back in the spring of 2021, I told Rick, “If I get another Border Collie puppy, it will be after The Bear 100.” We both knew I would probably get another BC, and this comment was my attempt to not have the *timing* come as a surprise. (Why yes, that has happened before. 😉) I wasn’t sure I was going to get a puppy before Kiri was gone, but in thinking about it (a lot!) over the month following The Bear, weighing the pros and the cons, I decided I would.
The two largest “pro” factors in this decision were:
- It brings me joy to run with my dog. Kiri’s enthusiasm, love of running and joy at being outdoors is like mine, only more so. When I run with her I see the world through her eyes: small critters on the ground, in the bushes, or in the trees; and large animals that I might not have noticed, including deer, elk, moose, and bears. As I watch her enjoying the trail, I find myself more present in the moment and also filled with joy for the ability to be out in such surroundings.
- I am safer with my dog. Kiri alerts me to other trail users approaching from both ahead and behind. This has saved me from having to really scramble to get out of the way of some downhill mountain bikers, and has also give me early notice so I can move out of the way of people overtaking me on the trail. When we encounter off-leash dogs rushing at us (friendly, or not) where the owner does not have verbal control, the dog will always head towards Kiri first. Since Kiri is less likely to trip and fall over when being rushed by a dog (unlike her owner), this is a huge advantage to me. And while I love my dog dearly, Kiri is also better able to deal with a dog that bites than I am. And finally her ability to not only alert me to moose and bear, but in the case of being charged (by a moose) – her ability and willingness to deter the moose, without hurting it or herself, is a priceless benefit.
Kiri out on the trails
Over the last two years Kiri’s comfortable running distance has declined quite a bit. If she’s had a day or two off, and the weather is cool, she can still handle 8-10 miles without getting too tired or sore. But that has become more the exception than the rule. For day-to-day runs, 4-5 miles is her sustainable regular distance and at that point she’s quite happy to get home and have her meal and a nap. Her senses, like mine, are not as keen as they once were and at her last checkup her vet commented on the cloudiness in her eyes and mentioned she would probably have more trouble seeing at night. (We’ve only done one night outing in the last year, amusingly in the week right before he made that comment, but it was on home trails that she knows and she didn’t seem to have any issues.) I’ve been missing her company not only on my longer runs, but now on my mid-length runs as well. It takes a while to get a young dog ready to be a trail running companion – both in terms of training and conditioning, so I’d rather not wait any longer.
[There are obviously “cons” as well, including the uncertainty of Life, which in the past has impacted both our dogs and our trail running. But now that the decision is made, I am going to focus on the positives and hope for the best in all areas.]