Chekia Collies
Our Collies
Int Ch Chekia Dances With Rainbows
CA State Certified Assistance Dog
You're listening to
"Harvest Home"
(Irish folk song)
Japheth is an "old soul", and a dear heart who personifies
words like "uncanny" and "reminiscent" in many, many
ways. He was born to my beautiful blue rough girl, Zephyr,
Chekia The Piper's Spirit, and sired by the gentle tri boy,
Chekia Hannibal's Hunnibare and grew to the same
shoulder height exactly as his double great grandfather,
Ch Websterhill Hannibal. The similarity, of course,
did not end there, and but for the colour, I might many times
have absentmindedly called the wrong name.
Japheth was destined to assume the role of "alpha male"
here at a tender age, and at a difficult time, and yet he
rose to the occasion in a way that only such an "old soul"
of notable breeding possibly could. He achieved his show
title and his working papers easily, unquestioningly
assumed the role of "chief puppy trainer" and tolerant guardian, and managed, right from the first, to amaze me with his depth of insight and commitment to his chosen obligations. He has never merely risen to any occasion,
but has always somehow managed make it his own.
The day I heard a commotion in the yard and went out
to find all of the rescue dogs gathered in a noisy circle
with something exciting them at the center, was one of the
first indications I had of just what kind of dog I had in
Japheth. Pushing thru the little canine crowd to see what
was causing the ruckus, I discovered Japheth crouched
down on the ground, and very determinedly pressing his
head against his paws. In his strength and determination,
he was cradling and protecting something so well that
I couldn't even see what it was. It was not my job to deter
him. It was my job to disperse the unruly crowd of
rescue dogs, which I did. Upon returning, I gently requested
that he unveil his charge, and with utmost care and
caution, he complied. There, beneath his huge body,
was an unscathed but totally terrified banty hen! Under
Japheth's watchful eye, I picked her up and returned her
to the chicken yard. She stood motionless inside the
fence with Japheth observing from the outside. Slowly,
cautiously, she stretched first one wing and then the
other. Then she stretched first one leg and then the other.
After determining her limbs to all be intact, she spun
quickly and dashed into the building. I looked at Japheth
who had not flinched while watching the procedure, and
he lowered his head, flattened back his ears, and quite
visibly grinned as he moved toward me with the end of
his tail wagging. He had accomplished his mission.
He had protected OUR hen from OUR rescue dogs without
hurting either. My "old soul" and my "dear heart" to the
rescue!
