June 2002
OK, now for some action. I mentioned earlier that I walk Riley and Bailey at a local vineyard, as well as several local parks. We meet a number of other dogs and their people out walking. About a year ago, we met up with Jane and her dogs Nasdaq and Tasha.
Nasdaq and Bailey immediately hit it off. Over the years, I've noticed that Bailey likes to chase other dogs. It must be a combination of the shepherd in her and her own dominant ways. She doesn't bite or snap at the other dog, but instead doggedly pursues the them. You can see from the photo above, Nasdaq chases tennis balls (that's Jane using a Chuck-It ball thrower) and Bailey is totally focused on Nasdaq.
We typically meet Jane and her dogs several times a week, usually at the break of dawn, and spend 45 minutes to an hour or more playing ball, chasing rabbits (but never catching them) and exploring the great outdoors. One 20-30 minute session does a pretty good job of wearing Bailey out. Bailey won't take a break until Nasdaq does. Being a deep black, Nasdaq needs to cool off periodically, especially if it's sunny. If these cooldown breaks last too long, Bailey starts getting very vocal about her impatience. She'll "talk" to him using all kinds of vocalizations, and eventually bark to get him moving again. This usually doesn't have a lot of affect, but overall having Bailey there causes Nasdaq to play more intensely, improving his workout too.
Bailey is about 30 pounds lighter than Nasdaq, and that can make for some interesting ball runs. Nasdaq doesn't make a lot of allowance for Bailey being in his way, and Bailey seems to be playing the position of defensive back. Bailey usually does a good job of putting herself between Nasdaq and the ball. But she sometimes has to pay for her close coverage as Nasdaq simply runs her over. She's tough though, and it never seems to affect her, though she has come away a little scrapped up.
But this is what Bailey was born to do: herd. She loves it, and eagerly looks forward to playing with any dog who will tolerate her chasing, and most do. But Nasdaq will always be her favorite of all time.