thebeckybug

Only after acquiring this lovely pup did I realize I was housing a zoo. She’s the most recent and final addition to our little family (at least until I save up enough money for one of those helper monkeys.)

Meet, Kerbey Lane, sheepest of all sheep dogs:

She’s an Australian Shepherd puppy that we found through some classified ads, if my memory serves me right. We had to drive out of town to a farm and pick her out of a litter of amazing little puppies. I have to tell you, we almost picked the little black runt, but somehow ended up with Kerbey, the red merle girl pup. She was the largest one of the litter and her paws threaten eventual ginormity.

As we deliberated over a name, she sat in Carson’s lap the whole ride home, head over his shoulder, claws digging in deep. She was petrified the whole hour home. After we got her inside, she remained petrified for almost the whole night. She sat in one place, trying to take everything in, I guess. She growled at every new thing she saw, poor thing. Clearly, this dog had never been inside and had no idea what this strange planet of carpet, walls, and non-outdoors was. She loosened up after we gave her a couple shots of tequila, but still acts like a timid little country girl dog to this day. After reading up, I realize we didn’t help much by encouraging and petting her constantly.

On the car ride home, Carson and I discussed names to pass the time. After the brain-storm-turned-into-monsoon-session, we ended up with Goose. We called her Goose for about a week, and then realized we were out of our minds. We then changed her name to Kerbey (after the restaurant chain in town.) She didn’t realize the difference. Apparently it was imprinted into her soul that she must only respond to “PUPPIEEES!” That must have been the dinnertime call on the farm. The name Goose just never stuck, thank heaven. Only now, after 6 months of yelling/screaming/squawking/cussing/cooing at her, is she realizing that yes, we are in fact referring to her sheepishness when we say “KERBEEEY!”

She’s showing promise and learning how to pull her weight in the house by learning tricks.
Her current repertoire includes: sit, wait, down,up-up, kennel up, get the kitty, and army girl.

She’s got selective hearing with: no, inside, come on, sit pretty, COME HERE RIGHT NOW OR I WILL BEAT YOU, and off.

She has yet to learn: balance this on your head, stop jumping on the screen, stay off the bed, no digging, don’t chew the kitchen cabinets, don’t eat the cat food, no kitty chocolate, don’t eat the cat, stop whining already -I’ll wake up and feed you after a few more pushes of the snooze button, and stop barking.

The cutest part about her would not be that she’s got the sweetest little spots all over her face and body, not that she’s got one green and one blue eye, and not that she’s fuzzier than a chinchilla. The cutest part about her has to be that whenever she sees you, her little non-tail waggles like a little duckling tail feather threatening to fly right off her fluffy bottom.

Speaking of fluffy bottom, check out the the Herding Group Champion from this year at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Yeah, Kerbey’s butt is fluffier than that.