Interesting interview with a dog trainer and author

[BCSnob]

This is an interview by Modern Farmer with Donald McCaig. I enjoyed these quotes.

Modern Farmer: So you’re blurbed as “the Mark Twain of dog writers” on the cover of your new book.

Donald McCaig: Well, any dog writer who has a sense of humor gets that title. They’re generally sort of a humorless bunch.

MF: Really?

DM: It’s a little like theological disputes. There really isn’t a whole lot of difference between the Baptists and the Presbyterians, but don’t tell either one of them that. Well, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between people who use nothing but clicker training and people who use correction methods — but don’t tell either one of them that. Boy, they get mad at each other. I mean real mad, to the point of just one shade this side of libelous. It’s a funny world.

MF: What does having a working animal teach you about being a person?

DM: One of the differences between pets and working animals is that sometimes the working animal is right and you’re wrong. That’s a big difference.

Enjoy....

Donald McCaig: The Mark Twain of Dog Writers

[Code2High]

Sadly the link does not work or it works and the video is not available, actually. A search of youtube got me lots of BCs on Letterman, but no sheep.

[BCSnob]

I don't know if this link still works.
The older sheep into taxi stunt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa3aG_BfpqE

I'll try to find a link to the more recent stunt; it is Late Show with David Letterman Season 11 Episode 44.

[Code2High]

BCSnob wrote:
Letterman had two Stupid Pet Tricks involving Border Collies bringing sheep into the studio. The first one the sheep were taken outside into a cab. The second one sheep were brought down the street then down the center isle of the studio to the stage. Both times by the same shepherd who lives in VA and who I got my Peg from.

????????????? I never saw those, and I must!

The ones I saw were trick dogs, which is an activity BCs do excel at.

[BCSnob]

Letterman had two Stupid Pet Tricks involving Border Collies bringing sheep into the studio. The first one the sheep were taken outside into a cab. The second one sheep were brought down the street then down the center isle of the studio to the stage. Both times by the same shepherd who lives in VA and who I got my Peg from.

[Code2High]

BCSnob wrote:
At least so far our the breed has not been blessed with a Disney movie featuring cute puppies as the stars.

No, and thank heavens for that.... but there was a period there where people seemed to be getting BCs for all the wrong reasons, things like they saw them on tv doing tricks. And of course those situations tend not to work out well.

I remember Letterman when he had one on Stupid Pet Tricks taking care to point out that this is not a dog that makes a good pet for most people.

[AZPops]

Interesting fellow. Thanks for sharing the interview Mark!

[BCSnob]

At least so far our the breed has not been blessed with a Disney movie featuring cute puppies as the stars.

[Code2High]

Boy, he's right about that pet thing. Is it my imagination, or has the worst of the "I want a border collie as a pet because I saw one on tv" fad passed?

[BCSnob]

Yes, he is a character. We look forward to going to his farm trial each year.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Great article - what a great sense of humor he has!!!