A little over 11 years ago I rescued a young BC pup whose owner used the kick it till it worked training method. She was so soft blind Freddy could see she was never going to respond to aggression or the old steel cap. This fine upstanding master of the land asked me to take er out the back and get rid of her. I did, straight under the tonneau cover of my old ute. Tess has traveled a lot with me over the years, she didn’t make it as much of a working dog, never really had the heart for it, didn’t really achieve a lot of things, but she was always there. She was always in line at dinner time, always met me at the gate, always kept the top step warm, and ALWAYS met strangers with a wag and a smile. Sadly she often played second fiddle to louder more in your face dogs, often dogs she had helped raise and helped show what’s what around the place grew up to push her around. But she never seemed to be put out by the fuss made over the other dogs, she was just always there, always around, always letting you know she cared, and always so gentle. Every afternoon Tess would take it upon herself to check on the stock around here, I never asked he to do it but she sure seemed to enjoy it. She would set off down to the bottom troughs, down to the dam and then the creek line, and back via one of the back paddocks. She was always back by dinner unless there was a problem in the paddock. More than once I went out to see where she was only to find a calf in trouble or a fence busted. She was never there when I found the trouble and was back on the top stem when I got home, but if she wasnt home by dinner you could hang your hat on a problem with the stock.
On ANZAC day the top step was vacant at feed time. I went down her track and couldn’t see anything amiss, I went down to the trough,it was full, the dam was fine, could not see a problem calf and what I could see of the fences were all ok. The step was still vacant when i got home. I called, I bashed food bowls, I fed the other dogs and no Tessie. Next morning the top step was cold, no Tess. On the horse looking round the whole property... No Tess, onto the neighbors ... no sign of her... Neighbors out on Quad Bikes, whole day on horseback... No sign of her. Two more nights of cold empty top steps and two more days of searching and still no Tess. I can only assume she found a snake and went to a quiet lonely place to lie down, or perhaps her time came and she wanted to make sure she could find a place to keep and eye on her stock, I wish I knew. Things are not the same simply because for the last eleven years SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN HERE. She may not have been much of a working dog but she was a damned good mate and I miss her.
Saddest thing in my heart right now, my last words to her were not good by, were not thanks, were not even all that kind. You see I was using a chainsaw and my old mate was barking at it, trying to bite the log I was cutting, my last words to a mate of 11 years.. "For **** sake will you go away ..." I guess she did, boy I miss her.
Sleep well Tessie you can stand down now I promise to check the cattle every day for you...
