Page 111 - Aussie Magazine no1, 2023

nature versus nurture. Science today knows that the car hood. The beach off-season regulars knew
it’s both. Dog people should catch up, too. Today who walked with many dogs and many leashes,
when beginners declare “it’s all in how you raise and which car to place it on.
them”, I have to laugh. Or cry, depending on the
situation. Jasper and I both found out: how you When did you first get introduced to the
raise them is only a part of the story. Australian Shepherd?
I saw my first Australian Shepherd in the USA, in
Today we live with my husband in the Latvian the early 1990’s. It was not love at first sight.
countryside, some 60 km from Riga. I am a
country person through and through. I love the I lived in the United States at the time and worked
countryside, wide open spaces. I love country as a dog obedience trainer at a small private
people, warm and genuine and without pretences. company. One late evening in the early 1990’s,
I love the Baltic Sea, walking there with my in walked a medium sized black bitch with her
dogs. We live some 15 km from the seashore, owners, to stay at the boarding kennel. That
wide sandy beaches. The beaches for me don’t evening I was standing in for the company owner
mean baking passively in the sun. The beaches and took a data sheet to enter the details about the
always mean movement, walking or swimming. I owners, the dog, and the length of her stay at the
drive further away from the town, away from the boarding facility. It was the first time I was left in
popular beach spots that are off-limits to dogs, charge, and I tried to do a particularly good job. The
and in the summer, I don’t take dogs to the beach dog was your usual unremarkable mutt, without
as I wouldn’t want to disturb other beachgoers. looking at her closely I already knew she was
But in Autumn, Winter, and Spring we own the not any particular breed. Only out of politeness, I
beach, dog people and other crazies. Sometimes asked what her breed was, as my right hand was
my dogs and I walk the seashore for 3 hours and already writing “mix”. To my surprise, both owners
meet only crows and swans. Such a luxury. That said, in unison: Australian Shepherd. I knew very
is my favourite part of living with dogs. Once after well there was no such breed but I indulged them,
a long and solitary beach walk – solitary of human crossed out “mix” and wrote instead “Australian
company but with several dogs - I had lost one of Shepherd”. Her name was
my leashes. I needn’t have worried. Returning to Temba, and she was
my car, I saw my leash neatly folded and placed on SMART.

To get the Australian
Shepherd breed

recognition on the
street in Latvia took me

about 10-15 years.

A Worldwide Magazine for the Aussie • Issue 1/2023 | 111