Cheyenne, Our Furry Companion

Our little puppy has grown up! She is now 10-months old and has matured into a beautiful, smart and loving dog. Phil and I are so impressed with the intelligence and obedience this breed exhibits, and especially, this particular pooch.

One day, when Cheyenne was around six-months old, she accompanied me down the long drive to fetch the mail. We don’t want her getting too close to the road, so I commanded her to “Stay!” some distance from our mailbox. She, obediently, sat down and watched me walk to the road. We had neglected to retrieve our mail for a few days, so I had quite a few letters, (mostly bills), to rifle through.

One of the letters caught my attention and I opened it, reading it while walking back to the house. I was so engrossed in my reading that I walked right past Cheyenne and was half-way to the house before I realized that I had forgotten all about my puppy waiting for me. Looking back, I saw that she was laying in the same spot I had left her, patiently and obediently, waiting with ears pricked up, and watching my every move. When I gave her the command to, “Come!”, she bolted towards me with tail wagging, happiness emanating from that gorgeous, furry face! Laughing at my absent-mindedness, I knelt down and loved on my puppy, praising her for exemplary obedience.

Cheyenne truly is the most obedient dog either one of us has ever owned. She will even follow commands that are given by our four-year old grandson! We bought a flock of chickens when she was a little over six-months old, and she always, from day one, listened to us when getting acquainted with the chicks. I’ve had many dogs that would have locked into killing those tiny, little fluff balls, ignoring our loud commands, but not Chey. Maybe it is the design of the breed to be so attentive to their master, and if so, she exudes this trait beyond expectation!

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Now that the chicks have matured into nearly, full-grown hens, we have been letting them forage around the property during the day. Cheyenne will “herd” them on occasion, walking along with them and guiding the wayward hens back to the flock. It is quite the sight to see! She has her favorite hen, a Rhode-Island Red, that lets her sniff closely while she quietly clucks and allows the sniffing to continue. Once in awhile though, Red will give her a peck on the nose if she feels violated. Cheyenne takes the hint and gives her some space. 🙂

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Chey didn’t take to water as well as a Labrador Retriever would, but she has gotten to be a stronger swimmer with practice. I purchased a life vest for her and she wore it one time in the pond, but now she swims like a champ and really doesn’t need it. Although, when we take her out on the big lakes and rivers, it will be reassuring to have her wear it.

Since the beginning of summer, we’ve been taking the grand kids back to our pond to kayak and swim. Cheyenne loves to float around with us on the floating pads and kayaks, and will even jump off the pad and swim to us when commanded. She never whines or gets overly-excited when we leave her on the floating pad by herself, and keeps entertained by watching for frogs and fish, or snapping at a fly that gets too close. Such a cool dog, our Chey Chey. 😀

We’ve taken Cheyenne on a few day hikes since she was old enough to keep up with us and she has fulfilled all of our expectations in a trail dog. We can let her off leash and she never wanders very far, always looking back to see where we are if she gets more than a few yards ahead of us. Her training began with calling her back and rewarding her with healthy dog treats, but I believe she would have responded even without the food for a reward. Obedience is in her blood, and she loves verbal praises and physical touch. She will watch a squirrel, deer, or rabbit, but has never chased any animal while on a trail.

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There are so many positive aspects of this dog, and another one that comes to mind is her quiet disposition. She is not easily excited, rarely barks, and when she does bark, we pay attention! Cheyenne basically stays in our yard, usually laying close to the house or on one of our decks. We do not have a fenced-in yard and have never felt the need to have her wear an electric collar with invisible fence. She simply does not have it in her personality to wander very far, always preferring to be close to her humans.

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Probably my favorite time spent with our furry companion is snuggle time, when Phil, Chey and I (including the grand kids when they’re here) all lay on the bed to relax and she rolls around on us, nibbling our ears and pressing her body close. She loves to be as close to us as possible, and will even sit on my feet if I let her. This dog has definitely captured our hearts and Phil tells me quite often that I picked the best breed and the best dog for our lifestyle in the whole wide world!

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This fall, Lord willing, we are planning to take her to the mountains for some hiking and kayaking. I look forward to seeing how she handles the long trip west, and the different sights and smells in the mountain environment. My hunch is that she will do just fine. 🙂