Two years ago I was in Boston for the Dodman/Dunbar seminar and that Friday night found me driving around my old stomping grounds, with both my dogs in tow. I just didn’t feel comfortable leaving the dogs at my parent’s house. They are not getting any younger, and my Mom has a habit of stepping over the dogs while they stalk her in the kitchen, instead of asking them to move, or get out, and I was afraid she might fall.
My parents were already watching my sister’s lovely Golden pup Tallulah, and one pup was one pup a plenty.No sooner had I left the house when bam, I was pulled over by the police. My dogs didn’t even lift their heads when I rolled down the window.
To truly appreciate this story, you have to read the words of the cop with the voice inflections of Dan Aykroyd. Think Blues Brothers.That is just what he sounded like. “License and registration Ma’am.”Looks for license, can see friends that I haven’t seen in years going in Bill Ash’s bar, and I smiled a big smile just as the cop’s flashlight shines into my pocketbook.
“What’s in the plastic bag ma’am?”
Flashback to high school. Blood pressure shoots up.
“Plastic bag? Huh?”
Looks into pocketbook and sees old cheese from a dog training session the day before. Ok, maybe the day or so before that even.
Showed cop entire contents of bag before pulling out dead cheese and stifled a giggle.
Dogs heard rustling of bag and stood up, looked expectantly at cop.
Cop pointed flashlight on dog’s snouts, lingered on Collie’s long snouty.
“That is old cheese, I am a dog trainer”, I say a bit sheepishly.
After I got the speech about next time use a blinker, and driving to endanger, and answered  questions about if I had moved out of state because my license in MA was revoked the flashlight is again pointed at the Collie.
“People do that you know Ma’am.”
No, I didn’t know that.
“What kind of dog is that Ma’am?”
“Collie.”
“Doesn’t look like a Collie Ma’am.”
‘It’s a Collie.”
“Doesn’t Look like any Collie I have ever seen. What is he mixed with?”
“It is a Collie, a Smooth Collie.”
“Did you shave the Collie Ma’am?”
Tried really really hard not to laugh, and at that point I looked in the rear view mirror and both sides of the car for a camera crew. I thought for a sec that maybe I was being filmed for one of those TV shows.
“No, he is a Smooth, they come that way.
Awkward pause.
“I never heard of the  Smooth Collie Ma’am” he tells me sounding more Dan Akyroyd than ever.  I then proceeded to give him the history of the Collie through the ages, and a lineage lesson on both his parents.  I think I heard him gasp when I told him that Smooth and Rough can be in the same litter.
He points flashlight back to Collie.
“Are they a nice family dog Ma’am?”
“Yes, pretty nice dog, a little barky though, like a Sheltie.”
I am getting a little punchy and looked again for hidden cameras.
“But are they good with the kids Ma’am?”  I am getting thirsty now and I can see more of my  friends walk into the bar.
“Yes, pretty nice, if you don’t mind a bit of barking.”
Went in for the win and milked the family dog angle.
“I have three kids and the Collie loves them.”
“Can I give the Collie a bit of the old cheese Ma’am?”
I looked around again for a hidden for camera before saying “sure, here you go.”
Then I got a speech about defensive driving and how I needed to take note that I wasn’t in Maine anymore, and to please have a safe night; and then he asked me to please not keep the dogs out too late. After I drove off and parked just up the block, I gave the Collie the rest of the cheese before meeting my old friends at the bar.Then I told the story to everyone I know, and we laughed – a lot.
Turns out that Finney is not the  only animal that helped someone get out of moving violation.  Check out the fine work of this kitteh.
