Good-Bye Tag (2005-2020)

Tag loved his role as ambassador for Buckeye Border Collie Rescue.

  

We never thought Tag would live into his teens. 

He came into Buckeye Border Collie Rescue from an animal shelter in Ohio. He was an adolescent pup with a burnt tongue (most likely those Christmas lights, though he would never say) and then immediately he came down with parvo.

Eight-month-old Tag on his adoption day.

But he had a great temperament. We adopted him from Buckeye Border Collie Rescue in the spring of 2006, and he quickly became the farm greeter, lap sitter extraordinaire and a constant companion.

Tag and Dewey Kitty (when Dewey was a kitty).

His talent was cuddling, with cats and humans.

And, he could make the best monkey noises. He’d sit on Randy’s lap, and they’d howl away.

Randy with Tag and Leslie the Cat.

A herding dog, though, he was not.

When introduced to sheep, he stepped behind me and followed as I moved the sheep around. He was content to watch the sheep from a distance.

Tag by the Stillwater River.

A perfectly named dog, he tagged along with me when I did chores and trekked around the farm. He never bothered the cats or the chickens or sheep.

Tag,  Caeli and me.

Portrait of Caeli and Tag by Mary Jo White.

His best dog buddy was Caeli, who is now in her teens. For years, they played and wrestled in the yard and cuddled together on the couch. We called them the old married couple.

But, as happens, the years caught up with Tag, and he slowed both mentally and physically. He went from sleeping on the couch to sleeping on a dog bed on the floor. He gave up the nightly dog walk, and instead wandered around the yard.

One tradition he didn’t give up, though, was sitting on Randy’s lap. After dinner each night, he’d sit on Randy’s lap, smile and stare at me.

But in the past few days, that too, was too much. And, the little guy with the big heart said his time here on earth was done.

That’ll do, Tag. That’ll do.