Shepherd's Whistle

Greg Fallis

Several years ago I had a straight job and was living with a brilliant and charming woman. All I lacked was a dog. So we bought one. A border collie, also brilliant and charming. I decided to write a novel revolving around border collies and I began spending time at stockdog trials and on sheep farms where working dogs herded large flocks. On one of those farms I was given a shepherd's half-moon whistle. I trained my dog to respond to it...go left, go right, stop, lie down, back up.

The straight job is gone, as are the woman and the dog. I never finished the manuscript. But I've managed to keep the whistle.

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