When a Sheltie chooses their "person" they will stick with them through thick and thin.
Some of them see no reason to acknowledge the presence of anyone else except to warn them to keep away.
So you can understand that I was surprised when one day my Sheltie, Casey, joyfully ran to an elderly couple he did not know.
He danced around them and cuddled up to them for attention, ignoring me when I called him back to me.
After that incident I began watching him carefully around other people.
Casey didn't care for strangers in their 20's, 30's, or 40's - and he even ran away from children.
But let someone with gray hair walk by and Casey ran to greet them enthusiastically.
This was not typical Sheltie behavior! It made me think that perhaps Casey was intended to accomplish something greater with his life.
And maybe I would help him.
I contacted my church's nursing home and found out that they welcomed volunteers who came to visit the residents, including dogs.
I was confident that Casey could brighten the day of many of the people there, but I was uncertain of how I could handle it.
These people were mostly Alzheimer's patients - how could I communicate with them? Yet if Casey could become something more than a Sheltie was meant to be, it gave me the hope that I could step outside of my comfort zone and try to bring a little joy to people who needed it.
The minute Casey stepped into the nursing home we were greeted with smiles and laughter.
He happily did his tricks and accepted every hand that reached out to him with a friendly lick and a wag of his tail.
The next thing I knew, people that couldn't tell you where they were or even who they were, told me about the dogs they had loved with a light in their eyes.
When a nurse saw that one old gent had started talking to Casey, she pulled me aside and whispered, "He hasn't said a word since he got here - until now!" Someone else asked me to take Casey to a woman who was unable to move from her bed or even speak.
As the woman petted Casey's head and hummed at him, I saw a sharp and active mind in her bright eyes.
She happily responded to my questions with a nod or an elegant wave of her hand.
I left the nursing home that day very grateful to Casey for the lesson he had taught me.
I had been afraid to step outside of the boundaries I had placed around myself and worried about how I would communicate with these people.
But Casey taught me that no one ever forgets the language of love.
Casey and I would like to challenge you to step outside of your boundaries.
We think that you'll find the experience joyful and empowering!