Half Australian Shepherd and half Border Collie with one black eye and one blue eye looking right at the camera.

Max was the wild rebel child who'd run like the wind through the forest as if nothing was in his path…deploying every ounce of his olfactory to investigate his territory…He was a passionate Sherlock Holmes.  Everyone loved Max.  He loved to chase and herd the dogs and our neighbor’s cattle, and explore on his 28 acres.  He loved to dig in the fields and then gift you with a gopher.  Max loved to hide around a tree or bush, but you’d always see that little white furry face peeking through.  He loved to growl and low bark at the coyote serenades.  He’d jump in the large pond after the jolly ball or grab it from another dog and race through the woods with all the dogs chasing after him.  When you walked him, he’d run through the woods and always check back in to make sure you were okay.  Maxamillion would sleep on his back with all four paws reaching for the stars.

Max was Ben’s dog…Ben was an intelligent and fun 98-year-old WWII Vet who passed in 2019.  Ben and his son Pat were hunting and found Max at that ranch.  Max was a half Australian Shepherd and half Border Collie and was always at Ben’s side … either riding in the car, laying on his lap in his chair, or at his feet in bed…. even when he was fully grown.


On a side note, Doc was Ben’s good friend.  Doc was the veterinarian who sold his practice to Banfield long ago.

He was very competitive: when big Duke and Max played the first time…they both jumped up for the tennis ball, head to head, a loud crack was heard, and he lost his eye tooth and had other cracked teeth removed…a mere momentary setback for Max…


Max had many diverse siblings, Katie was his black lab woman, Dillon was an inherited German Shepherd, Bones was a German Shorthair/Lab and then Duke was a 150# mountain dog.  When Max passed, he left behind the two new pups he helped us train — Annie/Lab and our newly inherited 6-month-old Australian Shepherd Norm.


Max had a long and fulfilling life.  His body hurt as he aged, from his war wounds, but he was a mix of James Dean, Sherlock Holmes, and the Everready Bunny till the end.  When Annie joined the family, two years before he passed, he found his hormones again when she came of age…their posturing was so interesting…he was young again for that moment in time…I have a great video of that.


We love Max…Our dogs are buried here on the farm by the pond…and we believe all our dogs still walk with us each day, in spirit…so many great memories remain in our hearts…as does a small piece of them.