The author was born into a family of dog lovers in 1958. In 1960, his family was joined by a Shetland Sheepdog that lived for almost nineteen years. aI always planned on having two Shetland Sheepdogs, but we picked up Charlie instead. Putting words to the actions of a puppy just seems natural, a he says. The author, his lovely wife, and the impish Charlie live in Central Texas.