Indy was our first border collie, and the inspiration for the character of Indy in The Gap Year.

But just showing a picture doesn’t tell you much about her unique character. It’s like when a stranger whips out their phone and shows you a photo of their child. Hey, cute kid! But a picture on its own doesn’t have much resonance, because you don’t know them. So, to build that connection, here are some True Indy Stories.

• Usurper of leadership positions: My wife and Indy used to travel with a friend and her dog, to compete in canine agility shows around central Texas. Often on these trips, they’d briefly park in front of a Starbucks and go inside to grab coffee, leaving the engine and AC running for the dogs. When they’d come back out to the car, Indy would always be sitting in the driver’s seat, with the friend’s dog relegated to the passenger’s side. And it was the friend’s car, not ours! Indy knew very well which of the front seats was the most important, and would claim it for herself.

• Framer of other dogs: When Indy stole food, she was smart enough to hide the evidence. She once snatched a sleeve of biscuits from the counter of my parents’ house, and after the crime was committed she tucked the empty plastic into the couch cushions, where my parents found it months later. And when stealing food at a friend’s house, she left the empty wrapper hidden in the friend’s dog’s bed, leaving the other dog to take the blame!

• Drive-through charmer: On a road trip to Ruidoso, New Mexico, we pulled up at the drive-through of an Arby’s in Carlsbad. Indy stuck her head out the truck window and worked some unspoken magic. The window employee said, “I’ll be right back”, and in a couple of minutes returned with two little doggy trays of sliced roast beef, just for her!