Kiss was the first purebred Aussie that I had.  I have had a few BC and Aussie-mixes but nothing with the talent for stock work that this little red bitch had.  I got Kiss from the last litter that Carolyn Orr had from her 'Cayenne Pepper'.  Pepper had quite a reputation in Texas where Carolyn and I did our Ph.D. graduate work.  Kiss was my pick of the litter and at four months she was heeling with the same deliberate, stalking, intensity that she showed throughout life.  Terry Martin said she was one of the easiest dogs to photograph because when she was going to “strike” … you could see it coming.

One of the most impressive times that I had ever seen with her was at a cattle showmanship I was doing in Georgia.  Kiss was there to help as this was one of her main jobs at home, helping teach calves to lead.  Some friends had a video that I watched later which showed Kiss following the heifer with her head tilting to the outside of each rear foot as the heifer walked …. Always behind the foot with the weight on it.  Her mouth was slightly open ... But not “hitting” until asked.   In a word …. AWESOME!

Kiss was indeed special but needed a bit more power on the head.  I had just started getting the Aussie Times so I was reading it cover to cover (like everyone!)  I saw a photo of a dog that grabbed my attention because of the intense eye that he was showing on sheep.   He happened to be a merle, which was good, and the address on the advertisement was in Kingston Springs, TN.  Hey,  that was only 45 miles from where I grew up!  I decided to stop by and see this dog when I went home for Thanksgiving.  I met the Judds and saw WTCH Judd's Chickasaw Dan work for the first time just at dark.  The rest is History. A few months later, Kiss was bred to Dan and produced the first Hardin’s Aussie Working Trail Champion, Chickasaw Power Max. Max has many of the traits of his sire, hence the name.