New Puppy Big Dreams

He came into my life unexpectedly. I made mention to a well known dog trainer that sometime down the road I'd like to get another Border Collie puppy. Within a short time she emailed me that a mutual friend had a young BC male that she didn't have time to train. The next thing I knew I was at a show in Albany, Oregon looking at a 3.5 month old black and white Border Collie. My four year old BC, River, had just completed his third leg for his Companion Excellent Dog title at this show and our pursuit of the next title, Utility Dog, was several months or a year down the road. Would the older dog adjust to a rambunctious puppy? The owner of the BC puppy wanted me to take him home immediately, before she changed her mind. The dog and his crate barely fit into my Subaru Outback along with River, his crate, a folding chair, and a metal, wheeled dolly.
On the 1.5 hour drive north on the I5 corrider back to Hillsboro I wondered about my sanity. I really couldn't afford a new dog with the multiple shots, vet exams, neuter operation, ID chip, hip x-ray, let alone the fee to the previous owner, which I promised to pay in increments.Four months later "Levi" is a teenager, wild and happy. My bank account is definitely getting low but I don't regret my decision. River loves the new addition. I swear he looked at me back in November and said, "You finally got it right". He never enjoyed living with the three old Shetland Sheepdogs I had when he was a puppy. Now I finally see River cavorting and playing with the new Border Collie puppy.
Levi's training is progressing slowly. I have learned over the years that it is stupid to spend a small amount of time on the Novice exercises so I can get to the "fun stuff", Open and Utility. Novice is the foundation for all the exercises. Mess up the time spent training now and I'll pay for it years later. For now, Levi shows rapt attention to me when we're heeling. I reward it with a game of fetch with his favorite toy. I throw a treat on the ground ten feet from me. He runs happily out to gulp it down. I immediately call him back and guide him into a perfect front position. Someday he'll mature and we'll start showing at training matches and real trials.
Will he be another Trevor, my first competition dog who won easily and earned many trophies and ribbons? Or will Levi develop some quirk that will set us back? My diligence to each step now in his Novice training will hopefully pay off in the obedience ring. The main goal is that he enjoys being with me in the ring, understands what I ask of him and feels the love that I have for him. He is destined to be with me until he finally walks across the Rainbow Bridge.

In Memory of Trevor-A Beginning

I proudly stood by his side and looked into his big brown eyes, stroked his soft, blond hair and saw his love for me mirrored in his eyes. He alone shared this moment with me, a culmination of months of training. He was my dog; a Golden Retriever named Trevor, my first competition obedience dog. This moment was our first entry into an American Kennel Club obedience trial.
When puppies are young new dog owners fantasize about the ribbons, trophies and pictures that will one day cover the walls. We picture people congratulating us as we leave the obedience ring with the Highest Scoring Dog in Trial ribbon. Then the dream fades to the little bundle of energy pulling and eating at the leather leash, which is wrapped around your legs. Trevor was already a year old when the breeder in New Hampshire had to give him up. He wasn’t show quality. An early eye exam showed the beginning of cataracts. He wasn’t breeding stock but I had fallen in love with him one day at a Massachusetts Golden Retriever training show. I already had his sister, Brenda, my first Golden Retriever. The breeder called me after the results of the eye exam and asked me if I wanted Trevor. Little did I know that this genetic problem which can plague purebred dog owners would give me a chance to learn about obedience training and showing. Trevor and Brenda and I moved to Oregon in 1978. We found Dave Elizares of Elizares Kennels in Boring who believed that anyone could train a dog to win. The training began in earnest. It required hours spent in the rain, sun, early in the day or late evenings, paying attention to every detail, never accepting second best from the dog, but always having patience. It was Olympic training for the ordinary dog and dog owner. Trevor heeled by my side, watching my footwork. If I moved my left foot he would trot beside me. If I moved my right foot he stayed put. A wave of my hand and Trevor would leap into heel position. We suffered setbacks when he would anticipate a command, so thrilled that he had learned something that he wouldn’t wait for me to tell him what was expected of him. The seasons passed and Trevor and I gave demonstrations with other Elizares’ students at area malls and dog shows. The crowd clapped when my big Golden wagged his tail and sat perfectly in front of me. I was blessed to be with this beautiful, intelligent animal and loved the attention he brought me. We went on to win ribbons, trophies, Highest Scoring Dog in Trial, even traveling to Canada to obtain titles there and competed in 1980 in what was called the Gaines Regional and National Obedience competitions. This willing animal gave me everything I asked of him. It wasn’t until years later that I realized what a gift he was. Animal trainers know there are once in a lifetime animals that we are able to communicate with at a higher level. They learn effortlessly and help us to achieve our human goals. But in the end we are the ones who learn from this gift we are given. The gift is a memory of all the time spent together, the hours spent driving to shows, walking at Wilsonville Park or Champoeg Park. Nether of us spoke the other’s language but we communicated nonetheless. There will never be another Trevor but my goals for my future dogs will always be raised. We did it, boy. Exercise finished.