Spirit is a blue merle border collie with the most striking blue eyes.
Spirit
As soon as I saw her, at a few days old, I fell in love with her and by the time she was six weeks old, I had convinced John that whatever he said, I was going to have this puppy!
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I had intended to do competition obedience and agility with her, but around the time of her first season, she began lunging and nipping other dogs – not always popular with other dog owners! I thought neutering would help, but sadly not. She would never fight, and on the rare occasions that a dog retaliated, she immediately adopted a submissive posture.
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She is trained to Gold standard and works well off the lead, even around other dogs, but once she focuses on them, her training goes out of the window.
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Agility was also doomed to failure, and although Spirit enjoyed the jumps, tunnels, tyres and A-frame, the see-saw moved and she would not go on it, likewise the dog-walk as it reminded her of the see-saw.
Spirit.
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I am keen to try her with the Splash & Dash at Donaldson’s Animal Rehab Centre at Birchencliffe. I think it would be something different for her to try, and would help her shed a few pounds. We also now have a treadmill, which she is not happy with as yet, when it starts to move, but we intend to persist and get her used to it.
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She is an excellent security alarm, especially if anyone goes next door, which she considers to be part of our property, but she is superb with most people.
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Around the home, with our own dogs and other dogs she knows, she is fine, but new situations tend to stress her. The first time I introduced her to the scent of Cyda’s puppies, she immediately lowered her head in a submissive gesture as if to say:
If I treat these little ones as Scooby Snacks, Mum’ll Kill me!
She’s been fine with them ever since and even plays with Skully – under supervision of course as she is large by comparison and can tend to get over-excited!
She has a large pen outside for day-time and comes into our home with the cavaliers in the evening and overnight.
At holiday times, she loves to stay with Aunty Kate at Step-in Pet Services where she gets loads of walks, and in return guards Aunty Kate’s car, and won’t let anyone near!
