B - Border Collies

B would have to be for Border Collies, as they've been a big part of my life for more than twelve years now.  I just love having these dogs.  They keep me on my toes.  They're so smart.  I swear my dogs know at least 50 words and phrases and it doesn't matter what tone of voice I use, they know what I'm saying.

Dear Maggie was my sporting girl.  I'd never been involved in any team sport until I got her and we started doing flyball.  She's a natural athlete and ran so fast and earned so many points.  Because of her I had the exciting experience of being part of a winning team.  We also did agility together and she ran like the wind.  In fact she was too fast.  We lost points because she tended to miss parts of the course in her excitement.  In the first couple of years of having Maggie I lost ten pounds.  That's pretty cool.

Geordie, on the other hand, has been a teacher in a different way.  I sometimes call him my special needs dog.  He is noise sensitive in the extreme, he is fear aggressive with other dogs, he doesn't like new people, and he's pushy and strong.  At the same time he's a cuddly boy and wants to please.

Because of Geordie I've become involved in the politics of responsible dog ownership.  And boy oh boy, have I learned about training and communicating with dogs.  We've attended a number of seminars and I've read multitudes of books.  Geordie taught me that you can't be a leader to a dog unless you have their respect.  He's nine now and we still have to manage him but what a big heart he has! 

Border Collies rock!