Remembering Maggie and Maddie

Twenty years ago today, two little border collie puppies were born in Brentwood Bay. Little did they know how much joy and friendship and love and learning they would bring to two Victoria families.

Jamie was ten when we got this little puppy and when we walked to school with Maggie, one of the teachers there mentioned that her daughter-in-law had just got a puppy that looked very similar. And so, we met Linette and her pup Maddie.


It was destined to be an enduring friendship. Maggie and Maddie hit it off right away and so did Linette and I. Next thing we knew we were training our dogs for the game of flyball. And the dogs, both being competitive sheep dogs, loved the game even more than we did.

Here's Maddie at the beach holding her big stick and Maggie at Goldstream Park.

And here's the whole Capital Comets Flyball Team after our first big tournament in 2003. 

The two dogs were star flyballers and we ended up competing in tournaments and meeting lots of wonderful dog people.  Eventually we bought an old motorhome and travelled with our team to competitions in Washington State and BC.


Before we knew it, we each had found another puppy. Sophie joined Linette's family and Geordie joined our family. That's Linette running a race with Sophie on the left, and sitting with Maddie at the table in the motorhome on the right. She's patting Geordie.

The four dogs were friends for life. Here they're all waiting in the snow for a ball to be thrown.

And here, three of the dogs waiting at the beach for a stick to be thrown.

All four dogs lived long and happy lives, although never long enough.

I will never forget those early days when I learned so much about border collies from spending so much time with the two best dogs ever--litter mates Maggie and Maddie.

We still miss you girls.