by Lea
My Introduction to the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Austin started about 30-35 years ago. Shelties were my first breed of dog when I was growing up and they are close to my heart. I started out showing in Obedience, then Conformation, Rally and Herding. I have been blessed to have some of the most wonderful Shelties that were all close to me but there were three that stood out.
I became very involved in competitive obedience and was able to complete a Utility degree and compete in the Top Dog Competition (pretty sure I ended up next to last though!) – But this gave me the bug to continue in performance events and meet a bunch of wonderful people who have been lifetime friends. My little Sheltie was named “Sir” and was probably one of the smartest dogs I’ve had – but also had just about every conformation fault you would not want. This started me on my journey to have a conformation Sheltie. This was one of my heart dogs.
One of my next favorite Shelties and heart dogs was a singleton puppy “Solo” that I bred – he was my shadow and had a fabulous temperament. I was headed to the show ring with this sweet boy when tragedy struck. While at the lake house of my parents a large neighbor’s dog jumped the fence and attacked both Sir and Solo and after a week of lingering and a visit to Texas A&M they succumbed to their injuries.
Then came my one and only Sheltie that I would finish his championship – his name was “Brad” – named after Brad Pitt because he was “blonde and beautiful” – my heart dog who also finished his CD novice and Rally novice titles. This dog was my heart dog and was my constant companion. I could never bring myself to get another Sheltie to replace Brad – and have now focused my breeding and showing on Collies. While Collies are a bigger version of Shelties, they really have many differences. At this time, I have a special Collie named “Samson” who just has to be Brad reincarnated – in looks and temperament.
I continue to be involved in the Sheltie and Collie clubs and maintain my friendships with all my dog friends. Becoming a member and helping at shows and becoming an officer in the club, really promotes great activities and the breed. Loving dogs and doing fun things with them, meeting new “dog” friends, is a lifetime of wonderful experiences.