Token Goes Mad!

By Linda Husson

April AKC Agility Trials

Dandy’s agility debut & More flyball

By Linda Husson

Flyball Tournament March 1-2, 2008

flyball

by linda husson

February 2, 2008 – At a one-day Flyball tournament at All Dogs Gym in Manchester, NH, Dandy raced fulltime on our Regular Division 4 team, which took a 1st place. Dandy raced start position for the first time and he loved it! He raced equally well in both left and right lanes, with no issues. Other…

Mad About Bcs

By Linda Husson

My name is Linda Husson and I live in northeast Pennsylvania. My
passion is my dogs…training them, competing with them, playing with
them, loving them, and enjoying their companionship.
I started this obsession in 1985 with my first dog, a Sheltie from a
pet store, and I quickly found it necessary to learn about dog training &
behavior, as I had no idea how to handle my new little problem child! My
neurotic puppy mill dog managed to earn the obedience title of Utility
Dog in AKC as well as in Canada, and she taught me so much.
Thank you, Kelly.
My next Sheltie came from a reputable breeder (Lesson #1), and he
was a once-in-a-lifetime dog. Teddie showed me a whole new level of
obedience competition, earning an AKC Obedience Trial Championship,
placing in many tournaments, and ranking amongst the Top 10 Obedience

The Pack, Part 3

A fellow rescuer emailed me about a nine-month-old female border collie. “She’s too much for the owner to handle,” Linda wrote. “If someone doesn’t take her she’ll be dropped off to a shelter in the morning.”

Normally, I would have asked more questions, spoken to the owner, and gotten more details before taking in a dog, but it was a busy time. Besides, how hard could a nine-month-old pup be to handle after all? I said I’d take her.

The next day the woman arrived at my office. I stepped into the reception area and into a frenzy of black and white fur. I tried to introduce myself, “Hi, I’m Terri.”

I think she said, “I’m Gretchen. Nice to meet you,” but who could tell while this blur of black and white jumped to and fro like a tiny little dancer?

“Get off!” Gretchen shouted, and…

Safe and Loved

by Terri Florentino

I must admit I felt a connection with Wyatt. He’d look at me with those big, round, dark brown eyes as if he saw and loved my very soul. I had tried not to give him too much of myself, knowing he couldn’t stay. After all, now that Tulley had joined our family, I knew too well that six dogs were our limit.

Wyatt with Karen and Morgan

At this juncture neither Karen nor I were convinced that Wyatt would make a suitable companion for their family. We all went back inside together and discuss Wyatt’s training and feeding and sleeping schedule. While we decided his fate, he trotted through the house, following Morgan and inspecting her every move. Morgan talked to him, “C’mon, Wyatt. This is a stuffed-animal tea party, and you can be our guest.” Wyatt hung on her every word, which…

Whiskey

By Terri Florentino

“Will you rescue my dog?”

Through the phone, I could hear his voice crack.

“He’s a Border Collie mixed with English Shepherd,” Bill said. The dog was living outside part time and in a basement of a building he was helping renovate. “This is no life for my best pal,” he said, “but right now I don’t even have a home for myself. It would destroy both of us if I had to leave him at a shelter.” The dog would need basic training, neutering, and vaccines. He choked up again as he said, “But he’s absolutely wonderful.”

As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw a man who looked like Grizzly Adams standing with a handsome, densely coated, tri-colored dog calmly sniffing around the end of a leash. As Bill and I shook hands, the dog walked right up to me, tail wagging. I…

Looks Like ‘Raine,’

by Terri Florentino

I went straight into the house and called Karen. “I have a lovely little female Border Collie that I’d like you and your family to meet.”

“How exciting!” she said.

I gave her some details about Raine. “She loves children. She just lives for them. Can you come meet her this weekend?”

“That would be great!”

Jim, Karen, and Morgan came to meet Raine and visit with Tulley. Tulley had not seen them since the day they dropped him off at the farm. Ed and I were curious about how Tulley would react, but decided that time alone with Raine first was more important, so we put Tulley in a crate to wait his turn.

Raine and Morgan

Sweet and gentle, Raine was not the type to jump all over and get too excited during an initial welcoming. We allowed her to wander freely as they came…