Collieston Family Members

  
           
 
   
           
   
The Other Animals
  
                   
Collieston Spring Bonus CD  ADX  JD  GD  SD  SPD  ET ('Bo')
   is a 'bonus' in that I didn't intend to keep a boy-pup at all,
but he was injured at 7 weeks of age, and I felt unable to sell him until I knew he was doing well, and by the time he was,
I was besotted with him ! 
He's a delight... but no genius !   I had hoped that in time he would make an excellent head-of-the-pack, but rather like Prince Charles, his biological mother has been holding on
to the reins until she thinks he's ready, since Luke left us prematurely ( aged 17) before Bo's apprenticeship was complete.   He has a very placid temperament, a teddy-bear of a dog really, and is coloured a deep autumn gold, with his English father's head giving him lovely expression, but has not been in the show-ring since early puppyhood and has now been de-sexed.   He made his debut in the Obedience ring at the 2003 Collie National Championship Show held in Adelaide and progressed rapidly to achieve his Companion Dog title with excellent scores in four trials by that July.
  Despite this, he lacked confidence in Agility and waited till his first outing for 2004 to gain his  debut qualification in 5th Place, with a 4th Place in Jumping, both at Novice level, following up
 in May by taking 2nd Place in Agility & 5th in Jumping for his second 'legs' towards those titles.  
 Then he exceeded my hopes of merely managing his Endurance Title on June 5th, being judged  on veterinary observation & statistical data, to be the 'Fittest Dog in Trial' ! ..then the following  weekend at Whyalla, gained another 2nd Place to finish off his Jumping Dog title, though he  wasn't really happy being away from home.    It took another couple more 'near misses' before
 he flourished to his AD title in mid July 2004. In the Excellent class, 'Bo' struggled to make time,
 but seldom made any mistakes and is never 'naughty', sometimes even winning events when  everyone else has been disqualified. From his first to his fith ADX qualification took him exactly  12 months to mid-2007, but with so many 'clear rounds' just over time, he will not be trialled in  Masters, and has completed all his Novice Games titles easily & with a new enthusiasm.
  I anticipate reliable but unexciting performances from this boy who still sometimes shows signs  of the brain damage suffered in those early weeks, stopping  mid-exercise to re-orientate himself,  or appeal for reassurance, so he's done remarkably well... is an absolute charmer despite his  eccentricities.   Our Vet uses this boy's X-rays as an example of perfect hip joints.
 
The Dogs of the Extended Family:  

  Collieston Angus Dundee CD  JD  GD  SPD
 'Angus' doesn't live here any more ... which isn't nearly as sad
  as it sounds, because I think both he & I have the best of both  worlds as a result.  He was born to an unusual start in life, & I  guess you could say that we've maintained that situation, though  that was never the plan .
 'Angus' is the only son of my beloved 'Magic' & Sharyn Ely's just-
 as-beloved 'Fred' ( Ch. Joshwyn One More Nite ) & the  long- awaited successor to both;  or so we hoped; but it wasn't to  be, and being a boy, was sold as a pet to a wonderful life in the  suburbs with two adults & two kids to call his own, with  'boot-
 camp' sleep-overs back with Grandma. Initially he was shown  successfully as a Baby Puppy, has inherited great elements from  both parents, and been sought after at stud since; but that's not
 to be his role in life : he's found himself an exciting & challenging  career in Dogsports, as his titles attest.     His real Mum took him  to Obedience school for the first year of his life ( to humour me, I  think) but has other priorities, and having achieved the skills  needed for his harmonious life with the family, moved on ....
A year later, he spent a 'holiday' (!) with us, and I saw his potential for competition, so took himback to school one day a week in a sort-of dog-share arrangement. Despite only starting anything like serious training in March 2007, he breezed to his CD with excellent scores & only a couple of glitches along the way ( he's a flirt) then equally his CD, including winning the Novice class at the Royal Show in September (as above pic shows) by this stage in both Obedience AND Agility, his newest endeavour. I don't know how far I'll be able to take this boy in trials, but his achievements will probably only be limited by my time & commitment, as his younger sisters enter the arena to follow in his & their mother's footsteps.  He's a joy to work with in the meantime.   ThanksJB2&Co.
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 My daughter moved to Adelaide in 2003, & her two boys  'Michael' (below) & 'Frodo' (right) are both now adults, though that's usually hard to believe: 'Michael', a Rhodesian Ridgeback ( Balnacoin Gaelic Knight) has expressed his lack of interest in Obedience, but has become keen on his Agility training, so Caroline hopes to introduce him to competition for the 2008 season. He's extremely handsome, but lacks analytical intellect in any field explored so far ...  
 

 while his 'brother' Groodle (Golden Retriever
  -X-Standard Poodle) 'Frodo'  (above) is still  fooling around, toying with Public relations
  as  a career path, but we have high hopes of  harnessing his energy level  for  something  more constructive... just not  yet sure what ...  though he too is making progress in Agility,  and adds excitement to any arena he enters ..

   
   
The Cats                        
                             
  The two boof-heads pictured above have a wise little older brother 'Neelix' who sometimes stays here for holidays.    He slides into this crowded household very easily & favours his favourite arboreal vantage point acknowledging but not deferring to my own feline folk:
                             
'Wistow' (right) was a 'Christmas overflow' kitten from my vet's practice at the end of 1999, & is named after Adelaide's slate-mine, because she so closely matches our dark slate floors. She grew up as Magic's constant companion, & manages all the dogs with ease. She will always be a small cat, and is lithe & athletic, cxhoosing the roof, the back pergola and our neighbours' fences as her special places.  She has stopped trying to win over the relative new-comer 'Riley', a handsome Birman boy (Grand Champion Shiki Majestic Riley) who just isn't into her tom-boyish ways and pastimes.  I had hoped they will be mates in time, but this lad expects the world to be his oyster, while she knows it's hers....
   
       
 
   Despite his considerable success while young,  
 'Riley' (left) was apparently just as enthusiastic about the Show-scene as my 'Tess', so having achieved Grand Championship status, he's been retired to  what are supposed to be greener pastures, but I'm not sure that he sees it that way yet ...
I never get his dinner just right !