Judy Wallace

 I joined the club to learn more about training dogs and to enjoy the company of other dog people – you know the type.  I have also become involved in fostering dogs.  Thought I would start with a senior dog but ended up with a young dog.   I did think I was going to flunk my first foster project but found it was easy to let go when the right family finally turned up.  Zora went to a great home.  Now I have her sister Zena to work with. 

 My old dog is Mickey – 12-year old border collie whose mother has won the Calgary Stampede Stock Dog show 3 times.  She comes from great working dogs but was a genetic disaster and was almost done away with, fortunately the boy of the family said “well why can’t she just be a pet” and that’s where I came in.  What a dog – smart – with a mind of her own and without knowing how to train her – or rather because I didn’t spend the time after a basic obedience course, she has ruled the roost.  She loved to spend the day in the truck with my husband.  Now she is that typical old collie – lying in the sun, stirring only to eat and get a scratch behind the ear.  Because Mickey couldn’t keep up anymore to the walking that I was doing I started thinking about another dog – maybe an 4 or 5 year old that was done the puppy stuff and just needed a new home.  Checked SOS/SPCA every so often and finally called the SPCA – they didn’t have any that age group but had this one “special needs” – so called because she was so painfully timid that they had to keep her in isolation but only 1 year old.  I looked at her picture on the website and went to see her – then she was mine and we’ve become a pair.  She is still timid but loves the off-leash park and walking so we have a great time.  We are working in UKC Obedience and Rally and she is doing great.  Then came Riley – a miniature schnauzer – little dog with big attitude.  Originally from a puppy mill - the one that didn’t get sold so they just dumped him out of the crate to fend for himself until he became a nuisance and was going to be destroyed – luckily someone took him in.  To make a long story short, he’s my boy or rather I should say Shiloe’s.  Since he was 10 months old when I got him, he had never bonded to people and he sticks close to Shiloe.  He is coming around thanks to the Gas City Dog Club obedience and rally lessons.  Now he’s going to be my CKC dog and Pre-Novice is our first goal.

I thoroughly enjoy being a member of the club and look forward to expanding my expertise in training my dogs for rally, obedience and maybe even agility. 

Oh, too there are my cats, I have three of them, this one is Odie.  Her mantra is Cats Rule, Dogs Drool. Trust me I won’t be trying Obedience with her.

            Mickey                                                                                                          Riley

                 Zena                                                                                                          Shiloe