Thursday, February 19, 2015

INTRODUCING OUR NEW AGILITY PUPS: CAM-E-O THE BORDER COLLIE

MEET OUR NEW AGILITY PUPS
 

We have a lot of new LCDA competitors and club members who are in the training stages. Some have made their debut this fall and others are getting ready. We've all seen most of them at the field for trials or classes, but here's a chance to get to know them a little better! If you are new to the club, have a new dog, or a dog that's new to agility and would like to introduce them, send Lynne a message at her email or through the LCDA website's Forum and she'll put you in the queue!

This week, meet Linda Stimson's Cam!
 
Cam (with a backgroundphoto-bomb by brothers Jack and Merlin)
 
TTT: Let's start with the essentials: What's your pup's name, breed, and age.
LINDA: Cam-E-O Performance AKA Cam is a Border Collie and is 6 ½ months old.
 
TTT: Now a bit of the story: when, where, why, and how did this pup come to you and agility?
LINDA: I had been experiencing the infamous “puppy fever” for quite some time when my friend Kathy Price’s WeBe and Voodoo had puppies. I have always loved Voodoo and the fact they were TBC’s (Thompson Border Collies) made it all the more enticing. I was not sure my husband, Jerry, was going to be in favor of another dog and was surprised when he said “you ought to get one 'cause it takes at least three to make a pack and dogs are happier in a pack." That’s all it took…I was on the computer emailing Kathy. I wanted a male so she brought the two males to LCDA for me to check out and I immediately fell in love with Cam.

TTT: What's been the most difficult part of incorporating your newest family member into your household? The most rewarding?
LINDA: The most difficult, what I thought would be the most difficult, was introducing Cam to Jack (one of my other Border Collies).  Well, I was wrong…so wrong! Not only did Cam become buds with Merlin (the other Border Collie), he became BEST buds with Jack!  The most rewarding part is he has brought such joy to our entire family. I haven’t seen Merlin and Jack this happy since before we lost Kuto, our Pompoo.  Guess Jerry was right about the “pack” thing.

TTT: What challenges have you faced training this dog compared with others? What did he or she excel at?
LINDA: Right now it’s just the challenge of training a puppy. I have been working with him on agility training equipment at home. He is also taking a jumping class at LCDA and is signed up for the Intro to Agility class at LCDA in March. I really think he is going to be a natural! J

TTT: What has your training regimen been for this dog?
LINDA: First goal is getting Cam socialized by enrolling him in classes and taking him on outings and working on a good recall…still working on that. Then we throw in a little obedience commands ie., sit, stay, etc., and finally, introducing various agility equipment for introduction and fun…he loves it.

TTT: What, if anything, have you learned or done training-wise with this dog that's new for you?
LINDA: Starting training classes early and listening to some very knowledgeable friends/instructors. They see outside the box…seeing things you don’t.

TTT: Share your secrets: what's one silly thing you and your agility teammate do together when no one is looking?
LINDA: At bedtime Cam jumps up on the bed and we snuggle for about 5 minutes then he is off to his own bed. Snuggle time has been a ritual since he was a puppy. Before he had run the house, he would get up in my lap about 30 minutes before my bedtime and take a little “snuggle nap”. Still don’t know how he knew what time it was.

TTT: One word that best describes this pup:
LINDA: Exceptional!

 

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