Winner Defa’s Award 2008
Kerstin Mcdonagh and Frosty
Frosty's story
Frosty came to me as a foster dog in 2006, at the end of a year of upheaval. My mother had died in January, and I'd lost my 17-year old poodle to cancer in February. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, my beloved WSD, Sweep, developed bloat and torsion and, despite every effort, passed away after an operation to save him. Would anything stop this year being a total disaster? The answer was: yes - Frosty.
Frosty's arrival on my doorstep was a bit of a team effort: Dundalk Dogs in 
place. Earlier in the day, I'd had a phone call: Janie thought he might not make it because he was in terribly poor condition and couldn't stand or walk. But survive he did.
Although the plan had been to bring him straight into the house, I realised that this might not be possible. He was so terrified and exhausted that he had almost shut down. A quick examination suggested that he had probably spent quite some time living rough, probably savaging for food on the streets. It was very clear that he, at best, wasn't used to human contact and, at worst, associated humans with something really awful. A decision was made: we put him in the warm, snug, quiet kennels with a radio playing soft music, a warm bed, a DAP diffuser plugged into the wall socket and a plateful of scrambled eggs. Until his adrenalin levels returned to normal, there was very little point in trying to make any further progress.
Frosty was extremely shy and his only defence against anything frightening (which was pretty much everything) was to collapse, freeze and scream. But after four days in the kennels, it was time for the next step - moving indoors and meeting the other dogs. By then we'd also discovered that as well as being emaciated, Frosty hadn't arrived alone. He had a long-standing flea infestation, with his skin feeling like it was covered in sand - only it wasn't sand, it was flea droppings. A bath was essential. The bathing session went as expected (with Frosty collapsing and freezing in the bath), and we watched what little trust we'd built up drain away with the bath water. So we started all over again, but this time with Frosty ensconced in a large cage in our home office. Another four days, and he'd forgiven us for bathing him.
Much to my delight, however, the introduction to the other dogs went extremely well. In fact, Frosty was over the moon to see some fellow canines again, and they were delighted to have him there. It soon became clear that he was looking to them for reassurance in any situation that frightened him. If they weren't frightened, he would visibly relax. Fortunately, my existing crew were all pretty bomb-proof, and I exploited this fact shamelessly. Frosty found the presence of my GSD, Fergus, particularly reassuring, something which really delighted me since Fergus had become rather depressed after we lost the two dogs he'd grown up with so suddenly. Once we started taking him and Frosty out together, they would engage in little play sessions together, which did both of them the world of good. Frosty's behaviour towards dogs suggested that he must have spent a lot of time in the company of other dogs, and his communications skills were excellent. He soon started giving little happy play growls when interacting with the other dogs, and I knew that I'd won him over when, one day, he looked me straight in the eyes for the first time and treated me to his little "happy growl" as well. I'd been accepted as yet another dog!
Over the next few weeks and months, Frosty gradually started learning about life as a pet. All movements had to be kept slow to stop him running away from us, and it took quite some time before he realised that a hand might contain food and wasn't something which would hurt you. I fitted him with a collar, which he accepted readily, but discovered that reaching out and taking hold of it was a surefire way to induce panic - once again, we had the collapse, freeze and scream behaviour. A house lead was fitted, and this allowed me to control him calmly without reaching for his collar. He still preferred to "hide" among the other dogs, but gradually became used to one-to-one attention.
Once I felt that I had gained his trust sufficiently, I decided to take him with me to the pet obedience classes and just allow him to watch from the sidelines while I worked the other dogs. Other dog owners were asked to feed him treats to make him equate humans with food, and in March 2007, only 3 months after he'd first arrived at my house, he passed his Good Citizen Bronze test with flying colours. I then decided to try him with some basic agility training, to see if an agility home would be suitable for him.
The early agility training went reasonably well. The search for a new home proved less successful. I had some very strange phone calls, including some from people who asked if I could guarantee that he would do agility. Well, eh, no! One home looked ideal, but the person in question changed her mind on the grounds that Frosty was still too nervous. By the time he passed his Good Citizen test, I was finding myself getting more and more picky about what kind of home I wanted for him. That was when I decided to accept the inevitable, and on
He spent summer 2007 tagging along to agility competitions to get used to the atmosphere, but his training didn't start in earnest until September that year. He certainly proved a very fast learner, and was entered in his first competition in early January 2008. Two small independent shows followed, then we spent some more time concentrating on training. The real start to his agility career came in May, and between then and September, he earned enough points to get his AW(B) title. In early November, at the local agility club pre-Christmas party, he was awarded shield for Best Dog, as voted for by the other club members.
The fact that Frosty enjoys agility is, however, really the cherry on the cake. We'd decided to keep him long before I was convinced that he would be a suitable agility prospect. We simply couldn't bear to part with him. We'd lost two dogs in early 2006, and Frosty stepped in and filled the gaping hole they'd left, not only for myself and my, but for the other dogs as well. Although no-one would ever now suspect Frosty of having lived a feral life, he still finds a few things, such as low-flying jets, difficult to cope with. But at least now he looks to me rather than Fergus for reassurance, and the collapse-freeze-scream behaviour seems to have ceased altogether. He still catches and eats mice (yuck!) and finds it very hard to walk past discarded crisp packs, take-away wrappers and disposable coffee mugs without expertly checking whether they still contain something vaguely edible. We love him to pieces, because he's just the most adorable, funny little dog imaginable. He may have had a fantastic first year in agility, but give him a warm bed, a couple of meals a day and plenty of cuddles, and he's quite content. He is very polite with people, adores other dogs (puppies make him go all giddy) and has quite readily accepted the two kittens which joined us earlier this year. But most of all, he's my very special friend, which is why his KC name is Minvenn Frosty - My Friend Frosty in old Swedish.
Kerstin McdonaghDefa’s Award Runner up stories - 2008
Nicole Fisher and Bandit
It’s hard to think that it was only 3 years ago that we lost our old family dog, the ideal loyal pet for so many years. And then the trouble started!
A few months later we decided we needed to get our other dog a companion, being deaf we hadn’t realised how much she really had relied on his ears, so off we went to look at an old basset hound we had seen on TV that was looking for a retirement home. Ideal we thought as it would be easy for mum to cope with and would make a nice laid back companion for Jade as she had already been through so much in her life.
Well we arrived at the rescue kennels that Saturday and made it no further than reception. Having previously worked at the kennels I still knew a lot of the staff and as soon as they realised we were in the market for a new dog we got whisked round to the isolation kennels. Once there we were shown a kennel but it took us a while to actually see who was lurking inside. As far back as he could get was a little dog curled up as tightly as he could get. We was told he was a blue merle but all we could see was these frightened little eyes. The staff said they would get him out and put him in a run with a puppy he had become friends with as this might bring him out of himself a little bit. We had figured he was scared from what we saw in his kennel but what came next shocked even me, the only way the staff could get this little dog out of the kennel was to crawl along the floor along side him, as soon as they stood up he’d freeze to the ground.
Unfortunately he wasn’t much better in the run and it was clear he had been beaten as even the slightest movement sent him flat to the floor. Now this wasn’t the hastle free retired dog we was after for mum but after about 20 minutes of heartache is was obvious he was coming home. Now to break the news to dad!
2 weeks later Bandit was coming home (then called Jaffa) and the first day went pretty smoothly with the only hitch being he wouldn’t eat infront of people so mum had to put him in a room alone, day 2 however was slightly more challenging. While out in the garden with mum a neighbour started a lawn mower and the next thing he was gone. To this day we have no idea how he got out but I will always remember getting the phone call from mum saying ‘we lost him’. 7 hours later we found the little runt not far from home so he had literally had us running around in circles. This was the day he got named ‘Highway Bandit’.
The following year was filled with socialising by walking around companion shows and attending weekly obedience classes, although initially just to sit and watch to allow him to get used to being around people and gradually, very gradually he has started to get better. Oh and not to mention the 2 further escape attempts.
After a lot of convincing mum started bringing Bandit to agility classes to help build his confidence and as with any dog lacking in confidence his progress was initially slow but he was enjoying himself and mum never had any intention to compete so all was good. Bandit has now been doing agility for about 18 months and as mum felt he was progressing quicker than her he now has me as a handler but he is enjoying it and although still petrified of the see saw the cocky little dog inside still comes out to play. At the end of the summer we thought we would give an allsorts class a go at a BAA show as their classes are fully fenced, incase the panic attack set in, but he surprised us all by flying round and taking home a place.
Bandit is still nervous of strangers and disappears when ever mum has visitors but I think that is something he will probably always carry with him. Although mostly collie (we haven’t worked out what the rest is) at home he is the perfect lap dog until walkies, this is the point in the day when we think we have a Jack Russell in disguise and the yappy cocky side comes out. No one that knows Bandit outside the house believes this bit!
Bandit has been a lot of hard work and heartache on those disappearing acts but he really does go to show that your ideal dog isn’t always what your looking for.
Fiona Stewart-Vidler and Satorius Rousse
It is just an unusual doggie tail, another version of the ghost of christmas past... two years ago my fit bouncy soulmate merle collie suddenly collapsed and passed away quietly at the vet hospital later that evening riddled with undiagnosed spleen cancer... I said a final goodbye to his finally sleeping body late that night... and had just got home.. I was just thinking my world had collapsed after struggling through three very traumatic years and asked my guardian angels what am I going to do now? I was aware of a light in the room, a presence and my dog's spirit peacefully soaring out into the universe. The answer came back, "the one they think should be your mother's next dog, is your dog, the long awaited Satorius, she is the grandmother dog." Armed with this almost biblical information of an angel visitation, I came down to the breakfast table instead of being a wreck, asking whether it would be a good idea or not to adopt a black and white collie.
Born April 2005, Rousse had left his idyllic countryside world age six weeks, the same day I had left my paradise, he then went on a difficult journey (like myself in life) which started pleasantly in one can guess suburbia with a loving family, however being a border collie/working sheep dog, he unfortunately needed daily exercise and a working dog lifestyle, something a busy family obviously didnt have time, and if it didn't happen it made him grouchy, barking, attention seeking, separation anxiety on departure and an undesirable family member and I discovered to my horror within week of having him, that he jumped up onto the settee the moment you picked up the remote control ready for the DVD to start, begged for my rare treats of chocolate (poison), pizza and crisps as if this was the norm, didnt like the door closed on small rooms or the light being turned off and flinched if your hand waved past his head inadvertantly.
This meant at 18 months old, he arrived at Blue Cross Kennels which he found a strange world though he liked the kennel staff as didn't relate to wire cage kennels and being surrounded by other dogs, didnt relate to dogs actually they were inferior species, when bed was a young boy's duvet. He drove himself demented, hysterical, stressed himself out, lost weight, couldn't absorb his food properly, thin coat, and was smaller than average with slightly stunted growth and development. Nobody wanted him, and his behaviour wasn't welcoming, also he had one blue eye and one brown eye off-putting did he sees properly or not? By now was nearly two years old and said "odd baggage" and no-one wanted him. The Blue Cross were worried as so stressed out and unable to cope, he was going to have to be put to sleep, so as a last resort asked the local agility club if they would foster yet another collie. Luckily they agreed, thought no problem, someone will take him, so everyone was asked if they wanted him or knew anyone who would take him, again no-one really wanted the rather wolf-like, border collie with strange eyes who was now aging. Then complications set-in as foster parent broke her ankle with twelve dogs to care for too.
I only saw his picture on the internet, they said I have something to tell you about him, I took a deep breath, he has a blue eye wolf side that you may like, however he is rather small and not sure how well he will get on with other dogs. As it was decided he could only go to a single owner with no other dogs, that was OK. I agreed to meet him, only if he got on with my parents dogs as initally would need to socialise with them one day a week, on a longer work hours day, and was known to have separation anxiety and also if he took to me as would have six months to work with a truly difficult case that hated me. Nervous at our meeting, it was 'love at first sight' for both of us, as we walked off into the solstice sunset late afternoon with a ball and lead. So off we went and he miraculously was not sick in my car (the first time anyhow). We made some adjustments to his diet, set up a disciplined exercise and obedience training regime as after five ball throws on a line, he just lay down and coughed in the cold morning air. We nearly had recall within a week, which was scary the first time I let him off in a field he spotted a deer speck in the distance.
Then I nearly lost him within the first two weeks, when a bull dog probably illegally trained for fighting came shooting round the corner and clamped his jaws over his head in a park, luckily the tight collar clip sprung apart and he wriggled free, bolted for his life nearly under the wheels of a car, and luckily stopped for an instant and I grabbed him, as recall under duress was not trained yet.
He had a heart of gold, but was stressed out still and very sensitive. So I applied my reiki master touch to him to try and relax him, gave him massage, played him meditation sessions, alongside diet, exercise. I had agreed as part of his development to six agility sessions at the agility club. This was the 'blind leading the blind', though luckily our trainer was very patient. He was rather ball obsessive to say the least and we decided that as he wouldnt part with the ball before the next sequence, that we should retire for a while and practice on our own in the garden. We tried a fun day our first year and with a bit of coaxing, meandering got a miraculous clear round, but it was more him trying to please me and I wasn't going to be one of these owners pushing their dog forward into anything. So we took our time, relaxed had fun, I didn't have a clue what I was doing agilitywise so in no hurry either. We decided to go for a local class, which proved tricky as a labrador took a passionate hatred to him unsetttling him greatly, we weren't alone apparently, it just made it difficult. After 4 lessons, he was outjumping the other dogs and it was just for fun anyhow, so I began to review my options, the dog had agility potential, err the handler another story.. it was definitely a case of "great dog, shame about the handler," however champion Greg Derretts DVD of the same name inspired me, as did "Discover Dogs", Satorius Rousse was now jumping clear rounds in training and one day practising in the garden, ball obsesssed I wont let it go dog, brought his toy back to me, dropped it at beginning as if to say do it again Mum that sequence. This meant big gulp, the dog is serious, so registered him for Kennel Club and UKA, went back to his foster parents to register for agility coaching classes at their club 40 miles away, its time to give this agility competition scene ago.
Petrified nervous, we emerged at our first easter celebrations at kennel club, nearly a thousand dogs, after several moments hesitation shaking rooted to the spot as I guess it sounded like a giant kennels to him (I had promised I would never in his lifetime put him into kennels ever), I was just about to withdraw him, when we left the start line and he was off like a natural, nearly going clear on his first agility round. If a big black dog had not barked in another ring, he would never have jumped off the dog walk, but the judge was a honey and let him go back on for confidence then he romped home to astounding astonished applause from our friends competing there.
That first season, we took it slowly it was developmental, if he was having fun made progress, then we booked another one in a few weeks time. he then went on to do 16 shows, gaining 32 rosettes, a 3rd and 4th. A memorable hat-trick of clear rounds at a top kennel club dog show, where a lovely lady said your dog as we sat in middle of field surrounded by six rings is such a beautiful runner and so calm, he has a certain prescence, I love to watch him run. Then a year or two ahead of our wildest dreams, for experience we had a go at a team match trial, got selected grades 1-2 with two fast clear rounds, then on the day he did his bit with a fifth place in agility, running first off with a lovely run and helping the club win the trophy, just before xmas 2008. This was the dog that nobody wanted, almost got PTS and although they say you should never have a dog for christmas, I had booked off three weeks to show my other dog, the new countryside location walks and the timing was sadly perfect. On my merle collie dogs birthday this year, I felt him running alongside me and Rousse, as Rousse brought home three clear rounds at his first 'camping in a tent' agility weekend which he loved.
Fiona Stewart-Vidler & Satorius Rousse
Luke was sold as a puppy to a mother and daughter with the intention to run him in Agility. Luke comes from working parents, so is a very high drive dog. Unfortunately, unknown to the breeder at the time of sale, both mother and daughter were mentally unstable, and couldn't cope with a bouncy, inquisitive and very lively puppy.
Their solution to the problem was to leave him in his crate for most of the time and then give him an hour in the garden on his own to amuse himself.
When Luke was about 7 month old, his owner decided that they just couldn't cope anymore and took him back to his breeder. By then Luke had developed a way to entertain himself. He was chasing cars, planes, birds... you name it. Had no recall whatsoever. Was obsessed with splashing water and was in general switched off to the outside world.
The breeder fortunately took him back, but Luke and his litter brother (which the owner has kept) didn't get on very well. So he was passed on from pillar to post.
Then somebody offered him a wonderful home, but unfortunately the existing male in the household to a dislike to him and he had to go back to the breeder.
I saw him on Agilitynet and didn't really wanted another dog, but I know the lady who offered him the home that didn't work out and she was full of praise for him.
So I thought I give it a try.
I picked Luke up from his breeder and we agreed that we see how it goes. Luke was a challenge for my patience. He never wanted to come inside when let out for a wee. He rarely listened and always seems far far away, somewhere else. As he came from working parents I decided to use sheepdog training to maybe unlock his brain and he proved to be a natural. He was very good, but quite fast. It was surprising to me though that he was exhausted always very quickly. I put it down to him not being exercised well. My male dogs were not too keen on him either, which I found surprising, as they are usually very tolerant.
Then one morning he started coughing blood... Off we went to the vet and they kept him there to investigate further.
To cut a long story short, he was diagnosed with Lungworms after 3 days and was treated, but it was on the edge if he will make it.
After he was treated my dogs attitude towards him changed and they accepted him. His stamina increased immensely. Which made it very difficult to stop him around sheep :))
Recently we started Agility training. And he just loves it. He really likes to work. In the time he has been with us he has improved so much.
His recall improved (still not a 100% though) he can listen and likes to work, and likes to stay close to us, comes back from the garden when called and is in general a lovely companion. He doesn't chase anything anymore, except for the ball :))) Is very eager to please and do things. We still have a lot of work with him to do, but we see a light at the end of the tunnel now :)
Today we had our first show, though just a simulated one, and after only ever participating in just a few lessons beforehand, he managed to get a third place....
When you look into his eyes, you see his sensitive, gentle soul.
Ulla