My old girl "Calli", turned 14 on January 13th. I still remember bringing her home from Daphne Allen (Candega Shelties) at 9 weeks of age. I wondered if I'd done the right thing - she didn't have a lot of bone or muzzle, not much hair, and certainly not much personality. She also had this strange, seemingly nervous habit of "sucking" and kneading a teddy bear which Daphne had sent home with us. I had great faith in Daphne, and hoped that Calli would not disappoint.
Calli at 3½ monthsI got to work on training - at that point in my life, I owned a grooming shop in Perth, Ontario, so Calli came to work with me every day. She enjoyed diving into and eating piles of dog hair, and running to the door barking every time a customer would come in. I was glad to see that she was coming out of herself, but I noticed she was quickly becoming more like a terrier than a Sheltie! Time for some show training classes. She was nervous and sound sensitive at first, but after a few weeks became very excited whenever people clapped. She thought it was SO much fun. When Calli was 8 months, I decided to enter her in her first weekend of shows, despite the fact that she still didn't have a great deal of coat. Once groomed/fluffed up, she looked pretty darn cute, and I thought her coat was acceptable for a young puppy bitch. Fortunately, it was a damp weekend, her coat stayed fluffy, and she was Best of Winners the first two days for 7 points. She took reserve the last day. She showed like a trooper - never giving me less than 100%.
Calli at 8 months - 2nd set of pointsI decided to put her away for a while to let her mature, and also have a litter. I entered her in one show once she had coated back up, and she took Best of Breed from the classes over specials to finish with a nice 5 point win in 2000.
In 2001, I decided to special Calli a bit, just at the local shows. She was one of those bitches with a short, fitted coat, and I had a very small window of time when I could show her. Luckily, this time that window was during our late summer/early fall shows, which were plentiful back then. In very limited showing, she ended up ranking #14 in Canada, placing in the group every time she won the breed.
Calli at 4½ years - the same show where she took her first wins as a puppyTo this day, Calli still LOVES going to shows - the sights, the sounds, the treats, but especially the clapping. She still sucks and kneads her teddy bear (the same one!) sometimes when she is worried. I have been very fortunate to spend the last 14 years with her. There is no doubt in my mind - despite my concerns, she did not disappoint. Here's to many more years together, my little "Calligator"!
Ch. Candega Callisto, AGN, NAJ, VAADC at 8 years of age
And today, at 14 years of age