The Dogs that wrote my story
BEZA
At the age of 15, I got my first Shetland Sheepdog and immediately immersed myself in the world of dog sports and dog training.
Beza was the dog of my life, opening up a world of countless opportunities, beautiful friendships, world travels, and irreplaceable experiences and emotions. With Beza, I focused primarily on agility, which we did for many years with great success, but thanks to her, I also fell in love with obedience. She knew dozens of tricks, and we also tried our hand at other dog sports. At 13, she had hearing and vision problems, so we tried something that suited her abilities and her still-functioning nose – mantrailing. Beza wasn't an easy dog for a beginner (I'd love to have her again with the knowledge I have today), so she also taught me a lot about dog training in everyday life.
JOY
The next dog to come on board was Joy (a Pyrenean Shepherd). She taught me the most, both in terms of understanding and training dogs, but above all, she gave me many valuable lessons in humility and patience, and she challenged my expectations of a dog. She showed me that the world doesn't work beautifully and simply, and that it's not like I teach a dog something and it just does it. Joy was a very anxious, hysterical, reactive, and constantly stressed dog. Taken for the sport, she taught me the most about life with a dog outside of it. She did very well in agility, as long as something didn't scare her before the start. To outsiders, she seemed like a cheerful, eager dog. Unfortunately, everyday life in the city was a nightmare, especially for her, but also for the family. We tried various classes with trainers, behaviorists, medications, and even less conventional methods. However, the results were never even halfway adequate to the amount of work put in.
REV
In the meantime, Rev arrived, another Shetland Sheepdog, also adopted for agility. The saying "Be careful what you wish for" perfectly describes our relationship. When I had Joy, I dreamed of another dog who wouldn't be afraid, always motivated to work, and wouldn't give up. And Rev is exactly that. But he's also very reactive, emotional, and lives to please me. It took us a long time to get along; he's like a sponge, absorbing my every emotion. This often made him very embarrassed. Because of Beza and the scent training sessions designed for her, I tried it with Rev too. And it was a bull's eye for us!
In agility, there were many disagreements between us, and training often ended in mutual irritation. In tracking, Rev was much calmer, confident, and relaxed. He pushed me to make a very difficult decision – after fifteen years (half my life at the time), I gave up agility training in favor of rescue and obedience. Rev opened up a whole new world for me, one in which we spent a long time learning to navigate together. The scent work fascinated me, and the challenges we faced during the long hours of training in rubble, in buildings, in forests, often at night, were invaluable, and I will be grateful for them forever.
ZARI
After both girls left, Zari, another Shetland Sheepdog, arrived. He was adopted for rescue work, even though he's not typically chosen for this type of work. He turned out to be perfect in every way. He's a confident, very stable dog, ready for anything thrown at him. His greatest passion in life is running. And it's when he's running that he's happiest in the world. From the start, he was a great working dog. However, he also has his quirks! In everyday life, he's definitely the most "catty" of my dogs. I had to work with him on things like grabbing his collar and general physical closeness. We spent a lot of time getting him used to touch and grooming. This was another crucial experience in my journey. Despite his unique nature, Zari is a dog that everyone loves. My little gem.
