Success Stories

Phoenix

Phoenix has been with us for almost 2 years. We drove from Wisconsin to Missouri to adopt him, and never regret the decision. He and our other dog are great travelers, we take them everywhere and long trips are a breeze with them. Phoenix has grown into a very handsome and mellow young man. He is an agility dog as well as a therapy dog. The elderly love him. My son and girlfriend had a baby in June of this year and Phoenix is so gentle with her, never touching her face. He lays by her and keeps an eye on her. If she crys, he is first to see why she is crying. Sometimes I think if he could, he would take her out of the crib and cradle her. Phoenix has been such a wonderful addition to our home. We have another Border Collie/Aussie named Carmen and 2 cats, and everyone gets along great. Except for one of the cats, she will not give Phoenix the time of day, but that is how cats are. Most of the time, he is a quiet laid back guy, until he wants or needs something, then he barks orders at us, and he has quite the masculine voice. Does he get what he wants, I think not! But, it is fun trying. We tried Phoenix in sheep herding, but he did not seem real interested in them, he would rather have been exploring the field than chase sheep. Maybe some other time, he was pretty young when we tried it. I should also mention, Phoenix does not really like to get wet, or at least not his feet. He walks around puddles and loves to be groomed. Sit him down to be brushed and he turns for me when I have completed one side. We did have him groomed in July because he had such a thick, long coat. Phoenix and Carmen adore each other. She is definitely the alpha, and tends to tell him that every day. Sometimes she gets right up in his face, and being that he is so much taller then her, he lifts his head and turns away from her barking. Once in the yard, they run around and chase each other. You would think that Carmen would slow down, but honestly, I think Phoenix has given her more life. She is 10.5 years old, and chases after him like a puppy. Two years ago Phoenix gave us a new beginning by coming into our lives, we would not trade him for the world. Is he spoiled, you bet he is! Thank you, Kathy and Zorka update August 2010 Phoenix is a very busy boy. He is a registered therapy dog and we work with an organization called Health Heelers and participate in various activities. He practices and competes in agility. He also practices obedience and hopefully next year can compete. He does agility demo's at the Sport show and the upcoming state fair. He is my furry best friend and I'm so glad he's part of our family.