Head of the Class

Oh be still my heart, it’s a Border Terrier!

I don’t get to work with this breed as often as I’d like, so I’m thrilled to add seven-year old Tazie to my roster of students. (It’s pronounced Tay-zie, like daisy.) Of course, I love all of my canine clients, but for some reason I’m completely charmed by this breed. It must be that scruffy face.

Tazie has a new brother, Harry the four-month old Portuguese Water Dog:

Yes, I think he’s adorable too. How could I not?

Both dogs are embarking on my basic training program, and though young Harry has established the lead by mastering “sit” and “down” prior to our first lesson, I have a feeling that it’s going to be a tight race for top dog. Tazie may have some years on Harry, but she’s still got the fire to learn some new tricks.

I work in many multi-dog homes, and it’s fun to watch how the learning process differs between the dogs. Some people are surprised when their “dark horse” dog (the one who didn’t seem as clever) rockets to the head of the class. I always root for the underdog, but I give both dogs a fair shot to excel.

Border Terriers and PWDs are incredibly clever breeds, so I’m looking forward to the academic competition that’s about to unfold over the next few weeks.