As a self-professed introvert, I tend to keep to myself and can be a bit elusive to those trying to get to know me. However, I've recently been inspired by the incredible Holly Cook of Holly C. Cook Photography to share, and have decided to create a blog post series about myself in order to help my clients get to know me better, starting with My Dog Journey. Even though I'm just starting this series, I have already done a post on my Photography Journey, so I'll consider this part two in the getting to know me series.

I've been lucky to have shared my life with many amazing dogs, so this will probably be the longest part of this series. 

Epilepsy sucks

My first dog as an adult was Nakita. She was from a backyard breeder who sold her to me as a German Shepherd, which she was not. She was an easy, good-natured dog.

Unfortunately, at around 6 months of age, she started having small seizures. The first couple of times, I had no idea what happened. She just started shaking her head. It was scary, but then she snapped out of it. It wasn't until her full grand mal seizures that I realized she had epilepsy.

Her life was cut short as a result of injuries she sustained during a seizure when she was 6 or 7. She was a good dog and didn't deserve to go through the things she went through. To this day, there is no other health risk that scares me more than epilepsy.  

Dog training was not fun

In 1994, I attended a 3 month, 600-hour dog training program that covered obedience, protection, and tracking. I learned how to make a dog do what I wanted through force.

After leaving the academy, I decided I would never compete in obedience because I was not going to put my dog through the method of retrieving I learned to earn myself a ribbon. 

For a few months, I trained dogs and volunteered, teaching obedience classes to dogs adopted from the shelter. It didn't take long for me to decide that I didn't enjoy it. Even though it never crossed my mind that there was a better way to train, I had somehow envisioned something different. I quit dog training and moved on with life thinking it just wasn't for me.

Arko

There was one amazing thing that came from my time at the dog training school, and his name was Arko. Arko was a German Shepherd puppy that I worked with at the school, and I had to take him home. He was goofy with a big heart and loved everyone.

Wait, dog training IS fun!

in 2001 I discovered the sport of flyball and was instantly obsessed. Flyball was a completely different approach to dog training that required using a dog's natural drives to play together as a team. This was my sport and where it all began!

My Soul Dog

After joining a flyball team, I needed a dog to play with since Arko was a bit too old to start playing such a crazy sport.  This is where Raven came into my life. Actually, she was my son's flyball dog. We picked her up for my son, but she was my soul dog. She was from a local breeder who was recommended by a flyball teammate. I apparently hadn't learned from Nakita about researching breeders. Raven had autoimmune issues and was often very sick. But, I wouldn't have traded her for 10 healthy dogs. She was perfect, I just wish she didn't go through so much healthwise.

I, unfortunately, don't have videos of her playing flyball, but I do have a video of her herding, which she was a natural at. Sadly, we just didn't have herding options here, so we would just occasionally find her some sheep when traveling. 

As you can see from the video, I had no idea what I was doing, but she was brilliant.