2018: LITTER S

Maisie is almost too perfect for words. I don’t normally have specific ideas about what I want in a dog, I simply adapt the activities to the dog’s own preferences, needs, and abilities, even if it means (as it often does) modifying my own lifestyle and taking up completely new hobbies.  But in Maisie’s case, I came to Nadja with a whole wish list before Beam was even bred: I wanted a healthy, athletic, and temperamentally stable dog, preferably female, cut out for therapy work, sports and herding.  Amazingly (especially considering Murphy’s Law), in Maisie I got all that and more. She does it all, with flair.

She stood out in the litter from the start due to her distinctive white markings, and she was my not-so-secret favorite from the moment the pups were born. As the puppies developed, she also displayed the traits most suited to the home and lifestyle I offered, so at six weeks, Maisie to my delight was matched to me.

Growing up, she proved to be a nicely balanced blend of natural curiosity and natural caution, neither timid nor reckless. Confronted with a new situation, she first observes, then assesses, then acts, usually appropriately.  Since she grew up with two reactive dogs who would bark at the slightest provocation, I was concerned their reactivity would rub off on her, but she stays quiet and calm even when other dogs aren’t.

She is highly motivated and will work for food, a toy, a word of praise and a pat, or just for the sheer joy of performing a task. Too harsh a correction would cause her to shut down as she is an exceptionally soft and sensitive dog.

In agility she is fast over obstacles, quick to learn, and easy to guide, yet even in her most excited state she will hold a calm start-line stay in any position while waiting for my cue. She loves toys and has natural retrieval so she easily mastered the fundamentals of frisbee freestyle and enjoys the game. She is very athletic but not a natural leaper when catching the way some dogs are, particularly aussies, so we are working on jumping technique and making air catches. 

From the outset she showed a lot of natural aptitude for herding, working quietly with good focus. She’s generally easy to control but needs to learn to stay further off the sheep, especially when starting—sometimes she will take too straight a line and split the flock, then get flustered. If we could train more regularly (and I were a more experienced handler) she would quickly develop into a handy little stockdog. In our limited training I’ve found herding goes most smoothly when I don’t overthink a situation and just trust her to get on with the job. Like her mother Beam she does best at practical tasks that have some purpose.

She’s accompanied me several times on English courses at children’s summer camps. Initially she can get overexcited when greeting people and wants to jump up and give them kisses but as she matures she is learning to stay calm and keep her paws on the ground while being petted. She’s a great hit with the kids and mostly basks in the attention, but if someone approaches her too eagerly and directly, she may move away to create some space for herself.

She’s a perfect companion on hikes since she doesn’t react to other walkers, dogs, tractors, mountain bikers, etc. and has near perfect recall at any distance.

Maisie brings enthusiasm, energy and talent to every task while being an absolute dream to work and live with. Calm; adaptable; secure, confident, and completely unfazed by new situations, unfamiliar environments, and odd surfaces; friendly to people, including perfect strangers; compatible with other dogs; highly biddable yet capable of independent problem-solving. A cuddly couch dog at home, ready for action and adventure at a moment’s notice. In short, the kind of dog that can (and does) go anywhere.