I bought Russ from a pet shop in 1978. He was a shaggy coated Working Sheepdog more like a Beardie, mainly white. I didn't do much with him until after Sandy died, in fact I didn't like him. He just wasn't what I wanted. However, after Sandy died I was advised by my friend Ann to try working him. He was a joy to be with and work. Character in abundance. He also the biggest thief. He once stole a 7lb cooked turkey whilst I had slipped out for 2 minutes and there it was, gone! All that was left were a few bones. Very light on his feet, he could jump up and touch your nose with his and it would be as light as a feather. Everything was done at superfast speed. Blink and you missed him. I retired him at 9 and brought him out again at 11, with no training whatsoever, and took him into B and he came out with a place, in spite of anticipating sendaway, recall, retrieve, and scent. He did manage to do his stays that day. In all he won both his novices, three A's and numerous places in B. In fact he was leading B eight times, only to break stays because he could not bear me out of his sight. He even managed a place on one such occasion.The first B I entered with him, was at an Equestrian Centre in Derbyshire. Tiny ring (tiny venue) but the sendaway was obvious. I set him up and sent him. I was so gob smacked that he had actually done it, I almost forgot to down him. I could hear Ann outside the ring saying, Drop him!One of his early "A's" was at Lichfield Championship Show, the Judge was Ted Pallot, who was known for his "unconventional" rounds. The round was most definitely unconventional and I doubt whether he would have got away with it to-day. The round was done without a break between each test, i.e. from heel on lead you went straight into heel free and then into the next part and so on. On your way round you collected your dumbell from the table without stopping. You couldn't speak to your dog at all. No break between the exercises. Scent was also slightly off the norm. He used articles (no cloths in those days) which were different inasmuch that the dog could actually look into them. They were set in a straight line from right to left and your article was at the far end. Russ being Russ had to look into every article. He was one of the few dogs who actually did a proper scent - or so the Judge thought.At Coventry Championship Obedience Show one year, which I went to with Lesley Knowles, we had competed and Lesley and Melody had done very well and she had won some biscuits which Lesley put in the glove compartment in the car. We were on our way back to the car when we heard music blaring out and wondered where it was coming from. On nearing the car, we discovered it was coming from there. We opened the doors; the glove compartment was open and the biscuits had gone. Russ....... He had turned the radio on and somehow opened the glove compartment and eaten the biscuits.Wilmslow Open Show was another occasion when Russ blotted his copybook. I had gone there with Geoff Edwards and his collie, Donna. It was a very hot day and we left the dogs tied outside with all the doors open (you could do that in those days). When we came back there was a lot of sweet wrappers on the ground. Yes, Russ had done it again. He'd found a bag of Chocolate Eclairs and eaten them and also a tube of Extra Strong Mints.On another occasion, he chased a bee across the ring while he was doing send away, and another show at Chesterfield, he just had to stop to examine the send away markers. Well, they could have had something in them!! He also managed a place that day.One day, Helen and I, along with Russ and Helen's two dogs had gone for a walk over what is now the University playing fields, across the river and round the walkway and were on the way back. Helen's two dogs disappeared in the undergrowth towards the river. They came back, clean; Russ came back bright green!!!! It took me almost 3 hours to bath him and get the stuff out.They certainly broke the mould when he was born, because I've not had a dog like him since.Russ had occasionally suffered with some kind of cramp during his life, usually after exercise, which resulted in some pain for a few seconds after which he had got up and carried on. Late on in his life he had some trouble with one of his hind legs which resulted in veterinary treatment, which he responded to. However the problem recurred, resulting in more treatment. He showed no response, save that his leg swelled up and the skin turned black. On further examination, diagnosis was poor, the Vet suspecting a spinal tumour. I thought it best to let him go without putting him through more and he was given sleep on 20th June 1990. Sleep tight, speedy kid.
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