STEVE ’ S STORY Cont .
After many hours in a draughty barn somewhere in darkest Melton Mowbray , and hours spent with a clicker teaching him to pick up a ' dead ' ball . He began to do really well . He was only ever in beginners ( the team split up early in 2018 ) but he was always the last dog , the fastest dog . Occasionally he refused . At an indoor competition , where the noise of a banging door really upset him and an outdoor one where he could hear a motorbike ... We just came home . After all , the whole point was that he enjoy himself .
When my husband returned to the dog psychologist three months after his first visit , she was thrilled and said that he had become a different dog . We continued camping which he loved . We took road trips to Scotland and he even took the Oban to Mull ferry in his stride . I was so proud of him .
Then during lockdown in 2020 he improved further . My husband had worked from home for many years and during lockdown I was able to join him . For something to do , we began to get up really early and walk Stevie at sunrise by the river together . He loved this , it was so quiet that at first , he would still pick out the sound of a motorbike many miles away , but gradually this stopped and he learned to ignore it .
Throughout this time his favourite thing was to walk between us . He would scout ahead for a bit of a sniff , but then come back to walking between us , it was amazing . Gradually as the world returned to normal , he was braver still and less things bothered him . Fireworks still did and we had to sedate him every November and January for New Year ' s Eve . We never went out for NYE and developed our own celebration , walking in the daytime , for a big breakfast in the pub by the canal where Stevie loved the black pudding which no one else liked .
Our last camping holiday was in September 2023 , at Southwold during a heatwave , it didn ' t bother him at all . He kept cool , enjoyed his walks and loved every minute . We had planned another Scottish road trip to Skye in May this year but my beautiful boy didn ' t make it so we cancelled .
I am truly devastated by Stevie ' s loss , but feel privileged to have enjoyed his company as a friend , a soulmate and a companion for the time we had together .
Jackie Richards
22 www . bordercollietrustgb . org . uk