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At the end of January 2011, we suddenly lost our beloved Sheltie, Darcy, who was 12 years old. A few months later, on Good Friday 2011, Brady, the handsome Sheltie in the picture seen here stared out at us with his earnest face from the OTTAWA CITIZEN’s classified ads (where one rarely sees purebred Shelties for adoption). He was described as precocious and smart and he intrigued us. Our other Sheltie, Marshall, a naturally-shy, “safety-first”, failed show dog rescue for whom we were able to provide a forever home only because we had another dog (i.e. Darcy), had started to become more and more withdrawn after Darcy passed. He missed the company and we needed to provide some for him. Once we confirmed that the Aylmer SPCA was open, we hustled over from Ottawa to be asked immediately as we walked in how much we knew about the Sheltie breed. When we replied that, if we took Brady, he would be our sixth Sheltie since 1981, a lead was quickly thrust into our hands and we were told to take him for a walk where we saw him act aggressively with another dog we encountered. We returned for a staff-supervised meeting with Marshall (who had been waiting in the car) that was uneventful so we decided, then and there, to bring Brady home. The following Monday he was in a Basic Obedience group class at Forever Friends in Ottawa where he was the oldest dog in class (at 22 months), among those who barked the most and certainly required what the class had to offer. He was quick to pick up what was taught primarily because he could earn high value rewards (HVRs, otherwise known as treats). We practiced every day in the week between classes and by the end of the course, he was among the best students in the class (some did not improve at all). We concluded that his ‘aggressive behaviour’ on a lead was actually fear and not dominance. Fully three weeks later, we enrolled him in an Urban Street Smarts class at the same school where, the first time he saw the instructor, he went over to her, sat in front of her, looked her in the eyes for two seconds (as he learned in Basic Obedience) and then stared at the pocket in which she kept her HVRs. That ended her attempt to use Brady to demonstrate what to do when encountering an unfamiliar dog. There was some real intelligence at work there, we concluded, and he has demonstrated that a number of times with his ability to learn quickly and the varied range of sounds he uses with which to ‘communicate’.
Despite some chewing of some favourite shoes in the
first few weeks (that almost got him returned for a refund), over the
course of the last 24 months he has developed into a wonderful member
of our ‘pack’. He initially was a flight risk so we kept him on
a leash at all times but soon was able to be let off the lead where
appropriate and he comes when he is called. He is very energetic and
we try and ensure that he gets enough exercise to ‘tire him out’. We
live near the We have had to find all the dog toys we have accumulated over the years as Brady loves to play with them (more than all of our previous shelties combined). There is now a basket for the toys and he will root around in it to find whatever toy strikes his fancy. He particularly likes to remove stuffing but will also bring a toy for a little tug-of-war or throw-and-fetch. Of particular note was what transpired a few weeks after the anniversary of Darcy’s passing. There was still lots of snow in the backyard and one day we noticed Darcy and Marshall playing with each other with lots of jawing, jousting and wrestling with each giving as good as he got. It would go on for up to thirty minutes at a time and neither of them was ever injured. It lasted until all the snow melted and was a delight to watch each time it occurred. The ‘show’ was thankfully repeated this past winter from the first snowfall, where it became very frequent and quite spirited, with Marshall, surprisingly, being the most ‘aggressive’ and frequently coming out on top.
We are indebted to whomever owned Brady before us for teaching him excellent toilet habits. He has never had an accident in the house and will let us know if he needs to go in the backyard to do some ‘business’. Brady is a handsome, friendly, clever, strongly-devoted, and loyal Sheltie for whom we are so fortunate and happy to provide his forever home. We are most grateful to the SPCA of Western Québec for allowing us to do so. Merci! Trish and Peter
Update December '18 We brought our other Sheltie, Marshall, (pictured with Brady in HT) on that day to gauge compatibility since Brady was a bit wild in the presence of other dogs but was very calm with Marshall. They lived harmoniously and really had a great time together especially when winter wrestling in the snow. Brady always let Marshall win. It had come to an end when this past May 25th Marshall passed away a week shy of his 14th birthday. We miss him every day even though he very much needed for us to help him cross the Bridge. The fifth time for us since 1981 and it never gets easier. Brady has always been very astute at reading the members of his pack and we believe he knew that Marshall was in the final months of his life. As a result, he did not mourn his passing as we might have expected (and for which we are actually grateful). Brady has adapted very well to being an only dog which has been helped by the fact I am now semi-retired and my wife is fully retired.
Brady has a fairly extensive vocabulary and he has learned many phrases and words that never fail to amaze us. He opens partially opened doors like a cat does. He is also good at communicating by different barks, looks, or by body language. We are so glad that you allowed us the honour of giving him his forever home. Finally, I am aware of the fire this past year that destroyed your facility. How and from where are you operating now? My wife and I will be making a donation to you in the name of my sister and brother-in-law who live in Arizona. They do the same for some local animal charities there. We have done that in past years in lieu of exchanging presents we both don’t need. Cheers and thank you for all that you do for the animals in your care.
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Here
is a picture for which the two of them posing (in return for a treat).
He
has had a few medical issues but, when needed, we have a great new
veterinary clinic (that stepped up when our previous one wouldn’t when
Marshall was stricken) and he has the run of the place when he is
there. They love him when he visits as he is a very easy patient to
which they can attend. The same good behaviour has been observed by
his regular grooming location and the kennel where he stays when we
travel.