Canen Storm
Canen Storm (aka Sol) a red merle border collie owned by Julie Adams. Sol has been DNA tested with a CEA status of 'normal' and has a hip score of 4·4.
Here's what Julie had to say about Sol in August 2011:
A couple of months ago Sol got a urine infection. After several weeks of antibiotics it wasn't clearing - he was incontinent and he was also behaving out of character (very quiet and getting grumpy with me and the other dogs). My vet decided to investigate further as they suspected it may be a tumour causing his problems.
I was gutted at the possibility of losing my boy and leaving him at the vet overnight for the start of his tests was horrible. I didn't get much sleep. I couldn't face agility so dropped out while the tests were being carried out. Firstly there was a water deprivation test to assess whether he could concentrate his urine. They said this could take up to 3 days while he stayed with the vet. I couldn't imagine being without him for 3 days. I finally got some good news on the first day when his urine tested normal two hours into the test.
They then carried out X-rays and did a blood test to be sent off for analysis. His X-rays were clear and he was allowed home that first day. It was a long wait of almost a week until I could speak to my vet about the blood results and they too were clear. He finished another round of stronger antibiotics and his last urine test was finally normal. Thankfully he was given the all clear.
We returned to agility for UKA nationals week 26-31 July. On the first day he won champ steeplechase. I trained his other classes as I was saving him for the first round of the nationals that evening. After a slightly hairy run he went clear and through to round 2. Round 2 was Thursday evening and another lovely clear put us into second place running second last in the final on Saturday. On Saturday we won champ agility and then I rested him for the final that evening...
The course needed handling and you needed to be able to run - which I can't. We lost time on our contacts as he had to wait for me to catch up but we went clear and ended up in second place winning a lovely decanter and a £60 voucher towards some agility equipment. I hadn't entered on the Sunday as I wanted them to rest so we went home and celebrated with wine for me and pilchards for the dogs and some totally deserved cuddles for my little star. I'm not ashamed to say there were some tears too, I'm so so proud of him. He never complains, just takes everything in his stride, and my vet calls him the perfect patient.
Canen Storm (Sol) with his prize (photo by Julie Adams)
Here's what Julie had to say about Sol in February 2010:
"Sol is very smart and has learned everything I wanted to teach him very quickly, far quicker than my other two collies. His one aim in life seems to be to please me, nothing else matters to him. He is the easiest dog to live with and no matter how mad he is out and about he switches off at home.
He has a fantastic temperament which a lot of people have commented on. There is no sharpness at all. I would have a dozen like him, and my next dog will definitely be another Canen."
Canen Storm (Sol) posing while on holiday in the lakes (photos by Julie Adams)
"He is clicker trained for agility and he is incredibly clicker responsive - he will do ANYTHING to hear that click. It upsets him if he has to repeat something in training because he thinks I'll be disappointed or angry with him. If we go wrong I have to stop and pretend we are doing something new and start again. I think this is because he is so obsessed with pleasing me that he cannot bear the thought of getting it wrong. He is quite strong willed and very determined - not to do as he wants, but to do what he thinks I want, so that he can please me. He will often go and do contacts by himself to show me how good he is if he thinks he has been wrong somewhere else. I am trying to stop this habit and he is improving. I feel it is a black mark against me as a handler if my dog actually knows that something has gone wrong so the plan is never to let him in on that secret!"
Sol playing in the water (photo by Julie Adams)
"He is not a tall dog but he comes from small parents and I didn't want another large collie, I already have one of those! He is incredibly powerful for such a little chap and he has an enormous stride that you wouldn't expect from a dog of his size, due mostly to his long legs, a sign of a true working bred border collie. I wouldn't have anything else, you can keep your candy floss show dogs, give me something that can work that has all the attitude to go with it.
People are surprised when I tell them how far I travelled to get Sol (about 4 hours drive) I would go twice the distance for a dog like him. Everybody loves him and most are surprised to find that he is still entire and just as easy going as he has ever been.
He is an absolute star, I wouldn't change him for anything, he is perfect and just the dog I wanted. "
A portrait of Sol (photo by Julie Adams)
Sol in the snow (photo by Julie Adams)
Sol is coming (photo by Julie Adams)
