Meg's Biography

[imported_Kat]

In the past few weeks, I have had phone calls requesting for a biography of Meg for various doggy magazines, newspapers and the likes coming up to Crufts. If any of you are really extremely bored you can have a read of it if you like! Be warned its fairly long! :wink:

[b]Meg (Kennel name: Megan Pride of Plandail O.W) is a 7 year old Border Collie who was born to working sheepdog parents in Northern Ireland. She was bought as a pet by a middle aged couple who I had previously walked dogs for, for many years since I was 9 years old. When the last of the original dogs died, this couple Sam and Margaret decided they would get another dog and set out to get a male. Shane was picked and Meg the quietest little bitch of the litter was selected also as she was irresistible to Margaret. From the age of 7 weeks of age I started to bond with Meg and walking her as Margaret can unfortunately not do anything due to severe health problems. I started taking Meg to the local dog training club for basic pet obedience and she quickly progressed through the classes and passed her Good Citizen award Bronze level at the tender age of 5 months of age. One night we were handed an entry form for a local obedience show that was soon to take place. From entering our first show we were hooked and went from being unknown to being known as a force to be reckoned with in the competition circles as Meg and I quickly won our way through the classes. The same was true in Agility and Meg is now a championship agility and championship obedience dog, and recently was awarded her prestigious Obedience warrant for outstanding excellence by the Kennel Club which very few dogs in the United Kingdom possess. many people argue and say a dog can not work both Obedience and Agility to a high standard. Meg is proof that it most certainly can be done.

From local shows to national competitions all over the UK, Meg and I are members of the Northern Ireland agility team and also the Northern Ireland Obedience team where we have on many occasions been proud to take honours. Additionally Meg and I have reached national and international standard and have qualified for 4 years for Crufts agility and Obedience, where we have been delighted to be placed in competitions and last year took the Gold medal for senior agility. Indeed Meg was only a mere 2 years when we first competed and qualified for Crufts. The experience overwhelmed me more than her, I have to be honest. She calmly takes Crufts in her stride and as on every occasion when we enter the ring, she will always try her best to please.

This year Crufts 2004 will see Meg and I back in the ring. We have qualified again for senior agility where we will defend our title, and also for show handling, and the triathlon consisting of obedience, agility and showhandling. Perhaps the most important event though and the zenith of our partnership so far, will see us compete at Crufts in the Obedience world cup. We are in the Northern Ireland team and will compete against countries from all over the world in the coveted main ring. Its huge and I am incredibly proud of my girly for getting there, and no matter what happens on the day, I will as always take the best dog home with me.

Meg is a very diverse little dog and demonstrates canine freestyle displays and is also a registered PAT (Pets as Therapy) dog and visits sick and terminally ill children at Belfast's Royal Victoria hospital. She loves visiting and interacting with the kids and has an amazing sense that I still find spectacular, in that she adjusts her level of activity to suit that child. She is more boisterous and fetches a ball or toy for the more lively kids, but children that are in a terminally ill state in bed, she will carefully jump up onto the bed and lie quietly letting the child stroke her or will delight a child by a simple lick on that child's hand.

Miscellaneously, Meg is also a registered search and rescue dog with the Mourne mountain rescue team and is trained to detect people lost in the mountains here in Ireland north and south. She has saved the lives of many lost people and has an enormous sense of satisfaction evident with her body language expression when she has a find. Far from the mountains she was also used by the police when a 3 year old boy went missing a little distance from where we live. The little boy had become trapped in between railings and a canal and the police dogs themselves had missed him. Meg found him and was rewarded by a huge hug from that little boy and later that week after the ulster Star had ran a feature, she also received some rather delicious dog biscuits and a new lead from the boy and his parents.

As you have read by now Meg is like no other dog. Meg saves lives, but there was one day where we found ourselves in a very serious situation that could easily have taken both of our lives. Several summers ago, we went to a dogshow in Suffolk, south England with my friend and her Border Collie. We took a day off from the showgrounds and headed to the beach at nearby Harwich. We were having a great time in the water, when it all changed. The current changed and I found myself caught in a riptide and being dragged out to the liners coming from the very nearby harbour. The more I swam, the more I was pulled out. I screamed at Fay who thought I was messing about and was away from the current. She realised something was wrong and swam back to shore for help when I started being dragged under over and over. Meg started swimming towards me sensing that something wasn't right. I shouted at her to get back and I can honestly say that was the only time that Meg has ever disobeyed me. She swam even more determined towards me, and each time she was dragged under with the current, I was sure that she wouldn't emerge again... She reached me and turned away and I was able to grab her collar, and with a great deal of kicking and swimming we managed to get out of the swirling rip and back to shore, where my little girl licked my face then collapsed. She was exhausted and had swallowed so much sea water. That day my soul mate became even more special. She saved my life that day. I would have drowned if it wasn't for her. Sounds unbelievable and as I was sitting holding her on the beach watching her heave and cough, the events seemed surreal I have to say.

She again proved her loyalty to me two years ago. We were down at the local playing fields and I was throwing her fling ring for her. The park was empty and peaceful and i was sending a text on my mobile as I threw her ring. From out of nowhere, a guy leaped on my back and grabbed my mobile. I screamed and Meg at the far end of the park heard me and abandoned her fling ring. My normally very calm little dog came bounding fast after this ******* and launched herself at his back snapping. In fright he dropped my mobile and tore off at top speed out of the park. Meg picked up my phone and carried it in her mouth trotting back to me, with her tail held high like a proud banner. It all happened so unexpectedly and I was in shock and just sat and cried. She knew that he had done wrong. What else can I say to explain her behaviour? She doesn't have a command of attack or anything as she isn't a vicious dog and I don't and have never wanted a vicious dog, but yet that day she used her perception to know that he had taken something that didn't belong to him.

From reading this, you will have gathered that meg is a very special little dog. When she was born, she broke the mould and no matter how many other Border Collies I own, I never ever will have another dog like Meg. She is just amazing and as one dog magazine once put it, "Meg touches the heart of everyone she meets". As a competing dog, she is fantastic and it is because of her that I have had the fortune to get involved in competitive dog obedience and agility amongst other activities. As a friend and soul mate Meg exceeds all expectations. She is remarkable and I feel so honoured to share my life with her. Meg is a very special dog and her loyalty and willingness to please is priceless.




About me:

I am a final year BSc. Honours Zoology student at Queens university Belfast. I major in canine social behaviour of both wild and domestic canids and am at present writing my thesis on the social behaviour of Border Collies that come from working and non-working backgrounds to get a better understanding of this highly intelligent breed that puts it above all other breeds. Personaly I work at a vets and am also involved in training agility and obedience at my local dog training club, and additionally judge at shows. The behaviour of the canid family fascinates me and I have been priviliged to work with understanding the behaviour of domestic canids and also wild canids including wild foxes and wolves which i have been priviliged to closely interact with, including cases of abuse where I have worked with these animals to gain respect and trust and understanding.

Presently I am in a longterm relationship with a guy called Sander, and in the summer of 2004 when I graduate, I will move (hopefully with Meg) to the Netherlands to live with him permanently. From there I am planning to take a Masters in the Netherlands and to pursue and further my career of my career in canid behaviour.

[/b]

[mouseatthebusstop]

Fantastic Kat I love the bit about the mobile phone --I think mine would leave me and think I was just playing

[imported_nea]

Thats excellent. She is such an amazing dog! :)

[zheelah]

Wow what an amazing dog *sniffles* she reminds me a bit of my owm BC mix :wink: Are you competing in general comformation or are you competing in world junior handler???

Do you know if they relies a tape/dvd of crufts and the main events when it is over??? if they do I would love to have it and see you and Meg there :)

Ohh and one point about your article, you never mention when or if you own her, you talk about the old couple and then on to training, just a point :)

[imported_Kat]

Thanks folks :D

Zheelah, Meg lives with these people but I have co-ownership of her which lets me compete with her. This situation makes things a lot more difficult for me to take her to the Netherlands with me when I move this summer... Lets just say she isn't treated as fairly as the other 2 dogs that she lives with and i would rather see her live out the rest of her life the way she deserves to, competing until she retires then playing and having long runs in the parks where we are situated in the Netherlands. It breaks my heart and I haven't posted much about this situation on Dogo here, but I know she will be better off wth me.


[quote]Are you competing in general comformation or are you competing in world junior handler???
[/quote]

Nope the Obedience world cup is an adult competition...can ya see why I'm saying ahhhhh at this point :P hehe

[quote]Do you know if they relies a tape/dvd of crufts and the main events when it is over??? if they do I would love to have it and see you and Meg there [/quote]

The BBC do televise Crufts and have videos and dvds for sale after the event but they tend to concentrate on the breed sector more than agility and obedience unfortunately. Animal Planet also televise it I think a month or so after it happens, but of course we will have a video camera there, to witness the moment when in front of the crufts audience of 30,000 (and the whole world when its televised) I trip and make an idiot out of myself :P :oops: lol I had a dream about that 2 nights ago and Megwas standing in front of me trying to conceal me lol!

[zheelah]

I sure hope they will let her move with you, I only asked about the world junior handler becose a friend of mine is going to compete for Iceland and I was helping here the other day with handling Dobermanns if she were to get that breed.

I think that they should make a special tape of the agility and obedience, because that is the most fun to look at, but since it is a world championship they must make a special tape for that event, I know they make a tape for the World Agility Championships.

I am going to start saving upp some money to be able to go to Crufts some day, but I will defenetly not be going this time since we have an international show in the same time and I am going to try and get the last cc for my dobie boy S

[izzy]

Kat you have a star, :modla: congratulations!...

[courtnek]

Meg is an AWESOME DOG!!! And I really hope they let you take her...
she belongs with you, Kat...no matter what.

You have bonded, and that;s the BEST trust you can have between a dog and a person...

I've never been in a situation where my life was seriously at risk like this..
Mine have warded off prowlers and people trying to take me in...but I cant call that "saving my life"....you really do have a "Lassie" (Timmy fell down the well...) and Lassie was only responding to a trainer off stage...

GOOD GIRL MEG!!!

:D

[Rowie-the-Pooh]

[quote][b]As you have read by now Meg is like no other dog. Meg saves lives, but there was one day where we found ourselves in a very serious situation that could easily have taken both of our lives. Several summers ago, we went to a dogshow in Suffolk, south England with my friend and her Border Collie. We took a day off from the showgrounds and headed to the beach at nearby Harwich. We were having a great time in the water, when it all changed. The current changed and I found myself caught in a riptide and being dragged out to the liners coming from the very nearby harbour. The more I swam, the more I was pulled out. I screamed at Fay who thought I was messing about and was away from the current. She realised something was wrong and swam back to shore for help when I started being dragged under over and over. Meg started swimming towards me sensing that something wasn't right. I shouted at her to get back and I can honestly say that was the only time that Meg has ever disobeyed me. She swam even more determined towards me, and each time she was dragged under with the current, I was sure that she wouldn't emerge again... She reached me and turned away and I was able to grab her collar, and with a great deal of kicking and swimming we managed to get out of the swirling rip and back to shore, where my little girl licked my face then collapsed. She was exhausted and had swallowed so much sea water. That day my soul mate became even more special. She saved my life that day. I would have drowned if it wasn't for her. Sounds unbelievable and as I was sitting holding her on the beach watching her heave and cough, the events seemed surreal I have to say.[/b] [/quote]
This part got to me, I started crying! :cry: Meg is an amazing dog, I noticed that ever since you joined. She has saved and touched so many lives, give her a kissy for me! What a wonderful dog! :iloveyou:

Good luck at Crufts! Oh, and I'm sure they'll let you have her! :wink: