i still believe when something feels right - it is right
I'm a great believer in fate and I'm certain Zenii coming into my life was just that. A pandemic puppy in as much as she was born in May 2020 but, honestly, it was just the right time for me at add a puppy to my pack of 4 dogs.
She has made such a positive difference to my life, being so affectionate, clever, mischievous, dependable, snuggly, naughty, lovable, crazy and gives the bestest cuddles ever! She's so sensitive to your mood and makes me laugh out loud with her antics every day.
Read below to find out how we first met............
once upon a time........
Me, myself and I had a conversation about finding oneself a new member of the family. Being a border collie breeder, and owning 3 generations at the time, I decided I wanted to opt for a smaller, easier-to-handle breed. I'm a dog trainer so we have seen a multitude of breeds pass through our doors, I was quite set on a sheltie but due to the pandemic very few litters were being born. So voicing my frustration one night, my friend and colleague added, "We never see a bad cockapoo do we?"
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Now, normally I would have thought no more of it but I had helped a friend of a friend research cockapoos quite recently so I had a good understanding of their abilities and what type I would have IF I was going to get one. So, just out of interest, I began to search immediately..........
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When I saw Zenii's photo staring back from the computer screen I felt an instant connection, phoned up and collected her the next day.....LIKE.......WHAT....... JUST HAPPENED?
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Anyone who knows me will tell you this is so out of character, I'm always shocked because this is how other people - with little knowledge and experience get a dog - I should've known better right?
BUT I have never regretted it for one moment.
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Had I turned up to collect her and felt she wasn't raised in a positive environment then I would have walked away. I knew what I was looking for, when we arrived her breeder was very open, we met mum and dad, with Zenii and another of her dogs. All had wonderful temperaments and were healthy and very friendly. Dad had a full set of clear health tests (we've since had Zenii fully DNA tested for poodle and cocker spaniel diseases/conditions and she is clear of everything).
and then........
The pandemic made it easy for me to spend lots of time with Zenii from the very beginning. My other dogs were sceptical at first but soon warmed to her charms. She was very clever and loved to learn tricks and play games, she came everywhere with us having lots of positive experiences. She had her first caravan trip within a week of joining us and enjoyed the attention from other campers.
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We made a series of puppy training videos to help our Club members and the public who had puppies and young dogs, to keep their minds busy with fun exercises and tricks.
Following her vaccinations she came to shows with us and learnt good manners around
the ringside, controlling her impulse to chase and join in.
In October 2021 she made her debut in the Hoopers ring and gained a 3rd place, I was so chuffed as she'd only trained at our training school until that day.
In 2022 she qualified for the UK Hoopers Websters Novice
Championship finals in September and came 3rd in the small division.
This was great considering I came down with covid the next day!
We had also entered her first agility show in April 2022 and was placed 3rd in her first ever official agility class, I was so shocked she'd weaved like a pro, that I nearly blew it! She was so cool and confident - all our hard work had paid off.
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So that confidence turned into something else as the season progressed. I thought giving her oodles of praise and reward for trying was the right thing to keep her energy. BUT she took this as everyone wants to meet me so I'll go and see that dog, that person, that bucket, that photographer. Her focus had moved from agility to sharing her boundless love with EVERYONE! Cute, yes, but not when class after class she found a reason not to complete a whole course in one go. I became frustrated and lost my enthusiasm, because I knew she could do it. She had moments of genius, it wasn't all bad but she threw so many runs in her efforts to be everyone's friend, so I decided we needed a new plan of action moving forward.
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