Pixie was born in March of 2010 (we think!) and was a Border Collie/Sheltie mix. I went to national championships with Maxx in 2011, and the rescue organization had brought a few dogs with them to the show. I wasn’t planning to bring home a dog, but I ended up riding home with Pixie on my lap. What a great decision that was!

Pixie was my superstar agility dog and really excelled at distance work. Unfortunately, she had an injury from puppyhood – before I got her – that made her intermittently lame in the front, so I decided to retire her in 2019 after several rounds over the years of treatment and rehab.

She was my first truly dog-neutral dog that I could take anywhere, to anyone’s home, and she behaved perfectly – other than being a bit of a treat beggar. Luckily, Pixie also loved tricks, and was the first dog in Colorado to achieve the Trick Dog Grand Champion Title. It allowed her to get plenty of exercise for her mind and body after she retired.

Pixie taught me a lot about consistency in cues. She happily worked close in and far away, but one step in the wrong direction sent her off course. She made me really focus on my handling to ensure I was giving clear, consistent, and well-timed cues. She also taught me about building confidence in a teammate. She was very afraid of sounds and other environmental issues, and she was a very “soft” dog that didn’t do well with anything she perceived as negative. We worked a lot on counter conditioning, and she made me sharpen my skills to avoid any sort of negative cues (like sighs or even her name “too loudly”). She wasn’t much for cuddling and thought two minutes of petting was more than enough, but she loved to work, made sure she is always in my vicinity, and always kept me on my toes!