Pixie was born in March of 2010 (we think!) and is 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 has been my superstar agility dog and really excelled at distance work. Unfortunately, she has an injury from puppyhood – before I got her – that makes 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 loves tricks, and was the first dog in Colorado to achieve the Trick Dog Grand Champion Title. She still has plenty of exercise for her mind and body.

Pixie taught me a lot about consistency in cues. She happily works close in and far away, but one step in the wrong direction sends her off course. She has made me really focus on my handling to ensure I am 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 is a very “soft” dog that doesn’t do well with anything she perceives 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 isn’t much for cuddling and thinks two minutes of petting is more than enough, but she loves to work, makes sure she is always in my vicinity, and always keeps me on my toes!