Our Dogs
Cloud (Quantum’s Golden Ratio – Born 2022)
Cloud is a Australian Koolie who came to us via Quantum Koolies in Wilson, NY at the age of 13 weeks.
I fell in love with 2 Koolies who were owned by a fellow agility competitor in the early 2000’s. This person was Australian and her dogs came to the U.S. with her, so it would have been difficult to find a Koolie at that time. Fast forward about 15 years and I have 3 friends with Koolies who I loved just as much. So I was excited when it came time to add to my pack..
After a long conversation with the breeder, and since we were going to be in the Buffalo area for an agility competition in August anyway, we planned a trip to Wilson, NY.
Bonus…my friend Melissa and her dog Royal who were traveling with us approved of Cloud’s sister, Gambit, and brought her home as well!
He is a LOVE and has not been a nippy puppy but needs to be occupied nearly all the time. Kooliesare working/thinking dogs as are all herding breeds, so I was prepared.
What we had to overcome:
My dogs (13 year old Crew and 8 year old Jersey) has to approve of the puppy if he was going to join our pack. They did!
Separation anxiety. Cloud was with his two sisters longer than most puppies are (13 weeks) and had some separation anxiety that manifested in excessive drooling, biting at the crate, destruction of bedding, howling and barking for hours while I was away.
He had a little bit of “stranger danger” which really meant that he preferred to introduce himself rather than have people “assert’ themselves on him.
The results:
While he is only 6 months old at present, his separation anxiety has improved dramatically with appropriate interventions. And I am much happier when I watch him on the puppy cam when I am not home.
I am committed to the following: one new person, experience or skill per day.
He is thriving with this commitment.
Within his first few months, he has stayed in a hotel and 2 Air B n B s with other dogs. He has been to agility trials, nosework trials, work at St. Hubert’s with Mom and spent time with his extended pack of friends, family dogs and actual siblings.
Jersey (born 2013?)
Jersey is an Australian Cattle Dog/Miniature Australian Shepherd cross who came to us at the age of approximately 10 months old. He was rescued from Tennessee and brought to New Jersey by St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, NJ. I was looking for a dog for a friend but this little guy just gave me a smile and a head tilt with those fabulous ears and I fell in love!
What we had to overcome: Jersey is a HUGE success story! While he showed no signs when we had our meet and greet at the shelter, he was EXTREMELY leash reactive towards people and dogs. I learned this the second we walked out of the shelter. It was clearly fear based and any eye contact from a human set him off. He could not hear or see another dog without absolute panic setting in. Thanks to my “village” of dog- savvy friends and their awesome dogs, he now enjoys the presence of people and most dogs. Desensitization and confidence building has dramatically improved his ability to be around other dogs while on leash.
He also showed mild signs of separation anxiety and confinement anxiety.
Consistent obedience training and desensitization has done wonders for him. There is still work to do and I have to constantly remind him that I have his back. As a result, he is one of the most obedient and responsive dogs I have raised. He still has occasional worries in the agility ring about other people and dogs but it is rare.
Jersey competes in Agility, Disc Dog and K9 Nosework. He has 2 Championship Titles through The North American Dog Agility Council and has competed and placed at Championships in 2019 and 2021. He has also placed in the Top Ten by Breed (16” Mix). Jersey competes and has titled in Up Dog Challenge (Disc Dog) and NACSW (K9 Nosework) He also has earned his AKC Canine Good Citizen.
He plays wonderfully with dogs he knows and those to which he has been properly introduced. His girlfriend Zoe, a Husky mix really helped him come out of his shell. He plays beautifully with my new puppy, Cloud and is the most versatile dog I have had.
Crew (Born 2009?)
Crew, is a Shetland Sheepdog, Beagle cross that came to us at the age of 3. He was rescued from Georgia and brought to New Jersey by Home For Good Dogs out of Berkeley Heights, NJ. He is a lot of dog in a little package!
What we had to overcome:
He was a chewer!!! You would think that at the age of 3 he would not have this issue but he did. He was also a digger even when I was in the backyard with him. He had leash reactivity which means he was typically fine with dogs off leash, but very defensive when on leash even with dogs at a distance. He also wanted to chase everything he saw, so seeing a squirrel or rabbit while on a walk resulted in a blood curdling shriek! With proper training and the introduction of more interesting activities, we have been able to get past or greatly improve upon these unwanted behaviors.
The results: He loves to run, chase, play fetch and get body massages, but his favorite thing to do is agility. I really lucked out!
Crew took to agility in a way I have never experienced especially for a 3 year old in a new home. He loved it and “got it” right away. He loves the rush of being able to run as well as the mental challenge of following direction and performing obstacles. He has made me a better handler for sure. He is FAST and has no problem telling me when I am not giving him direction in a timely fashion.
Crew has earned numerous Championship awards through North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) and has been inducted into their Hall of Fame for multiple categories including Speed Star. He has competed at the NADAC Championships 4 times. In 2019 and 2021, Crew made it to the podium earning 3rd place overall for his group while his team earned 2nd place overall for their group. Crew consistently makes the Top Ten by Breed (12” Mixed Breed) list each year. He has also earned the AKC designation of Canine Good Citizen.
Crew, now 13 years old, shows no signs of slowing down.
Tempe Wick (2003-2019)
Tempe Wick was an Australian Cattledog, Beagle, Spaniel mix that joined our family at the age of 1 year old. She was rescued from a shelter in West Virginia by New Jersey Puppy Rescue. She was the sweetest, most beautiful girl and was a great sister and mother figure to all of her “brothers”.
Tempe competed in agility for a long time, but she was never a natural jumper, so she retired early from the jumping classes. That did not stop her from competing though! She made the North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) Annual Top 10 by Breed (12″Mix) for the non-jumping classes for many years. She also competed and placed in several rounds at the North American Dog Agility Championships in 2009. She has the AKC designation of Canine Good Citizen and did some modeling for product advertising.
She was a natural with children and the elderly and loved everyone she met.
What we had to overcome: Tempe Wick was incredibly fearful and shy and would not even approach me or take a treat from me when I met her. She was prone to chewing and not completely housebroken. Her gorgeous tail was stripped down to the skin because she was so dirty and matted from neglect. With time and proper training, she flourished physically and emotionally and was loved by anyone who had the honor of meeting her.
If you want to know more about her name you can always Google it.
Jonah (2002-2013)
Jonah came to us at the age of approximately 1 ½ years of age. He was rescued from Friends of Wayne Animals (FOWA) in Wayne, NJ and was brought to my attention by a fellow trainer who had been working with him to make him more adoptable. She described him as my “next project”. He had been in the shelter for 9 months by the time he came to live with us.
I am very thankful that FOWA was not a kill shelter and was willing to keep him until he found a forever home. We believe Jonah was a Portuguese Podengo Medio Smooth Coat (or Podengo mix). He was my heart dog and the love of my life. I miss him every day.
At the time, we had a female dog who did not appreciate company of other dogs. The ONLY criteria for adopting Jonah was that Lindy would not want to kill him, so the bar was set pretty low. At the meet and greet, Lindy did her best to avoid him and he complied.
What we had to overcome:
Jonah had been in a shelter for 9 months so life as he knew it was in a kennel with limited time
exercising in the yard. He barked and whined incessantly. He had likely never been in a house and literally bounced off the walls, couch and coffee table the first time he entered our house.
He was an 18 month old dog and Lindy was already 12 years old and she was NOT looking for a playmate, so managing him and harnessing his energy was essential.
Jonah wanted to chase bikes, skateboards, joggers, the vacuum and sometimes feet.
He never had a significant bond with any human so while he seemed to like us, building a
meaningful relationship took time, which is completely understandable.
My goal was for Jonah to be my next agility partner. He was fast and driven, but not a natural for the teamwork aspect due to his lack of human connection.
The results:
While it was very carefully managed, Jonah and Lindy never had an altercation.
Jonah and I became extremely close and built a very strong bond. He was great with people and other dogs and earned his AKC Canine Good Citizen.
Jonah went on to earn 4 Championship titles through North American Dog Agility Council and competed at the North American Dog Agility Council Championships in Shelbyville, TN and Springfield, IL. He was just one qualifying run away from his 5th Championship Title.
His favorite things were snuggling, going for walks and hikes, and agility. Tempe Wick and Crew joined our family while Jonah was still with us and they were the best of buddies. Jonah died too young at the age of 10 from cancer of the liver. It has taken me a very long time to heal from losing him.
Lindy (1990 – 2005)
Lindy was adopted from St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center at about 1 ½ years of age. I recently graduated from college and my roommate and I really wanted a dog. Our landlord said yes and Lindy came home. She was a mixed breed about 30 lbs. who was energetic, athletic and did NOT appreciate the company of other dogs.
We immediately signed up for training classes at St. Hubert’s. She excelled and I became hooked!
What we had to overcome:
My roommate and I both had dogs growing up, but Lindy was the first dog we were responsible for as adults. We went through the “stealing” items, 7PM crazies, leash walking etc.
She really did NOT like other dogs so hanging out with our friends who had dogs was off the table. In fact, she had to wear a muzzle during training classes until we were able to prove she was trust worthy working indoors off leash.
I REALLY loved the progress I saw in her obedience training and signed up for class after class and when I saw my first Dog Agility Demonstration at a fund raiser for St. Hubert’s I HAD to try it. HOOKED!
The results:
Lindy’s dislike of other dogs was carefully managed while we worked on reliable obedience skills. As mentioned we took class after class and I worked on her skills daily.
We were able to train in agility because she had a rock solid recall and leave it command. She went on to compete although we were not able to start entering trials until she was about 6 years old. She needed that much work, but she was my first agility dog. She has been my only dog to travel outside the U.S.( to Canada).
While she did not like dogs, she LOVED people. She visited people in nursing homes and even
worked for an organization that provided private Pet Assisted Therapy to people in their homes. Lindy and I were featured in an article in The Daily Record for her work with this organization.
Lindy passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test and went on to train in competitive obedience after her retirement from agility.
She tolerated Jonah who came to live with us in 2003.
Lindy passed at the age of 15 from insulinoma.
She is the reason I am a dog trainer today. Thanks Lindy! I miss you!
Reviews
“Thank you so much for all the wonderful work you have done with us. It fills my heart with so much joy to see Peach growing in her confidence. The transformation has been remarkable and we could not have done it without you. We will keep working but will miss you! Best of luck with all your other pups.”
“Having rescued a feral puppy, we definitely had our work cut out for us. A friend recommended Margaret and in just a few months working with Simba I can’t even begin to explain the difference in her. She went from a scared puppy to a confident one. We still have work to do, but with Margaret’s expertise, guidance and friendship we are well on our way.”
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Super Fine K9
We are located in Roxbury Township, NJ
We serve Morris, Sussex and some parts of the surrounding counties.
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