PAWS ZONE’S QUANTUM LEAP
CALL NAME: “Q”

Breed: Australian Shepherd
Sire: Legend’s On Eagle’s Wings
Dam: Cowgirl in Blue Jeans
Breeder: Bev Kirch
Born: August 2, 1999
Height: 22 inches
Weight: 49 pounds
Color: Black Tri with Brown Eyes
Favorite Activities: Barking; agility; getting the paper; rolling on his back; and barking.

When I first met this dog, I knew he was something special.

Q (not his original name) came to see me at the veterinary clinic with his new owners. At first, everything seemed to be going well. But by the time he was brought in for his last set of vaccinations, I knew there was a problem. His owner complained that he wouldn’t listen and would chase the cats. He had so much energy they did not know what to do with him, and were sending him away to be trained. Doing something I try very hard not to do, I told the owners that if they ever wanted to get rid of this dog to let me know. The call came two months later; they wanted him “out of the house in 24 hours or else….” After talking with Ron, I agreed to take him home with me that night.

My first plan was to get him settled and evaluated, and to place him in a good home that understood the active young Aussie. Allie, one of my other Aussies, was to due to be bred and I hoped to keep a puppy from the litter; I would not have time to retrain Q. But Q had other plans for me! I took him for a herding evaluation and he seemed to be a natural. He was a beautiful young dog who I hoped could be a conformation competitor.

An agility specialist, Q races through the weaving poles.

We also came to see that Q wanted to learn and would work for simple praise and attention; he just needed an outlet for his energy. Thinking that Q could be the versatility champion I had always wanted, I decided not to keep a puppy from Allie’s litter and keep Q instead (okay, none of that actually happened but that is what I thought at the time!).

Q and I never became a good team in the stock arena, but I discovered that he excelled in agility. Even though most of my dogs compete in more than one venue, Q has become an agility specialist. I think most dogs like to do agility, but it is obvious to all who watch that Q loves to do agility. His trademark on the agility course is his joyful barking. I think in his old home it was a way for him to get attention, and I never was able to make the behavior go away. In agility we reached an understanding that he can bark as long as he does not bark at me. The only time it is a problem is when he barks on the table if I can’t hear the judge counting! Q is a fun dog to train and trial because he always will try his hardest to please me.

Known for his happy barking, Q bounds through a tunnel on the course.

In November of 2006 Q became lame and didn’t recover as I expected him to. After consulting with his chiropractor, Dr. Sig Hansen, I decided to have an MRI done on him to determine if he had a torn muscle. We were all surprised when he was diagnosed with a mass in his pelvic canal which appeared to be a tumor. Because of its location, it would involve a very invasive procedure to obtain a biopsy.

Dr. Mitch Robbins at the Veterinary Specialty Center discussed with me the alternatives of radical surgery or an attempt at medical therapy to control the symptoms. I did not feel that Q would be happy as a retired amputee, so I elected medical therapy. I am pleased to report that Q is feeling great and continuing to run with the pack and compete in trials. He earned his AKC master agility championship 8 months after the diagnosis, but we celebrate every run we finish together!