Miraje Dunedain Ranger At Anadune AW(S) Nov Ex OA NAJ NF CGC

Aragorn

2011: After a year off Aragorn has been passed by the vet as being able to do some more training!

Aragorn is the easiest dog I've ever lived with. He does like to keep busy, so he is a Border Collie in that sense, but he spends his whole time trying to please. Although mainly from show lines, he has been very easy to train for obedience, winning his first Pre-Beginners at the age of 7 months. His motivation comes from toys, he thinks that a tuggy game is the best thing ever. Cuddles are pretty good too though — the immense satisfaction on his face when he cuddles up to us after a day's worth of "work" is very apparent!

Aragorn was taking part in conformation, obedience and agility — he has not been shown a lot in conformation, we were waiting for him to mature but now he's decided that he knows there are better things out there (agility and obedience) and just doesn't enjoy breed shows! He has done very well in obedience despite the number of obedience shows in his first year being kept quite low. Having reached 18 months, he started competing in agility which took priority for the rest of the 2005 season to give him time to settle in A in obedience.

He won out of both Elementary and Starters at the age of 20 months, only a month after he started competing. In 2006 our priority shifted towards showing Gala, but even with limited outings to agility and obedience, Aragorn had some very nice places in Intermediate (agility) and A (obedience). He reached grade 6 in agility in 2008 (at 4 years old). A couple of videos show Ara's lovely tight turns, responsiveness, and speed (Suffolk Five Rivers Sep 2007: Gade 5 agility, videoed by my friend Amanda and CATC Apr 2010: 20'' Excellent STD). He injured himself doing agility just before the start of the 2008 season, and he slowly returned to agility — his first proper run at a show got him a win at Grade 5 jumping. Although he has won out of Grade 5, and done well in Grade 6, he has suffered the same injury again. He found the surfaces in the US just too hard, and ended up having to be fully withdrawn from agility.

He had his (and my!) first session on sheep at the end of 2008 and shows a natural instinct (he is very focused but gentle and will not make contact with the sheep) — Linda said that it's just a matter or training me now, as she could have taken him to a trial the next week and got his first title!

Aragorn is siring some great puppies, having produced a nice litter of drivey pups for Fenborders in 2007 — his daughter Jazz qualified for Crufts at her very first show at 6 months, and his son Gus is now working Grade 3 agility. He had a litter in the US with Am Ch Cloverdale Bradaigh Cailin, his daughter Godiva (Cloverdale N' Godiva Kaitlin Mckenzie) is close to becoming a champion and will start competing in agility in Autumn 2011, his daughter Lindsy (Cloverdale Come To The Party) has her CD, and we are waiting for his son Gavin (Cloverdale Barra Briant) to start competing in agility. His daughter with our Gala, Trio, got her OAJ and OF titles in four weekends (by 18 months), she is now a substantial part of the way through earning her MACH, and we are awaiting with eagerness what Drifter shows us he can do.