Someone to share the trails with...

Over the past three years trail running as become a passion of mine and I run in remote wilderness areas predominately by myself.  I enjoy this solitude and it is was makes running so enjoyable to me.  That aside there is something special about sharing the trails with a four legged companion.  I have run several times with my German Shepherd "Mara" and she has performed well.  Running the long distances I do up and over mountains I desire a lighter and more agile breed that I can train to pace me up those climbs. 

As a professional dog trainer for over 18 years I have come to admire the Border Collie breed for a variety of reasons.  I've always wanted one has a companion but with my years of work as a police K9 trainer and handler my focus was always on the shepherd and malinois breeds. 

My goals for a BC are primarily as a trail dog but also as a demo dog for our work as dog trainers.  I look forward to a new project like this and the look of a happy and obedient BC.  Oh yeah... and I love playing disc with my dogs and the BC is the top breed for this activity!

My search for a BC was not a hard one at all.  A dog training friend in Georgia, Cyndy Douon, has an amazing BC litter arriving soon.  We have anxiously awaited the announcement of this repeat breeding for over a year.  Here is a link to the FB page about the Jiffy Pups

The deposit for a pup went in the mail today and the discussion of names has already begun!  While in Nicaragua a few weeks back we considered several names.  Our preference is for a male puppy but we will be happy regardless. 

The names floating through my head at the moment are...

Nicarao... "Nick or Nicky" for a call name. 

The name Nicaragua comes from a combination of two words, "nicarao" and "agua". The Nicarao are the Indian tribe that were occupying the shores of Lake Nicaragua when the Spaniards arrived in the 1500's. "Agua" is the Spanish word for water.

The Nicarao tribe originally immigrated to Nicaragua from Mexico, after the fall of the Aztec empire. According to legend, the Nicarao were directed to travel south until they found an island with two volcanoes in the middle of a lake. An interesting Nicaragua fact is that the Nicarao tribe found Ometepe Island with two volcanoes in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, realized they had found the promised land, and then setttled on the shores of Lake Nicaragua.  The Nicarao tribe were led by Chief Nicarao.


Ometepe...  "Tepe" for a call name.  (the home of Fuego y Agua ultra marathon)

Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words ome (two) and tepetl (mountain), meaning two mountains. It is the largest island in Lake Nicaragua as well as the largest volcanic island inside a fresh water lake in the world.
The two volcanoes, Concepción and Maderas, are joined by a low isthmus to form one island in the shape of an hourglass.