Champion of My HeartA real-time memoir about life with a fearful border collie, by Roxanne Hawn

People stop me all the time to ask what kind of dog Lilly is. Some have guessed Canaan dog. Others think Kelpie. Both of which are not common at all. Those without a guess usually say, “What kind of dog is that? She looks like a fox.” And, when I say, she’s a smooth coated border collie, countless people (including those who work in pet businesses) say “border collie mix”? or “Really?” … like I’m making it up.

Yes, really.

      
Canaan Dog                              Kelpie
*image borrowed from from AKC site     * image borrowed from wikipedia

While border collies with smooth coats, rather than rough ones, are not as common nor as familiar, they are well known in border collie circles. They simply have smoother coats and more angular features.

And, here’s a shocker, they’re not all black and white. Some are even tri-colored.

Take Jeffrey, another smooth coat border collie in Colorado.

 * image borrowed from Cathy Lester

He’s the first smooth coated red champion in AKC breed history. He’s known in those circles as VX CHX CH MACH Mihran Black Tie Optional CDX HX MX MXJ U-AG1 AHBA- HTD1 CGC.

Now, do you see why I needed to give Lilly my own championship title? A girl could get an inferiority complex around here.

Jeffrey also has been in two TV commercials. You can read about his adventures (and the puppy’s he has fathered) on his mommy’s website www.cathylester.com. (She does pet portraits. Check those out while you’re visiting.)

Yes, Lilly came from a shelter without any pedigree papers. However, thanks to the AKC’s ILP (indefinite listing privilege) program, she’s recognized as a pure-bred smooth coated border collie. That means she can compete in AKC events like agility or herding, but not conformation. That’s the formal name of what regular folks call a “dog show.”

To receive an ILP, I had to prove she is spayed. I also completed a detailed application that included information about her height at the withers, her weight, her build, and her instincts to show how she met the breed standard. I sent photos, and I included a letter of recommendation from the Rocky Mountain Border Collie Rescue volunteer who evaluated Lilly before she was put up for adoption. She essentially wrote … “Yep, that’s a border collie.” And, Lilly was approved.

Now, it honestly doesn’t matter to me if my dogs are pure-bred or mixed breeds. The only reason it’s important for Lilly to have this designation is so that she can compete in AKC agility events when (if ever) she’s ready. There are other agility venues who allow dogs of all breeds and mixes, but in Colorado there is a preponderance of AKC events. So, if you want to do this a lot (and not have to travel out of state), there you go.

So, to recap my answers to the most common questions:

Yes, she’s a border collie.

No, she’s not particularly small. She’s dead-on the breed standard for size.

No, they are not all this shy, but (as I’ve mentioned before) they each have their own brand of crazy.

Yes, she’s very smart and very active.

Yes, she really can jump (as high as my head) and does it all the time when she’s happy. In fact, if I don’t see it coming, she’s given me bloody noses, a fat lip, and broken sunglasses.

Thank you. Yes, she’s the Champion of my Heart.

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