and safety they feel at home in known situ- ations must be extended to many places. Th ese super intelligent herding dogs— capable of figuring out how to move mul- tiple animals 10 to 100 times their size in unity, quickly and safely—are predisposed to think first in new situations. However, the more they are exposed to new experi- ences and new people, the quicker they adapt. So with bait training, dog classes, fun days at dog shows, walking around flea markets, asking people to go over your dog and participating in conformation events prior to regular shows, these wonderful dogs quickly learn that life as a show dog is Family dog doesn’t come close to describing the personalities and quali- ties of the Miniature American Shepherd in the home setting. Intelligent, loyal, loving, people-oriented and athletic are some of the first words that come to mind when describing this breed. In addition to all the things the breed is capable of, the following paragraphs will give an idea of how the Miniature Amer- ican Shepherds interact with families as part of everyday life. Lap dog, dog park junkie, great traveler, boat dog, beach bum and, of course, bed hog are just a few of the descriptive terms that are used in the DuBois home. The “F” word cannot be used in that home because of the love of the flying disc. fun and full of rewards! THE FAMILY DOG Th e DuBois family made a trip to the Bahamas on their boat. At the young age of six months, Nate, a beautiful black tri Miniature American Shepherd, learned to use a potty tray on the back of the boat while accompany his family on the long adventure to the Bahamas with his humans. Nate made the trip all the way from the Chesapeake Bay, down the Inter Coastal Waterway crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. Nate loved riding in the boat and playing in the waves at the beach, but his favorite pastime was trying to catch the Whippet at the dog park. After exhaust- ing himself, he was ready to dinghy back to the boat for some rest. A quick fresh water rinse was all that was needed before basking in the warm breeze to dry. Everyone that met Nate wanted a “boat boy-beach bum” just like him.
“INTELLIGENT, LOYAL, LOVING, PEOPLE-ORIENTED AND ATHLETIC...”
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , S EPTEMBER 2014 • 269
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