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Spirit of Brigadoon steals the show

Breed Education Day was at Trail Waneta Plaza last Saturday
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Shirley Hubel and Spirit, her prized Shetland Sheepdog, took part in Breed Education Day on March 14 at the Trail mall. (Sheri Regnier photo)

While turnout was limited for the West Kootenay Kennel Club’s breed education day last Saturday in the Waneta Plaza, likely due to coronavirus concerns, the dozen canines that did make it to the event certainly charmed the few visitors who dropped by to admire them.

Leith’s Spirit of Brigadoon, or “Spirit” for short, was a knock-out handsome, albeit very gentle, standout.

The blue-eyed Shetland Sheepdog and his owner Shirley Hubel demonstrated just a few of the skills that Spirit excels at for the Trail Times, including scent detection, agility, obedience, and rally-obedience.

“These guys are made for working,” Hubel shared. “So if you don’t give them jobs to do, you might not like what they get up to on their own.”

Spirit has been with Hubel for four years. His name is very endearing to her because Hubel says “Leith’s Spirit of Brigadoon,” was her father’s favourite musical.

Spirit is one of many canines who will take part in the West Kootenay Kennel Club’s 45th annual All Breed Championship Dog Show.

The event is slated to run from Aug. 21 to Aug. 23 at the Kinnaird Park Community Church grounds. Visit canuckdogs.com for info.

The club dedicates itself to: the betterment of dogs; an education program to help both members and non-members better understand their dogs; holding championship dog shows, puppy matches, obedience trials, and sanction matches; encouraging sportsmanship and good fellowship among members of the society; and abiding by the rules and regulations of the Canadian Kennel Club.

The Shetland Sheepdog, often known as the Sheltie, is a breed of herding dog that originated in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. The original name was Shetland Collie, but this caused controversy among the Rough Collie breeders of the time, so the breed’s name was formally changed.

This hard-working dog is intelligent, vocal, excitable and willing to please.

They are incredibly loyal to their owners to the point where they are often referred to as “shadows” due to their attachment to family.

While the Sheltie still excels at herding, today it is often raised as a farm dog and/or family pet.

The Sheltie’s origins are obscure, but it is not a direct descendant of the Rough Collie, which it largely resembles. Rather, the Sheltie is a descendant of small specimens of the Scottish Collie and the King Charles Spaniel.

They were originally a small mixed-breed dog, often only about eight to 12 inches in height at the shoulder, and it is thought that the original Shetland herding dogs were of the Spitz type, and were crossed with Collies from mainland Britain.



Sheri Regnier

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