Ike took awhile to grow up and got quite bored with regular training. He wants to work and the tougher the job the better he likes it. He really tested my imagination in setting up work situations to keep him happy. It's not enough for him to do an outrun, lift and fetch, he needs to know that what he is doing has a purpose.

He is a natural outrunning dog with a great feel for his sheep. He has a wonderful sense of balance and will bring sheep on line without help from me. At the top of his outrun I can see him peek around the sheep to check where I am, and then he gets to work. He lets nothing upset him, his work reflects authority but with a calming effect on his sheep. He loves to pen as this is a control issue with him. I never have to look to see where he is as I know he is doing his part in working sheep into the pen. Shedding is the same. I can concentrate on what I am doing as he is working on the outside waiting for me to call him through. If the shed sheep break away to get back to the flock, he will collect the exact ones for me.

Ike is very confident. He is an extremely devoted dog who loves to please.

Ike was Reserve Champion at the Canadian Nursery Championship in 2003 in his first year of trialling. He also made it into the Semi Finals at the USBCHA National Nursery Finals in 2003.
He consistently wins best pen or best shed and best outfield.
He placed 2nd at the Canadian Nationals in Ottawa on the first day in a field of 95 dogs in 2004.
He was Pro Novice dog of the year for British Columbia in 2004 by winning most of the trials he entered and is now proving himself in the Open Class.

RMS Ike was in the top 50 dogs at the 2005 Nationals at Sturgis, SD.
We call him "Mr. Cool" !.

Nancy and RMS Ike shedding at the Fraser Valley Sheep Dog Trial in Aldergrove, British Columbia.