About 6 months after our chihuahua Tiffany died I started looking for a new dog. I wanted a puppy, not a mature dog.

We, Mum and I, visited the pound. Only one puppy available, a black and white haired terrier. The staff directed us to the old tennis court and brought the puppy there—20 minutes to see if we and the dog would get on.

Well, the puppy was either exploring the enclosure or in my lap. Seemed like a likely candidate to me. The pound called her Demi and we kept that name and it was very apt:


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Demi: half Jack Russell and half Maltese Terrier.

Jack Russell: a small dog, muscular and brave
Maltese Terrier: a lap dog

Her personality encapsulated the mix: all predator in the backyard during the day, all lap dog in the lounge. At her mature weight of 8.5Kg (she did get to nearly 10Kg but the vet suggested that was a bit too much 

She was a sneaky bitch: one time I had a packet of heritage, pasture raised pork chops on the work station. As I left the kitchen I even *saw* Demi entering but thought nothing of it, so casually did she walk. We ate omelette that night and I retrieved the packet and chewed-clean bones a bit later 

One other time she was cunningly sneaky: she was in the backyard one time when I was in and out the back gate with buckets of sand for a footpath I was making in the vege patch. No she wasn’t watching me, totally uninterested—then she ran at her top speed just as I opened the gate! Timed to the second, too early or too late she would run into the gate, she shot through at her top speed 

These little escapes were her signature throughout her life.

The first time I tried to follow her and entice her back. Eventually I realised she was only 20 metres from the busy main road and left rather than unintentionally drive her onto the road. She was back 10 minutes later. She knew where her food dish was    Never figured out what drove her to make her little escapes. We just left gates/doors open and she was soon back.

Demi was a terrier. A headstrong, self willed little beast. She loved playing fetch—with a twist: if the ball ended up in the branches of a tree—she would climb that tree to get the ball! Imagine an 8.5Kg dog two metres off the ground on a narrow branch, face a bit unsure but working out how to get a bit higher. Unreal yet it happened more than once.

I took her walking the TLP, the first time well before the hip replacement operation just walking and observing. Took it out of a young terrier the first couple of times but built good muscles.

Taking Demi for a walk was a pain—she would be out front, pulling on the lead etc. Not good, not comfortable and not safe when crossing a road. Learned about obedience lessons, joined a local club.

We gradually moved up the ladder Grade 1, Grade 2—two dogs were always fighting discomforting Demi. So I demanded a move to Grade 3 which after a quick test I got. There we stuck. If we could graduate to Grade 4 we could start preparing for trialling.

To graduate Demi had to do a “stand for examination” which involved me telling Demi to stand, then to stay while I moved out to the length of the lead. The instructor then approaches Demi, pass a hand along her back and steps back.

The dog is supposed to stand, not moving more than one leg. Trouble was, Demi loved the instructor and always broke her stay to go greet him.

Instructor did not believe in terriers trialling. They ARE a bit difficult, have to teach them to do things as and when directed, rather contrary to the terrier nature. But they can be taught.

One day I see qualifying (to grade 4) is being done and joined. Was a bit exacting: heeling with dog off lead, the “stand for examination” was actually the Open “temperament test” with handlers standing 10 metres in front of the dog while the instructor moves from dog to dog (four dogs IIRC) doing the stand for examination test.

All the dogs, including Demi, did brilliantly, heeling nicely by the side of their handlers and standing still for several minutes in the “stand for examination.”

After the test was completed with all dogs obviously passed the instructor muttered “I suppose I can let you try Grade for for a few weeks.” Wow, how pissweak that was, faint praise indeed for dogs that did really well.

Demi passed her Community Companion Dog title, three successful trials with the dog on lead except for the recall test and the stays. Then onto Companion Dog also called Novice. Trials in this case are with the dog off lead {Gulp}

By then the unfair treatment of Demi, the on then off of me being an instructor got me rather pissed off so I joined a new club, this one in the Adelaide Parklands, not far from my brewshop. Well!

What an attitude change, no bias against terriers at all. Nice. So we trained incl off lead heeling etc. With encouragement I entered a trial—off lead! This was held at the grounds of that club. Waiting, then our turn. Into the ring, Judge asks if I am ready “Yes” I gasped fearfully then the instruction “Sit your dog, remove the lead, give to the volunteer for that ring. GULP!

Demi performed like a champion, working really nicely.

Cont’d