SHEP (Jumping Bean)

Shep originally belonged to some gypsies who were illegally camped on the common behind my house. He bit through the rope that he was tied with and ran away. It was 13th August 1983. We were having a barbecue for 72 people and Shep smelt the food and came begging. He was in such a terrible state that I couldn't turn him away or let him go back to the gypsies. He was half-starved, and mangy, and the rope that he had been tied with had cut deep into the side of his neck. I told the police that I'd got him, and kept him hidden until the gypsies were evicted.

It took a few months of veterinary treatment before Shep was fit enough to join a dog training club, but training was something he was in dire need of. He was very nervous of people, especially men. I think he'd been kicked as he was particularly frightened of feet, and he also went crazy whenever he was put on a lead. I think he'd only ever been tied up and never walked on a lead.  One time I was walking him, and he saw a teenage lad swinging a cricket bat. He went absolutely bananas and was really frightened, so I think he'd also been hit with something similar to a cricket bat.

The dog training club that I joined was the Medway Working Trials and Obedience Club. It was recommended to me by the veterinary nurse, Pauline.  I didn't know that it was a competitive club. If I had known, I probably wouldn't have gone, but we both found the training fun and Shep responded very well to titbit and toy training methods. 

Initially, whenever the trainers were talking about "the ring", I thought "what ring? I'm never going in any ring!" but it wasn't too long before I was tempted to go along to an exemption dog show and soon we were hooked.

Shep loved showing off in the ring and most of his heelwork was done in mid-air! On his finishes, he would often go round and round, not wanting to stop at heel, and he would sometimes pick up his dumbbell and throw it at me from about 6 feet away. He always drew an audience when he worked and the more people laughed at him, the more he showed off. His registered name was "Jumping Bean" which suited him perfectly.

Shep's best efforts in the show ring were:-

• 1st place in Starters at an Exemption Show
• 2nd place in Beginners at a Championship Show
• 3rd place in Novice at an Open Show, after run-off for 2nd place. (If we'd lost half a point less, we'd have run-off for 1st place against Sylvia Bishop's Acer, who later went on to become an obedience champion).

Shep worked in the ring until he was 15.  Quite often the judges would tell me that he would calm down as he got older but he was still leaping about just as much in his teens as he had when he was younger, and at his last show he was awarded the judge's special for being the happiest dog in the ring. He had the judge and steward in fits of laughter all the way round.

Shep survived 4 strokes over 3 years, and eventually died peacefully in his sleep in February 1998, aged approximately 18. 

I will always be grateful to Shep for introducing me to the world of obedience. 

Thanks mate. I hope you're still playing the clown and making the angels laugh in Heaven