Lexi
Classique Electra NJP
April 9, 2003 – August 22, 2011

We got Lexi when she was 8 months old and she joined her brother Dusty who was with us from 8 weeks old. The first day I had Lexi at home she adopted me as her own and we have had a close relation since. The bond got stronger as we began working in agility and we became a team through six years of training. She earned her novice jumpers title by qualifying in all three trials she entered. She had two of her three Q’s for her novice standard degree, missing the third one by one second. While never fastest on the course she was a reliable competitor running clean courses. Lexi always had her tail up and wagging on the course. She was a happy dog who loved everyone and was loved by everyone. She loved going places, especially to the mountains and Shaver Lake, but hated the trips in the car. In cross country skiing she would follow in my tracks, but often so close that she stepped on my skis! On long walks in the woods she would always stay right with the group and did the collie herding thing trying to keep everyone together. She was not one to go running off after scents of animals. She loved walks on the beach, but did not like getting her feet wet. She did get to spend four good days with me up at Shaver just before she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her left leg. Shortly after she got home she refused to put weight on her rear leg and that was when we got the diagnosis. The cancer had eaten deeply into the left femur and on a predawn walk Sunday morning she put too much weight on the leg fracturing it. There was nothing they could do for her. We kept her comfortable on pain killers and got a chance to say good-by.

In 1974, a previous collie of ours, Jake, had the following poem written to accompany his cover picture of the Collie Club of America calendar and I find it very fitting for Lexi.

“O’ who would think there no better place to be, than by my side sharing life with me!”