BACK

Ruth went to Kristen in Virginia, U.S.A. to work in Agility Trials over there. Megan the dam is one of the most athletic Kelpies we have ever known so it is not surprising that her pups are very fast and agile. This pup was especially chosen for Kristin to be relatively calm at home but able to show real drive and determination when competing. She was a nice balance of both parents.

Well they are off to a good start with her. We have had a few phone calls and emails about Noonbarra Ruth and Kristin is delighted with her.

Her family wrote to us as soon as she arrived: "Just wanted to let you know that Ruthless (Ruth) arrived safe and sound.  Qantas did a  great job. 

"She is delightful.  Rambunctious, energetic, affectionate, loving and seems very smart.  Eating and drinking well.  Stools are fine and no sickness or anything.  Already learning some of the rules of the household and how dogs are to behave with us.  She has captured our hearts already.  Kristen has not seen her yet as she is in a major agility competition this weekend.  But she knows that everything is OK and will be with her Monday.  Although I (Peter) am not sure I will let her have the puppy! Take care.  You guys did a great job!"

Kristin arrived home and wrote: "Hello Mary and Stephen, I wanted to e-mail you to let you know that I love my puppy. She is a lot of fun and she has a great personality. I think she is going to be exactly what I was looking for."

3rd July 2004

Hi Mary, Stephen, I just wanted to e-mail you to let you know that Ruth is doing great. I took her to her first dog show and she had a great time meeting other dogs and people. She did not have any fear at all.

I have been teaching her all kinds of commands (sit, down, come, off... stuff like that). She is so smart and she is already so much fun to work with. There were a few kelpies at the show and the owners had both heard of your kelpies. Everyone just fell in love with her. - Kristen

August 2004

"Everything is going great. She has become a wonderful part of the family. I have started our beginner agility lessons and she is having an awesome time. My instructor is very impressed with her. She finds Ruth very intelligent and thinks she has a great personality."

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I just wanted to let you know how Ruth is doing. She has really grown up lately and she is a wonderful dog. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am with her. You guys did a great job of picking the perfect dog for me. She has great working drive and she is the most athletic and agile dog I have ever seen. She is such a beautiful mover and she is really enjoying our agility lessons. She sounds a lot like her mother in the sense that she is very happy all of the time. She loves all people and all dogs.

Ruth is extremely intelligent and very obedient, and she is only 6 months old. I guess you could call her an all around great dog. She comes to all my agility shows with me and everyone just falls in love with her because of her sweet personality and they also think she is quite pretty. She still needs to fill out a bit but she is really starting to look mature.

Anyone who has any experience with kelpies or owns one has heard of your kennel name. Everyone I talk to has great things to say about you guys. Thanks again for such a great dog. - Kristen

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Sept. 2005

"I have nothing but absolutely wonderful things to say about this dog! She has really done a lot of maturing in these past months. I can not even begin to tell you how wonderful she is and how much I love her. ..

"She and I have just become the best of friends. She sleeps against my side every night and follows me everywhere I go. She is just the happiest and sweetest dog I have ever known. I don't think there is a bad bone in her body. She always does as told and she always seems to have a big smile on her face while doing it. She has really grown into an amazing companion. She is so unbelievably intelligent as well. It's just like you said, she seems to know what I'm thinking before I think it. "

"She and I have really started to do a lot more agility work now that she is almost 18 months. I got her x-rayed and her growth plates were closed so it is safe to do a bit harder of work now. I have mostly been working her contacts and she is just now learning how to weave. We do some sequences as well. Those are a bit harder for her though. She has a lot of drive and a huge stride and she is not quite sure what to do with it all yet. We are working on that though. I have had a lot of kelpie people tell me that they are a very difficult dog to train in that they can be stubborn but I have not seen any of this in Ruth. She is so eager to please me and she tries so hard for me. She wants nothing more than to do the right thing which makes her an absolute joy to work with."

"She also gets complements left and right about how pretty she is. I will get an updated photo for you as she has filled out a lot since the last ones. My instructor has fallen in love with her as well. She has always been strictly a border collie person but she told me the other day that Ruth is the kind of kelpie that makes you want to get one. I get a lot of questions about where she came from and I tell everyone what a great job you guys did for me in picking my perfect dog. "

"I really don't know how to thank you both for such a wonderful dog. She is more than I could have hoped for. After having Ruth, I'm not sure if I can have anything but a Kelpie from now on!!

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DEC 2005

I have exciting news! Ruth just had her very first agility show this past weekend. I wanted to let you know how wonderful she was. Most dogs, when they have their first trial, get so excited they almost seem to forget all of their training but Ruth was wonderful. She went out there and acted like a professional from her very first run on. She knew that she had a job to do and she did it beautifully. Of course she was a LOT more excited than when we practice but this makes it all that much more amazing. She was so excited but held her brain together and remembered all of her training. She qualified in her jumpers run. She is an absolute joy to work with and I got a ton of compliments on her. I wish the photographer had gotten some good pictures of her so I could send them to you. Next time I guess.

Every time that I e-mail you or talk to you, I am going to thank you for such a wonderful dog.

Thank you, Kristen

JULY 2006

Hi Mary, Stephen, Ruth is doing extremely well. She got her starters agility title 2 weeks ago and she is really excelling. She is still an absolute joy to work with and to have around. She gets a lot of compliments at shows about how athletic she is and how pretty she is. She also might be the sweetest dog that ever lived!!! Well, I might be saying that because I love her so much but I'm pretty sure it's true...

NOONBARRA RUTHLESS

She just loves her agility so much and I love to work with her. She is so much fun and so willing to learn and also just so smart! She has really turned out to be an amazing dog in every way. We are now competing in the masters level and she just keeps getting better. Her athleticism is very impressive. She is truly lovely and she just means the world to me.

Noonbarra Matilda was sold for the sport of Flyball. She had a nice combination of calmness and drive and was also working sheep before she was even 8 weeks of age. She has a lovely personality and is very friendly and easy to handle.

"Pjay and Matilda are best of friends now, he doesn't mind her climbing all over him and they like to play around the house now with him chasing her and Matilda hiding and then pouncing, it is quite funny to watch...

Pjay had his first flyball competition this weekend and he did really good and Matilda from the side line was going crazy trying to get into the ring with the other dogs to compete... She mixed with a lot of people and a couple of new dogs... And she spent a lot of time at the beach running around with our flyball team dogs...

She didn't like getting her feet wet yet but she went back in chasing Pjay (and it was quite funny to watch her try and get all feet in the air at once, I shouldn't laugh poor thing), well will write again soon we have another comp at the end of Oct so we she be going to Sydney with us to support...

Here is a couple of Matilda in our lavender, she loves to chase flys and bees. The good thing about her in it is she smells like lavender when she comes in the house... Here is another of her favourite pastimes, she loves to play in the water when adam is hosing things and she loves finding and chewing sticks....

Adam and I went to a Flyball comp, held at Erskine park just out of Penrith. We came first, undefeated.

I had your hat on all day and A lady came up to me and asked if I actually had a Noonbarra Kelpie and could she see it, so I showed her Matilda 3. She is going up there in the next few weekends she said and after seeing Matilda she made a joke that she will be taking her Cheque book. So hopefully the hat you gave us will give you guys some advertising we have now had a few comments at the last two Flyball comps.

Regards Lauri and Adam Fettell

Noonbarra Matilda III at the beach

Noonbarra Matilda III and her great kennel.

"We were at a flyball comp the other day and Matilda got to meet some more of her family Kali and Castro, she loved playing with them. She also is looking forward to playing with the pup the guys from St George are picking up this week when we have our next comp...

Matilda playing with a discarded old Ugg boot

"Here is Matilda on Coniston Beach with some of her friends from south coast dog training club, on there Breakfast on the Beach which they hold every couple of months over summer..."

"This is Matilda doing one of her tricks she is giving high 5 she now gives 10"

"Just got back from our kiola comp, here is a photo of Matilda 3 and Cobber and Matilda's full sister (roy and sarah as parents born 17 weeks ago) can't remember the girls name sorry, but this is after a full day of flyball racing with these guys watching waiting for there turn. Matilda is now doing four jumps and the box we now just have to put it all together"

Cheers Adam and Lauri