February 20th, 2025

Bella - Border Collie

Continuing with introducing the world to my girls, here’s Bella.

Bella came to me from a breeder in Seattle. At just 7 weeks old, she was put on an airplane and flown alone across the country.

I was supposed to pick her up in Boston, but when I arrived, I was given the wrong location. I spent three hours searching for my puppy, who had landed and no one was picking her up. It was December 2020, and it was cold.

Eventually, I found her. When they brought her crate to me, she was pressed against the door, shivering. I let her out, hugged her, and basically left everything behind to take my puppy outside.

She didn’t have to go, but I didn’t know that at the time. So, my friend brought my things out, and we waited for Bella to do her business. Nothing.

Bella leaning over a gate with my left hand scratching her.

We decided to start the drive home, planning to stop halfway and let her out then. Long story short, Bella refused to go to the bathroom until we were at my house, and only after meeting Rylee. They both went into the backyard together.

I slept in the living room with her that night and every night for ten months and thought she was the most precious puppy ever. I played so much fetch with her that I later wondered if I had broken my perfect puppy!

I wanted to do agility with her, but my mom gave me a book about Border Collies for my birthday. It led me to reach out to my mentor and ask if he tested dogs for herding instinct.

We started working with him and quickly fell in love with all things sheep and farming.

Rylee flourished in this farming environment, and Bella grew more into herself, becoming the self-confident dog she is today.

Bella opened endless doors for me in the Border Collie world. She allowed me to enter trials, attend herding clinics, and meet people and mentors I never thought possible.

She also shaped my current approach to training and my understanding of dogs. She teaches me something new every day that I work with her or spend time with her.

Happy Training.

Addi and her dogs