INFO

ABOUT FOCUS

Foksi is a multitalent with an enermous work ethic, possessing a well-rounded and handler-focused nature, combined with a super high drive. She is my dream dog and has all the traits I hoped my first border collie would have. Calm, but lots of drive.

Foksi has been an amazing first performance dog for me, granting me the greatest opportunity to explore various dog sports. Together, we have dabbled in multitude different sports, including agility, obedience, rally-obedience, search and rescue (SAR), dog dancing, sleddog sports, frisbee sports, hoopers, nosework, protection sports, and herding.  We primarily focus on agility, rally-obedience, SAR, dog dancing and pulling sport. 

Focus is really persistent, cooperative, precise and focused dog. Works well with different handlers, also in competitions. Never gets distracted when working. She is greedy, brave, curious and active. She has strong tug and play drive and is always ready to work with huge will to please. She loves both food and toys. 

Foksi has no problem calming down at home. She can go on without training for multiple weeks. Usually when we are chilling at home she is either under the bed or chilling at my lap. In everyday life she is easy with perfect on-off and can go to daycare anywhere if needed. She loves traveling and knows how to calm down during car drives. There have been multiple cases where I had to check whether she was in the car with me or not. She has zero reactions to different sounds like shots, fireworks or thunder.

TRAINING

I absolutely adore how fantastic Focus is during training. She has never had any problems with concentration and definitely lives up to her name - Zero Distractions 

Focus handles pressure well and can manage lots of repetitions. She does not easily show signs of exhaustion so I have to be weary and take brakes in order to prevent overtraining.  When she is asked to take a break she always does it without problem.

I can use any kind of reward and she will be happy. Even with low-drive reward like every-day kibble she is able to work eagerly and without any signs of boredom. With toys she has high play drive, the bigger the toy the better. Her ability to switch from high intense exercise to waiting for her own turn calmly is highly appreciated in our every-day life.

COMPETITION ENVIRONMENT

We have competed in agility, rally-obedience and pulling sports where Foksi has consistently proven to be an amazing sports dog. Foksi thrives in the competition environment. She knows how to relax and patiently wait for her turn while in her crate.

When performing, she completely disregards external distractions and remains 100% focused on me. She responds well to my cues and swiftly executes the tasks I ask of her. As long as I'm fast enough.

PUPPYHOOD 

Foksi's breeder described her as a balanced puppy. Foksi displayed fearlessness towards noises, avoided conflicts with her littermates, and exhibited a strong interest in food and toys. When she was just 16 weeks old, in her first puppy class, our teacher was surprised how mature she was for her age. I always joked about her being an adult in a puppy's body.

Foksi proved to be an incredibly easy puppy. Our first travel home was pretty easy. She remained calm at the airport, unfazed by the presence of people and noise. She peacefully slept in her crate throughout the airplane ride. 

Even during the hours-long wait at Helsinki's train station upon our arrival in Finland, Foksi remained composed and relaxed. She warmly greeted numerous people and dogs and remained calm during our train travel.

Foksi was already housetrained before coming to Finland, rarely having any accidents indoors. She broke barely anything as a puppy although anything made out of plastic grabbed her interest. 

She was an energetic puppy, yet she displayed a great on-off switch. She adapted well to our active lifestyle and her versatility and enthusiasm in sports was evident early on.  I'm sure she knew way over +100 tricks before even turning one year old.

Foksi remained relatively easy to handle during her teenage phase. Her personality remained consistent, and she did not display any inappropriate behavior. Occasionally, she exhibited moderate reactions when encountering unfamiliar people in dark clothing during evening walks. However, these instances were infrequent and have now diminished. 

SOCIALITY

Foksi adores people, from babies to the elderly. At times, she might show even too much affection to people she knows. She interacts well with kids and babies, maintaining an appropriate distance to prevent any fear or discomfort. Cuddling holds great significance for her, and she often sleeps close to us.

While Foksi is not particularly fond of dog parks and prefers to maintain distance from other dogs, her only concern arises when unfamiliar dogs come too close or make physical contact during training or when she is on a leash. Otherwise she ignores other dogs, expecially if this happens during competition. She readily accepts dogs she is familiar with, although she prefers not to engage in play with them unless they are part of family.