That is the slow process of 'going to the dogs'. Well - we'd just got married, and moved into a new house, but it didn't seem like home - there was something missing. This situation sorted itself out, in the form of a double-sized Basset Hound - the local stray, sitting on our doorstep and doing what Bassets do very well - HOWLING! Well we fell for it, 'come on in' we said," make yourself at home",, - he did. It didn't stop there - he took over! Double-sized and double-devious, at least 5-foot from nose to rear, the front-end never knew what the back-end was doing. God, he was hard work!

Bill was out 'walking' this monster one day, when he met a lady on the common, who just happened to notice that Bill and Sam were not quite in tune with each other. "Oh, dear, you are having a problem with your dog, could I suggest that you might like to try the local dog club". Bill was a cyclist, he had a hobby, so he thought that I could do with a hobby and promptly enrolled myself and Sam, at the club.

I went along and after a talk, we were invited to stand up with our dogs and we would be taught the first exercise the 'sit' command, up with the right, down with the left, praise - you know the drill. Have you tried it with a 5-foot long Basset? When you are only about that tall yourself, it's very difficult. However all this aside we did progress - his heel-work was not bad, we nearly got recall. He would sit and stay, and when called would come at full-speed, ears rotating in the wind, and he would either broadside me and knock me over or his attention would be diverted at the last minute. Bassets are extremely sociable. Off I would have to race, haul him back to my place in class to the tune of "You'd better keep that dog of yours under control!".

Well I must have progressed or they felt extremely sorry for me because they asked me to take the trainers course, and I passed. I'd had the experience, but in addition I learned a lot of tricks (of necessity to cope with Sam!) and I had great empathy for the person with a difficult dog. I progressed to head trainer at that club, until I moved. It was a wonderful time and "Thank you Sam!". It was because of your bad behaviour that I got my first Border Collie!

Our first two border collies were unregistered - 'Shep' and 'Kate'. I worked them in obedience, enjoying some success. Kate qualified through to 'C' and Shep dabbled about in 'A' and 'B', never getting a first, but usually placed. I owe a lot to Shep, it was with him that I learned, and made many mistakes, consequently enabling me to do a much better job with Kate, who had a wonderful natural working ability.

Just when everything seemed to be going right, tradegy struck and both of these lovely dogs were killed in a road traffic accident. After this I took on two rescue pups 'Tippy' and 'Rushka', and then I met 'Whenway Mist'. She had been returned to Bruce and Sheena Kilsby and Sheena - hearing of our loss, rang and asked if we would like her.

My answer was "No". I was still grieving for Shep and Kate, and was finding it difficult to come to terms with the loss of those two wonderful dogs. However I did make arrangements to go and see her, as Sheena said. "How do you know if you havn't seen her!". I arrived there still saying "No", with Bill in tow also insisting that I said "No".

Well, it was love at first sight, but I still said "No". But, to my utter amazement, Bill walked in, took one look at her and said "Yes, please, can we take her..." and so Misty came to live with us. Misty was my first registered Border Collie and a year later, in 1980 the Wizaland prefix was registered with the Kennel Club. Misty became 'Whenway mist of Wizaland' and the foundation of our kennel. A truly wonderful Border Collie, who earned the titles of Show Champion, and Obedience Champion, and is still the only Border Collie in Great Britain, to have achieved this title.

The rest, as they say, 'is history'...