Jack the Border Collie and Nicole Spahie love to go to Magnuson Park to the off leash area where Jack can run and most of all go swimming.
Nicole Spahie and her boyfriend John Hall got Jack their Border Collie about a year ago (he's 2 1/2) from a family in Idaho. "He's very obedient, friendly and lovable," said Spahie,"and he's very focused on playing with sticks and toys," often retrieving sticks or tennis balls when thrown.
Jack's favorite place in the world is the off leash dog park in Magnuson Park and there's a swimming area there and, "I think that's his best quality," Spahie said, " He swims for miles." When the couple go hiking, "Jack is fearless, he climbs on these cliffs and he wants to dive down."
Jack does respond to spoken words but has has no formal training, he was trained by Hall, Spahie explained, "His commands are 'Sit, Get Back, Let's Go, Are You Ready'. (...) sometimes when you sit down, that's when he's in his element. He's calm and he lays on your lap or he comes up to you and gives you this sweet baby face look like, 'Pet me."
He's very friendly with other dogs but they are sometimes less friendly back. "I think other dogs are sometime intimidated by him because of his energy and his curiosity," Spahie said. "He doesn't show any signs of agression and he rarely barks. He's never snappy with other dogs."
His best friend is Maggie, a yellow lab owned by a relative. Jack's diet consists of a dry oatmeal based food with wet food as a treat.
Jack is a bright animal and quick learner, "He picks up commands very quickly," Spahie said.
He's not really a guard dog but, "I think he could be," Spahie offered," when he hears a sound, he usually only barks once."
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