Kate & Swift | Day 2 of the 29 Dog Days of Summer
Welcome Kate & Swift
Swift is a 2 and a half year old Border Collie.
Use five words that best describe Swift:
Friendly, energetic, cheeky, affectionate and entertaining.
What does Summer means to you both?
Summer means more time out of the house. We go for a walk or to the dog park pretty much every day, even in Winter, but of course the extra daylight of the Summer evenings allows these regular outings to be longer. Summer also means swimming! Like most Border Collies, Swift loves the water. Nothing brings me more joy than to see how happy she is once she has charged in and out of the water a hundred times, rolled around in the dirt or sand and is absolutely filthy with a big grin on her face! Time off work also means that Summer offers longer adventures such as holidays, camping and visiting family / friends outside Sydney. Exploring new places is something I enjoy as much as Swift does.
What are your favourite things to do with together?
I love to take her to the local dog park, because there is so much space for her to run freely. She is very fast - definitely living up to her name - and seeing her at full speed is amazing. She also very much enjoys the interaction with other dogs and plenty attention from the humans. One of my other favourite times with her is when my husband leaves for work early and she comes up onto the bed for a snuggle with me until I have to get up (but shhhhhh... no one knows she is allowed on the bed, haha!)
How would you describe your relationship with your dog?
This is very hard to describe in words. She means so much to me. My family never had pets when I was a child, so when my husband started talking about getting a dog I was quite difficult to convince! I had no idea what to expect, and was very nervous about it all. That was two and a half years ago, and now I am just totally, utterly, pathetically in love with her, and dogs in general! She is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I am so much fitter and healthier from getting out of the house to exercise her, and having her around while my husband is away at work is so comforting. When I come home from work, seeing her excited, happy face really helps me switch off and relax. I already can't remember how I survived without a dog! I just want to be with her more than I want to do anything else!
What do you most love about Swift?
Oh my gosh, I love EVERYTHING about her!! I love that she is so perceptive of my feeling and emotions. She can tell immediately when I'm feeling down or unwell, and will give gentle affection at those times just as readily as she will give energy and excitement on the good days. I love her happy face, I love her feather-like fluffy tail, and I love the symmetry of her colouring. We recently got another Border Collie pup, a beautiful little wheaten and white boy, and I absolutely love seeing her as a big sister to him. She plays with him and teaches him and is so patient with him. It is so delightful and so entertaining watching them interact with each other.
Thank you for being part of the 29 Dog days of Summer Kate & Swift. I absolutely adored Swift and her mischievous little dive into the pond and it was lovely getting to know you both.