Growing up, we didn’t have dogs. What we did have was lots of cats with even more nicknames. Snookers, aka Schnooks, Jasmine aka Jeezers Double cheezers, Little Guy aka Littles Marittles… you get the idea (my big brother Tyler gets most of the credit for all the goofy names). I will always have a place in my heart for the kitties who kept us company during those rocky years but there’s something about being a dog owner that has changed me forever. My dogs, much like my children (before teen/tween years lol), have modeled to me the way to live life to the fullest; completely present to the world around them, faithful to the ones they love, and joyfully receiving the small treats throughout each of their days.

So when Steve contacted me and asked if I would be able to photograph his Border Collie, Bella, I jumped at the chance. Not only did I have so much fun watching Bella in her element, but I also thoroughly enjoyed listening to Steve tell Bella’s story with such awe and wonder for his faithful friend. It is with great pleasure and a dog lover’s gratitude that I get to share Bella’s story with you:

All I ever wanted as a kid was a dog who could catch a frisbee.

My wife was totally opposed to getting a Border Collie- she knew the inherent responsibility of taking care of it, in order to do it right. She knew I’d be fixated on ensuring that the dog had enough exercise- that it would be a big, big, big commitment which it has been.

But I persisted and we got Bella.

It was July 4 weekend. She was the last one of the litter to be taken. When we got home we had no kennel, no food, nothing. We did have bowls though, from my Labrador, Randi, who had passed away only 9 months before. Randi was to me the perfect dog, but Bella has taken that to another level.

She’s a magnet here at the park this time a year. This is her season to give back is what I call it. There are always strangers and new people at the park who haven’t seen her before and really marvel at some of the things she does athletically.

She’s a rugged dog too, she likes to explore the creeks and get dirty. Her temperament is incredible.

We exposed her to lots of stimuli early on in life and so she’s very sociable, she’s very lovable.

We introduced her to frisbee, early on. My buddy Tom helped me. We had the fortunate privilege of working with his dog Holly- who is a border collie a little bit older than Bella and a great frisbee dog. Bella did a couple extended play sessions with Holly until she got the ropes down and put it all together. That was when she was less than one year old.

Around that time, we had an accident at the park and the vet thought she tore her ACL. They recommended surgery but I said no. We ended up doing physical therapy and that got us by. She’s just a miracle!

We continue to do daily walks and use a lacrosse ball and the frisbee- we take it to new heights.

She gets the morning walk, the evening walk, I have a dog walker. She gets a ton of workouts and then we have a tracker on her that tracks her minutes and her activities and mileage so she’s a very well cared for dog.

A couple years ago I got into a frisbee dog league here in Dayton and she did well with that-with distance and accuracy frisbee throwing. She’s just continued to perfect her craft and take it to the next level. She’s 6, still at her prime- she just does some amazing things with her frisbee.

My plan next is to get her certified as a therapy dog to go into nursing homes, to help kids with autism. 

My wife loves Bella now. Although she still complains about the time she has to spend walking Bella, she loves it and its good because it gets her out.

For me, Bella has given me fulfillment.

I’ve been able to actualize my dream of having an ultimate frisbee dog.

I get to do it every day. Rain or shine. 

And I get to enjoy it…