In loving memory of Zero RN AFCh
10th July 2004 - 6th April 2018
10th July 2004 - 6th April 2018
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The Snow ManIt's often hard for me to find the words to describe Zero - I truly believe that dogs come to us for a reason and Zero came to me at a time in my life when I needed him. Working with him and having him by my side taught me so much about life and I am so grateful have to have had him for 11 years. He is and will always be my heart and soul.
Zero came to me from Renbury Animal Shelter in 2007. He was massively overweight, completely shut down, and as I learned in the days after his adoption, explosively aggressive towards other dogs. The first 18 months we were together was hell for both of us but after a visit to a behaviourist in 2005, he made a miraculous recovery and within 8 weeks, was completely cured. Finally I was able to see his real personality - cheeky, trustworthy, intelligent, goofy and so loveable. Zero went on to big things - becoming a delta therapy dog, two time national flyball champion and even competing in obedience, but he was happiest when training with me, supervising his people (especially kids), napping or playing his favourite game, slappy face. Though his body aged in his later years, his mind was still sharp until the end. He passed away in 2018 and even though he has been gone for several years now, I still miss him every day. |
Vital Stats
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ANKC Registered Number: 201260AR
Microchip: 982009100718203 Colour: Wolf Grey DOB: 10th July 2004 | Gotcha Day: 19th January 2007 |
Breed: Siberian Husky
Height: 59.5cm at the withers Owned By: M Gurney - Pawformance Lives with: Shell (Sydney) |
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Health Testing
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Hips: 1/0
Elbows: 0/0 Eyes: Bilateral Cataracts (2013) |
xl-PRA: Clear
Canine Degenerative Myelopathy: Clear Heart: Grade 4 systolic murmur (2015) |
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I am a rescue dogNot all dogs end up in the perfect forever home for them as puppies. Pawformance has been home to incredible dogs who have come to us from rescue situations and they are no less loved or less awesome than their pedigree "siblings".
Giving a dog a second chance in life is an amazing feeling and we highly recommend that people consider adopting a rescue dog before looking at a pedigree puppy. So many Siberian Huskies find themselves in need of a new home - if you are interested in adopting a Sibe, we love Arctic Breed Rescue! |
Rally-O Highlights
Titles Gained:
Rally Novice (RN) |
Zero was both super fun and super frustrating to train in Rally Obedience. He was either completely engaged and ready to work, or he was totally disinterested and more concerned with doing Zero things instead! He might have had the "honour" of being the first dog withdrawn from the ring in the sport in Australia but when he was on, he was brilliant to work with, with gorgeous bouncy heelwork and a massive smile on his face.
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Flyball Highlights
Titles Gained:
Flyball Dog (FD) Flyball Dog Excellent (FDX) Flyball Dog Champion (FDCh) Australian Flyball Champion (AFCH) |
Zero came late to flyball, beginning training at 7 years old. He learned the game very quickly, but we then spent 6 months troubleshooting all the shortcuts he tried to take! In the end, Zero was incredibly reliable, however his career was relatively short lived due to his age and the amount of condition he lost after a snake bite. Z earned two national championships at the only two national championships he attended and retired to become the first official member of the Southern Cross Flyball Gazebo Security crew, frisking people for snacks when they entered the club's area.
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Accreditations
Accreditations Gained:
Delta Therapy Dog |
Zero was a very cool and calm dog, rarely getting worked up about anything. These qualities lead me to have him accredited as a Delta Therapy Dog in 2010, a job that he truly loved. Sadly, after several bad experiences involving other therapy dogs in the same facility we visited, the facility decided it could no longer guarantee the safety of the dogs with some of the residents and the program was discontinued there. At about this time, Zero's back started giving him problems, so he was officially retired from Therapy Work in 2012.
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