Mia Luce Sophia RN

Born June 2000, Sophia was 5 1/2 months old when I adopted her from a humane society...my first IG! Sophia loved classes and training, but at 10 months old, she required surgery for a luxating patella, which changed our plans. If you live anywhere near Minneapolis and have a dog with an orthopedic issue, I highly recommend Dr. Steve Levine DVM, MS, DACVS, board certified small animal surgeon with Veterinary Surgical Specialists. He did a super job on Sophia's knee, and since then, has repaired luxating patellas and fractured legs on many, many of my foster dogs.

Fee is an odd girl with some strange neuroses - she suffers from acrophobia, and is also scared of the sloping floors in our old house. At one point, I thought she was losing her eyesight, since she'd brace herself and go slippity-sliding across the old linoleum floors, but she was given a clear check-up by a veterinary ophthalmologist, so she apparently just has idiosyncrasies.

While many IGs love to be held and carried, Fee is much more independent,  preferring chasing games and tugging to being held. When she wants to express her affection for me, she rubs against me like a cat, or pushes her head into my hands, her way of asking me to apply TTouch strokes to her ears or to massage her neck.

Sophia finished her Rally Novice title November 2008 at the age of 8 1/2 yrs.

photo copyright Crystal Image Pet Photography

My lovely model, at 9 months old, helping me adjust the lighting for a portrait shoot.

And at 2 years old, beginning to go grey.

All photos copyright (c)Jenny Hatten.