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Top Dog Ty!

TY the working sheepdog was written off as "unmanageable" just nine months ago. But after some dogged training he proved the doubters wrong in Lisburn at the weekend.

For the two-year-old emerged with a first prize from the annual agility trials in the Northern Irish town after blowing the judges away with his speed and determination.

Delighted owner Michael Afia of London Road, Stranraer, said:

"I was really quite chuffed with Ty's performance at the weekend. He is a very quick dog and can work almost without me now - at times I feel like he would be better without me because I'm going to have trouble keeping up with him!"

Ty has now accumulated six rosettes from dog shows all around Britain. Yet the winning performance in the starter's class at the weekend comes only three weeks after a mystery accident at home in which he broke his foot.

Michael chose the collie from the Dumfries and Galloway K9 rescue centre near Dumfries in September. He said:

"I am Ty's third owner but when I took him in he was completely untrained and I was told he was unmanageable back then."