CASSIE, THE GERMAN SHEPHERD-COLLIE MIX
“I met Cassie while working at a rescue centre (Blue Cross). She had arrived as a new patient the previous week while I had been away, so our first meeting was in one of the fields where she had been chilling out with one of the other handlers. She padded across the field, sniffed me and then rolled over for a belly rub. A few months later, I moved house to a property with a garden so that I could be a viable candidate to rehome her.”
Cassie lives with Michael, a garden designer and maker with a deep-rooted passion for wildlife and wild spaces. Serving Peterborough, Oundle and the surrounding areas, Michael specialises in crafting gardens that are as kind to nature as they are beautiful to live in. Whether it’s reimagining an overgrown plot or building habitats for hedgehogs and birds, his work sits somewhere between art and ecology. Cassie, naturally, is the perfect companion, with her calm curiosity and readiness to inspect a freshly dug flowerbed. We spoke to Michael about muddy paws, countryside wanders, and why Cassie makes every day in the garden just that little bit better.
Tell us about Cassie
Cassie is a German Shepherd–Collie mix, probably around 13 or 14 now. She’s been by my side for ten years now.
She had been at the rescue centre a week by the time I met her. She padded across the field, sniffed me and then rolled over for a belly rub. The other handlers turned to me, and said she hadn’t done that with anyone else since arriving. A few months later, I moved house to a property with a garden so that I could be a viable candidate to rehome her.
She didn’t have the best start in life and didn’t even know how to play fetch when I first started working with her. She was already about 3 years old, so this broke my heart. But I like to think that for the last decade I’ve given her the constancy she needs. She comes to work with me every day in my van and I’m lucky enough to have wonderful clients who always give her a bit of fussing, which she loves.
What’s your dog’s favourite walk?
Anywhere with plenty of sniffing opportunities. She loves Bedford Purlieus and Old Sulehay.
How well trained is Cassie?
She’s perfect… until she sees a squirrel.
Where will we usually find your dog?
Keeping an eye on my work from the front seat of the van.
What are your recommendations for dog friendly places to go?
Cassie adores meeting people, so any dog-friendly pub suits the two of us perfectly. The staff at The Red Lion in Warmington always make a fuss of her and even started buying in Mini Cheddars after learning that they were her favourite snack!!
What’s your dog’s quirkiest trait?
Play-fighting with her own bed before snoozing underneath it.
What’s your dog’s toxic trait?
She is excellent at being in the way at all times and, if asked to move, trotting to exactly where you were planning to go next. It’s infuriating sometimes!
Where does your dog sleep?
At the top of the landing, so she can keep an eye on any night-time activity that may need her supervision.
Is she a dog or best friend?
Best friend. That’s an easy one.
Garden designer. Naturalist. Dog dad. Michael nurtures wild beauty in outdoor spaces, and Cassie is never far behind. See more of his work at meadowfoxgardens.co.uk and on Instagram @meadowfox.gardens.
INTRODUCE A DOG OF THE NOTSWOLDS
If you know a Dog of the Notswolds you think we should meet, introduce us at hq@notswolds.com.
