ONCE homeless, Luna an Australian cattle dog rescued from SPCA Amanzimtoti is now living her best life, one impressive trick at a time.

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Not only has she settled beautifully into her forever home, but she is also making waves in the competition scene, dazzling judges and securing the Kennel Union of South Africa (KUSA) Elementary Trick Dog title with her newfound skills. Adopted by Edward and Casey Standen in August 2022 at around five-years-old, Luna had a rough start, having been adopted and returned twice, making her one of the SPCA’s longest-waiting residents.

Though she is now far more at ease, Casey said earning Luna’s trust was a journey, requiring time, patience, and plenty of love.

“She struggled with separation anxiety. Until recently, say two years after adopting her, we have occasionally noticed changes in her behaviour, suggesting she’s just that little bit happier, trusting and comfortable,” said Casey.

Like a typical Australian cattle dog, Luna is very stubborn but intelligent, which makes her difficult to train. She attends dog training once a week and Casey said she has learnt tricks well.

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“But the difficulty in training her means she isn’t proving suited to rally or other dog sports,” she said.

The KUSA Trick Dog competition is designed to encourage people to develop a solid relationship with their dog while improving its physical and mental ability. While Luna is 7.5-years-old, which is around 50 human years, she won the elementary category for obeying instructions to sit, bringing her paw up for a handshake, going through a tunnel, over a plank, and waiting until she is called to come over. Casey explained that the award recognises satisfactory performance of several graded tricks, not that she was better than other dogs in a competition environment.

The Standens have no other pets, allowing Luna to thrive and bask in all the attention. She enjoys trail walking with her parents and wading through puddles and ponds.

SPCA Amanzimtoti expressed pride in Luna’s achievements, posting a congratulatory message on Facebook.

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