Imagine, if you can, the high you get, going into the show ring knowing that you're taking your darling, favorite, spoiled dog who is the BEST DOG IN THE WORLD to show the judge what a great dog he is. Now, imagine coming out with the third place ribbon, out of three dogs...time after time after time...for the first 2 years of his life.
Now, fast forward past all of those memories; you've learned that you go into the ring with different priorities...to learn to handle, to work on a specific skill or training item....and it starts to pay off.
A few weekends ago, when Ryder went Winners Dog at the South Bay Kennel Club show, I cried. Not hard, not loud...not even spectacularly enough to get a red nose (we had photos later, a woman's got to have priorities), but I cried.
Sunday, at the Prescott Valley Kennel Club in beautiful Chino Valley, Arizona, Ryder went Winners Dog for his second point (only 13 to go!!!). I didn't cry this time, but thanked him for not losing faith in me when I was ready to give up on him.
My baby boy has grown into a wonderful dog. He's not perfect, he's got his faults...but he loves me unconditionally. He's no Lassie, to go get help when Mommy wakes up at 2am whimpering with a migraine, but he will curl up beside me to try and comfort me. And, whether or not we win that elusive CH in front of his name, he will always be my first place Winner. If he could read, I'd say here "Love ya, Ry" but he can't. But he knows it...oh boy does he know it.
September 19, 2005
September 02, 2005
Stevee's 12/13/04 letter home
Hi Momma! I was just telling Aunt Laura that I needed to get to the computer to write to you! I've been verrrrry verrrrry good. Aunt Laura says if I'm good, Santa Paws brings treats for Christmas. I don't know what Christmas is, but I know what treats are! So I'm being verrrry verrrry good. I come inside the house by myself now, especially at dinner time. When Aunt Laura says to come in for dinner, if I don't, she just closes the door! She doesn't come out and play chase anymore....that's no fun. So when she opens the door to see if I'm ready to come inside, I come right in and wait for her to put me in a crate for dinner.
I'm being good, but my brother is kinda wound up right now. Frosty is in season too so he's a basket case. He's spending today inside the house in a crate because Grandma Sharon said he wouldn't shut up and was making everyone crazy. Tomorrow he's going to go to work with Aunt Laura...he'll like that, he's kinda spoiled.
Aunt Laura says she's counting the days until I'm out of season (so am I, it's fun to play in the yard with everyone) and then I'm going to be a social butterfly. I'm not sure about that being fun....but I'll give it a try.
I jumped up on Aunt Laura for belly scratches and kisses...it made her so very happy...and she gives good belly scratches!
Rikki's gonna be a Momma! That's very exciting. And Mysti's gonna have fun at Grandma Sheila's and be a Momma too? That Sarra is noisy, it's about time you and Daddy made her quiet. I'm being very good and Aunt Laura hasn't even once had to tell me to be quiet, unlike Ryder.
Kisses to you and Daddy. I'm being a good girl so you and Daddy can be very proud of me.
Love, Stevee
I'm being good, but my brother is kinda wound up right now. Frosty is in season too so he's a basket case. He's spending today inside the house in a crate because Grandma Sharon said he wouldn't shut up and was making everyone crazy. Tomorrow he's going to go to work with Aunt Laura...he'll like that, he's kinda spoiled.
Aunt Laura says she's counting the days until I'm out of season (so am I, it's fun to play in the yard with everyone) and then I'm going to be a social butterfly. I'm not sure about that being fun....but I'll give it a try.
I jumped up on Aunt Laura for belly scratches and kisses...it made her so very happy...and she gives good belly scratches!
Rikki's gonna be a Momma! That's very exciting. And Mysti's gonna have fun at Grandma Sheila's and be a Momma too? That Sarra is noisy, it's about time you and Daddy made her quiet. I'm being very good and Aunt Laura hasn't even once had to tell me to be quiet, unlike Ryder.
Kisses to you and Daddy. I'm being a good girl so you and Daddy can be very proud of me.
Love, Stevee
Stevee's Adventures at Kaos - her 1/3/05 letter home
January 3, 2005
Hey Mom! Aunt Laura told me you hurt your arm, I hope it starts feeling better soon.
I'm having a great time here. I bark loudly every time that man (Uncle Sean) comes in the house, but I've decided that I'm not afraid of him and I don't run outside anymore. My favorite spot is on Grandma Sharon's lap, Aunt Laura said she sent you a picture of me on Grandma's lap.
If it's not raining on Wednesday, I'm going to "handling class" with Grandma and Aunt Laura and Satinka. Mostly, they say, I get to sit with Grandma and meet strangers. I'm not too sure about that idea, but maybe there will be some good treats for me. I might manage it for good treats; maybe Grandma will let me sit in her lap.
Frosty, Ice, Max and the puppies went sledding last weekend. They left me home with Ryder, Aleska, Lacy & Cheyenne...and of course the old man, Bo. Aunt Laura said maybe next time I'd get to go, that might be fun. Frosty said the snow is cold on her butt...I wonder if I can get Aunt Laura to bring Grandma along for me to sit on. I'll bet I can.
It's raining here; we've been practicing making mud pies all day long! I can't wait until Grandma, Aunt Laura and Uncle Sean get home to see us! It's way more fun to play in the mud than to stay in the kennels and dog houses, don't you think?
Hey Mom! Aunt Laura told me you hurt your arm, I hope it starts feeling better soon.
I'm having a great time here. I bark loudly every time that man (Uncle Sean) comes in the house, but I've decided that I'm not afraid of him and I don't run outside anymore. My favorite spot is on Grandma Sharon's lap, Aunt Laura said she sent you a picture of me on Grandma's lap.
If it's not raining on Wednesday, I'm going to "handling class" with Grandma and Aunt Laura and Satinka. Mostly, they say, I get to sit with Grandma and meet strangers. I'm not too sure about that idea, but maybe there will be some good treats for me. I might manage it for good treats; maybe Grandma will let me sit in her lap.
Frosty, Ice, Max and the puppies went sledding last weekend. They left me home with Ryder, Aleska, Lacy & Cheyenne...and of course the old man, Bo. Aunt Laura said maybe next time I'd get to go, that might be fun. Frosty said the snow is cold on her butt...I wonder if I can get Aunt Laura to bring Grandma along for me to sit on. I'll bet I can.
It's raining here; we've been practicing making mud pies all day long! I can't wait until Grandma, Aunt Laura and Uncle Sean get home to see us! It's way more fun to play in the mud than to stay in the kennels and dog houses, don't you think?
Stevee's First Letter Home
When Stevee came to visit we were all worried. She was painfully shy and talking Jeni & Tim into letting us take a stab at bringing her out of her shell was a LOOONNNG process. Stevee, however, in the spirit of Kaos, quickly learned how to send little updates home to let Mom and Dad know how she was doing.
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November 22, 2004
Hey Mom and Dad, this is a weird place! I rode for a LONG time in the van with a dog named Frosty in the next crate (she's nice, but really spoiled) and we stopped a few times to go potty. Then I went to this house where there are LOTS of dogs. I had dinner inside with Uncle Sean, he held my bowl and I had to be close to him to eat. It was kinda weird, but he just talked to me while I ate and scratched my belly. Then I got to go outside and play.
Did you know my brother, Ryder is here? We played for a little while and he introduced me to all the other dogs. I was so happy to see Ryder.
I slept outside for a little while, Aunt Laura put a bed out for me, but Bo had a bigger bed and I wanted that one, so I was telling him so about midnight and Uncle Sean came outside and brought me in to sleep in a crate for the rest of the night. Bo didn't want me to have his big bed, that's kinda rude since I'm the new girl.
Aunt Laura came outside with a handful of cookies and everyone crowded around her, except me....but she called my name and I went over to her and I got cookies too!
This might not be so bad, but I miss you and Dad. But I'm being good and having lots of fun.
Love,
Stevee
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November 22, 2004
Hey Mom and Dad, this is a weird place! I rode for a LONG time in the van with a dog named Frosty in the next crate (she's nice, but really spoiled) and we stopped a few times to go potty. Then I went to this house where there are LOTS of dogs. I had dinner inside with Uncle Sean, he held my bowl and I had to be close to him to eat. It was kinda weird, but he just talked to me while I ate and scratched my belly. Then I got to go outside and play.
Did you know my brother, Ryder is here? We played for a little while and he introduced me to all the other dogs. I was so happy to see Ryder.
I slept outside for a little while, Aunt Laura put a bed out for me, but Bo had a bigger bed and I wanted that one, so I was telling him so about midnight and Uncle Sean came outside and brought me in to sleep in a crate for the rest of the night. Bo didn't want me to have his big bed, that's kinda rude since I'm the new girl.
Aunt Laura came outside with a handful of cookies and everyone crowded around her, except me....but she called my name and I went over to her and I got cookies too!
This might not be so bad, but I miss you and Dad. But I'm being good and having lots of fun.
Love,
Stevee
Satinka's First Letter Home
Last fall, September 2004, Satinka came to be one of the Kaos girls. In cleaning out old files on my computer, I see that she sent a note home soon after her arrival.
==============================================
Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Bruce,
I have had the MOST exciting few days since you let that lady be my new Momma and take me home with her. I rode in her car to a place where BIG birds flew. It was a little scary, but Momma talked to me and told me I was a big girl and kept me close and I did good. Then we sat for a while, something about a ticket mix up, and then Momma took me to a sleeping place that smelled GOOD. She tried to make me sleep in the crate but I fussed enough that she finally let me up on the bed with her, where I slept like a good girl. Then we got up REALLY early and went back to the place where the big birds where. This time we got to RIDE in a bird! It was a little scary, because I didn't get to sit by Momma, but she had lots of fun toys for me in my crate, and everyone that I saw was really nice and talked to me, so I wasn't very scared and I slept a lot.
Finally Momma found me again (I was afraid the bird had eaten her, it was BIG) and she had a nice man with her. He helped me out of my crate and told me how beautiful I am. (Silly man, I KNOW that). They found me some grass to potty (I had to use the potty pad in my crate, but then I buried it under my blanket so I didn't get wet from it) and then I got to ride in their van to a house with LOTS of new dogs to play with! First Katie came to play with me. She's black, like me, so I didn't feel lonely and she's SMALLER than me! She's a LOT of fun to play with. She's kinda bossy, but we have fun. Then I got to meet a bunch of other girls and they're all really nice.
Frosty is a little bigger than me, but she plays like a puppy, so we're going to have fun together. I do what Aunt Lacy, Aunt Cheyenne and Aunt Aleska tell me to do, because they're bigger than me and Frosty and Katie said they think they're the bosses of us. Oh well.
And then I got to meet the boys! Uncle Max and Uncle Ice are a lot of fun and play with me some of the time. But my new big brother, Ryder, is WAY COOL. He runs around like he's a puppy and plays with Katie, Frosty and I. Sometimes he even gets Aunt Aleska to play too...and Aunts Lacy and Aunt Cheyenne.
There's an old man here named Bo. He's kinda grumpy, but he snaps at me and when I kiss his face he lets me lay next to him. I like that because sometimes every one plays really hard and I just want to lay down somewhere safe and watch...and they all leave Bo alone. I think he's getting used to me. I hope so.
I sleep in my crate like a big girl, but the first night I fussed and almost got Grandma Sharon to come get me out. She said that Momma would be upset if she spoiled my crate training the first night...so we're waiting. And I learned how to use the doggie door...it's kinda noisy and I have to push at it with my head, but it lets me go in and out whenever I want! And Momma and Daddy and Grandma are SOOOO happy when I go outside to potty that I've gone potty outside every time! Sometimes Momma has to remind me, because we're having so much fun playing that I start to forget to go outside...but when she reminds me, I run for the door.
Momma says we're taking a road trip this weekend and I have to have a bath on Friday because we're going to a match. I'll be a good girl for my bath...and I'll tell you all about the match when I get home from it. I can't wait for the car ride, because Momma and Grandma always have such yummy things to eat and fun things to play with in the car. Momma says I'm gonna kick some California butt.
I miss you and Abey and the boys and Mom and Dad, but it's really fun here! And there's a swimming pool that is in the backyard just for us! It's kinda small, only a couple of us fit in it at time, but it's great fun to run through and then go make mud pies with Katie. Momma just shakes her head at us. Katie sleeps up with Grandma Sharon on her bed, so she has to get a bath EVERY night to get the mud off of her...YUCK! Maybe Grandma will let Katie sleep with me and we can play all night. I'll have to ask her.
Momma says she'll send pictures of me soon with my new brother and sisters and Aunts and Uncles.
Miss you,
Satinka, your California Girl
==============================================
Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Bruce,
I have had the MOST exciting few days since you let that lady be my new Momma and take me home with her. I rode in her car to a place where BIG birds flew. It was a little scary, but Momma talked to me and told me I was a big girl and kept me close and I did good. Then we sat for a while, something about a ticket mix up, and then Momma took me to a sleeping place that smelled GOOD. She tried to make me sleep in the crate
Finally Momma found me again (I was afraid the bird had eaten her, it was BIG) and she had a nice man with her. He helped me out of my crate and told me how beautiful I am. (Silly man, I KNOW that). They found me some grass to potty (I had to use the potty pad in my crate, but then I buried it under my blanket so I didn't get wet from it) and then I got to ride in their van to a house with LOTS of new dogs to play with! First Katie came to play with me. She's black, like me, so I didn't feel lonely and she's SMALLER than me! She's a LOT of fun to play with. She's kinda bossy, but we have fun. Then I got to meet a bunch of other girls and they're all really nice.
Frosty is a little bigger than me, but she plays like a puppy, so we're going to have fun together. I do what Aunt Lacy, Aunt Cheyenne and Aunt Aleska tell me to do, because they're bigger than me and Frosty and Katie said they think they're the bosses of us. Oh well.
And then I got to meet the boys! Uncle Max and Uncle Ice are a lot of fun and play with me some of the time. But my new big brother, Ryder, is WAY COOL. He runs around like he's a puppy and plays with Katie, Frosty and I. Sometimes he even gets Aunt Aleska to play too...and Aunts Lacy and Aunt Cheyenne.
There's an old man here named Bo. He's kinda grumpy, but he snaps at me and when I kiss his face he lets me lay next to him. I like that because sometimes every one plays really hard and I just want to lay down somewhere safe and watch...and they all leave Bo alone. I think he's getting used to me. I hope so.
I sleep in my crate like a big girl, but the first night I fussed and almost got Grandma Sharon to come get me out. She said that Momma would be upset if she spoiled my crate training the first night...so we're waiting. And I learned how to use the doggie door...it's kinda noisy and I have to push at it with my head, but it lets me go in and out whenever I want! And Momma and Daddy and Grandma are SOOOO happy when I go outside to potty that I've gone potty outside every time! Sometimes Momma has to remind me, because we're having so much fun playing that I start to forget to go outside...but when she reminds me, I run for the door.
Momma says we're taking a road trip this weekend and I have to have a bath on Friday because we're going to a match. I'll be a good girl for my bath...and I'll tell you all about the match when I get home from it. I can't wait for the car ride, because Momma and Grandma always have such yummy things to eat and fun things to play with in the car. Momma says I'm gonna kick some California butt.
I miss you and Abey and the boys and Mom and Dad, but it's really fun here! And there's a swimming pool that is in the backyard just for us! It's kinda small, only a couple of us fit in it at time, but it's great fun to run through and then go make mud pies with Katie. Momma just shakes her head at us. Katie sleeps up with Grandma Sharon on her bed, so she has to get a bath EVERY night to get the mud off of her...YUCK! Maybe Grandma will let Katie sleep with me and we can play all night. I'll have to ask her.
Momma says she'll send pictures of me soon with my new brother and sisters and Aunts and Uncles.
Miss you,
Satinka, your California Girl
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