Faces: Old, New, and All Beloved

This is Moonshadow Porter — isn’t he so cute!

His face reminds me of Moonshadow Andy, which makes sense since they are brothers!

And speaking of Moonshadows — Capella and I are getting to spend time with their wonderful Papa Pippin (and his truly awesome human, Tara) because we are doing HERDING lessons together. So fun for all kinds of reasons. I will be sure to get photos of our next lesson.

We have some new canine faces to introduce. First up is Rosie.

Rosie is a very lucky rescue girl who found her way into the heart of our very own Barb. You may recall that Barb had Maddie from the F Litter, and that Maddie is the record holder for longest lived Kaibab dog at 13.8 years!

Team Rosie recently finished their CD together — well done 👏🏼

We love celebrating each other 🩷

Another new face is Maple Mae.

Yes, we have a non-Berner in the family now.

Maple is Galen and Bethany’s new puppy — she is a thoughtfully-bred Golden Retriever from a reputable breeder. I used my contacts to search for her, and it was an interesting process being on that side of the puppy-hunt adventure. More on that later but for now — yes, I have a new grandpuppy.

Sparkle and I walked over to puppy-sit yesterday.

Sparkle is very glad that Maple cannot yet get on the couch.

Also, did you catch the part where we walked over to their house? It takes 10 - 15 minutes depending on which dog is walking with me. Harper is not as speedy as the younger girls but she is 13 and so who cares how long it takes to walk anywhere with her?! Not me.

Harper at 13. Wow.

Sparkle is 11 years and five months still doing her sparkling things.

Again — wow.

And look at what Capella found on her walk recently!

It isn’t a pot of gold but we will take it 💰

Happy Wednesday to you ❤️

Big News

Today it is my turn to share fun weekend news.

Capella. Randy Gaines photo.

Capella finished her Novice Preferred Jumpers title (NJP) yesterday in Utah, and that makes her a BMDCA Versatility Dog 🎉

This is a BIG GIANT DEAL to me because the Versatility Dog award honors Berners that reflect what I value: a smart, sound (in body and mind) working dog who also represents breed type.

Capella

To earn the award, a dog must have a championship, a draft title, and another working title from an approved list.

Thanks to Alison for this photo ❤️

Capella represent eight generations of Versatility Dogs, including six generations that I owned and trained, beginning with Abra.

Abra

Capella’s father, Ferguson, is Versatility Dog and her mom, Claire, is a Versatility Dog Excellent. Three of Capella’s four grandparents earned the Versatility Dog Excellent award.

Baby Capella with her superstar grandparents, all veterans in this photo ⭐️

At the agility trial on Saturday, an older gentleman spotted Capella and his eyes lit up. He shared that he had once had a Berner he loved so much, and I could see that love and his sadness for the loss in his eyes. Capella sat on his feet and leaned into him as he petted her soft fur and told me about his boy, letting memories bring back a beloved dog for those few minutes.

When Capella cleared the last jump yesterday and finished the title that made her a Versatility Dog, tears blurred my vision as I put on her leash and left the ring. It was my memories of a beloved dog that were with me. Claire’s baby is following in her mom’s very large paw prints.

Claire and Capella

Thanks for letting me share this happy accomplishment with you — I am grateful.

❤️