Celebration

Mary-Ann Sontag February 23, 2022

We have some celebrating to do, Team Kaibab!

Sparkle’s daughters got the memo…

In AKC obedience, there is just one Novice A dog in our lifetime. That is the first dog we title in obedience — our introduction to the dog sport of obedience. A Novice A team is just starting out, learning the ins and outs of training and showing. It is not easy.

Ruthie, one of the Sparklers, is Lori’s once in a lifetime Novice A dog.

Ruthie is the BMDCA’s Top Novice A Obedience Dog for 2021!

This is a Big Deal. A Really Big Deal.

It is based on scores for each of Ruthie’s three legs earned towards her Novice A obedience title (CD). To train and show a dog in obedience is such an accomplishment — to be recognized with your Novice A Dog in this way is flipping amazing.

I am so very happy for Team Ruthie. This award is a symbol of a life well-loved and well-lived. Thank you, Lori, and CONGRATULATIONS!

After Novice A, one’s future dogs are shown in Novice B.

(drum roll, please)

Ruthie’s sister, Kiri, is the BMDCA’s Top Novice B Obedience Dog for 2021!!

How is that for fantastic?! Congratulations to Team Kiri for their lovely and happy work in Novice B obedience — this is a well-deserved award.

Their Uncle Tristan, one of the iPups, says, “Hold my Bone Broth and watch this…”

Tristan, an outstanding overachiever from a family of overachievers, earned TWO Top Dog awards in 2021.

He is the BMDCA’s Top Open B Obedience Dog and the BMDCA’s Top Master Agility Dog!

It is so wonderful to watch legacy unfolding — thank you Alison and Lori.

WOWZA!

Fall Fun

Mary-Ann Sontag October 9, 2021

The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Watchung is holding their annual draft test and Regional Specialty in Bethlehem, PA this weekend. It looks like an amazing show/site — I might need to put this on my calendar for next year.

Uncle Clark (Daisy’s littermate) finished his Master Draft Dog title yesterday…

Swiped from Facebook photo — taken by Toby?

Fantastic accomplishment for Team Clark. This title requires passing open draft five times under seven different judges — not an easy feat for all kinds of reasons. Congratulations to Toby and Clark!

Uncle Tristan (an iPup) has been teaming up with Phil Atkinson and his dog, Kelyn, to collect brace legs.

The team has worked well together — and I mean both the human team of the Atkinsons and Jaskiewiczs and the dog team of Kelyn and Tristan…

It was another successful day for Team Kelyn/Tristan — they passed the brace run and that made Tristan a Grand Master Draft Dog…

That is a really Big Deal. Very Big Deal. Congratulations to that entire team! I love both the accomplishment and also how the two families collaborated to make it happen — how cool is that?! I am reminded of this from Peloton — together we go far.

Kelyn needs one more leg to finish his Grand Master Draft Dog — we are cheering for that to happen soon.

Maple Moonshadow has every right to be proud of her Uncle Clark and her Uncle Tristan — and also because she has an awesome fall name and is doing so well as a Therapy Dog…

Have an outstanding fall day.

iBirthday Girls

Mary-Ann Sontag June 27, 2021

iPup Ava has had an adventuresome year! Kathy sends us this report:

“Ava has had a full year. Admittedly she has not done any obedience showing. She earned one Utility leg, but then Jack retired two years ago and we moved to Arizona. We have been on the go ever since. This year we have spent time in San Diego, Wickenburg (our home). Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, and Overland Park, Kansas. It’s a good thing Ava is a wonderful traveler. I don’t know where home is most of the time any more. Ava is truly my heart dog though, and I find that wherever Ava is I am home.

She is a lover and snuggler, and whenever she can she is curled on as much of my lap as she can squeeze onto.

At Christmas we were in San Diego where she met a motion activated Yoda (Grandson’s Christmas present). It caused her to jump a time or two, but she found it very entertaining.

She is beautiful and loves the early mornings in the desert.

We have a beautiful dog park that she and Zimmer enjoy when no one else is around.

Most of all she is healthy, happy and a most adored member of our family.

Happy birthday to all those iPups. We are also remembering Scarlett and George gone much too soon. May the rest of these pups have many more birthdays.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AVA!

Thank you, Kathy and Jack. I sure miss seeing all of them on my trips to Salt Lake City but what a grand life they are having. Family reunion — Arizona in February??

And now Sparkle!

So many traits identified in the iPup Birthday Reports are the same for Sparkle: loving, devoted, very cuddly, smart — and most of all: exuberant. About everything!

Knock on wood, Sparkle remains healthy and busy and happy and is always ready for action. At the Specialty, she earned her Rally Novice title (all legs at National Specialties :) and the Advanced Novice Draft Dog title…