Mothers Day, 1997:
I went to a Gold Coast Miniature Horse Club horse show in Lakeside, CA with Erica. I wanted to get a mini horse, so I got the name of a breeder -- Kasey Mando -- who I called and met that very day. I bought Arabay's Captain Azul, who was then four months old, and boarded him with Kasey until I moved to my property in April 1998.
I also acquired three Labrador Retrievers from Kasey, which were my favorite breed since I was a child in Kentucky. When Stormy, my black foundation bitch, was almost two years old in late 1999, Kasey convinced me that she was nice enough to breed to a nice local AKC champion yellow stud dog, named Ch Rockin Oak Typhoon. Kasey took Stormy for her x-rays and eye exam, and also took her to be bred at Ania Becker's home in Jamul, CA.
February 3, 2000:
Stormy had her first litter of 3 blacks and 7 yellows. I kept my DeeDee from that litter.
April 2000:
A Lab puppy buyer said he had a friend who was moving and needed to find a home for his eight-month-old Jack Russell Terrier girl. He asked me if I could find her a home, and I agreed. They brought her to my house, and I fell in love with her! She was so energetic and cute! Her name was ARBA Ch. Outlaw Giza ("Giza") and she was a wonderfully smart, fast, and intelligent JRT. She was registered with the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America and with the American Rare Breed Association ("ARBA"). Giza was Reserve Best in Show at two (2) ARBA shows while I showed her. Before her death, Giza had three litters with Dunbar Dooley, AKC Ch Barsetta Ultra JE, and AKC Ch Ultra Quest Casper the Ghost. I kept a girl named Brandy from the litter with Casper.
January 2001:
I obtained two American Kennel Club ("AKC") registered girls from Kasey Mando, who had bought them from Lisa Henry's Von Henry Kennel: Am Ch, Int Ch, Nat Ch Von Henry's Suzi Q Dot Com ("Dotti") and Ch Von Henry's Miss B. Having ("Missy"). Dotti finished her AKC champion title on November 29, 2002, at the Yuma Kennel Club show in Yuma, AZ. Missy finished her AKC champion title on July 16, 2004, at the Malibu Kennel Club show in Oxnard, CA. She also has one Qualifying Score for a Junior Earthdog title (obtained 12/7/02 in Anaheim, CA), 7 conformation points and one major. She now lives with and is loved by Sandy and Lou Torres in Perris, CA. Dotti lives with and is loved by Jo and Keith Holzman in Brentwood, CA.
On November 3, 2001, my friend Kasey took me to my first AKC dog show in Irwindale, CA. I took two JRTs: Dotti and Casper, both of whom got 3-point majors. I also took three Labs: DeeDee, Sandy, and Wendy. Casper finished his championship in 15 days, winning the following:
- On 11/3/01, at the San Gabriel Valley Kennel Club Show held in Irvindale, California, Judge Stephen J. Hubbell awarded Casper First Place in the Puppy 6-9 Months class, Winners Dog, Best of Winners, and Best of Opposite Sex for a 3-point major.
- On 11/10/01, at the Del Sur Kennel Club Show in Rancho Sante Fe, California, Judge Anna Katona awarded Casper First Place in the Puppy 6-9 Months class and Reserve Winners Dog.
- On 11/11/01, at the Cabrillo Kennel Club Show in Rancho Sante Fe, California, Judge Lois Wolf White awarded Casper First Place in the Puppy 6-9 Months class, Winners Dog, Best of Winners, and his first Best of Breed for a 4-point major and 8 Dog Defeated Points.
- On 11/17/01, at the Canada Del Oro Kennel Club Show in Tucson, Arizona, Judge Mr. Robert S. Forsyth awarded Casper First Place in the Puppy 6-9 Months class, Winners Dog, Best of Winners, and his second Best of Breed for a 4-point major and 5 Dog Defeated Points (accumulated total was 13 for 2001).
- On 11/18/01, at the Greater Sierra Vista Kennel Club Show in Tucson, Arizona, Judge Mr. Michael J. Dougherty awarded Casper First Place in the Puppy 6-9 Months class, Winners Dog, Best of Winners, and his third Best of Breed for a 4-point major and 5 Dog Defeated Points (accumulated total was 18 for 2001). With this win, Casper had 15 conformation points and 4 majors, so he completed his conformation title requirements that day. He was just seven months old.
Casper proceeded to get Best of Breed at the following shows in 2001:
- On 11/19/01, at the Tucson Kennel Club Show in Tucson, Arizona, Judge Hon. David C. Merriam awarded Casper his fourth Best of Breed for 5 Dog Defeated Points (accumulated total was 23 for 2001).
- On 11/30/01, at the Yuma Kennel Club Show in Yuma, Arizona, Judge Mr. William Bergum awarded Casper his fifth Best of Breed for 5 Dog Defeated Points (accumulated total was 28 for 2001).
- On 12/2/01, at the Imperial Valley Kennel Club Show in Yuma, Arizona, Judge Mr. Lowell K. Davis awarded Casper his sixth Best of Breed for 6 Dog Defeated Points (accumulated total was 34 for 2001).
- On 12/9/01, at the Antelope Valley Kennel Club Show in Lancaster, California, Judge Dr. Robert J. Berndt awarded Casper his seventh Best of Breed for 10 Dog Defeated Points (final accumulated total was 44 for 2001).
On December 14-16, 2001, Casper competed in the Long Beach cluster, but won no awards. He was six and one-half months old when he started showing on November 3, 2001, and he ended the year as the No. 16 TopDog Parson Russell Terrier – having shown only two months.
I was hooked on dog shows!
On January 24, 2002, I had my first AKC litter of PRTs. I kept one girl, Am Ch Blossom Valley Abduct My Heart ("Abby"), and one boy, Am Ch Blossom Valley Achilles ("Moose"). Abby finished on March 30, 2003, and Moose finished on August 23, 2003. Moose and I took several series of agility classes, which he loved and at which he truly excels. I co-owned Am Ch Blossom Valley Anisette ("Annie") with Terry Jones of Monroe, Washington, until 2005, when I signed off so her litters would not count against me with AKC for inspection purposes. Moose and Abby now live with and are loved by Mike McKnight in San Diego, CA. Blossom Valley Adagio ("Buddy") has always lived with my brother, Benny, who adores him.
Starting in 2002, Casper competed in the two-day Kennel Club of Palm Springs show on January 5-6, 2002. Next he competed in the two-day Orange Empire Dog Fanciers two-day show on January 26-27, 2002. On the second day, the ring time was in mid-afternoon – Casper’s normal nap time. He was sleeping while I showed other dogs. After I came out of the Winners Bitch class, I put the bitch away that I was showing and quickly took the sleeping Casper from his crate. He became excited (he was a 9-month-old puppy), started to run, slipped on urine that had not been mopped up, and slipped spread-eagle-fashion on the concrete floor. When he arose and started to walk, he was noticeably injured, and I did not show him in Best of Breed as planned. Numerous people saw this slip-and-fall accident: Karen Raduziner, Ellen Wade, Geraldine Dietz, Diane Turner, and Kasey Mando (his breeder), among others. I rested Casper for four weeks, and by the Silver Bay Kennel Club of San Diego shows on February 23-24, 2002, he was completely back to normal. On February 23, 2002, at the Silver Bay Kennel Club of San Diego show in Del Mar, California, Judge Mr. John H. Honig awarded Casper his eighth Best of Breed for 13 Dog Defeated Points for 2002. On March 9-10, 2002, I attended the George Alston Handling Seminar for Advanced students, in Lakeside, California. Casper was my exhibit one day and my Labrador retriever bitch was my exhibit the other day, in order to get training on small and large dogs. Casper participated in front of numerous participants and spectators. He had no residual limp from the slip-and-fall incident. On March 16-17, 2002, Casper competed in the Coso Dog Fanciers Club of California shows at Ridgecrest, California.
On March 22, 2002, Giza had a litter sired by Casper, and I kept Blossom Valley Brandy Wine (UKC registered) from that litter. Brandy looked almost just like her departed mommy, Giza. We often mistook her for Giza and called her Weezer (Giza's nickname). Brandy is now in a wonderful pet home where she is the only dog.
On March 25, 2002, Casper escaped from my yard at about 8:00 a.m., and was still missing when I returned home from work at 7:30 p.m. My dog-sitter had looked all over the area for him to no avail and had posted fliers at various locations. We live in the rugged hills in East San Diego County, which have many large granite boulders and crevices. Coyotes roam freely. When Casper returned at 9:00 p.m. that evening, he was limping, and I had no idea about how he hurt himself. I made an appointment for an x-ray to see if any damage existed. Two days later, on March 27, 2002, Casper saw Dr. David Judy of the Judy Veterinary Clinic, who took an x-ray of his torso. Dr. Judy opined that the x-ray showed degeneration of Casper’s right rear femoral head, which could have been the result of Legg-Calve-Perthes (“L-C-P”) disease. This degeneration was a shadow that was about 1/16th of an inch wide around about 1/4 of the outer circumference of the femoral head. After I informed him that Casper had slipped and fallen on January 27, 2002, in a dog show, he opined that the damage could have resulted from that slip-and-fall, as well as from L-C-P disease. Dr. Judy gave Casper Glucosamine powder to take daily and recommended a follow-up visit in one month.
On March 30-31, 2002, less than one week after he escaped, Casper competed in the Kern County Kennel Club shows at Bakersfield, California. Judges Mrs. Martha Olmos-Ollivier awarded him Best of Opposite Sex that Saturday, and Mrs. Bonnie Leahy Bobof awarded him Best of Opposite Sex that Sunday. On April 13-14, 2002, Casper competed in three International All-Breed Canine Association (“IABCA”) dog shows, in Anaheim, California. Casper was Best of Breed Puppy and Best Bred By Exhibitor in Show 1, under Judge R. W. Edwards, who is also an AKC judge. Judge Edwards awarded Casper an SG1 rating, which, according to the Class/Ratings Chart, means “VERY GOOD (HIGHEST RATING A PUPPY CAN RECEIVE).” In his Judgement, Judge Edwards states, with respect to Item 12, Movement, that Casper had “good reach and drive.” Judge Edwards states, with respect to Item 9, Back angulation, that Casper has “Good, well let hocks.” On April 13, 2002, at the second IABCA show, Casper was Best of Breed Puppy and Best Bred By Exhibitor under Judge Sharon P. Francis, who is also an AKC judge. Judge Francis awarded Casper an SG1 rating, too. In her Judgement, Judge Francis states, with respect to Item 12, Movement, that Casper “moves very well.” Judge Francis states, with respect to Item 1, Overall Impression, that Casper “Moves well; shows well.” On April 14, 2002, at the third IABCA show, Casper was Best of Breed Puppy and Best Bred By Exhibitor under Judge R. E. Beckwith, who is also an AKC judge. Judge Beckwith also awarded Casper an SG1 rating. In his Judgement, Judge Beckwith states, with respect to Item 12, Movement, that Casper has “very good movement front & rear.” Judge Beckwith states, with respect to Item 9, Back Angulation, that Casper is “balanced.” Casper qualified for and was awarded a Diplom National Jugend Conformation—Champion certificate, as a result of receiving the three SG-1 ratings on April 13-14, 2002.
Less than one week later, I took Casper to a different veterinarian to get a second opinion about his hip problem. I picked up the x-ray that Dr. Judy had taken and gave it to Dr. Cheri Bednark to examine and give her opinion on his condition. Casper was no longer limping from his slip-and-fall in January 2002 or his escapade in March 2002, so I had no reason to have any surgical procedure performed on him. No problems then existed with his physical condition, but the specter of the L-C-P genes haunted me. My primary concern was that I had two litters on the ground sired by Casper: an AKC litter whelped January 24, 2002 (an accidental breeding when he was seven and one-half months old) and a UKC litter whelped March 22, 2002. I also was expecting a third litter, which eventually was whelped on May 13, 2002. Moreover, several people had contacted me about using Casper as a stud dog. Thus, I needed to know if Casper had L-C-P disease or not. I had five show quality pups from the two AKC litters (I planned to keep one girl). I told everyone who inquired about the other four show puppies that Casper could have L-C-P. I did not want to place these puppies in show homes where they would be used for breeding purposes, yet I did not want to spay/neuter them if Casper did not have L-C-P. What a quandary!
Dr. Bednarck opined that the shadow on the femoral head, which was about 1/16" wide and about 1/4 around the bone, could be degeneration of the edge of the femoral head caused by L-C-P or could be caused by the slip-and-fall accident that Casper experienced the previous January 27. Both cause a constriction in the blood supply to that part of the bone. Dr. Bednarck told me that a biopsy would reveal whether the damage was from the L-C-P disease or from the slip-and-fall accident at the Orange Empire show. She stated that she could excise the femoral head and send it to a laboratory for evaluation by a pathologist. She said she could do it that day and she did. She excised the bone and sent it to ANTECH Diagnostics in Phoenix, Arizona. They received the bone on April 19, 2002. The pathologist’s diagnosis on the report is: “NECROSIS, LOCALLY EXTENSIVE WITH PERIPHERAL FIBROSIS AND WOVEN BONE PROLIFERATION.” The following are the prepared comments of the pathologist that examined the :bone tissue:
"The lesion is confined to two foci subjacent to the epiphysis. There is trabecular fragmentation at this focus and dense fibrous connective tissue filling the intertrabecular spaces and surrounding woven bone and large numbers of osteoclasts. In these foci, there are also small nodules of retained cartilage adjacent to a focus of cavitation contiguous with an arcuate vessel. No infectious agents are noted and aside from the foci, there is minimal inflammation throughout the balance of the marrow and cortical bone and adjacent soft tissues. There are two distinct foci of cavitation each apparently associated with a pre-existing vessel. Findings are compatible with and supportive of ischemic necrosis of the femoral head but could also represent bone cysts.”
Since this diagnosis was inconclusive and I had allowed Dr. Bednarck to perform the biopsy so that I would know for sure if Casper had L-C-P disease, I asked for a second pathologist opinion. Dr. Bednarck asked another pathologist to examine the biopsy specimens. On May 5, 2002, Dr. Kai N. Tang, DVM, PHD, opined: “I have reviewed this case and concur with my colleague Dr. Bacmeister’s diagnosis and comments. There is subchondral new bone formation with fibrosis and osteoclastosis. Lesions of this nature can be associated with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease or rupture of a subchondral bone cyst. No infectious agents or neoplasia is seen.”
I eventually did a test in-breeding of Casper to a daughter -- Brandy -- to determine if any of the puppies developed L-C-P. None did. You can read about this on the following webpage:
On May 13, 2002, Missy had a litter sired by Casper and I kept Am Ch Blossom Valley Caliopi. Caliopi finished her AKC champion title on May 18, 2003, at the Del Sur Kennel Club show in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Caliopi was the #11 AKC PRT in 2004. I still have her. She
On July 1, 2002, Giza died because of a stupid act of my dog sitter (my brother Benny). Giza always got into any car with an open door. Benny opened a car door, Giza got into the car, and he shut the door without looking to see she was inside. Then, he never noticed that she was missing the rest of the day. Giza met me at the gate every day and rode up to the house with me. That day I knew something was wrong when Giza failed to meet me at the gate. I asked Benny where she was and he said he didn't know -- "she's around here somewhere" he said. I went into the house to change clothes, and he came in a few minutes later, after having searched for and found her dead in a car. It was 100 F that day in Blossom Valley, so she died of heat prostration! I was devastated! I sat with her until around midnight, crying my eyes out. I evicted my brother that day and no longer have a relationship with him. He never accepted responsibility for her death and said, "she's only a dog, Annette!" when I became so upset. I still do not speak to or socialize with him.
On August 23, 2002, Casper was Best of Breed Puppy under Judge Margaret E. Robertson, who is also a visiting AKC judge. Judge Robertson awarded Casper a V-1 rating, which, according to the Class/Ratings Chart, means “VERY EXCELLENT (TOP RATING FOR ADULT CLASS).” In her Judgement, Judge Robertson states, “Very nice example of breed.” With respect to Item 12, Movement, she states that Casper moved “soundly.” With respect to Item 9, Back angulation, she stated that Casper’s was “Good.”
On August 25, 2002, Casper was Best of Breed Puppy under Judge Dr. Steve Keating, who is also an AKC judge. Judge Keating awarded Casper a V-1 rating. In his Judgement, Judge Keating states, “Good overall balance.” With respect to Item 12, Movement, he states that Casper has “very good action and motion.” With respect to Item 9, Back angulation, he states that Casper’s has “Well muscled good bone.”
In October 2002, Pam Amos and her daughter Kim brought me two puppy dogs to see from their friend, Kathleen Reynolds. I wanted to buy one, but they wanted me to buy the other, so I bought both: Am Ch SPR Ghost Rider in the Sky ("Sky") bred by Steve Damron of Sandplum Ridge Kennel in Oklahoma and Myrna Martin of Spring Rain Farm in Indiana; and Am Ch Rocky Point Canterbury Ghost ("Barry") bred by Steve Damron and Kathleen Reynolds of Redondo Beach, California (Rocky Point Kennel). Sky finished his championship title at the Kern County Kennel Club show in Bakersfield, CA, on March 29, 2003, where he was awarded Winners Dog, Best of Winners, and Best of Breed. He was 8 months old that day. Barry finished his champion title at the Kennel Club of Riverside show on September 28, 2003. Barry is now neutered and living in a pet home. I still have Sky who has sired two litters with Caliopi and one with Circles. Blue is due to whelp a litter with Sky next week.
In February 2003, my friend Pat Schempp and I took Casper to New York City to attend the 2003 Westminster Dog Show. I met my pen pal, Jack Brady, there. He introduced me to his junior handler friend, Brittany, who I let show Casper at the show. She did a fantastic job! That way, I could watch and take pictures. Pat and I, with our friends Beverly Smith (now Evans) and Joan Wolke, had a great time at the show.
In late February/early March 2003, I took Sky and Caliopi to the Scottsdale cluster. It was the first show for Sky and I had not even had him on a leash before the first day! I couldn't believe my eyes when I took him to the ring. He walked perfected and baited like a pro. He ended up getting 4 majors that series for 14 points. During March, April, and early May, I took various dogs to the following shows: Coso Dog Fanciers, Kern County KC, Lake Perris KC, Rio Hondo KC, and Shoreline Dog Fanciers. At the Coso shows, Pat and I had dinner with Beverly and Mort Evans. Mort suggested that I get serious and hire a good handler to show my special. He is a friend of Gabriel Rangel, so he said he would ask Gabriel to look at my dogs.
In mid-May 2003, Mort Evans introduced me to his friend, Gabriel Rangel. Gabriel saw Casper and liked him, so he agreed to show him that weekend. He was BOB both days. I finished Caliopi as an owner/breeder/handler. In late May 2003, Gabriel Rangel showed Casper at the Mission Circuit at Pomona, CA. Casper was BOB one of the four days. The following week, I took all my finished dogs to the Pasadena shows to show them to Gabriel. He liked Caliopi the best and decided that we would special her. He took her to his kennel to work with her.
In June 2003, a competitor breeder/handler filed a complaint with AKC against Casper, stating that, because of his biopsy in April 2002, he had been "changed in appearance by artificial means" in violation of Chapter 11, Section 8 of the AKC Rules Applying to Dog Shows ("Rules"). According to the AKC, a dog is considered "changed in appearance by artificial means if it has been subjected to any type of procedure that has the effect of obscuring, disguising or eliminating any congenital or hereditary abnormality or any undesirable characteristic, or that does anything to improve a dog’s natural appearance, temperament, bite or gait." The overarching issue should have been whether Casper was changed in appearance by artificial means, which should have focused on whether Casper’s biopsy improved his "natural gait,” Casper's biopsy certainly did not improve his natural gait, since he had earned BOB at three shows within one week before his biopsy. If anything, the biopsy damaged his natural gait. But the AKC also states that even procedures that are absolutely necessary to the health and comfort of a dog shall disqualify that dog from competition if the procedure has the "incidental effect of changing or even improving the dog’s appearance, bite or gait." The AKC also has decided that "Procedures that would in and of themselves be considered a change in appearance by artificial means and make a dog ineligible for shows include, but are not limited to: . . . Surgery for hip dysplasia, O.C.D., patellar luxation and femoral head resection."
Now, Casper had a femoral head excision to do his biopsy. In this procedure, the entire femoral head is removed, so that the jagged edge of the femoral head does not cause premature arthritis in the joint. Dr. Bednarck did not insert any prosthetic device which she explained to me is commonly referred to as a femoral head resection. Instead, because Casper is a small dog, she left the joint hollow and allowed the musculature around the joint to form the support for the joint.
So, technically, the AKC should not have disqualified Casper from showing. He had a femoral head excision for biopsy purposes and not a femoral head resection to improve his natural gait. The AKC is inconsistent on what will disqualify a dog from showing in one case and what will not disqualify other dog from showing in another case. The rules seem to be made on an ad hoc basis. There is no logic to their various attempts to clarify the general rule. For example, at the October 1993 Board of Directors meeting, the Board approved the publication of the following incomplete list of procedures that, if undertaken to restore the health of a dog, would not in and of themselves affect a dog's show eligibility:
1.
The repair of broken legs, even if such procedures involve the insertion of pins, plates or wires.
2.The removal of damaged cartilage.
3.The repair of ligaments that have ruptured or been torn.
4.Caesarean sections.
5.The repair of umbilical hernias.
6.The removal of tumors or cysts.
7.Gastric torsion/bloat surgery.
8.Splenic torsion surgery.
9.Tonsillectomy.
10.Correction of "Cherry Eye" (which involves the gland of the nictitating membrane).
11.Debarking.
12.The removal of dewclaws if a regular practice in the breed.”
The AKC disqualified Casper from further showing in conformation shows because of his surgical procedure. I believe they were incorrect for the following reasons:
- Casper’s biopsy did not obscure, disguise or eliminate any undesirable characteristic, in violation of Chapter 11, Section 8 of the AKC Rules. He was awarded eight Best of Breeds before the biopsy in 2002. He showed at AKC shows on February 23, 2002, March 16-17, 2002, and March 30-31, 2002. In addition, Casper showed at three IABCA shows, on April 13-14, 2002. These three shows were judged by IABCA and AKC-qualified judges. None of these eight AKC-qualified judges excused Casper as lame or found any fault with his appearance to disqualify him from showing in any of these eight shows. He had fully recovered from his slip-and-fall injury that occurred in January 2002 and his re-injury that occurred during his “escape” in early March 2002. Anyone can logically conclude that he exhibited no undesirable characteristic at these shows or the AKC-licensed judges would have noticed. Thus, the biopsy could not have obscured, disguised, or eliminated an undisclosed undesirable characteristic, which is the overarching issue.
- Casper’s biopsy did not obscure, disguise or eliminate any congenital or hereditary abnormality, in violation of Chapter 11, Section 8 of the AKC Rules. He had never been definitively diagnosed as having L-C-P disease. Neither the two veterinarians who looked at his x-ray nor the radiologists who examined the bone tissue cellular structure could state with certainty that Casper’s damage was the result of L-C-P disease rather than the result of a bone cyst resulting from his slip-and-fall injury. Thus, the biopsy could not have obscured, disguised, or eliminated an undiagnosed congenital or hereditary abnormality.
- Casper’s biopsy did not improve his natural appearance, temperament, bite, or gait, in violation of Chapter 11, Section 8 of the AKC Rules. He had never been identified as having a permanent problem with his appearance, temperament, bite or gait, except for the short time that he limped from his slip-and-fall injury. He was evaluated by three AKC-qualified IABCA judges within a few days of having the biopsy. Their written evaluations gave Casper the highest rating possible for puppies in April 2002 (SG-1). If he had a problem with his appearance, temperament, bite or gait, then the judges would have identified it in their evaluations, which include sections for such evaluations. Thus, the biopsy could not have done anything to improve Casper’s natural appearance, temperament, bite or gait.
- Casper’s biopsy was not a femoral head resection, in violation of Chapter 11, Section 8 of the AKC Rules. A femoral head resection is a major operation that generally includes inserting a prosthetic device in the leg to take the place of the femoral head that is excised. Casper had no such prosthetic device inserted in his hip when the bone was removed for the biopsy. The process of doing a femoral head excision is different than a femoral head resection.
The AKC disqualified Casper from showing in the future and took away his wins he had AFTER the femoral head excision. He was already a champion, so the AKC did not take away his championship title or de-register him or any of his puppies, as several viscious competitors have told newcomers. Casper can still breed, his progeny can still be registered with AKC, and he continues to produce beautifully structured puppies that finish easily.
In October 2003, I started showing Sky as a special. He ended up #15 for 2003. In 2004, I specialed Sky and Caliopi who ended the year as #9 and #11 in breed points, respectively. In 2005, I specialed Caliopi's full sibling, Ch Blossom Valley Romancing the Ghost ("Romeo") who ended the year as #1 in breed points. In 2006, I continued to special Romeo, and sent him to Ohio to show with Tim and Tracy Zietz in July, so that Gabriel could special Ch Blossom Valley Theodore Roosevelt ("Teddy"), who is owned by August and Lani Dougherty. Romeo came back for the 2006 Eukanuba Invitational in December 2006, but he had a bout of dog show diarrhea the week before and was only 14 pounds. He was still not up to par and did not win any of the preceding shows or any of the Eukanuba awards. By the time I sent him back to the Zietz's, he was back to his normal 17 pounds.
Romeo came home the end of May 2007. As of November 30, 2007, he is #8 in Breed Points.
All rights reserved by Annette Gilliam
Copyright 2002-2007
