Recap and the New Year

2017 was a year which saw many accomplishments for Rosewood, the most special of which was Seamus earning his NW3 title in first place, a memory I will treasure always! Fiona earned her Conformation Championship in style with a big, major win and she added Trick Dog Intermediate to her list of titles. Her cousin, Annabelle, won Best of Breed Owner Handled more than once before being bred and giving us a gorgeous litter of 11 puppies.

Those puppies, born July 6th, kept us very busy all summer and Annabelle proved to be a very good mom. Watching the little ones grow and learn about their world is something I never tire of. They learned how to balance on a small teeter-totter and wobble-board, how to climb up and down stairs, how to solve puppy-sized problems such as going around a barrier to get to their food or litter mates. They got to splash in a kiddie pool, hear noise from the vacuum, coffee grinder, and TV, explore tunnels, and meet lots of new people. They went to a club used for field training and were introduced to quail and chuckar, which some of them even pointed and retrieved!

We gave them the best start in life that we possibly could and then we bid them farewell.We had carefully chosen families that we felt would love and care for them for the rest of their lives but, even so, it was hard to see them leave.

We also said goodbye to our dear old boy, Max, and that was the hardest of all. Max was 15 1/2 and had been my partner and close companion and my husband's snuggle buddy for all of those years. After Max passed, I wanted to write a fitting tribute but, even now, I'm unable to find the words. He was simply the best. And we miss him.

Mia will be 13 this year, and Seamus will be 12. The forever-young Lucy will be 9. As 2018 begins, I'm looking forward to keeping these three seniors active, healthy and having fun. Hopefully Seamus will get a chance to earn his NW3 Elite title and Lucy her NW2. Some time ago, Mia earned the title Queen B, and she won't be giving that up any time soon!

Annabelle will likely finish her Conformation Championship and have another litter later this year. Fiona will try for a Rally title, Grand Championship, and possibly NW2 if she can fit it all in and still have time for her first breeding.

It's sobering to think of how quickly time passes.

We have a lot of goals for 2018, but the most important is to take the time to simply enjoy each of our wonderful and unique dogs. May you find the time to do the same with all those you cherish, whether they have two legs or four.

Happy New Year!