CH. KANDU’S THISTLE DEW NICELY CD MX AXJ CGC NAC NGC
a.k.a. "Dewey"
Owners: Brenda Morris & Peggy Wanner
The first time I set eyes on Dewey, he was in an exercise pen on the show grounds at Black Foot, Idaho, part of the Copper Circuit. He was only six months old and had already picked up his first 5 point major. It was love at first sight and as soon as I returned to Vegas, I called his breeder, Peggy Wanner, and offered her a large sum, by my financial status. Peggy turned me down. A few years later, with two girls in season, I called Peggy and asked to breed to one of her Champions. Instead of shipping both girls to Peggy, she flew one of her champions to Las Vegas and the rest is history. Dewey is a very dominant male and had created a few problems in the Kandu household. Peggy offered him to me with the proviso that I put a title on the other end of his name. I accepted!!!
At the time, obedience was the only venue I knew of for a performance title. Dewey was less than enthusiastic about it. He hated the heeling...felt it was boring and, on one occasion, he walked to the center of the ring and proceeded to watch me do a solo heeling pattern. Soon after finishing his CD, we were introduced to agility and have never looked back.
Dewey and I spent one to two nights a week suffering through the Las Vegas heat and excelling at everything that was thrown at us. Whenever he saw me get out his buckle collar, he would run towards me, beg to get it on and head for the training area. His favorite event was the Open Tunnel which, when off lead, he would head for and play “try to catch me if you can.” His least favorite event was the Teeter. Because he only weighed around 5 pounds at that time, he had, on three different occasions, bailed off the end of the Teeter and landed hard. One time he did a double somersault and I thought he had broken his neck. Each time, he didn’t want to get back on the Teeter (I can understand that also) and we had to go back to the start of training and reintroduce him to the Teeter with bait (he prefers Filet Mignon). He did so well with his training and was having so much fun that I decided to enter him in a San Diego Agility Trial. I had only three months of training at that point.
I arrived early and observed the end of the Open class. Most of the time they run the Excellent, Open and Novice class in that order. After the Open class ended we were allowed to begin the “Course Familiarization” for Novice. This is the time in which you are permitted to walk the course, without your dog, prior to the start of the class. This was followed by a once only opportunity to take Dewey over the contact obstacles. This only happens in the Novice class. Then the judge gave a speech about the rules and the course time you have to do it in and then, it began. I had all the confidence in the world that my dog would listen to me and do exactly what I ordered him to do! NOT!!! When I said “Dewey, over,” he thought I said “Dewey, go find all of the tunnels,” and I spent the next few seconds—which felt like hours—begging him to come back to the correct jump and complete the course. By the time we had completed the course, I thought they would have to call the Paramedics for me. My knees felt like Jello and I just knew I was a prime candidate for a lung transplant. I was told that for a “first timer” I had done very well (what a con job) and that things would go better the next day.
Well, the next day came and I arrived with the same confidence of the previous day. I thought I knew what the judge’s briefing was all about and so I failed to listen to every word coming out of her mouth. This would prove to be fatal. The third obstacle on the course was the Teeter and Dewey decided he didn’t want to do it. At first he got on with all four paws and then jumped off. My ignorant self decided to beg him back onto the obstacle and as soon as he put one paw on it, I heard a whistle and the judge telling me to please leave the course. I’ve never been asked to leave the ring and was I ever humiliated. No, I hadn’t read the Regulations for Agility Trials. I hadn’t even seen a copy. I now own several and have read them from stem to stern. For safety reasons, there is a rule prohibiting you from redoing a contact obstacle once a dog has put all four paws on it and then jumped off. This weekend was a learning experience that I didn’t intend to repeat.
Dewey and I went back to the drawing board and worked on “control”. . . voice directions, using your body as a magnet and various other techniques which enable you to communicate as a team in the ring. And TEAM is the word for what you have to become in order to function in Agility. We started showing again the following Spring. It took four Trials in all before Dewey and I pulled our first qualifying score (1st place) and each time we learned something about each other which made us a better team. On the Memorial Day weekend, at the Mission Circuit, Dewey completed his third leg (all 1st places) for the Novice Agility (NA) title. On our last day, we moved up to the Open class and were welcomed by all to the Weaves. Although he knew how to weave, we again experienced the new-kid-on-the-block syndrome which only served to keep us humble—well at least I felt humble—and working hard to get our OA.
Besides Dewey’s love for the sport, there’s another side of Dewey that I would like to share. I had traveled with a few friends to an Agility trial at the L.A. County Fairplex. On the second day of the trials, I awoke feeling a little dizzy and knew my blood sugar levels were a little off. After arriving at the site, Dewey and I managed to pick up a ribbon in Standard and then had a long wait before running the Jumpers course. I decided to take Dewey and lay down in the van. I slept for several hours and awoke shortly before the set-up for Excellent Jumpers was finished. When I took him back to his exercise pen, my students advised me to skip Jumpers. They were concerned about my appearance. However, the Open course was ready for “walk thru” and they left to walk their course.
I didn’t listen to them. I headed for Excellent Jumpers and walked the course a few times. Dewey was the second dog on the line and we began the course with speed. Although I was getting dizzier with each step, I kept pushing myself to complete the course. Halfway into the run, Dewey stopped and sat down. Nothing I said made him move. He just sat there in the middle of the ring and forced me to ask the judge to excuse us. I picked him up and walked out of the ring. My students had been watching the run and knew why Dewey felt compelled to take control. Apparently I had lost all color in my face and looked like someone who was about ready to pass out. Dewey’s love for me was greater than his love for agility. He too thought I was going to hit the ground and he forced me to stop.
I wish I could say that this was the only time Dewey felt he had to take control. I developed Osteoarthritis years ago and running is very difficult for me. There were other occasions where the pain in my legs was so great that Dewey felt he had to stop. This is why, in order to finish his MX, I asked one of my students to work with him. Dewey seemed to understand and developed an instant bond with Zee Marie. On their very first run together, they Q’d. The next two runs didn’t go as well. Dewey expected perfection from Zee and when she didn’t do what he thought she should, he bolted from the ring and ran to the motorhome, where I was working as the trial secretary, to “tell” on her. (It should be noted that Zee was actually a novice at agility and did an outstanding job of handling an excellent level course and dog.) Zee and Dewey finished the MX title in February ‘02.
Dewey was fifteen years young in November of ‘07. In January of '08, Dewey suffered a severe stroke and had to be sent to the rainbow bridge. Dewey will always be in my heart and thoughts. He is greatly missed.
Breeder/Co-Owner:
Peggy Wanner
Co-Owner/Trainer:
Brenda Morris
