Tasha was my first Sammie and
a rescue from a terrible situation. She jumped into my car
and never looked back as we drove away from the people who
had kept her outdoors on a 4 foot chain with no protection
from the elements and little attention. We discovered she was
afraid of men and she pretty much stayed to herself. About 6
months after getting her, on a Saturday morning, she did the
previously unthinkable - she jumped up on our bed and began
giving us kisses. It was as if someone had thrown a switch
and she decided that she was staying.
I began training her in
obedience and at our first AKC trial, she went through her
paces, won the Novice A class and went on to High In Trial
honors. I knew we could only go downhill from that day.
At one trial, she politely
serenaded the entire group during the long down with her
melodic trilling. The judge was on the end of the ring away
from me and we both leaned forward and looked at each other
when she started. While she didn't disturb any of the other
dogs, I knew we would not receive a qualifying score that
day. You would not have believed the cheers that went up when
we were called back into the ring for awards - that was the
day she completed her AKC Companion Dog (CD) title!
All information and graphics are
copyrighted ©1990-2006, by Mark Joseph Walsh.