Forever In My Heart

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” –Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Drake: Ch. Lobuff Atlantic City Slicker (Ch. Ghoststone’s Louie Downtown X Lobuff’s Holiday)
Drake was a beautiful dog, with good bone and all the parts in the right places. He was muscular and balanced, and even though he had plenty of size, he somehow moved lightly. When placing him as Best Veteran at the 2009 Labrador National Specialty, Judge Beth Sweigart described him as “magnificent”. We couldn’t agree more. His physical beauty was matched by his disposition. He was calm and always trustworthy, whether with children, puppies, kittens or yes, even carry-out food. He loved riding “shotgun” in my car wherever I went. He has produced plenty of champions, service dogs and beloved companions, passing along that gentle temperament, always. I loved him so and I guess I will always miss him.

Hudson: BISS Ch. Atlantic Locomotive to Sherfire (Ch. Borador’s By George X Atlantic’s Little Miss Magic)
Hudson was Drake’s nephew: out of Drake’s littermate, by Piper’s sire. How could he go wrong? He was a beautiful show dog, a great mover….. and a perpetual puppy. He gave us many exciting wins, including a Best in Specialty Show, co-owned with Leslie Seligmann. Hudson spent his retirement years with Nancy Stalnaker’s sons Bill and Jim Holmes, where they brightened each other’s lives. He came out of retirement just long enough to win Best Veteran at the Papago Labrador Retriever Club Specialty.

Dexter C.D.
Dexter was my first Labrador Retriever, a gift from a friend on the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. What a sweet guy he was! He was our introduction to the versatility of this breed, and we earned his Companion Dog title, which in turn introduced us to the world of dog shows and started this whole adventure. Dexter also visited nursing homes and rehab centers, where he played ball with the patients or sometimes just sat quietly to be hugged and petted.

Mr. Peabody C.D.
Mr. Peabody was Dexter’s son, and a dear doggie he was. He earned his C.D. at 8 months of age, and had 2 legs on his CDX before he decided he was done jumping. Bless his heart, he was a good dog but he didn’t much like wearing the reindeer antler hat when we would deliver Christmas gifts. But everything he did, he did in good humor.

Cherry Bomb and Rosie
These dear girls were our first “conformation show dogs”. Neither finished their championship, but they helped us learn a lot along the way. They were sweet companions who gave much love and for that they will always have a special place in our heart..