Remembering Christmas Eve 2008

 Utley turned 15 12/24/2023.  He was born on Christmas Eve 2008 and I wrote a blog post about that litter  Christmas Blessings 

Utley- age 15

Happy Birthday Utley!

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Celebrating 2023

 2023 is coming to an end, but what a year it has been.  January 2023 started with Gregory becoming a Grand Champion and Latte becoming a Champion. Gregory moved to Hawaii and Latte is in Alaska.  I had a lovely litter of puppies to enjoy from Chica, and one of them,  Tristan, completed his Championship from the puppy class with two specialty majors and a win under a well respected Collie breeder.   He is a fun dog and the two of us also completed the his Farm Dog Certification.  

Chica made me proud by also earning her championship in very short order.  I was surprised at how fast she finished, but she loves to show and that makes it fun for everyone.  

Granby came within 4 points of becoming a new champion.  Zachary also surprised me one weekend when he was Best of Breed over many champions for a 4 point major.   We will see what fun we can have next year with these two.

I showed dogs for other people as well and I won with them too.  Many Acadia shelties earned titles in performance and I am always proud of them.   

I was voted in as President of the Northwestern Connecticut Dog Club, Inc and I hope I can both enjoy this position and also elevate pure-bred dogs in Litchfield County.   I have lots of ideas.   2023 was a good year!

New titles are in Italics 

GCh Acadia Gregarious BCAT 

Ch Acadia Peggin Iced Latte HT, RN 

Ch Acadia Trusted Opinion FDC 

Ch Acadia Opinion Provided 

Acadia's Celestial Mystery AX, MXJ, NF 

Peggin Acadia Breve, RN, PT 

Acadia Dream Come True, AX, MXJ, XF, T2B 

Ch Acadia Independence Day, CD, PCD, BN, RM2, RAE,

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Granby started with a Bang!

 Acadia All Aglow, "Granby", has had two very good weekends.  Last weekend she was WB + all 3 days and she earned both majors plus 2 pts to end the weekend with 11 points.  Today she was WB for 1 point.  Granby is Lolo's only daughter and I have really been Thankful to have her and have her doing so well at the shows.  

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Ch. Acadia Opinion Provided-

Ch. Acadia Opinion Provided - judge Bob Futh

 Chica is proving to be quite the Producer!   She is the daughter of GCh.S. Acadia Stage Presence, CC- "Liza" and I am so excited to have a Liza daughter that is carrying us forward so successfully.

Chica is the mother of, Ch. Acadia Peggin Iced Latte, HT, GChB. Acadia Gregarious, BCAT, Ch. Acadia Trusted Opinion, FDC,  Acadia's Celestial Mystery, AX, MXJ, NF, Acadia Popular Opinion, Acadia Everyone's Opinion.  Chica is the 8th Consecutive Generation of Ch. bitches and the 6th generation of Acadia breeding.

GChB Acadia Gregarious, BCAT

GChB. Acadia Gregarious, BCAT

Ch. Acadia Trusted Opinion, FDC

Acadia Popular Opinion

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October 28 A warm late October day

 Today is my birthday and I wanted to celebrate it by going to a local park and take pictures of Aiden.  He is so pretty.  The day is unusually warm and it was a nice way to spend the day. 

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**NEW CHAMPION** Acadia Opinion Provided- aka- Chica

 Chica finished in Grand Fashion winning a 4 point major to finish when she just needed 4 single points.  Chica is a funny girl with a sense of humor.  I feel so fortunate to have her.  I hope that she will be my first Registrar of Merit (ROM)- which means (for girls) that she produced 5 champion offspring.  It is a coveted title, and one that has eluded me so far.   

To date, Chica is the mother of GCh. Acadia's Gregarious, BCAT, Ch. Acadia Trusted Opinion, FDC, and Ch. Acadia Peggin Iced Latte, HT.  Waiting in the wings are Acadia Popular Opinion (Tecla) and Acadia Everyone's Opinion (Trestle).

Chica is the 8th Consecutive generation of Champion bitches and the 6th consecutive generation of Acadia bred bitches.  I am hoping that Tecla and Trestle will follow in her footsteps.  

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**New Champion** Laureate Lavania

      Phew!  Today Vania won the final 2 points needed for the championship.  When she came to me to be shown, she had 8 points with a specialty major.  All I needed to do was win 7 more points and another major.....  That's all.  The 1st summer she was with me we won a 4 point major.  She was not giving me her undivided attention, she didn't seem to enjoy showing, and she didn't really know who I was.  In typical sheltie fashion- she didn't know me, why should she stand there and look at me just because I had food? 

     Kim and Pete asked me if I wanted to co-breed a litter of puppies and then attempt to get the final 4 points afterwards.   Yes!  We bred Vania to Am/Can Ch. Laureate Invincible, ROM/ROMC.  She had a lovely litter of puppies.  Since she has been here we have become good friends.  This summer the showing has gone much easier. She won Best of Breed over dogs that are already champions 3 times and placed in the Herding group once.  

     The judge that awarded her this final Best of Breed for her last required points said, "she looks at you adoringly".   Wow- I adore her too.  We have come a long way together.  In a post from last summer I was worried I was going to be a "one hit wonder" for Laureate- only finishing MeMe- but yesterday- Vania and I earned the last of the required 15 points.  

 

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July - 13 years ago -2010

 July 30- Today would have been my dad's 94 birthday.    This July Liza turned 13.  She is still with us. 

July 2010 was a monumental month in that year.  I had started a new job in March which was proving to be challenging and my father had been diagnosed with Cancer.  In other posts from 2010 I thank Guy Jeavons, Grandgables shelties, for allowing his new champion GCh.P Grandgables The Frat Boy, ROM, ROMC (he didn't have all of those titles at that time) to come visit so I could breed him to the sisters, GCh. Acadia Presence of Mind (Cassia) and Ch. Acadia Peaceful Garden.  They were both due the end of July.  As we now know, they were born the same week my father passed away. 

This past week both GCh.S. Acadia Stage Presence, CC ("Liza') and GCh. Acadia Serenity ("Serena") celebrated birthdays.  Those two girls were so significant to me and at a time that was challenging, they proved to be a bright spot.   Liza was my team-mate who made all of  my dog show & breeder dreams come true.  Serena and I won the Bred-by Exhibitor class at the ASSA National.  That is the one class that I feel is the most important and she was the one to win it.  Posts about the these two girls can be found through-out the blog.  

Happy Birthday dad, Liza and Serena.  

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25 is a nice milestone

Today I received an AKC championship certificate for my 25th homebred champion, Ch. Acadia Trusted Opinion ("Tristan").   It is also 25 years ago that my first homebred champion, Ch. Acadia's Bright Idea, NA, NAJ, RA ("Payson"), was born (10/17/1998).  

Payson's mother was a cutie named Dana that Shirley Vicchitto, Zion shelties, leased to me for a litter.  I was hoping for a boy, and Dana had a litter of 6 boys.   I kept two brothers, Payson, and Rocky- who would also be one of the 25 champions bred by me.  He became Ch. Acadia Rock Solid, HT. 

1982- Ch. Parker of Mirluc, CD with
future Ch. Arista's Abbey Road (bottom)

Both Payson and Rocky produced champions.  Rocky can be found in Tristan's pedigree.   Payson can be found in many of the pedigrees of Sharon Crawford's Sunburst shelties. 

I have also had 10 dogs I purchased that completed the championship- for 35 champion dogs as of today.  Shirley met me because of my very first champion, Ch. Parker of Mirluc, CD, who I purchased from Betty Ieronimo, Mirluc shelties.    It was because of Parker that Shirley sold me Tucket, Ch. Zion Acadia Town Heroine, CDX, PT, VCX and it was because of my success with Tucket that Shirley leased Dana to me.  Tucket did produce 1 champion daughter- also a multi-titled dog, Ch. Acadia Another Story, UD, PT, NA, VCX.   

    I was living in Arizona, as was Sharon Crawford, and Sharon fell in love with Tucket.  Shirley sent Tucket's mother, Tuffy to me to show and Sharon loved her too.  Tucket had a brother, Ch. Zion's Man About Town, HT, NA, VC, 5CC ("Jamie"), who was THE hot winning dog at the time!  Sharon bred to Jamie which was very successful for her.  Subsequently I was able to purchase Ch. Sunburst Acadia Here I Come, ("Carrie") a descendant from these successful pairings who became the anchor of my breeding program.  

    It is so interesting how these dogs and people weave together.  I love looking back and seeing how the family is still going strong- thanks to good breeders who care about the dogs.  Many of the dogs in this family have titles in multiple venues.  They are smart, happy, and good "Shetland sheepdogs".   I look forward to the next 25.

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13 Years ago - July 26, 2010

7/26/2023 marks 13 years since my dad passed away. So often I hear people talk as if 5 or 10 years ago is ancient history- and maybe it is when it comes to social media or technology changes, but interestingly enough, 13 years ago I was writing this blog- and I posted about my father's passing. I have enjoyed looking at the posts from 2010. 2010 was a very big year for me. 

 The lows were low- my father passed away and that was hard, but we were lucky. He was an active man, living with his wife (my mom), in his own home, able to take care of himself. He had been diagnosed with Cancer- and was receiving chemotherapy. One day he accidently gashed his leg and went to the Doctor to have it checked out. That Doctor told him that because his immune system was compromised, he should go to the hospital to have it examined. I am a bit fuzzy on how a gash ended up with him having surgery- but it did- and he never woke up. He was in a coma for about 10 days.

Both of my sisters got to the hospital and my sister Amy called me to tell me to get there right away- he wasn't going to make it any longer. I called Mike and we loaded up our pregnant dogs and started from Pennsylvania to Connecticut. When we got to the Connecticut state line, I called my sister to let her know our ETA. She said, "here- talk to dad" and put the phone to his ear. I said, "Dad, I love you. Hold on, I am 2 hours away......" and my sister came back on the phone and said, "he heard you- and he just passed away." Wow. At that point I wished I hadn't called. 

When I got to the hospital all of the tubes and machines had been taken away and he looked peaceful. The minister was still there and he said to me, "when he heard your voice, the heart monitor changed. He heard you. He waited for you, and he knew you were with him." Hearing those words has meant a lot to me. Dad waited for me. Although I wasn't physically there, he didn't know that. He felt the touch of family, and heard all of our voices- and he was able to leave peacefully.

A few months after he died, I had a dream about him. In my dream, he was there- and in my dream I knew I was dreaming and that he was dead- but he told me he was good. I am SO THANKFUL to have had that closure.  I love and miss you Dad.

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** New Champion** Acadia Trusted Opinion- aka Tristan

 Tristan finished today by winning Best of Breed over multiple champions from the Bred-by-Exhibitor class.  He topped the day off by winning a Herding Group 4.    He was only in 6 total shows.  I can't believe how quickly this happened! 

Tristan is the 3rd Champion for his mother Chica.

Chica- Acadia Opinion Provided, had a good weekend too.  She earn 5 more points, 1 major towards her championship.   What a Great week of shows.  So Proud of this family. 

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Families- People's and Dog's

 In 2006 the Kuszyk family was looking for a sheltie puppy and found Acadia.   They purchased a puppy whom they named Acadia's Promise of Tomorrow- aka, Piper.   That promise turned out to be years of tomorrows- loyalty and family.     

In 2018 the Kuszyk's came back for their second puppy, whom they named Koda. The family had grown-up and we thought it would be fun to do "the same photo" :-)   I LOVE this happy, playful and creative family.  I thought it was so whimsical of them to agree to do this picture 12 years later.  

It is SO rewarding to have families come back.  It is also so rewarding to be working with the same family of dogs. Piper was a litter mate of Ch. Acadia Peace of Mind- aka-  Dove.   

Koda's  great-grandmother is Dove.  Today, Kuszyk daughter, Taylor, came to pick up a puppy of her own.  Her puppy's great-grandmother is Dove.    I am so excited to be a generational member of the Kuszyk family through the love of a great furry family member.   Congratulations Taylor (and boyfriend Jordan)- I look forward to seeing how Oakley grows up.

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Proud Breeder Moment - Acadia Trusted Opinion wins under respected breeder-judges, and Cassia gives her blessing

Tristan went to his first dog show and had a Great Day! The Colonial Shetland Sheepdog Club held 2 shows in one day. 

 The morning started with a Puppy Sweepstakes.  A fun competition open only to puppies and it is a great way to get them in the ring and "loosened up" before the "real" show starts.  Tristan began the day by winning Best In Sweepstakes.  The judge, Linda Loring, said, "he is the total package".  :-)

The AM show had Breeder-Judge Ellen Worthington. She has bred many top producing and top winning dogs including an ASSA National Best of Breed winner, many important and influential ROM's and dogs that I have long wanted to incorporate into my pedigrees. One of the many traits I have valued about her tri-color dogs is the truly black pigment most of them have. 

 I have shown to Mrs. Worthington before. The last time was when Gregory and Warren were in the 6-9 puppy class. It was the weekend they were both turning 6 months old- so they were "Babies". There was one other puppy in their class, and he was closer to 9 months. He won the class, but before handing the 2nd and 3rd place ribbons to Gregory and Warren (in that order) she said, "these are both really beautiful baby boys". That meant a lot to me. We didn't win, but it was so nice that she thought they were worthy of being at the specialty show. 

 The time before that I was showing Cassia- GCh. Acadia Presence of Mind in the Bred-by Exhibitor class and Mrs. Worthington awarded her Winners Bitch for a specialty major. I was on Cloud 9! Yesterday, Mrs. Worthington awarded Cassia's grandson Winners Dog at a specialty. When we were taking pictures she asked me if he was related to "those lovely bitches of yours". I am SO Proud that Yes! He is!. She told me that she felt Tristan "favored his mother's side"- What a Wonderful Comment! Such a Proud breeder moment. 

 The PM show had Breeder-judge Lyn Leininger, also a breeder of top producing and top winning dogs. Her dogs have also won big awards at the ASSA National including Winners Dog (more than once). I love the distinct family traits of her shelties. She has not been judging long, but she has fast become a respected judge and has had assignments all over the country. For example, just last weekend she was judging in Minnesota. Just before she handed out the final ribbons, she told everyone how lovely the entry was and how she enjoyed the assignment. Again, really nice to hear that the judges felt they had good dogs to choose from. I was so honored that she awarded Tristan Winners Dog and Best of Winners! 

 In one day Tristan won both majors for a total of 8 points. Pinch Me! That never happens (to me)!! Not only is the hard part over (winning the majors), but he won them under breeder-judges that I really respect. That just makes me feel so good. I sure had a "Proud Breeder moment" yesterday.

Addition:  GCh. Acadia Presence of Mind, Cassia, passed away 6/2/2022- exactly 1 year ago on the day that Ellen Worthington awarded her grandson WD.   Sometimes things occur that make my heart skip a beat, my eyes tear up, and I say an Extra Prayer of gratitude. 

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Fun Time pictures with Tecla, Trestle, Tristan 6 weeks, 4 months, 8 months

Tecla and Trestle

Tecla, Trestle, Tristan- 8 months

Teddy, Tecla, Tristan, Trestle- 6 wks

Tecla, Trestle, Tristan- 4 months

Trestle, Tristan- 8 months

 

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FAST CAT- Gregory loved it!

 

I had wondered (in a different blog post) what Gregory would enjoy doing next.  The Shetland Sheepdog Club of Hawaii offered the first Fast CAT competition in Hawaii and Guy took Gregory to see if he would enjoy it.  Boy did he!!   He racked up a bunch of points, but with limited opportunity, he might not get to do it again for a while.

CAT is short-hand for Coursing Ability Test.  It's a timed 100-yard dash where the dogs run, one at a time, as fast as they can, chasing a lure.   Sounds like a fun way to just release some energy and earn titles too.

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Mother's Day- don't bother sending flowers or cards- but bones or dog treats would be nice

 I Love my MOTHERS!   I currently have my 9th generation of young girls growing up- they are:

Daughters of Acadia Opinion Provided "Chica"

Tecla

Acadia Popular Opinion, "Tecla"

Acadia
Everyone's Opinion, "Trestle"

Daughter of GCh. Acadia Light Up The Stage, "Lolo"

Acadia All Aglow, "Granby"

GChS. Acadia's Stage Presence, CC, "Liza" is the mother to both Chica and Lolo.  When Chica was delivering the litter of puppies that had Tecla and Trestle, Liza was in the room too and as Chica was having contractions and delivering the next puppy, and I was putting the already delivered puppies into the warming box.  Liza was drying them off by licking them.   I was busy with the task of delivering the litter and I didn't think about pictures at the time- and now I sure wish I had taken the time to think about how much it would mean to me later.

Liza

Liza kept wanting to get into the warming box with them, but it is not big enough for that, so I made her stand next to the box for her self imposed duties.  She was 11.5 years old at the time.  I was so impressed, and of course I anthropomorphized that she knew these were her grand-puppies and she wanted to make sure they had the best start in life.   I don't really know if she understood they are her grandchildren, but I do know that she is a a Super Mom.  

Chica takes after Liza as a Super Mom and it is my hope that Tecla and Trestle will one day take after their mother.  The saying good mothers, make good mothers has held true for me so far, and I hope to continue and celebrate Mother's Day every year for many more to come.

To my own mother, who passed away 6 years ago- You
were a Super Mom too and I miss you more than tongue can tell.

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Tecla- Acadia Popular Opinion

Tecla- I just love her!! 

She is 8 months old.

She is one of the GCh. Solange Ultravox X Acadia Opinion Provided puppies.  

 

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*New CH* Acadia Peggin Iced Latte

So Happy for all involved.  Susan and Alain Lamoureax have been wonderful co-owners.  They live in Alaska and have made the commitment to completing the championship by traveling to Connecticut so I could show her.  Lucky for all of us, she had a very good win percentage and made the process relatively easy.  

Latte loves to show and is so fun because of it.  Latte is from Chica's first litter and she is her second Champion offspring - Ch. Acadia Gregarious being her 1st.  

Latte also has 2 Herding Tested (HT) Legs, but they were under the same judge, so she needs 1 more under a different judge for the HT title.  I am looking forward to her having titles at Both ends of her name!

The next day, Latte won Best of Breed over many other champions.  It was a large entry, and an honor to be recognized.

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Puppy Fun

 

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GCh. Acadia Gregarious - aka- Gregory- has moved to Hawaii

 Congratulations to Gregory and Guy Okada.   Gregory has moved to Hawaii with Guy.  Lucky Dog! 

I wish them both Luck as they show and become a team.  I am excited to see what comes. 

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GCh. Solange Ultravox X Acadia Opinion Provided puppies at 4 months

 I am very excited about these three.  The fourth boy- now Teddy- could have been shown, but a perfect pet home came along and claimed him.  I posted pictures of this litter when they were 6 weeks old.   Tecla really reminds me of Liza.  I just love looking at them- and they each have super temperaments.   The ones remaining here are Tecla, Trestle, Tristan.  These are the GCh. Solange Ultravox (Graham) x Acadia Opinion Provided (Chica)  puppies.  I hope they are my next show prospects.

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