Re: new baby pictures

[Jason Simkins <jaspat2@prodigy.net>]

wow, that is all I can say..............wow!

Gina Heitz wrote:

> At 02:06 PM 7/18/01 -0700, you wrote:
> >Gina,
> >sweet story about the namesake..............
> >
> >Patty.
> Oh Patty,
>
> If you only had the time to read all of my sweet stories about these dogs
> and what they mean to me, and how much love and thought goes into each of
> their names as it does with all of you...  Also as you well know the love
> they return.
>
> Our Gambler was named to tribute my first dog as an adult, a GSD that was a
> wash out from the Guide Dogs for the Blind program in San Rafael
> CA.  "Hobby" was too much dog for the program and I was the chosen one to
> "tame" him.  Well after 24 hours of having Hobby I drug out the phone book
> looked up dog trainers and found the Marin County Dog Obedience Club, the
> most affordable option I could find, and truly the best too, as this is
> where I got my start in the world of pure bred dogs, this was in 1985.  I
> had never had a dog before and I was totally lost and Hobby was a lot of
> dog but I was to ignorant to know this at that time.  I thought a dog was a
> dog and well you just had to teach them, ignorance is such bliss.  Actually
> I thought I was getting a semi trained dog.
>
> After the first week of classes he settled in fairly well, had a good chunk
> of his coat missing form his neck form all the pulling and my biceps grew
> and inch at least.  By 3 months we were a team, and we were competing in
> matches and getting ready to go for our CD.  One problem though, Guide
> Dog's retains ownership and to compete Hobby would have to be ILP'ed
> through AKC a proxy registration so to speak.  I got the forms and when I
> called Guide Dogs to get some info I thought they would have they signed
> him over to me so I did not have to do the ILP, back then btw it cost $8.00
> to register a dog with AKC, August 1 2001 it goes up to $15.00.  Once
> registered Hobby and I hit the bricks hard, and we went into the obedience
> ring almost every weekend, matches and trials when we could find a
> trail.  I put two legs on Hobby toward his CD in 3 tries.  He then became
> ill.  Along came Gambler, not planned at all he was actually a gift from
> his breeder as a 9 week old fluff ball. His breeder knew I was loosing
> Hobby, I did not, again ignorance was bliss, till the day I had to say good
> bye to Hobby.  He had a brain tumor.  His name was:  Major Hobby Von
> Felix.  Major because he was a "police dog" Hobby as that was his call
> name, back then I thought you had to use the call name in the registered
> name.  Von to designate German, and Felix was my married at that time name.
>
> Gambler helped me through the loss and was my constant companion for 12
> years, I think I can count the days of separation between Gambler and I on
> two hands...  He saw me though it all, good times, bad times, iffy times
> and the best of times: the here and now the move to Oregon with George the
> trips to the coast, the mountains, just hanging out on the farm.  His
> registered name was:  Foxfire's Gambl'en For A Hobby, I think it was a
> really nice tribute to a great dog "Hobby".  I have carried on the
> tradition of the tribute names through Gidget, as she was born on Gamblers
> 12th birthday, 21 days after her birth he passed on.  DiTTo again tributes
> the theme with her registered name...
>
> More later, it's getting really late, and I am just about out of tissue...
>
> Gina