Just Call Me Gracie

Linda & Gracie

Known simply as "Gracie" to her friends, she was officially known as

Ch Paisley Patch Mt's Amazing Grace RD, Am/Can CD, RN, NA, CGC, ROMX.

Gracie passed away last week at the age of 14+ and is very much missed by her owner Linda who wrote on her Facebook page:

"She is gone. My beloved Gracie. She eaves behind a legacy of over 100 performance titles in descendants, 24 Champions and the #1 and #20 Dal in 2010. She was my once in a life time girl and soulmate. My tears won't stop."

Gracie flew off with Linda & Richard 14 years ago.  She was a daughter of Ch. "Salem", litter sister to multi-BiS winning Ch. "Morris" CD.  Salem & Morris were from the wonderful combination of Ch. "Rob" CD and Ch. "Eloise".  Her sire was linebred Paisley as well, and Gracie (plus Chs. Sidney, Dobie & Carmen) represented the 13th generation of linebred Paisley Dalmatians.

Grace was Linda's foundation bitch and started a wonderful line of top show and performance Dalmatians.  Her first litter was by our Ch. "Watson" and produced "Carina" formally known as CT Ch PatchMtn C Pepper N Paisley RE OA OAJ OAP NJP NF RD CPC PAC CAN TDX AG AGNJ.  In addition to being a VERY titled champion and performance dog, Carina was also a fine brood bitch.  In her only litter she produced 5 champions which included her daughter Ch. "Daisy" who was the #1 Dal in breed points last year, and son "Corey" CT GBlackthorn Coreopis of PatchMt TDX RN NA NAJ Canadian CH & TDX.  The CT title stands for Champion Tracker, a particularly difficult title to obtain.  Both Daisy and Corey have themselves produced Champion offspring.

Bred twice to Ch. "Sawyer Brown" Gracie produced 6 Champions, including Linda's "Maeve" who also sports many performance titles, and will be filling in for her mother now, as Linda's best friend.


When Gracie won the DCA Road Trial the some years ago (pictured above),  Linda took riding lessons while training Gracie with a bike, and they passed their 12.5 mile course in style to obtain the RD.  Gracie's other titles were in the breed ring, as a top producer, as well as agility, obedience, and rally.  Truly an all around dog, but Linda will remember Gracie most as a wonderful companion and soulmate, the most important career for a dog.

Mutts Is Mutts

This YouTube video is terrific. If you listen carefully you will hear most of the arguments used to sell Labradoodles and other mixed breed dogs for vast sums of money. It used to be just Cockapoos, but now many breeds are crossed to create - expensive MUTTS. They are NOT healthier, smarter, or anything else. Responsible breeders of purebred dogs spend a lot of time & money doing health testing in an attempt to produce the healthiest possible pups - their goal, to produce ever better quality. Designer Dog breeders have a different goal - to make money.

Oops!

Drat.  Overslept.  Clock radio did go off, I just slipped right back into a sleep mode, perhaps because I stayed awake last night thinking about the national coming up in May. 

Should be an interesting year as the membership continues to fight over the backcross issue, and the breed judge has led the charge from behind the scenes.  There's a great deal of animosity floating around out there, and there are some people who won't have Specials entries because they expect "the issue" to affect the judging results.  Hope that is not the case, but I understand their concern.  I've always felt that at the national you show to many people besides the judge.  You are also showing to the ringsiders, especially the newer exhibitors, and you are showing off a dog you are proud of.  Although most people are pretty sure they know who will win, that isn't always how things play out.

See you there!