In talking to
many breeders over the years, it seems that each breeder can tell you about
that "special" one. The one dog that captured their hearts just a little
more than the rest.
This does not mean that we don't love the rest but for anyone who has had a lifetime of dogs they will know what I mean. For me, that very special one is and always will be my Rosie. She took her first tentative breath in the palm of my hand and she has been a big part of my life ever since. She is a highly intelligent, thinking dog, a spoiled demanding brat who can be very difficult to live with if she doesn't get her way, yet I adore her. She is the best and brightest dog I have ever known.
This does not mean that we don't love the rest but for anyone who has had a lifetime of dogs they will know what I mean. For me, that very special one is and always will be my Rosie. She took her first tentative breath in the palm of my hand and she has been a big part of my life ever since. She is a highly intelligent, thinking dog, a spoiled demanding brat who can be very difficult to live with if she doesn't get her way, yet I adore her. She is the best and brightest dog I have ever known.
12 years old
I always knew the day would come that
Rosie would look up at me in her special way and I would just know it
was time for her to go. And so it was. There are no words
to sufficiently express my feelings
of loss of this extraordinary lady
who filled my life for nearly fifteen years.
to sufficiently express my feelings
of loss of this extraordinary lady
who filled my life for nearly fifteen years.
March 22, 1993 -
January 31, 2008
Rosie was born in our very first litter of Keeshonden. We had owned
Keeshonden prior to her birth but she was the beginning of our breeding program.
I think one of the things that made her so special was that she survived at all.
Her dam Katie had immune problems that suppressed her ability to fight off
bacteria. The resulting infection during her pregnancy caused the loss of most
of her litter but Rosie and two brothers miraculously survived. From the
moment I first looked into her eyes at 2.5 weeks I was in love. She was
from that moment the best and the brightest dog I have ever known and in spite
of her ominous beginnings thankfully she was healthy her entire life.
Since that time we have worked diligently to move forward from that litter and have pursued a breeding program that combines mostly Yankee/Candray and Keesbrook lines. We are very proud of what we have accomplished so far. Rosie, bred to the best males we could find, gave us our direction in the Keeshond breed. Brenda Brookes has been a steadfast mentor and friend since those early days..
Rosie wasn’t perfect as a conformation show dog however she did finish both her Canadian and US championships with ease. Her attitude and stunning colour took her far. (That beautiful colour came to Rosie from her paternal grandmother Holly who was a gorgeous black and silver colour) She gave us some lovely puppies through those early litters which we have built upon with each generation. Although I have loved all of our dogs over the years Rosie and I shared a special bond that is too difficult to translate into words. She was so smart and so special yet so wilful and demanding that living with her was trying at times. She would not give up on an idea and if you didn’t give in to her demands she just would not stop bugging about it. She lifted her leg to pee and was boss dog in the house without any outward signs. The others just knew she was top. I completely adored her for all of the nearly 15 years we shared with her until the devastating loss of her in 2008 when she died in my arms. I still adore her. There will never be another Rosie but I keep hoping with each litter to see those bright little knowing eyes again.
All of the girls that have stayed here since Rosie whelped her first litter in 1995 have had Rose in their names. This is to signify that they came down the female line from Rosie. It’s my little way of making sure she is remembered. So in that small way she lives on.
Since that time we have worked diligently to move forward from that litter and have pursued a breeding program that combines mostly Yankee/Candray and Keesbrook lines. We are very proud of what we have accomplished so far. Rosie, bred to the best males we could find, gave us our direction in the Keeshond breed. Brenda Brookes has been a steadfast mentor and friend since those early days..
Rosie wasn’t perfect as a conformation show dog however she did finish both her Canadian and US championships with ease. Her attitude and stunning colour took her far. (That beautiful colour came to Rosie from her paternal grandmother Holly who was a gorgeous black and silver colour) She gave us some lovely puppies through those early litters which we have built upon with each generation. Although I have loved all of our dogs over the years Rosie and I shared a special bond that is too difficult to translate into words. She was so smart and so special yet so wilful and demanding that living with her was trying at times. She would not give up on an idea and if you didn’t give in to her demands she just would not stop bugging about it. She lifted her leg to pee and was boss dog in the house without any outward signs. The others just knew she was top. I completely adored her for all of the nearly 15 years we shared with her until the devastating loss of her in 2008 when she died in my arms. I still adore her. There will never be another Rosie but I keep hoping with each litter to see those bright little knowing eyes again.
All of the girls that have stayed here since Rosie whelped her first litter in 1995 have had Rose in their names. This is to signify that they came down the female line from Rosie. It’s my little way of making sure she is remembered. So in that small way she lives on.
Can/Am. Ch. Rose For Owenbriar
