The litter was born in July. Every week on Sunday I would hang out with the breeder and the puppies. I played with them and began to chronicle the life of Chase through photographs. On the Lee Valley Road farm he had room to grow. We started doing a weekly visit to the Badger Kennel Club, doggie school. Just sit on the sidelines for puppy socialization.
Steven and I bought a new Ford Ranger with a topper. We added slider windows in the cab and topper and placed a boot to seal the passage. Once Chase reached the right height, he immediately learned to jump and scramble through. Chase went everywhere with me. When he was the proper age, we registered for obedience classes with Jo-El Kennel Club to receive the best instruction from Drew and Betsy.
Within a year we traveled to Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan to compete in obedience trials to earn his Companion Dog (CD) certificate. Once accomplished, onward to Companion Dog eXcellent (CDX) which included jumps.
Life changes happened: our address moved, my relationships changed. But Chase was the constant.
When I was pregnant with Philip, family and friends said to get rid of my dog because he’d eat the baby. Chase was mine to keep. Anyone who spent time with us would be convinced that his training was complete. Philip’s first word was “Dog.”
Philip, Chase, and I went everywhere. We’d travel to dog shows. Sometime camping. Chase started working on his Utility Dog (UD) certificate. Then we added the activity he really loved.
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