My parents had Dobermans (Viking Kennels) before they had children and more than once as I was growing up I’d hear my Mom say, “I have four children and if I’d been smart, I’d have quit with the Dobermans. My dogs come when they are called, always eat what I fix for dinner and rarely complain!”
In the early 1970’s, Arrowhead’s Loantaka, CD (Clyde), was the first dog I owned after leaving my parents home. Clyde was a wonderful male Doberman who shared my life until he died of Cardio at age 7. When Clyde was a year old, I decided I wanted a show Doberman and Pearl, Ch. Queen’s Over Pearl’s Retort, came to live with me. She was to be the first of my special “heart dogs”. She lived to be 13 and was bred once and produced my first homebred champion, Ch. Shadetree’s Chani.
My next Doberman, Chatelaine Bedevilment, Bea, came to live with me in a blinding snowstorm. She always loved the snow and would jump up and chase snowflakes like they were balls! Sadly, Bea had liver disease and only lived to be 6 1/2.
Lizzy, Ch. Careveille Dizzy Miss Lizzy, was my next “heart dog”. I owner-handled her and she finished with two back-to-back five point specialty win majors. We did everything together until, at age 8, Lizzy died of nasal carcinoma.
Ch. Nova’s Zelda V Kelview, CDX, BH, TT, TDI, CGC, aka Zelda, Zellie-Bell, Zellie-Mae, Z-butt or Ms Z, came into my life next and amazingly, I found I had yet another of those very special “heart dogs”… Zelda is now six years old and shares my heart and my bed with her son, Viking’s Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown is working in Schutzhund and is showing in the breed ring, when he is not driving me or his mother crazy acting like a silly boy dog! I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, I only hope that all my tomorrows include a Doberman in my bed.