Dash, the black dog

Blog 15-Where do I start? Let’s go back to Cotton NOT Getting recognized for his double header in the first Field Trial, I ran him in. Remember a Double Header is the owner handler winning both the Open and the Amateur Event.  We did not officially transfer Cotton’s ownership via AKC, so the wins did NOT count. I never won another double header with Cotton, but my Black Labrador Retriever managed to win one in Paducah, Kentucky as a 3-year-old.  I believe that also titled her.  Her name was FC AFC TOPBRASS JORDACHE.  We called her Dash.  

Dash was the result of a very famous little with 5 FIELD CHAMPIONS in the litter.  I acquired DASH through Danny Farmer. Danny is a well-known Professional Handler from Texas and Dash’s breeder was one of his clients. The breeder gave Danny the pup but neglected to tell Danny that he expected the cost of the pup be taken off his training bill.  

At the time, a very good friend of mine ours that lived with us for a short time after high school started working for Danny and agreed to raise Dash for Several months until we were returning to Illinois after training is Texas the last part of our winter trip. That friend is Paul Knutson, who is still training dogs and has a wonderful kennel facility in Orchard, Colorado, where he and his wife, Julie, have very nice training grounds. Orchard is about an hour east of Denver.  We have visited them several times and stayed in their beautiful home.

Dash not only finished several Nationals, but also had several litters of pups.  She was also a wonderful house dog. When I finally made the decision that it was time to say goodbye, I drove her to our local vet in Madison, FL. We stopped on route, and I bought her a Cheeseburger and a dish of ice cream.  When the vet came out, I asked him to leave her in the car. He gave her the shot while she ate the ice cream. I took her back to Judy Rasmuson’s, where she is buried under one of the Live Oaks on the property. I even bought a tomb stone for her grave.