Tributes
Two dog treats sit by the back door. Nestled on a small decorative craft store shelf, they wait for owners destined never to enjoy them. Occasionally, they fall from their lofty perch and are immediately replaced. And while the biscuits come and go, their significance always remains the same. They are symbols of our love for our dear departed girls as we strive to keep their memories alive in our everyday routine. There are other reminders of happy times, pictures galore, half chewed bones and of course the weekend bandanas. They hang in a row with everyone elses. Every Friday we would put them on as if to signal the arrival of two glorious days at home when we could be together and have fun. The dogs knew, oh yes they knew as only creatures of habit could. And inevitably, Monday would come and the weekend bandanas would be put away for the next five days until the magical weekend returned
We lovingly remember our special girls, Shortie and her daughter Maggie who brought us nothing but happiness and love.
We lovingly remember our special girls, Shortie and her daughter Maggie who brought us nothing but happiness and love.
The survivor of a litter of two, Manny was Shortie's first puppy. He taught us more about loving and raising puppies than we could ever imagine. He was a gentleman and cared for all the girls that inhabit our home. Though they fought often, Manny had a unique relationship with his half brother Grantly. He loved him in his own way and Grantly knew this as well.
Manny crammed a lifetime into the decade that he was with us. He tried to go to the (dog) show(s) as his papa Harmon, the great Ch. Anstamm All American had done, but Manny preferred the home life. Sometimes underfoot, sometimes under the covers, he always wanted to be where we were. And be there he was as Manny witnessed the birth of over 19 puppies in 4 litters. More importantly, Manny was there when we arrived home from the hospital with our little bundles of joy, Jonathan and then Noah. Along with his mom Shortie, Manny inspired us to choose a career in caring for pets and proudly saw the creation of Minglewood Kennels grow from a bold dream to a successful reality.
Our “little man” was a constant source of entertainment. He loved to play “tunnel” where we crouched down on all fours while Manny crawled underneath us snorting and barking. Manny had a favorite version of fetch which was really disguised as “keep away” and aptly named “Gimme that Manny, gimme that.” His best skill was that of a mimic. His repertoire was slim but his impersonation of Bruce the shark from Jaws was right on the mark. Our unsuspecting boys would walk around with their sandwiches and Manny would strike and devour in the blink of an eye. The kids learned to eat at the table after that. The behavior experts would cringe if they knew how we spoiled Manny. He had a fine taste for barbecued shrimp and never met a pizza crust that he didn’t like.
Manny is at the rainbow bridge where he is running with his mom and his sister Maggie. He will be in our hearts forever.
Manny crammed a lifetime into the decade that he was with us. He tried to go to the (dog) show(s) as his papa Harmon, the great Ch. Anstamm All American had done, but Manny preferred the home life. Sometimes underfoot, sometimes under the covers, he always wanted to be where we were. And be there he was as Manny witnessed the birth of over 19 puppies in 4 litters. More importantly, Manny was there when we arrived home from the hospital with our little bundles of joy, Jonathan and then Noah. Along with his mom Shortie, Manny inspired us to choose a career in caring for pets and proudly saw the creation of Minglewood Kennels grow from a bold dream to a successful reality.
Our “little man” was a constant source of entertainment. He loved to play “tunnel” where we crouched down on all fours while Manny crawled underneath us snorting and barking. Manny had a favorite version of fetch which was really disguised as “keep away” and aptly named “Gimme that Manny, gimme that.” His best skill was that of a mimic. His repertoire was slim but his impersonation of Bruce the shark from Jaws was right on the mark. Our unsuspecting boys would walk around with their sandwiches and Manny would strike and devour in the blink of an eye. The kids learned to eat at the table after that. The behavior experts would cringe if they knew how we spoiled Manny. He had a fine taste for barbecued shrimp and never met a pizza crust that he didn’t like.
Manny is at the rainbow bridge where he is running with his mom and his sister Maggie. He will be in our hearts forever.
The puppy always seemed to get lost in the shuffle since he was used to marching to the beat of his own drum. Adventuresome, inquisitive and a wee bit skittish, he skirted some potentially sticky situations only to scurry away at the first sign of trouble. He loved his littermates even though they occassionally picked on him. From an early age we could see that he was quite handsome, with a magnificent head and dark piercing eyes acquired no doubt from his dad Quinn. Our very own Cary Grant we thought and quickly agreed that he would carry the call name Grantly although he answered more to his "anxious" nickname "Boo." Eventually he stayed on with his sister Maggie while the others went to their new homes. If a suitable home arose, fine but if not he was ours. And that was that.
"Alpha Dog" Manny quickly sized up the situation and deemed Boo his very own pet. How one dog could have another for a pet is debatable but this was the scenario. Although Boo constantly fought with Manny, he still had a good life. He got special treatment and extra love. He couldn't believe his good fortune when we moved to the country to start our kennel. He would run and run outside with Maggie, his true friend at his side. If Manny was going to bug Grantly, he'd have to catch him first.
Boo was affected by Shortie's passing, though not as much as Manny. It was Maggie's illness and subsequent death that finally got Grantly down. Gone was his sister and friend. There were other dogs and of course Manny, but it wasn't the same. And then one day there was a shift in attitude between Manny and Boo. It was a signal of course that all was not well with Manny. Knowing this, Boo the gentleman gave Manny his due until Manny's illness took him. And suddenly there was a very relaxed and happy Grantly. We thought of it as a gift from Manny to give Boo time to be himself.
With love, we remember our most handsome boy Grantly, a truly wonderful dog.
"Alpha Dog" Manny quickly sized up the situation and deemed Boo his very own pet. How one dog could have another for a pet is debatable but this was the scenario. Although Boo constantly fought with Manny, he still had a good life. He got special treatment and extra love. He couldn't believe his good fortune when we moved to the country to start our kennel. He would run and run outside with Maggie, his true friend at his side. If Manny was going to bug Grantly, he'd have to catch him first.
Boo was affected by Shortie's passing, though not as much as Manny. It was Maggie's illness and subsequent death that finally got Grantly down. Gone was his sister and friend. There were other dogs and of course Manny, but it wasn't the same. And then one day there was a shift in attitude between Manny and Boo. It was a signal of course that all was not well with Manny. Knowing this, Boo the gentleman gave Manny his due until Manny's illness took him. And suddenly there was a very relaxed and happy Grantly. We thought of it as a gift from Manny to give Boo time to be himself.
With love, we remember our most handsome boy Grantly, a truly wonderful dog.
'Twas a cold January night with blowing snow and icy roads. Not the kind of night to be out, let alone traveling an hour away, but there we were in the car with Maggie who was in labor for at least 4 hours. The year was 1995 and we were on our way to the Animal Hospital. After we arrived, the lead vet determined that Maggie's first puppy was quite large and blocking the way. He tried to help the puppy along but she was jammed and he only succeeded in extending one tiny leg and accidently squishing a toe. With plan B in effect it was all hands on deck as the staff prepared for a C-section. Soon the halls were filled with shrill cries as 5 girls and 1 boy were introduced to us. The big puppy lost her toe which was no big deal as it meant one less nail to cut. We named her Belle and she was destined to stay with us. The other puppies all fared well. One seemed to be always clamoring for attention. When we picked her up she would stretch out as if she were flying and we compared her to Sally Field of Flying Nun fame. Thus Sally found her name and we happily found ourselves with sisters.
They provided many years of laughter and tears as only two sisters could. Sometimes they would tussle but put their differences aside when their brothers Dougal and Dickens came to stay. Belle learned early on from Uncle Manny how to garner our attention by barking a lot. For all the need to be in the middle of everything Belle proved to be camera shy and would set her ears down and bark when you took her picture. She earned her keep by patroling the common area for food every night.
As a toddler Jonathan couldn't say Sally and called her Sassy instead, a nickname that stuck. Sally assumed the chore of cleanup lady by licking everyone's bowl clean, except on the occasion when we had Jello for dessert and she turned her nose up. Though she aspired to be a show dog, Sally longed to be home where the action was. It was probably for the best as she declined to walk on a leash. Sally went on to become a mom to two champions and Auntie Belle always put her two cents in where the youngsters were concerned. In their later years, the sisters slowed down a bit and settled into their role of grandmas.
Rich memories of Belle and Sally fill our hearts with joy.
They provided many years of laughter and tears as only two sisters could. Sometimes they would tussle but put their differences aside when their brothers Dougal and Dickens came to stay. Belle learned early on from Uncle Manny how to garner our attention by barking a lot. For all the need to be in the middle of everything Belle proved to be camera shy and would set her ears down and bark when you took her picture. She earned her keep by patroling the common area for food every night.
As a toddler Jonathan couldn't say Sally and called her Sassy instead, a nickname that stuck. Sally assumed the chore of cleanup lady by licking everyone's bowl clean, except on the occasion when we had Jello for dessert and she turned her nose up. Though she aspired to be a show dog, Sally longed to be home where the action was. It was probably for the best as she declined to walk on a leash. Sally went on to become a mom to two champions and Auntie Belle always put her two cents in where the youngsters were concerned. In their later years, the sisters slowed down a bit and settled into their role of grandmas.
Rich memories of Belle and Sally fill our hearts with joy.
From the very first moment that we met Scarlet on the day she was born, we knew that she was special. As days turned into months and months into years our Scarlet showed just how special she truly was. Fiercely independent, she did not follow the same path as her family choosing instead to find her own way. She had a marvelous show career which cultimated with a major win in her last show to garner her champion title.
Scarlet was petite, never weighing more than 18 pounds. She had different physical characteristics than the others. Her coat and ears were in constant need of cleaning. As she aged she became more delicate often getting jostled as the pack passed her by. She took it all in stride and simply munched on her favorite fruit loops. Near the end of her story, Scarlet fought the good fight as her liver failed and other maladies took over. She drank a lot of water or seemed to since it was hard to keep the water in her mouth with very few teeth. At the end our special Scarlet went to sleep and never woke. We are truly grateful for that.
Raising a glass full of happy memories for beloved Scarlet, our very special one.
Scarlet was petite, never weighing more than 18 pounds. She had different physical characteristics than the others. Her coat and ears were in constant need of cleaning. As she aged she became more delicate often getting jostled as the pack passed her by. She took it all in stride and simply munched on her favorite fruit loops. Near the end of her story, Scarlet fought the good fight as her liver failed and other maladies took over. She drank a lot of water or seemed to since it was hard to keep the water in her mouth with very few teeth. At the end our special Scarlet went to sleep and never woke. We are truly grateful for that.
Raising a glass full of happy memories for beloved Scarlet, our very special one.
