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ASSA Nationals Baby

ASSA Nationals Baby

If you are unfamiliar with the ASSA it stands for the American Shetland Sheepdog Association. All shelties breeders look forward to this event each year in hopes that their sheltie will be crowned BISS (best in specialty show) an honor for any sheltie. As I sat in the stands overlooking the main ring, the stud dog class took the spot light. I being a sheltie freak couldn’t help but name off every single dog by their registered name that entered that ring.

“Am. Can Ch. Grandgables Lets show off…...sired by Am. Can. Int. Jap. Ch. Grandgables Its show Time ROMC …..dam is Grandgables Foxy Lady…”

A lady sitting next to me noticed I knew who her dog was and she said,

“You know Dallas?” I replied in shock thinking no one would notice me.

“Yes, I do….I didn’t think anyone heard me.”

“Do you have any dogs entered?” she said with a smile.

“No I do not but I hope to, maybe next year.”

We talked for a long time sharing our thoughts on the stud dogs, their offspring and pedigrees. She was very impressed with my knowledge of pedigrees and the correct sheltie structure that she gave me her card and told me there was a litter out back of the building that had puppies sired by Dallas. She had told me that Dallas’s puppies have a very unique look about them somewhat resembling a lion just like there Daddy. Hearing this just made me all the more curious to see what this sire was producing. When I approached the ex-pen outside the RV one puppy caught my eye. His head plans and exasperation were to die for, his top line and rare were strong and sturdy, one look and you just knew that pup was destined for greatness. I pick him up and told the breeder

“I like this puppy.”

The breeder smiled and kind of laughed as he said.

“Sure you do, he is the pick puppy. We are keeping him to grow out. You have an eye for structure don’t you.”

It was kind of depressing to hear this but on the other hand the breeder said I had an eye for structure. So that was a good thing. As I left their RV I began to ponder what he said, he was not the first to tell me this. It would seem that I have a gift.

The trip home from the nationals was long and I could not stop thinking about what the breeder said. I really wanted to know just how good I was. So far I’ve picked the pick pup every litter I’ve seen and if that wasn’t saying something. When I arrived home the first thing I did was e-mail the breeder that gave me her card to thank her, her name is Rose Mary. When she replied I was shocked. She told me she had a litter sired by Dallas over the nationals that her husband had to whelp. She wanted me to look at them. So I typed in her web address and went to the nursery’s page. There was a picture of three puppies, two sable males and one bi black female. The pup in the middle really caught my eye with a full white caller. I e-mailed her back right away and told her I liked the pup with the full white caller and that I had been looking for a male for quite some time now. She replied and told me that he was her pick pup and was planning on keeping him but maybe she would reconsider. I was so excited that I could have jumped off the roof and flied. A few weeks later it was set in stone; he was mine and would be arriving by plane at an airport 2 hours away the next morning. I couldn’t even sleep, puppy dreams filled the night.

I woke up early enough that we would be there an hour before the plane landed. Waiting for the plane to land was like waiting for and egg to hatch. I was almost asleep when I was told my puppy had arrived. I jumped from my seat and dashed to the counter. He was carried out in a small kennel that was set down at my feet. When I took him out he had a exasperation to die for, a top line and rear that was strong, sturdy and one look you just know he was destined for greatness.

It has been one year since then and every day my puppy (Titus) looks more and more like his dad. We will be seeing his dad and brothers at next year’s ASSA nationals in 2010.