4x HIT KARMA’S DRAGONFLIGHT V KCK
RE, CD, P-CDX, RLF I, HSAsd, HSBd, ATDsd, HXAd, HRD III
OFA HEART #GS-CA1080/21F/C-NOPI
OFA EYES #53/21F-NOPI
10/10/11-5/25/18
“Ducky”
Ducky was the last puppy born in her litter at around 5 am. She came out butt first and I had to help get her out…she was big. When she finished sliding out all I could see was this bi-color puppy with a HUGE splash of white. My first words to her were, “Well, you’re not staying.”
I didn’t understand that I didn’t get a choice in the matter. Every time I walked over to the whelping box, there she was. “Pick me!” She made no bones about putting herself between me and the other puppies. She wasn’t nasty about it; she just made sure that she was there. I’m glad I listened to her.
Ducky is the sixth generation of dogs at Karma being selected for herding and the ability to succeed at multiple performance venues. She loves to learn and work.
When she was just 17 months I bred her mom, Rissa for a second time. With Rissa on maternity leave I was in a bind. Drummer was retired due to injuries and Possum had gone to live with Deb Barrett. Ducky had to step up and do the real work of a sheep business. She loved it.
Rissa was out of a job. Ducky and I mesh so well together as we work. She has an excellent work ethic and understands that playing around is not to be done…no harassing, no lolly-gagging.
She is a blast to trial with. I can absolutely count on her to give 100% effort no matter the venue. Her rock solid teamwork gets rid of most of my trial nerves.
Update: In October 2016 Ducky and Tai tumbled down a steep flight of stairs with Ducky ending up on the bottom; her front end pointed one way, her back end another. It looked like she was going to have retire from everything. The vet was talking about possible spinal cord damage. Over time she has gotten better and we have cautiously started doing things again. In May, 2017 we went to the ASCA SEMASA trials and got her ATDd. She took two 2nd’s. I could see that she had lost some of her lateral ability but was okay to work.
In July I entered her at an AKC trial to try to build points to help Tai finish his Championship. I fully expected to send her on her outrun and then pull her. Instead she had a blast and finished the course winning 2nd place behind Tai in a class of six. Her score was only 1 ½ points behind Tai’s!
In August she earned her ATDs at the BASC trials with great style. I was very happy with her first run and then saw her do even better with her second.
We’re entered in several upcoming duck trials this Fall to try to finish her HXAd and get started on earning Champion points. I plan on entering her in Open Preferred. She still can’t jump any appreciable height but she can do 12”.I’m not sure at this point what are goals are on sheep. She is not as fast as she was and her lateral ability is still compromised.
Update: 3/15/18 We had a great Fall showing. Ducky finished her HXAd winning with two 2nds, a 1st and a RHIT and earning the first two points toward her AKC Championship. We went to the final Crown Classic shows (…and won’t we all miss that traditional end to our showing year?) and earned two legs on her P-CDX winning a 2nd (182) and 4th (192). We finished up her title at the Columbus All Breed trials in February winning 2nd place (behind an OTCH dog!) with a 190.
Ducky is doing so much better. She’s running again and playing with Tai. We’re going to see what we can do with the sheep trials and continue to campaign for her AKC Championship through the duck trials. She understands all the Utility exercises except for scent discrimination. We’ll see. A year ago I thought that she was utterly retired and whatever time I had with her was limited by injury. Watching her play and run is a daily gift.
Update 5/28/18 Ducky earned her HRD III 4/28,29/18. She did this while also working the trial as a distraction for the other dogs. On May 25th we were out at Hado Bar for a day of lessons. I worked Duck before the lesson dogs got there. We had been working on taking only one sheep through the A course to get ready for the upcoming June Cleveland Sheltie trials. The week before we had worked one sheep and she did great! We took a break and then worked two sheep. Again she did great. She had great focus, covered, rated and kept the sheep on course. We repeated that lesson with only one sheep and she did beautifully. I ran out of time and we didn’t work again.
That evening, we went to Medina KC and after my class, we worked on Utility. She gave me trouble over the Signals exercise, but then did outstanding with happy enthusiasm doing the Moving Stand, Directed Retrieve and Directed Jumping.
Late that night she torsioned. I walked into the bedroom and she was blown up in the stomach region and in obvious distress. An eternity later after a 30 minute car ride and a thoroughly unpleasant experience with the staff and process at Medvet, I held my sweet, funny, talented shadow and said Good-Bye.
My friend Alex went with me to Medvet since I didn’t know where it was. On the trip down I commented to her that I didn’t know if I could have another Shepherd. I didn’t know if I could go through this again.
All it took to change that was coming home to my two BC’s, Tai and Dottie. Don’t get me wrong, I love them both a lot. But they are not Shepherds.
For the first time in 35 years, I have no GSD in my home, bed and heart. (I take that back about the heart…it is so full of Dru and Quest and Reva and Drummer and…) I cried none stop the first day. The second day I was okay unless I thought too long about her and saying her name was out…
There will be a Shepherd in my arms again. I don’t know exactly who or how. I hope by then my heart will be ready for a new soul to come in. All I know is that he or she will have big shoes to fill.
Thank you so much Ducky for everything you taught me, for your companionship and for your love. I miss you more than I can say.
To see Ducky work sheep go to YouTube and type in: German Shepherd sheep herding lesson: Ducky She has at least four videos up. The subscriber is Wynnter2006
Ch. Kismet’s Heart Throb ROM OFA h/e
Ch. Geor-Jan’s Zurich OFA h/e
Ch. Geor-Jan’s Steel Magnolia OFA h/e
BIM CH. Tara-Airway’s Carly’s Legend HCT, RN, CD, HT, OFA
Ch. Ken-Delaine’s Taylor Made ROM, h/e
Ch. Tara-Airway’s I’m So Vain
Tara’s My Molly B of Airway
Karma’s DragonFlight v. Kck RN DN31972301
Ch. Kenlyn’s Aries v. Hicliff ROM OFA h/e
GCH. Regency’s BB. Cody v. Kridler OFA h/e
Signature’s Tootsiroll v. Kridler ROM OFA
Karma’s Raising the Bar RE, CD, HSAs, OTDs, RLF III OFA h/e/c/cerf
Karma’s Russian Sable OFA
Ch. Geor-Jan’s Zurich OFA h/e
Ch. Geor-Jan’s Steel Magnolia OFA h/e
BIM CH. Tara-Airway’s Carly’s Legend HCT, RN, CD, HT, OFA
Ch. Ken-Delaine’s Taylor Made ROM, h/e
Ch. Tara-Airway’s I’m So Vain
Tara’s My Molly B of Airway
Karma’s DragonFlight v. Kck RN DN31972301
Ch. Kenlyn’s Aries v. Hicliff ROM OFA h/e
GCH. Regency’s BB. Cody v. Kridler OFA h/e
Signature’s Tootsiroll v. Kridler ROM OFA
Karma’s Raising the Bar RE, CD, HSAs, OTDs, RLF III OFA h/e/c/cerf
Karma’s Russian Sable OFA