Willie and T.J.


This page is dedicated to Willie (1-13-82 to 8-30-94) and T.J., his daughter (8-4-84 to 12-10-94). This is currently under construction and will eventually contain more photos and stories.


I know you both are at peace now. I can see you, Willie, playing in the water at Rainbow Bridge. I'm sure God got you a special tire to play with. And, you, T.J., I'm sure you're right by Willie's side, as always, and probably standing on his tire while he keeps attempting to pick it up to put over his head, both of you trying to get as much attention as you can. I miss you so much. Time has helped, but you are still in my heart and in my mind. Someday I'll be there with you and we can cross over Rainbow Bridge together.



If you're lucky, maybe once in your lifetime you will encounter a dog that is spectacular. I have loved all the dogs I have had the privilege of knowing. This has nothing to do with love, and yet everything to do with love. Willie was more than a dog, more than a pet. He showed me I could laugh at myself. He taught me how to have confidence. He taught me how to have perserverance. From the day he picked me out to the day he died, he continued to teach me and to amaze me with his intelligence. His sense of himself, his confidence, his understanding and humor were so human-like it was eerie. He was, by no means, an easy dog to train. If he could think of an easier way to do something, he would do so. If he didn't want to do something, no amount of persuasion would work. Food was useless. He ate his food piece by piece, never gulping or inhaling, rather chewing each piece individually. His love for his daughter, T.J., knew no bounds. No matter what she did to him, from stealing his toys to grabbing his jowls and shaking him in anger, he never bit her. As for people, I could count on one hand the number of people Willie did not like. He had a keen sense of who was who in the "family pack." My daughters were loved, but were not too high up in the pack. I'm sure Willie ranked my husband right up near the top, but at the same time Roger was the one Willie tormented and played games with the most. I guess I was top dog, at least as much as Willie would allow that to be. Wherever we humans ranked, there was never any doubt he would have given his life to protect any of us. As for other animals, he hated collies. I don't know why, only that he did. When we moved to the country he learned to like cats. He didn't like male Rotts, but I think that stemmed from the dog shows. He put up with our horses until our gelding decided to take a taste of him. I had a ewe and he would kiss her, until the day he was in her stall and she butted him. She ended up with a bloody ear and after that they both avoided each other. Willie seemed to enjoy Roger's attention, even if it was anger. One of his favorite games was to go down the basement, go through the dirty laundry, find a couple of Roger's dirty socks and bring them upstairs. He would do this when Roger was laying on the couch and watching television. Once upstairs, Willie would drop the socks, pick them up in his mouth again, with a little bit of the socks hanging out the side of his mouth. Then he would walk by Roger. If Roger didn't react, he would repeat this, with the socks hanging a little further out of his mouth. After Roger yelled at him, he would drop the socks and nonchalantly walk away. One thing Roger absolutely hates is being kissed by a dog. One day Roger was laying on the couch watching television. Willie was sitting by his head. He sat there for quite some time. It seemed he was waiting until he was sure Roger was totally absorbed in the television program. When Willie was satisfied Roger was paying no attention to him at all, quick as lightening he leaned over and gave Roger a big sloppy, slurpy kiss. As Roger displayed his displeasure you could almost see Willie smirk and could imagine him saying, "One for me." Willie knew all his toys by name. He even knew colors. You could ask him to bring you a specific toy or a specific color of a toy (there were usually two of everything, in different colors) and he would bring it to you. Willie was shown in conformation from six months of age until he was neutered. From six months until 13 months, Willie never lost a class at a dog show. He enjoyed being in the ring. He enjoyed people clapping. He enjoyed the attention the judge paid him, wiggling when a judge came to him. He became a Canadian champion at 10-1/2 months. He became an American champion at 14 months. The first class he lost in was one week before he became a champion. I was devastated. Willie was bred twice to the same bitch, Tugenbold's Black Heidi. T. J. was the pick of the litter from the first breeding. (to be continued)

Willie's pedigree.

Willie going Best of Breed at 16 months....already an American and Canadian Champion!!



Willie, the day he picked me out

Willie with his ball and a frisbee.

Willie at the lake and just resting.

Willie never let an opportunity, like a pillow left on the floor, go to waste.

T.J.'s pedigree

T.J. with her 6 point win in Canada.

T.J. at three months old.

Willie and Heidi, T.J.'s mom

T.J. in the backyard

Couch potatoes. This is what they REALLY do when no one is home!!



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