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STORIES | MY DANDIES | BIRTHDAY | IN MEMORY OF

 

My wife and I, both of us have grown up with dogs (Schnauzers, Poodles, Chow-Chows). Two years after our marriage some 25 years ago, we bought a Yorkshire terrier. He really was a nice specimen, who died already at the age of 13 due to epilepsy coming with his age and problems with his heart.

During the last four years the quality of our lives deteriorated considerably due to a disease threatening my life. Quite a strong and lasting therapy and some other great difficulties meant great stress to us, especially to my wife: Two years ago, she we was quite down and she had "no joy of life any longer" - as one calls it.

It was in this situation that we decided to have a dog again. We were fond of a Shih-Tzu, and just to ascertain our choice was the right one, we visited the April '99 CACIB-Show here in Nuremberg.

As soon as we entered the first hall seven Dandies took us fancy. At that time we even did not know this breed would be existing. It was an impressing moment for us to look at these dogs lying upon their cages. As soon as we were coming nearer they were wagging with their tails and longing for fondling. And when we left the show one thing was quite clear: We had fallen in love with this breed.

Only two days later my wife made inquiries with the KfT and was referred to Mrs Beinhauer, the former Breed Guard. From a telephone call she learnt: The Birkicht family, we had already seen at the CACIB-show, had a sixteen weeks old puppy, a mustard dog. That puppy had not found a new home yet, due to sickness of women who had wanted to buy him.

Within short "Tommy" was the darling of the whole family. He succeeded in bringing "sun shine" into our lives again. We never have had or even known a dog being comparable to this Dandie. With his honest and affectionate manner, his vivacious and prudent character he has completely bewitched us and our acquaintances. As he did with our neighbours: They got a puppy from the Birkichts in the meantime.

Very soon it became clear: It would be nice to have mustard playmate for "Tommy". To our great regret the Birkichts had only small litters at that time and with no mustard dog puppies.

By means of DandieOnline we got the information where a puppy we were looking for was at purchase. The Hildenbrand family in Nordhausen had just had a litter and among the puppies there was a mustard dog. And when we even found that the mother of this puppy had been bred by the Birkichts and that the father, too, was highly decorated in shows, we made short work and decided on "Karl Erwin" (Benjamin v. Salzagraben).

Since six weeks or so this "midget" is with us and he has already seen a lot as is our jointly holiday at the North Sea. He is developing very good and has made all of us fancies of him as he did with "Tommy". But most all, he has become the "best friend" of the grown-up Dandie, both of them have a deep love for one another. It is always a special sight to look at the two playing with each other, wildly and carefully at the same time

Living together with our Dandies has brought a great deal of quality of life to us again. We have repeatedly found: Whenever there are dark clouds shadowing our lives and we are looking at our dogs, it always will cast a spell of smile on our lips and all things tend to become easier and more endurable. In this sense those two really are "little therapists" knowing their "business" very well.

Charly and Evi Feis