Hello All
I found this site while Google'ing Diane Bucklands name. I don't currently have an OES but I grew up with them. Our first family dog was named Jody and my family brought her into our home before I was even born. She was a great nanny to my sister. At night she would make a routine of getting up every so often and checking beds to make sure everyone was in their place. If my sister and I were at a sleep over or visiting family Jody would sleep at our bedroom door almost waiting for us to get home. Jody also helped me learn to walk. She had no issue with me holding onto her hair as I would pull myself up, and my mother even says she would walk slowly beside me as I was grabbing her hair with dear life. She would always keep a close eye on us if we were playing in the front lawn. If we got too close to the road she would knock us on our butts. When I was a little older (and Jody had entered her senior years) we got Maggie from a breeder in Brookville Ontario (I remember a white house on Guelph Line, I think their last name was Nunne). Maggie too was a great little dog and was the first dog we bred. Maggie had a little of five (I think) and my father’s kennel was born with it. Precisionblu was the name of the kennel. My dad let my sister and I keep two puppies from one of Maggie’s litters. I kept and named “Thackery” (also known as Rag’s to Riches), and my sister kept Topper (also known as Top Hats N’Tales). Thackery and I became the best of best of friends; he was the best friend a girl could ask for. It was at this time my father started showing our dogs. Breeding/Showing became our lifestyle. I can’t remember one birthday (it always fell on March Break) that I wasn’t at a dog show. I remember falling asleep on Veri Kennels. I remember all the great grownups (that never really acted like grownups LOL) that I met and they became family to me. Diane Buckland, Alan & Barbara McGregor, Tony and Tris Let (sp?), Bette Maxwell (whom I have run into looking for a Shih Tzu rescue) just to name a few. My family was always campers but when we started showing dogs our Pop-Up was traded in for a travel trailer and we moved from camping in Campgrounds to camping in Arena parking lots and Fairground. Any and all family vacations now centered around dog shows. That was just fine with me as I completely loved them. I loved all the dogs and the atmosphere surrounding the events (and it didn’t suck that I missed a lot of Fridays at school either). I liked watching fly ball and obedience the most. I never really wanted our own dog in the ring. Mainly because the two that we showed (Thackery and Charlie) would see me and start miss behaving. They saw me and that meant “play time” not “show time”. The same went for my father – he couldn’t be around either or they wouldn’t do their best in the ring. Thackery did rather well in the show ring. Winning two specialties in a row… but he was never really a Champion to me. He was by buddy. Then, when Thackery retired and was taken out of the ring my father bred again and this time I got to pick out the name of the dog he picked to be our next champion. Charlie was his name and my father still feels he was a better dog (as per standards) then Thackery was. The only issue with Charlie was he was very arrogant. He would chock (not really) in the ring if the Judge wasn’t watching…. He always wanted to do his thing which made the Handlers almost hate taking him into the ring. He was an escape artist that could scale the top of a chain link fence fully grown. We once warned a handler that was taking him to a show without use NOT to leave him unattended in an Xpen. Sure enough the handler took him to the arena provided Xpen, closed the door and walked away. About 3 minutes letter there was Charlie on his grooming table. Oh well – at least he came back LOL. Charlie didn’t do as well at hoped in the ring. With that and my parent’s divorce my father stopped showing and breeding. Charlie passed about seven years ago and I still get a tear in my eye when I think about him. I know have a Shih Tzu name Gizmo that is VERY much like Charlie. He thinks he is the most important being in the room, and that the world should stop and take notice of his every move. That every bed is his bed and if he wasn’t to sleep in the middle he will. Charlie was, and Gizmo is (in their own mind) too pretty to be outside, Gizmo also had the same “strut” that Charlie had. Gizmo is about seven years old and as weird as this may sound I often think Gizmo is Charlie. Gizmo was a rescue and in a way found me, and not the other way around. Anyways – Even though I don’t have an OES presently they are always in my life as they are part of almost every childhood memory that I have. Still to this day if I run into someone from my past and they don’t remember me or my family I always say “We were the ones with the Mr. Mugs dog”… and 9 time out of 10 I get “Oh yeah – I remember your family”. Those dogs were our family members and what helped shape me to who I am today. If I could return to the Dog Show world I would in a heartbeat, but life is too busy for me to maintain a full coat and take every weekend – and gosh who has the money for that anymore LOL. I know I am going to have a great time reading this forum. |
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| Here are some pictures This is I think Charlie at the Milton (Ontario) show  Jody  Maggie  I can't remember if this is Charlie or Thackery  This is Gizmo  And my other baby Tonka  Oh wait - he is a better picture  Just a little fun picture;  And a little more info about Thackery; http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/old_english_sheepdog/dog.html?id=1434537 |
| Welcome! What great memories you have from your childhood. Thank you for sharing them with us. |
| Hi and welcome! I too grew up going to dog shows. We had Brittanys though, not OES. This was in the 60's, and the fashion was quite fun. One of my best memories was at a big indoor winter show, and my mom was showing our Brittany Tawny - she had on her white with yellow polka-dot A-line dress, with shiny white go-go boots and a silver wig!! Then, she made matching dresses for me and my 2 younger sisters...her logic was to make it easier for dad to keep track of us! |
| Welcome, I think you should get a sheepdog now! |
| Welcome to the forum from Tennessee! You have some great memories--thanks for sharing your pictures! |
| Welcome from England UK The pics are cute x |
| Thank you all. Yes another OES would be lovely but not in the cards. Two dogs right now are more than enough when living in the city. |
| Well maybe some day you'll be able to get another one. You do have some great memories. |
| Hello,from Pluckley. I couldn't be without my sheepies.x |
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