A Tribute to Bosco -- by Elizabeth Pannill, DVM
12/31/91 - 04/02/05
Bosco's
name was U-CD CH Lesita Leave It To Bosco CDX, NA, CGC. Bosco's breeders were
Les and Bonita Anders of Lake Buchanan, Texas. The day I went to pick out my
puppy my obedience instructor told me to choose the one that retrieved the best. I had several male puppies to choose from
2 had curly coats but one had a wavy coat. The Anders thought I would take a curly puppy but the best retriever was the one
with the marcel coat so he was the one that came home with me that day.
Bosco
was a Breed Champion (probably my one and only one!!), earned a Dog World Award for his scores in AKC Novice Obedience (196.5,
196.5 and 197)…maybe only the 2nd AWS to do this, and also High In Trial at a UKC trial with a score of 199. We won several awards for High Scoring Sporting Breed and once High Scoring Dog shown by a DVM. He truly was one of the best heeling dogs I have owned and gave many a Golden competition in the Obedience
Ring. At one show, an older man came up to me to tell me how much he had enjoyed
watching our performance in the Novice Ring. He then introduced him self as Mr. Derringer the AKC Obedience Representative. He was fun to train because of his willingness to please. His strong retrieve drive helped a lot too. Living in Texas,
there were never any AWS hunt tests so I never trained for field work. However,
when Bosco was 5 we did have a club field test in Texas. We went just to watch
but everyone talked me into entering him. At first I had my doubts since we had never done any field training. We lived in the country so he was used the countryside but that was about it. The shotgun did not bother him and he made the first retrieve to hand (teaching the forced retrieve in
obedience had paid off!) He even flushed the bird and retrieved it to hand when it was shot.
This is a dog who never had been trained for this before! The water retrieve
was the only part he really failed that day. He swam to the duck but made a U
turn coming back without it. Those oily feathers were not to his liking! I am sure with a little training he would have done that too. The judges were still impressed and in their written comments said he had shown the most natural ability
of any dog that day.
He was training for Utility but Agility got to me and I started him in Agility.
This was after he lost vision in an eye from an injury. He easily got
his Novice Agility title and had 2 legs towards his Novice Jumpers title when I retired him.
His seizure medication was beginning to make him too sedate to compete and my Lab, Crystal, was starting her "career". Bosco was diagnosed with late
onset epilepsy at age 6 was maintained on twice daily Potassium Bromide and Phenobarbital. At
the time of his death he had been seizure free for 13 months. Despite being retired he remained my constant
companion - shadowing me around the house like all AWS do. A Burmese kitten came
to live with us 2 years ago. Burmese are the color of a Water Spaniel and from
Day 1 she picked Bosco as her sleeping partner. Every evening she would snuggle
up right beside him on the couch. He must have reminded her of "Mom". This fall I was given a young active Golden and Bosco has shown her how to be my dog. Birdie followed him around and now stays with me just like he did.
I have gained many friends around the country as a result of having Bosco in my life and for that I am very grateful.
