Lucky's Page

When I spoke with Karen concerning wanting another obedience papillon she had three in mind. I arranged to see them after attending a conference in San Antonio. She brought each one out and I had the opportunity to interact with them. {I was advised to seek out a male, since I stated my goals are to have an OTCH papillon and to show in the breed ring- Westminster. BIG DREAMS}I worked with each one and they had their unique qualities, but there was one where his eyes sparkled and looked right into mine. Karen asked if I had one picked out and I asked, "why-which one do you have picked out for me?" She would not tell me until I made my choice. The next morning I worked with them again and I knew my choice was Lucky. Lucky was in heel position from the very beginning and he looked me in the eyes. And he still does! After I had made my decision I shared it with Karen and, of course, she replied "he is the one. I wanted you to make the choice." Lucky went home with me that day and it has been a fun ever since. He is a clown, very loving- he gives me hugs when I ask, wants to please, works hard and problem solves to achieve his goal. I immediately started training with Cathy Niles. I did not want to make any horrible mistakes with him. The training went slow since I was also in graduate school. However, in the spring of 2003 my focus changed and we started monthly private lessons with Cathy. I traveled 3 hours one way to train with her and it was well worth the trip. I wanted to have him ready for the Small Dog Camp with Gerianne Darnell in August 2003. So we worked on the novice level and received a go ahead from Cathy "ready for matches." We attended the Camp with Gerianne and tried everything. We did tracking, agility, and obedience. He has surprised and amazed me at every turn. On Feb 29, 2004 Lucky changed his name to: Harmony's Play It By Ear CD. He or we obtained this first obedience title in 3 shows. {You must have three qualifing shows under three different judges to earn the CD and CDX title}. I thank Karen Turner for trusting this little man to my care and love. I count it a privilege to call her my friend, a mentor, and his breeder. She is an encouragement on every phone call and/or email and it means so much. Thank you Karen!!!