Betsy
GCh MonAmi's Betsy Ross, RN BN CGC TDI
“I had eight puppies sold out of a nine puppy litter, but I wasn’t really worried because Sandi and I get lots of inquiries and turn away more people than we sell puppies to. Puppy number eight went home just a couple of days before Christmas and I thought to myself that I would seriously screen some inquiries right after the holidays. She should not be hard to sell. She seemed to be everyone’s “”second choice””. Somehow none of the homes on our waiting list seemed a good fit for my remaining puppy, MonAmi’s Betsy Ross.
On January 8th, I went back to Puppy Aptitude test and evaluate a co-bred litter in Chicago. As it turned out, a couple of the Chicago puppies didn’t seem to be good matches for their anticipated homes, so I ended up offering Betsy to an excellent home that was planned for the Chicago litter and I was to take one of the pups from that litter, at least for a while. When I got on the airplane headed for home, I could not hold back the tears. I was distraught at the idea of Betsy going across the country to someone I barely knew. Fortunately, my distress was short-lived, as the potential purchaser called me and backed out of the sale. I told my husband that I thought God must have a plan because Betsy sure didn’t seem to be going anywhere.
Laurel arrived from Chicago the second week in January and she and Betsy became fast friends. The rhythm at home was comfortable with the two puppies providing a delightful backdrop to our daily activities… The joy was palpable in our home. A family reunion was planned for the Belgian Tervuren National in Loveland, Colorado in May. My Mom, both my sisters and three nieces, plus Sandi and I would gather for a big celebration. Sandi was judging the sweepstakes and the breed judge is a lovely lady, but not known for favoring our style of dog. My oldest niece Jenny would show her boy, JB, and I would enter my Veteran, Tyler, for Bethany to show and Betsy for Erika to show. So the stage was set for a relaxing and enjoyable week spent in the company of family, friends and dogs, with no pressure.
My sister Penny allows each of her children to pick a puppy when they are ten years old. Within a couple of days at the Terv national, Erika had asked both her parents and I if she could consider having Betsy as her puppy instead of getting a Border Collie or Sheltie from a yet to be determined breeder. We all agreed that we would support Erika no matter what her decision was. She and Maga came home with me from the Terv national and we did seven dog shows in three weekends. We surfed the web, emailed Border Collie breeders and Sheltie breeders and watched judging and talked to breeders and took turns showing Laurel and Betsy over the seven shows.
Erika returned home to Bozeman, Montana and talked with her parents and finally decided she really did want Betsy. So late in June, we met in Beaver Utah and Betsy finally went to her forever home at eight months of age. It was a long road, but they are a perfect match. If you ever get to see them at a dog show, agility trial or tracking trial, I’m sure you will agree.”
