Seiko

CH. MonAmi A Wrinkle in Time

We had a Puppy Party at the vet’s office the other day; two of Seiko’s puppies at fourteen weeks of age and three of River’s puppies at ten weeks of age were loose and playing in the exam room. When I brought Seiko in her eyes lit up, her tail started wagging furiously and she thoroughly inspected and kissed each puppy without prejudice. She is such a good dog and the occasion started a trip down memory lane… Seiko was a rotten puppy. One of two babies out of Cheetah’s last litter and what was to be the last of Buddy’s frozen semen. To say that they were precious was an understatement. But Seiko was not interested in being precious. She incessantly beat the heck out of her very sweet brother. When I called the puppies in from the yard, Traveler would run and leap into my arms with kisses and Seiko would run the other way and hide. She was not ready for her day to be over. She flunked her Puppy Aptitude Test. I know, it’s not a pass/fail, it’s a guide to placing puppies in appropriate homes… blah, blah, blah. Seiko thought the tester and the exercises were boring and kept trying to escape and go find something else to do. I begged Sandi to let me sell her as an only dog. Maybe the time and attention of just one person would be good for her, but no dice.

At about two and half years of age Sandi returned her to me. Maybe I could do something with her. She would not work for food, toys or praise. She was beating up the other bitches and was generally wrecking riot and mayhem. Yep, that’s the puppy I sent home with her two years ago. Rotten.

Seiko was at my house about ten days when she decided it was time to let the other dogs know who was in charge in no uncertain terms. That prompted me to remind her that while she might be the dominant dog, I was still the one that paid the bills and the ground rules are my prerogative, not hers. With all those “pack order” discussions out of the way in about ten minutes time, we have never looked back. She has turned into one of the finest dogs I have ever owned. She’s brilliant, like her father. She’s funny, like her mother. She works for me; for food, for toys, for the simple joy of doing things together. She’s my shadow, my soul mate and my alter ego all rolled into one perfect dog. This fall, she threw a litter of nine of the best puppies I have ever had; sweet, outgoing, personable, delightful, happy babies. I’m thrilled beyond words. And I’m praying for many more great years with the rotten puppy who morphed into the best dog in the world!