The Last Battle

If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this -- the last battle -- can't be won.
You will be sad I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.
We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn't want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they'll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end
And hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do to me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.
Don't grieve that it must be you
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We've been so close -- we three -- these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.
 

-- Unknown

September 9th 2006

Maisie died today from lymphatic cancer. We discovered it some months ago and made a decision not to go down the route of treatment only because there are never any guarantees about the potential positive effects and a fair certainty that she would suffer as a result of it. Maisie had a great summer lying soaking up the rays in the field with Lollie, her sister and lifetime companion. Her appetite was great and apart from getting a little tired more quickly than usual she was in great form – until this week when she took a real turn for the worse. It took great courage and selflessness to ring our vet and make that final appointment for Maisie. She died peacefully, held by Janice and myself.

She was the most beautiful brindle girl – a view shared by many around the show circuit. Her only fault was she hated being there! I think this was her undoing in terms of making up to champion status. Many judges commented on her “lack of sparkle” one even suggested, after she had won her class, that she might benefit from a wee sherry for the line-up!! She ended her show career with 1 CC and four Reserve CCs – always the bridesmaid was our Maisie!

But you know at the end of the day all that is quite meaningless, especially now. We eventually decided that we were running her around the country for our needs – certainly not hers. It was during a particularly long and extremely hot trip for a show down south, when we felt we might lose her due to the extreme heat, we came to the decision that we should let her do what she enjoyed – stay home.

Maisie is with Sue now and if there are dogs shows in heaven, which we expect started the day Sue arrived, she may just have that “sparkle” to catch the judges eye and be the champion she should have been whilst here amongst us.

We will hold her memory in our heads and hearts – as will many others. I would like to finish with a message we received from one of our dear friends and a true Maisie aficionado: -

“ Oh no!! I loved her just like my own. What a terrible loss to you both. Maisie was class through and through. A dog you strive to try and breed in a life time, in some cases you never do. I can still picture her in the ring with her laid back attitude and that wee wag of the tail, great memories from great times:)”

Sire - CH. TARTUFFE REVELRY

Dam - TARTUFFE HEATHER OF PILMUIR

Whilst painful it is important to remember and celebrate the lives of the dogs who have contributed so much to our kennel. As you can imagine there are many significant dogs back in Tartuffe lines, too many for this page, but we are remembering the friends who have lived and loved with us in recent years. They are gone but truly never forgotten. It is so gratifying to see characteristics coming through the lines which remind us so clearly of them – what a comfort that can be!

Penralt Loki of Tartuffe

1996 -2002

Dam – Heaven Can Wait at Penralt

Sire - Tartuffe Valentino

Tartuffe Pilmuir Essbeejay

 1999 – 2006
Dam - Tartuffe Heather of Pilmuir
Sire - Ch. Tartuffe Revelry
 

Tartuffe Heather of Pilmuir

 1993 – 2005
Dam – Wyburn Jewel of Tartuffe
Sire – Tartuffe Magnus

Tartuffe Custom Made

 1998 - 2007
Dam – Tartuffe Made to Measure

Sire – Tartuffe Valentino
 

Tartuffe Karina

1998 – 2007

Dam – Tartuffe Made to Measure

Sire – Tartuffe Valentino
 

Tartuffe Pilmuir Acolade

1998 – 2007

Dam - Tartuffe Heather of Pilmuir

Sire – Ch Tartuffe Revelry
 

Morris died today of cancer.  He was a Loki/Sammy son and the last full-bred Tartuffe dog we have – the end of an era indeed.  Every dog in his pedigree would have lived with Sue and John at Honeypot Farm where Tartuffe originated.

Morris would have been seven in February and has loved life to the full every day of those years.  He was sold as a puppy but came back to us after a family breakdown and has been with us ever since.  He barked at every stranger who entered the kennels, tail wagging all the time and everyone seemed drawn to him.

Some dogs sing for their supper – Morris barked for his incessantly until yesterday which told us all we needed to know – “today is the day son”.  He was exhausted by the time we got him to the vet and was ready to meet Sue at the bridge.

We will all miss his ways – in our hearts forever big man!

Tartuffe Klinger

“Morris”

Dam – Tartuffe Karina

Sire- Penralt Loki of Tartuffe

2002 – 2008

The end of an era!

We learned this week that Mark & Peri have lost their girl Poppy – we share their sense of loss in some measure.

Poppy is the mother of our beloved Sorcha – Libertia Secret for Tartuffe.  We feel so lucky to have Sorcha in our life – she is such a character and the indisputable matriarch of our kennel.  

It was not until Poppy came to stay with us for some 8 months that we were to establish where Sorcha’s mind-set, sense of humour and abundant charm origininated – with her mother for sure!

As stated, Poppy lived amongst us for a while and what a privilege that experience was for us all.  She quickly established the lay of the land and then went to work to determine her governance of the pack – a task that was effortless on her part and went unchallenged by the others.  She was henceforth known by us as the Duchess or “Duch”.

Poppy loved her time with us – she smiled a lot!  We missed “Duch” when she returned to her family but came to realise even more how much of her we have here in our girls – it’s the little ways that make you smile and reflect on how much she has invested in her legacy.

We miss you Poppy and will always have a place for you in our hearts and indeed living memories in your offspring – thanks for being in our lives – what an enriching experience that was for us all!  God bless you lady!

Sire – Garzelm God of Thunder

Dam – Tartuffe Haute Couture with Ballytain

01.04.2005 – 17.07.2010

Tiamo – Italian for “I Love you” and Tanto – Italian for “so much”.  His name says it all for us – that’s how we felt about our big boy.  He was born when we lived with a friend prior to buying our current home and he and his sister Keltie were our first pups at Gamekeepers.  How they loved to play in the builder’s sand and trailed it all through the trailer we knew as home then.  He showed such promise as a youngster and did a fair bit of winning in his time but, for some, Tiamo grew on to be a bit too much dog for a lot of judges.  No matter what though he was the biggest, softest boy – even when trying to extricate a rabbit from his jaws!!

Tiamo had been sick for a couple of days and we took him to the vet thinking we would come out with a bag of meds and a lighter wallet.  In retrospect we would have so preferred that outcome.  The vet found a tumour in his intestine and we made the decision we have made so often, to let a loved one go with dignity.

So Tiamo is another Tartuffe baby who has joined Sue over the bridge.  Rest easy big boy and chase rabbits all day long.

• Dam - MEITZA CRAVING CALI FOR TARTUFFE
• Sire ~ GB, IR & INT CH. FERDHU HUDSON
• 01 - 12 - 2008 ~ 03 - 06 - 2011
• > PEDIGREE <

Chiara - "...love knows not its own depth until the

hour of separation."

(Kahlil Gibran)

It just wasn’t supposed to be this way Chiara.  You were supposed to live with us and love on these babies.  We were supposed to watch you care for them, protect them and teach them.  We took a really tough decision, which we thought was about protecting you and the pups.  We spent hours weighing up the risks, discussing them with friends who had knowledge and experience and then, we thought we had made the right decision.   The vet got four live puppies out and you were ok and we were satisfied that we had made the right choice for you all.  And then tragedy struck and you were gone, without us even getting the chance to hold you, thank you for all the love you gave so freely or say goodbye.  This is a very lonely place today Chiara.  We are all still here and you are so missed by everyone.  There is a subdued and sombre quality around the kennels and the yard.  Flo misses her buddy and has spent so much time in the van just sitting or cuddling us.  Gianni didn’t “helicopter” or welcome us this morning – he misses his sister who lived next door. You weren’t there to mooch an extra bit of food or get a special treat when the others weren’t looking.

Forgive us Chiara for wanting those pups, for wanting so much of you in them but with the added extra we breeders always seek as we plan litters.  The hope that maybe this will be “the litter”; maybe this will be the perfect combination.  Maybe this just doesn’t matter at all now.

Our dream is that all your Tartuffe family, two and four legged, will have been there to welcome you over the bridge and make you feel at home.  Please know we will always have a place in our hearts for you and that you will live on in your babies and we will make sure they have the “good life”.  You are with us always – thanks for all you gave us.

You are so missed and our hearts are so sore without you Chiara. XXX