Ch Bandersnatch Conundrum CDX ME CGC CG ThD VX
Ferret - My heart dog
November 18, 1985 - February 9, 2003
Marg Pough
Bandersnatch
She was the ugly duckling in the litter, a super coat, but a homely
head. Still, in April of 1986 Amanda and I went to the Montpelier Rally,
and Amanda had the thrill of showing her to Best Puppy and then BOB under
Wilf Wriggley. Montpelier became one of her favorite places to visit
because she learned that somewhere on the grounds there was a tunnel with
RATS! As we would unload the car, her nose would start working. She
invented the sport of dis-obedience-GO-TO-GROUND! And over the years the
cries of "Here comes Ferret" would echo across the paddock as she left the
obedience ring to find the rats!
We started obedience training as we waited for her to mature. She loved
going to class, but it took her 40 weeks before she understood that the sit
was part of the heeling exercise. She finished her Championship in the
spring of 87 and muddled through to her CD at outdoor shows that fall.
Since she loved training we started Open - with a dog who was a total
Non-Retriever! Food was an incentive, and she finally learned to retrieve
the dumbbell- but never more than three times in one training session. In
1989 we attempted Open at the Greyslake specialty, obedience was not on her
agenda for that show - but she came home with honors as get of the Brood
bitch, a pull in BOB and a BOS the next day. Back to training in Open. If
there was a way to do an exercise inventively - Ferret would find it! In
class she showed us she knew it all, and was proofed in training... but she
knew when she went into the ring. (Drop on Retrieve, stop and watch the dog
in the next ring, stand up on a down to see better what was going on, or
giving me the look that said "I did this yesterday! are only some if the
variations she pulled - and all showing she enjoyed it!) I finally stopped
counting the trials we entered. Some NQs were my nerves. but many more
were her variations on the exercises. Finally in March of 1991 she managed
a Qualifying Score. One year and 18 shows later - 16 of them with Ferret
inventions - she earned her third leg. And after an NQ the next day, I
decided that Team Obedience and Veterans Obedience were where we would compete.
Meanwhile she earned her AWTA CG and competed at every Terrier Trial we
could get to. She was almost 10 with the AKC introduced Earthdog, and her
got her JE in two trials.
Then came Senior! Again, Ferret introduced her way to the rats -
overground, fall in the false den, go in the back door, wait at the empty
box - the rats would come back, go up beside the liner and work the rats
from outside the liner - enjoying every minute of it. She finally got her
first leg in 1997, and finished in June two years later. Turned around and
got her 1st ME leg on her first try in July of 99. She was almost 14 and
could no longer hear the high tones of a whistle. She earned her 2nd ME in
October a month before her birthday. Two weeks after her birthday we flew
to Florida in December and she qualified both days to earn her ME. The
following year as a bye dog, she also qualified.
Ferret was one of the original members of the Cornell Companions Pet
Therapy Group, visiting the Racker Center for preschool children with
special needs. She would retrieve a soft toy ducky from where ever a child
would throw it - as long as she was paid! She got treats, brushings and
walks. She retired from that program when she was 15 1/2. Ferret also
trained many children in 4H obedience. She taught unruly large breed pups
that just because they were big they could not be bullies to smaller
dogs! She was the friendly dog in many CGC tests.
Ferret was my Heart dog. Producing only one pup - she became the "aunt"
that laid outside the whelping box and kept an eye on pups when mom wanted
a break. Then as pups got older - teaching them manners around older dogs.
She was the leader of my pack until the end. Never having to assert
herself, all the dogs respected her even as her body began to give her
problems. Watching Cady groom her, or the pups walk on her outside as she
came up the ramp to the dog door, showed they seemed to know she was
getting frail. Her heart and character outlasted her body. I know she is
hunting in the meadow at the foot of the Rainbow Bridge.