Ch Bandersnatch Red Jacket, CD, SE AX, NAJ, CGC, ThD, VX
Farewell - Robin
June, 1990 - March 17, 2006
Ch Bandersnatch Red Jacket, CD, SE AX, NAJ, CGC, ThD, VX aka Robin went
to the Rainbow Bridge on March 17, 2006. She would have been 16 in June.
Robin was sired by Ch Thoraldby Tomahawk out of Bandersnatch Black Magic CD TD.
Robin was a very eclectic dog, willing to do almost anything with
anyone. She earned points on her championship handled by Marg & Amanda
Pough, Kerry & Renee Boisvert and our friend Cindy Sherman.
I despaired of doing earthdog with her - as like her mother - she stared at
the rats waiting for them to move so she could POUNCE on them. Perhaps she
was just waiting for AKC to start the Earthdog program. At the 1995
specialty she practically demolished the liner trying to get the rats!
She became Renee Boisvert's Junior dog when she was a year old. And Renee
and Robin won the first BTCA Junior Showmanship match and the first Helen
Irving Award.
Robin was a wonderful brood bitch. She had 20 puppies in four litters, and
passed her lovely temperament on to her pups. Most went to be well beloved
pets, and most are still living. She produced Ch Bandersnatch Tuxedo CD ME
CG CGC V, Ch Bandersnatch Voyager, Ch Bandersnatch Falcon and Ch
Bandersnatch Kestrel.
She took Renee Boisvert through 4H, and Kerry decided to take her into the
obedience ring and get a CD on her. Kerry then decided to do Agility with
Robin. It took some time persuading Robin that there were NO RATS under
the pause table or the A frame. Kerry learned to walk the grounds of
outdoor trials to show Robin that there were no tunnels. During her
agility career - the quest for her SE was put on hold. However, Robin
loved agility and got her AX and NAJ inspite of occasionally visiting the
ring stewards.
After Agility she came back to Earthdog and earned her Senior Earthdog Title.
Meanwhile, the Cornell Vet School was starting a Pet Therapy program called
Cornell Companions. Robin was tested, and passed with flying colors. We
visited a group of severely physically handicapped children. Robin never
minded if hands pulled her skin, or pinched. In fact, the first day there
was one child who could walk on her own. We sat her on the floor so she
could pat Robin. "T" grabbed hold of Robin's pelt and Robin just backed
into T's lap, and relaxed. At the end of the visit, T surprised everyone
as she said "Bye Bye Robin" - she had been non-verbal in the classroom
setting prior to that. Robin ended each visit with a jumping - crawling
demonstration. Jumping over the bar and crawling under it. As a Cornell
Companion, Robin also visited the hospital and most recently she and Alison
visited an assisted living facility.
Robin lived with me, then with Kerry, then with a friend who missed her
large Goldens, and finally spent her last years living with Alison
Reissman. With Alison she continued as a Cornell Companion, and learned
about dancing with dogs as well as visiting Longview.
Robin learned to live with cats - but always knew which cats belonged. My
Sasquatch, was a big as she was. At Kerry's she lived with Toffee, and
Alison has two cats. At BOCES we visited with cats as well. She knew
Sneakers, but the semester that there was a substitute cat in the room, I
had to watch her as she was always willing to try to grab that long fluffy
tail. And at the hospital, she totally ignored Jack a big white cat, UNTIL
he was put in the carrier to leave. Then she got that "look" in her eye,
and the devilment was there.
She was a grand dog, always willing to do anything with anyone. She
brought joy to many lives, and will be missed by us all.
Marg and Amanda Pough, Kerry and Renee Boisvert, Alison Reissman
Back to the Rainbow Bridge
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