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TEDDY (Wumblibumbly Tumbly Teddy O.W.)
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This is Teddy What’s that incredibly bright light? Teddy was born in May 1996. Before he was born, I secretly hoped that there would be a pup with a half n half face in the litter, because we already had Bizzi and the half n halfs had really grown on me. However, both of Teddy's parents were classically marked and I didn't really think that there would be any mismarked pups. I couldn't believe my luck when Rhoda Burns, the breeder, phoned me to say that the pups had been born and there was a "really ugly one, with a half n half face, that looks like a little pig!"
Rhoda brought him to my house when he was 7½ weeks old (on Jamie's birthday which was a strange coincidence). He was a lovely happy healthy puppy and bombed around the house exploring, but the next morning, I gave him his breakfast and 10 minutes later, he was sick. Then he was sick again, and then again. He was sick 4 times before 9am so I rung the vet and booked an appointment for 10.45am. The vet was running very late, and while I was sitting in the waiting room, Teddy fell asleep on my lap. I eventually got seen by the vet at 11.45, but when I got into the surgery, we found that Teddy wasn't asleep, he was completely unconscious! The vet was very worried, she just couldn't rouse him at all. She said she didn't know what was wrong with him, but he was a very sick puppy and she wanted to put him onto a drip straight away. I asked her if she thought he was going to die, and she said she really couldn't say, it was up to him. He was a big puppy for his age, so that was in his favour but she couldn't make any guarantees.
At 6 o'clock in the evening, the vet phoned me. My heart sunk, I immediately expected bad news, but she said she was ringing to say that she'd just picked him up and he'd nuzzled into her neck. He wasn't out of the woods yet, but he was making an effort. After that, she didn't phone any more, and when I tried to phone, I just kept getting the answering machine. I didn't know what I would say if Rhoda phoned to ask how Teddy was settling in. How could I tell her that the bundle of energy she'd given me the day before was now on a drip, fighting for his life? Luckily she didn't phone, she was staying at a friend's house and although she wanted to ring me she didn't like to ask to use their phone (it was in the days before we all had mobiles!). I hardly slept a wink that night, and first thing in the morning, I kept ringing the vet but the answering machine was still on. I eventually got through at 8am, and nervously said to the receptionist "I'm just ringing to see how Teddy is." "How's Teddy?" she said, "can't you hear him????" There was a high pitched screaming noise in the background, and she said that it was all coming from Teddy! He was alright. The vet wanted to keep him until he'd eaten, just to make sure that he was keeping his food down, but I was allowed to pick him up at 11 o'clock. When the vet brought him out to me, he was really excited to see me and I cried buckets at seeing him.
Teddy is a son of an agility dog called Batavias Cap and Rhoda Burns’ Mocha, (Runa Mocha Monster of Wumblibumbly), who is a daughter of Carol Clack’s wonderful Toddy (Ob.Ch. Dalemain Red Rascal) The photo above shows Teddy with his mum Mocha, and his brothers Bisto (left) and Trevor (right).
Teddy
is retired from the obedience ring now because he has a stiff back but he did well during his career: 1997 – 1 Limit Novice win, 1 Open Novice win In 2000 Teddy qualified to work Championship 'C' by gaining three 2nd places in Open 'C' to add to the win he had the previous year. I've been in this sport for 20 years and this is the first time I've qualified a dog for "ticket". Overall, Teddy had 3 Open C wins and 13 2nd places in C so I'm very very proud of him.
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I had third choice, so I had to wait an agonising few weeks before I knew that he was definitely mine. I didn't even go and look at him until I knew that he was definitely mine because I knew I would fall in love with him as soon as I saw him.
I went home and cried my eyes out. I was so sure he wouldn't make it.
Since then, we have had a really special bond. We never did find out what was wrong with him, he didn't have a high temperature and his blood tests didn't show anything conclusive but he's been healthy ever since. The vet that looked after Teddy was newly qualified and she said that he was the first "life and death" case that she'd had to deal
with. She adores him and she keeps a photo of him on her noticeboard at home. (The photo
on the right shows Teddy with his little leg shaved where the drip went in).
