Its taken me nearly a month to write this, yesterday I had my first whole day where I made it through without tears. I know most of you know that I lost my Kodibear on New Years day this year but I wanted to write a short post for those who never knew him.
We had many good times over the years, the best of which were often just curled up at home enjoying being with each other but he was also a lad who loved to do things. I think its fair to say he achieved lots of good things and I think its necessary too as there are a select few who seem to like to infer different.
In our time together we had some amazing times, working him to the gun rough shooting, attending shot over days and also attending some of the the BMHS of GB Schweisshund tracking days. He had a great passion for hunting, he was a really easy dog to work, always keeping one eye on me and always listening, never failed me. We dabbled in some working trials and in 2000 he passed the Essex 2000 Working Trials Club Membership test and we also did a few intro trial days but this was not for us.
Kodi managed a 3rd place (and only 1 point from 1st Place) at his first Kennel Club Working Test in Special Beginners on his first time ever entered but I didn’t attend more with him, at the time it wasn’t for me. He was a Bronze Kennel Club Good Citizen Award Holder but as we ended up busy doing other things we never took any of the others.
He qualified for Crufts numerous times but we never went and by the club points system he would have been the Top winning Longhaired dog or bitch for the year 2010, he had a great year that year taking lots of 1sts along with lots of open show BOBs and RBOBs. Kodi had lots of Champ show and Open show wins over his short few years showing (14 x 1st places, 11 x 2nd places, 10 x 3rd places, 6 x reserve places, 1 x VHC, 4 x BOB’s, 7 x RBOB’s, a group shortlist and was placed in AVNSC Classes (including Best AVNSC) but Kodi didn’t enjoy showing, he didn’t enjoy all the posturing and he was a doer not a standing still kinda guy and I agreed so we left the showring behind.
Stopping showing led us to one of the things that we enjoyed the most in his life… agility! He had numerous 1sts at UKA shows and many places at KC shows (earning a quarter of his points towards the Kennel Club Agility Warrant Bronze award in just 3 or 4 shows. We sadly had to give up as he got older but he finished on a high placing 3rd and with that we had to stop, its probably the thing I missed doing with him most, he loved flying around the ring and enjoyed the whole agility show scene so much and I enjoyed it because he was happy there, what made him happy made me happy.
He also loved his trick work and became the UK’s 1st dog to achieve the Kyra Sundance Trick Dog Champion award. I’ll always remember how proud he was when we took his photos with his medal, he loved things like that. He was also the 1st Weimaraner to be awarded the TD-ROM title for producing enough offspring that had earnt the required amount of titles to deem him worthy of this award.
Its important to me to do what my dogs enjoy because their happiness is what brings me joy and ultimately when they leave us yes we do remember achievements but our heart does not ache for card, ribbons or cups but for the small moments like watching them catch snow flakes or nooking contentedly on their blanket, for snuggling on the sofa, dancing around wearing silly head bands and stroking a soft ear whilst you listen to their breath as they fall asleep with a look of total peace, even for never being able to have a wee in peace as they demand you return because they just want to be with you that much. There will never be another Kodi, he was my first Weimaraner, my soulmate and my educator on so many levels but I am blessed because the other thing we were lucky to have from Kodi is his children, including my Faith and I get to see a little of him every day in her … <3 Rest in peace my best boy, Kodibear <3
