Kerry's page

Kerry

My older daughter Arlene with Kerry                             My younger daughter Karen

As in the introduction Kerry [Registered at the Kennel club as Kerry-san of Vega .] she was our first dog in the family, a brown sable GSD. We paid 10 guineas for her. As I had said she was the runt of the litter,  they were not well reared, which showed up by the time she was 6 months, when she went lame and cried after exercise, The vet diagnosed spinal arthritis and hip dysplasia, the curse of GSD's He also said she would be lucky to live beyond 5 years, he gave her a calcium injection , medication and a caution to control her exercise, we were devastated, however despite her bad start she lived to almost 14 years. She was quite a sharp little lady and had to be watched around strangers., but a loyal good friend to the family. Not long after we had her a neighbour advised I should take her training as she would maybe bite my children., Arlene, who was 7 and Karen 3.1/2 years, He told me where the local dog training club was so Kerry, family and I trooped up to the hall. I was mesmerised by what these dogs were doing and joined right away, going faithfully every Thursday, I couldn't drive so hubby had to drop me off and pick me up later, which was good as it gave me the opportunity to watch the advanced dogs. We worked our way through the classes quite quickly, reaching C . I was soon being asked to help out at club and the annual show. I was fortunate that some of the more experienced trainers took me under their wing giving me the opportunity for first class help in training her. It paid off as I got her into top class for open competition; you go through 5 stages Pre beginner, Beginner, Novice 'A' 'B' then C, above that is Championship class C which winning that one takes you to Crufts. Kerry was willing to learn and enjoyed her work. I'd had her neutered so she never had any pups, she wasn't physically in good enough shape anyway. I remember our cat Tibs, cornered a rat and I ran over the road for my neighbour, when we came back Kerry had killed it and was sitting pleased as punch with it between her paws, my girls saw it, and told how she just went in and grabbed hold, threw it in the air and caught it, gone!, she did the same with squirrels, catching a couple in mid air, though not at the same time, even she wasn't that smart. I swear she was crossed with a terrier. She grew old quite gracefully, keeping good health despite her bad start, till one day she had a stroke, we came down in the morning and discovered her with her head twisted to one side and she'd lost bowel control, I took her to the vet and was given an injection, it pulled her together for a couple of days, though I had to hold her tail to help her keep her balance when she squatted, within a couple of days she deteriorated further and we had to make the awful decision to have her put to sleep. I was driving by then and  drove her myself to the vet stayed with her to the end then went for a long walk on the common too numb to cry. One of my deep sadness is that I knew nothing about having a dog privately cremated and the ashes returned, I never knew what happened to her body, and I would rather not. Sleep well Ker-Ker.