Articles Index/In Memoriam, Pets
Posted 04/25/07
Cracker was our first Norfolk Terrier and the foundation dam of the Dralion family. She will always hold a special place in our hearts and will be remembered with great pride and love.
We met Cracker at our first dog show and she was our introduction to the world of Norfolk Terriers. It was love at first sight we were totally smitten by this little red, squirmy bundle of love. Clive and Mary Davies allowed her to come and live with us and through their guidance and support we not only acquired a most wonderfully affectionate and fun-loving companion but we discovered a new passion, the show ring.
We continued to show Cracker ourselves and got the last four points she needed to become a Canadian Champion. We were hooked!
Through Cracker we also found out how intelligent Norfolks could be when she came in first on graduation night at obedience school with a virtually flawless performance!
After our move to the country, we soon discovered Cracker was also an avid hunter as she happily tackled the local rodents. At our first visit to the American Norfolk Terrier Association's Fall Festival it was readily apparent she loved flat racing, lure coursing and go-to-ground activities. She was truly an all-round, special little terrier!
Cracker was taken by an unfortunate accident at just nine years of age but she had had a full and rich life and contributed so much to all of the lives she touched.
Today, I look at Cracker's great grandchildren, grandchildren and children with renewed appreciation of what she has given to us she was the foundation of our breeding program and introduced us to the wonderful world of Norfolk puppies! Cracker greatly enjoyed motherhood and all of her pups learned how to be terriers under her careful supervision. She was a prolific, free whelping producer for the Cortaillod and Dralion families. Many well-loved Canadian Norfolks have her name somewhere in the pedigrees of their companion, performance and show dogs. We will always remember her and appreciate having had her in our lives.
After her retirement Cracker went to live as a treasured pet with the O'Hara family in Brampton, Ontario. Teresa O'Hara writes, "Cracker was a great companion, a real pal. She was everyone's dog. No matter who met her, they loved her instantly as did we. We will think fondly of Cracker always, the way she would sit in front of the TV looking at it and then looking at you to turn it on to the pet channel of course! Or the way she would run when she heard the tune of Coronation Street a favourite indeed. She was a wonderful mother and has numerous offspring to her legacy. We were all charmed by her unique behaviour, the many tricks she knew and the lengths she would go to in order to get a bite to eat. She was definitely a "Diva Dog". She will be greatly missed."
With Love,
Peter and Linda Dowdle
ANTIC December, 2006
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