Dad's Memories

- 31 August 98 - 31 August 98

Her Royal Highness - Brent

After both Chips, our Chesapeake Retriever, and Lobo our next door neighbor's big German Shepherd, disappeared - did not return from a romp in the woods -- we mourned their loss, and finally decided we had to get a replacement for Chips. Grace checked thru dog publications, and found an ad for Chesapeake pups in Maryland. A long way from home , but we phoned the breeder and arranged to have a female pup shipped up to us along with an impressive pedigree - for Brentwood something -- a long list of ancestors and champions here and there. Canine Royalty in our house.

"Brent" was the same shade of chocolate brown as Chips, with a small white patch in the center of her chest, not quite so rambunctious as young Chips had been, but the same happy disposition, and good with the boys. Folks over Middletown way who had a young male Chesapeake, learned from our Vet about our having this nice young lady ,and asked if we'd be interested in breeding the two -- when the time came for such stuff -- and we agreed to do that. They would have the first pick out of the litter -- a normal arrangement.

When Brent came in heat, Grace was very carefull to walk her on a leash. However, a mangy mutt, from the down the road chicken farm, waylaid them, and had his way with Brent, despite Grace's best efforts to protect Brent from this rape. A litter of mix-breeds that resulted lasted only one day. That fine young dog would have to wait for another day to party with Brent.

When the time came about again, we brought Brent over to meet with her elected sire - who did not seem to have a clue about these goings on -- but after Brent teased him for a while he got the idea -- and allowed Brent to seduce him -------.

Brent had a fine litter of seven "rich chocolate drops", the sire's people came over and made their selection and we had a ball with those pups. Kept them, all but one that exhibited a decidedly unfriendly disposition, quite different from all the others, and I decided to get rid of that outcast. The other people picked up their pup at 8 weeks, we raised the rest till they were five or six months old. There was a gov't push on to get and train seeing-eye dogs, for assignment to help disabled soldiers, and we decided to donate the rest of the litter for this worthy cause. A nice rehab gift for some lucky - unfortunately disabled - soldiers.

At about seven years old Brent developed tumors, and the Vet eventually said it was time to be kind to her and let her go --- a sorrowful day at our house