My Bouviers

WEST PLAINS CANINE SCHOOL
Spokane, WA	509.747.4043
We help you have a well trained dog you can live with.

MY BOUVIERS - I have spent over 24 years with Bouviers and have loved every minute.
Bouviers were my introduction into the heart and mind of dogs. They were my first and best teachers - Barb Gordon

My first Bouvier was a dog we named Marley after Bob Marley. The previous owners had failed to groom him and at five month old he was in dread locks. He was a farm dog for his first four years, then a great rural companion to our current home, for his remaining eight years.
I knew very little about the breed. All I knew is there was something about them that called to me, something that made me stand up and take notice.

Zappa came next. He was the first Bouvier I spent any amount of time obedience training for competition. Unfortunately he was dog aggressive and after several dog fights with his father, I placed him with a man who only wanted one dog. I learned later how to manage a pack of dogs but at the time did not posses the knowledge necessary to keep him. He was the perfect dog for this man, having had two years of formal training. It was very hard parting with a dog I had spent every day working with, but I knew it was best for all of us. He had a good long life being an only dog. His owner said he was the best dog he ever had.

Next was Nadene. She was a very dominant, high energy dog. She taught me how to be a good pack leader. She taught me about the way of the pack and how to be consistent. She was the first dog I got an official obedience title with. She got the High In Trial Bouvier for the regional and national Canadian Clubs in 1990 in Edmonton Canada. Until then no one there had ever seen a Bouvier heel with attention. She lived fourteen years and was the hardest dog I ever had to say goodbye to. She had an AKC, ASCA, and CKC CDX. She also had a perfect 200 in Open at a sanctioned match.

Tess was Nadene's daughter. She was a very balanced dog and was more than happy to work for me. She was my first all breed High In Trial dog. She followed up with many more and was a Top Dog in Canada. She was a number 1 Novice and Open Bouvier in the US. She attended the Gaines Western Regional in both Novice and Open. We made it all the way to an AKC Utility title. At 11 years old she took first place at the Bouvier National 2000 in the Veteran obedience Class with a 199.5. She was some dog. She lived to be 12.

Bracken is three years old and is just getting ready to go into the ring.
She is Nadene all over again. I have a chance to do a better job. Hope Nadene is watching.
From Nadene on down I have taught all my Bouviers agility.
In the early years AKC did not have agility, so even though the dogs knew it well, I never competed. It was simply too difficult to get to the trials. Now there is one close by several times each year. Bracken will be my first agility Bouvier in competition.

Storm was a different dog for me. She was noise sensitive and a bit fearful. She taught me that being a good strong leader was just the security a shy dog needed. She taught me all about problem solving. We soared together to some very impressive all breed High In Trials. She retired with an AKC and CKC CDX. She lived to be 11. Cancer took both her and Tess, before their time.
Easy lived up to her name. Her very first Novice trial was a UKC event. She had a 199. She was my first Bouvier to get both an AKC and UKC Utility titles. She finished both with four tries each. All but one were first placements. She was the High In Trial Bouvier in Open with a 196.5 at the 2000 Bouvier National. I did a obedience brace with her and Tess and they had a 197.5 score. She was the first Bouvier I tried some formal herding with. She was great at it. I wasn't. She is now 11 and retired to romp around the place tracking down mice.