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Cinderella what's in a
name?
I am sure we have all
wondered what makes someone choose certain names for their puppies.
Having been asked countless times why I gave my extrovert happy puppy
the name So Sad Cinderella of Claramand I thought it would make an
interesting story to share with you.
One Monday evening the husband of a fellow exhibitor telephoned to ask
if I had any idea where his wife might be. He had arrived home to find
that she and all the dogs were gone, leaving a note to say that she
would not be back.
The weeks passed and the husband kept in touch, he was in a very
distressed state not only because of his domestic problems but also
because of his concerns for the dogs. I was also worried because one of
the bitches had been mated to one of my stud dogs and I knew her time
was drawing near.
Soon Solicitors and the Courts became involved and after five weeks I
received a message to say that two of the dogs had been located in a
shed where they had been shut in for all that time. I had been informed
that they were in a very bad way. I then received another call from the
Court asking if I could take in a bitch which was due to whelp? Of
course I said yes!.
When she arrived it broke my heart to see her, she looked barley
conscious, she just lay on the seat with her head on one side. Unable to
walk or stand I really thought she was going to die. Her huge stomach
was heaving with puppies. I carried her into my whelping room, the
stench coming from her made me sick. I put her into a warm bath and
gently washed her, she did not have any coat at all so wrapping her in a
warm towel was enough to dry her. Then into a blanket and under a heat
lamp. She was just a pile of skin and bones, she looked horrendous. She
was to weak to sit up or take food so I sat on the floor next to the
whelping box and syringed small amounts of Lectade down her throat every
two hours for twelve hours. She responded well and soon was taking
liquidized rice pudding.
After about twenty-four hours she actually started to relax and I could
see the tension in her body going. I slept with her head on my lap. On
the second day she licked my hand and wagged her tail, I was so pleased
I had a good cry. I decided to weigh her before she had her babies, she
weighed approximately 18lb. In time she produced a super litter of 12oz
puppies. She did not go to the toilet for five days and could not stand
unaided for six days. I could write a book about the setbacks and the
progress of her and her puppies over the next four months. All the
babies turned out to be of super quality and the bitch was eventually
found a loving home.
And so to the explanation for "So Sad Cinderella"
A little Black Bitch born on the stroke of midnight, what else could I
call her. She was the one for me. Della soon grew into a beautiful baby
and I decided to run her on for the Show Ring. And just to prove that
fairytales do come true "Della" went on to shine as a star and gained
her crown as a Show Champion.
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