Introducing: LoupGarou Holley Girl Remington Steele

I know that I've written about Steele before, but I think I'd like to introduce all of my dogs (and maybe even all of the goats!) in a series of articles. They're all such important parts of my life, they certainly deserve to have a formal introduction. So, here we go!

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Steele came to me from a small kennel in northern Louisiana. Previously known for their hunting coonhounds, the family purchased a lot of dogs from one of the founding kennels for the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier. I found out about their first litter too late to get near the top of the waiting list, but, when I was unable to get the dog I needed, I moved my name to the second litter's list--and found myself in first position for a male! There were not one, but TWO blue tuxedo male puppies in the litter, and BOTH had brindle points. How was I going to make my decision? They were both turning into gorgeous puppies as they matured. Both had lovely conformation, tail sets, ear sets, the physical things they needed to carry a young breed into a strong future. They both had terrific temperaments, a testimony to their genes, their dam, and the family raising them.

But then, something significant happened. Steele looked into the camera. He looked into it and beyond it, challenging the world he saw staring at him. Honestly, I liked the other puppy just a bit better. I otherwise would have gone with him. But that stare sealed the deal. I knew that he was going to be a grown dog who would eventually make his mark. I have to admit, I waffled for a couple of days. Every bit of dog breeder logic pointed at the other puppy. Every day, I looked at the picture of Steele staring into the camera and knew, he was the puppy I needed. Finally, I went with my gut and told his breeder to put my deposit on the little dog with the white feet. A few weeks later, Steele came home with me.

From the moment I brought him home, I knew I had something special. Dan liked him from the word "go." Dan was always a big dog person. As a UKC conformation judge, he could judge all breeds fairly. Personally, if it didn't weigh more than 40 pounds, he wouldn't own it. Having his oversized Toy Fox Terrier, Archie, changed that perspective a bit, but I was really surprised at his being impressed by this little dog. I generally trust my instincts when it comes to picking dogs, but it was nice to have Dan affirm my belief that Steele had the potential to be a good conformation and sport dog.

Over the last year, it seems as if our beliefs in his potential have begun to be confirmed. He got best of breed in the AKC miscellaneous ring over two older dogs at just six months of age. Although he didn't do as well as the larger, more mature dogs at a UKC show just a short time later, he took his age class and strode around as if he owned the show hall. Two judges commented that they wanted to see him again when he was more mature. For me, that's always a good sign.

Since bringing him home, Steele has kept his happy temperament. He loves to play with Cassidy and with Diva. He threatens to chase the cats, but never does. He's fascinated by the goats and desperately wants to get them to play with him, which they never do. I love the fact that he's stayed a bit small--around 14 or so pounds--because otherwise his ever-busy personality would make him a handful.

So, what's in store for Mr. Steele (Steele, Remington Steele)? Well, more conformation shows, definitely. One of the judges at his recent UKC show stated that she'd like to see him have more "substance," being a Teddy. Teddies typically aren't fully mature until they're three years old, so we'll keep him in the conformation ring until then, unless he becomes instantaneously more substantial, and he finishes his grand champion degree/title before that point.

I've already given him a very cursory foundation for obedience and Rally work. I'd like to have him doing reliable sits, downs, stays, and recalls before the end of the year, so that I can also train him for agility. As you can see in the above video, he's definitely got speed and agility and won't let a little fall and roll get in the way of a good time! Who knows? We might even do a little precision coursing with him. The future is very open with Steele right now and we will see where his talents lie.

Eventually, I would like to use Steele as a stud dog for my line of Teddy Roosevelt Terriers. There's a lot of work to be done before then. He needs to earn a conformation title. He needs to be DNA profiled. He needs to have his genetic testing done. He's just a baby, though, and we still have time to figure out our best steps. Until then, here's to our little Steeley Wheeley, the happy little dog whose tail just won't quit wagging!

I love telling you about my life and my animals, and everything else that goes on around here, too! If you like reading about all that, please consider commenting, subscribing, or even tipping, just to let me know what you think! Until the next time . . .