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Arrow
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I had no idea when Arrow came into my life that my world would be forever changed. I had been looking for a black tri male Aussie to do obedience with and maybe a little conformation. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined what lay in store for me when Arrow got off the plane in Minneapolis that fateful day back in 1998.
He took three steps out of the carrier and literally took my breath away. His movement was stunning. It was love at first sight. He behaved like an adult dog in a puppy body right from the start. He had three accidents and was housebroken in two days. He never chewed anything or got in the garbage. He was a dream puppy. We immediately began training for obedience and the breed ring. No one ever told Arrow you shouldn't do both simultaneously. He had a natural watch and would often actually trip in holes or over rocks on our off leash walks because his head was cranked and he was looking up at me. But in the breed ring, it was full speed ahead and no confusion whatsoever with formal heeling and attention. I knew from the start that he was something special.
At three days over six months of age he was at his first AKC show and took the points, even beating a dog shown by a professional handler. 21 shows (not 21 weekends) later, at 15 months of age, he was my first AKC champion, winning multiple BOB and BOS awards along the way. He won his class in Sweepstakes at the '99 AKC Nationals in Texas beating 16 dogs. A month later (in 3 weekends out) in ASCA, he finished with three five point majors. People would frequently comment on his calm demeanor before going into the ring. He would lay ringside and snooze as if he were a total blob. I even had people come up to me expressing concern. Perhaps I should be getting him ready and pumped up to show (as obviously he couldn't possibly show well in the state he was in). I would just smile and say, "Not to worry." As soon as Arrow passed thru the ring gates, it was like I flipped a switch and he turned on the charm. He was such a professional and a true showman. I always felt like I was there as a mere formality and that he could have shown himself but the goofy rules required a handler at the other end of the lead. He certainly didn't win because of my handling, that's for sure. He had a presence that the judges found hard to deny although he was never boastful or arrogant. He was special, and he knew it, but he never flaunted it. He was just himself and gave me 100% whenever I asked. Another fun thing about showing Arrow was his stay. When I would be baiting him, he'd stand like a statue. Sometimes when the judges went over him, he wouldn't even flicker an eyeball. Some judges found that unnerving. Others came up to me after showing, and asked how I trained him to do that. The truth is, I never trained him, he just did that on his own. That's how Arrow was. He took everything very literally. If I told him to "stay", he would freeze until I released him. His desire to please was endless. I specialled him briefly and he took numerous BOB and BOS awards over some top specials and a Group placement. Due to financial constraints we didn't campaign him and chose to pursue obedience instead. Tera also showed him in Jr. Showmanship, earning many Best Jr. awards, including Best Jr. at the '99 AKC Nationals.
Arrow also did some therapy visits during which he was dubbed "The Gentleman" because of his dignified demeanor. The old folk joked that all he needed was a bow tie because he already had the tuxedo! People often called him "the Gentleman" or "the King" because he had an air of regality about him. He was never haughty, you just always felt it was an honor to be in his presence. He treated everyone with respect and was respected in return.
We had so much fun in obedience I can't begin to recount all the stories. He earned 3 CDs, 3 CDXs and many placings along the way. He sometimes went BOB one day and got an obedience leg with a placing the next. One weekend he took a Group 4 on Saturday and earned his 2nd CDX leg with a first place on Sunday. During that time, we discovered agility and decided to try our hand at that too. Arrow was much better at it than I was. I always felt like I held him back, not that he cared. All he wanted to do was have fun and so we did. 14 agility titles later I decided to retire him when the courses got too tight and twisty for a big jumping dog. During his career he achieved:
2001 - # 3 nationally in agility Novice A 20 inch
standard (USASA)
2002 - #8 nationally in obedience Open A (USASA)
Honorable Mention award from Front and Finish for Open A obedience scores
2002 - #3 nationally in agility Excellent A 20 inch standard (USASA)
AKC and ASCA Champion producer
Sire of obedience, herding, and agility titled offspring also therapy dogs
3rd place Stud Dog 2003 ASCA Nationals
ASCA HOF and USASA ROMX1 sire in his first 5 litters
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Arrow also sired several litters, producing multiple champions and performance titled offspring. He passed on his wonderful focus and desire to please to his children. I am very grateful to everyone who used him at stud, as now his legacy lives on thru his children and grandchildren. His ROMX1 and HOF achievements were a great honor to both of us. Thank you to everyone who helped put him there. I hope everyone who has an Arrow kid or grandkid can have what I had with Arrow. I wish you all that "once-in-a-lifetime" feeling from a dog who's love and loyalty knew no bounds. Because that was the best thing about Arrow; not all the winning or accolades, it was the bond we had. It always was and always will be "Me and my Arrow".
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Photo credit; 2MC Design
In January of 2007, I had a lump under Arrow's eye removed surgically. My vet and I thought it was an encapsulated, pus-filled cyst, most likely from an injury he had sustained a few weeks earlier while running in the woods and getting poked by a branch in that location. When the pathology report came back "grade 4 fibrosarcoma", neither my vet nor I saw that coming. To say that I was devastated would be a gross understatement.
The next few weeks were a blur of frenzied research, anticipatory grief, total love, and a learning curve like none other I had experienced in my lifetime. Good days, bad days but I cherished them all. The prognosis was about as bad as it could be, with neither conventional nor holistic medicine giving us any hope at all. After a combination of herbal treatments, supplements, homeopathy and another surgery, it soon became apparent that while we may have beaten the tumor back a bit, it was relentless and obviously winning the war. When x-rays revealed that the cancer had spread to his lungs, I decided that Arrow would die as he had lived....with dignity. So before he had to suffer too much, the decision was made to allow him to transition to spirit. And so, on our front porch, on a patchwork quilt that my mother had made, with the birds singing and the air cool and crisp from afternoon showers, surrounded by John, Tera, Flash, True & me, Arrow left his body to once again run free. He was birthed to the Other Side surrounded by our love. I'm sure he is playing soccer there, happy and at peace now. I am extremely blessed to have shared this time with him, even if it was cut short. There are no words to describe what he meant to me. I will always love my Arrow. Play hard Arrow Man, like you always did. Till we meet again.
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Death Does Not Part
by Lori Sash-Gail
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February 27, 2008
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