Distinction Is Always Remembered

Sport was the ultimate gentleman of a poodle right up until the day he died at almost 15 years of age in his sleep next to me. We always referred to him as our benevolent leader and it was obvious that he was the most popular dog among everyone in our house.

At 7 months of age he went to his very first dog show which was our Poodle Club of America National. We were very surprised when the judge pointed at this baby puppy and awarded him Reserve Winners Dog. Sport completed his championship at 13 months old.

Sport is what any poodle breeder would want out in public being an ambassador for the breed. He was dignified, stable, forgiving, pensive, and had a twinkle in his eye that made even non-poodle lovers want a standard "just like him."

Our friends, Dennis and Randy, bred Bianca. During one of their visits to us they informed us before coming that they would be bringing with them a 4 month old puppy. The plan was for the unnamed puppy girl to continue onto Japan with our house being her overnight layover. Scott told them when he picked all three up at the airport that once I saw her she would not be leaving our house. He saw immediately just how beautiful she was and felt that she needed to stay in America.

I hurried home from school excited about our company and stopped in my tracks when I saw this beautiful white puppy girl in the puppy pen. The rest of the evening was spent with me saying over and over, "This puppy was meant to stay with us. She is not going to Japan." And stay she did.

Bianca was a WONDERFUL girl to live with and everyone was aware of how much "she loved her mommy," and her "mommy loved her." Scott and I still laugh when we think of all the things Bianca did such as draping her body over the arm of a couch no matter how high or low it was, letting her puppies pull her around the yard and house by her ears without any discipline being given to them, sleeping past noon even as a young dog, and letting preschoolers pile up on her. These are just a few of the things that endeared her to us.

She loved everyone and everything. She was not moody nor demanding. Okay maybe she was a bit particular since I was the only one she would allow to walk her on a lead.

What can a breeder say about a girl like Kylee except her smile said it all. Kylee's great grandfather was named Ch. La Marka Neque Smiles because he would curl his lips up and smile, as did his son, Ch. Prestige I'll Do Anything, and then his son, Ch. Cabernet's Love Unlimited who is Kylee's dad. Kylee was our pick to be our next show dog but like her mother Hope, she too had another agenda and her time in the ring was limited to a few shows. We loved having Kylee as our pet. We just couldn't bring ourselves to re-home her just because she didn't enjoy showing. We wanted what our companion people want...a dog that is fun to live with. Kylee was all of that.

Cabernet is extremely proud of Zydeco. The following tribute to Zydeco was written by Doug Murdock and is an excerpt from "Four on the Floor, Spring, 2005, A Quarterly Publication of TherapyPets, a volunteer organization.

"Zydeco lived his life as a therapy dog. Whether entertaining preschoolers or visiting a nursing home, on vacation, or just day to day life, he made friends easily and often.

A familiar character along College Avenue in his Oakland neighborhood, he'd regularly make the rounds, stopping at favorite shops, to see friends. People would hail him from passing cars. It seemed like nearly everyone knew this poodle. He was a local star.

And he was well known and well loved at Saint Mary's Preschool in Oakland, where he and Adele were frequent visitors. Children delighted in dressing Zydeco up, adorning him in all sorts of hats and costumes, fireman, postman, cowboy-as well as scarves. On one occasion he was even gracious enough to wear a tutu!. The ultra tolerant dog loved being around kids. "He'd just lie down flat and let them climb all over him," remembers Adele. There's a hallway at Saint Mary's festooned with cards and pictures that children made for him.

"One of his great skills was working a room," Adele recalls. "He would calmly and gently find people to pat him at parties or art openings, which he frequently attended." A real gentleman, his manners, were better than those of most people, a friend use to say.

Zydeco's sensitivity to humans was further expressed in his Therapy Pets work. He was very popular with residents of nursing homes, particularly the ladies. He could bring out the best in people. During one visit to the Salem Lutheran Home in Oakland, an elderly gentleman petting him began telling of the dog he had as a young boy. Nurses at the facility were astounded because they hadn't heard the man speak a word in months.

He never harmed another animal or person. He was exceptionally in tune with people and seemed to prefer human company over that of fellow dogs. Adele is grateful that this natural aptitude had such bountiful opportunity to flourish throughout his life. "It's good that he could express and develop this special gift."

Zydeco's outgoing yet easy going personality made him a lot of friends and he is missed by a great many people."

Hope was gifted to Scott and I from dear friends, Dennis McCoy and Randy Garren. Because her father was Multiple BIS Ch. Whisperwind on a Carousel and her mother was BOS at the Nationals, Ch. White Farms Mariner's Miata, we all thought that she would enjoy showing as much as they did BUT it was not in her plans. So, at 14 years old Hope still had her way and spent her days sleeping on our bed, playing with puppies, and watching TV with a toy in her mouth.