Niki

Niki – BISS Can/Am Ch Nicole-Blackie v Lana’s Hof Can/Am CD HIC

• November 7, 1992 - 2004
• Kimba v Lana’s Hof SchH III x E’Blackie de la Grande Lande

Niki was our third Belgian. In 1989, we had visited the Dutch kennel Van Lana’s Hof, and were impressed with the temperament, type and structure of the dogs we saw there. With the help of Willemine van Deijl, we welcomed Niki to Canada at nine weeks old.

Niki was a wonderful show dog, winning the Canadian national specialty in 1996 in Regina, SK under breeder-judge Marcy Spalding. She was also select at the American national (BSCA) in Texas under breeder-judge Skip Stanbridge. We took her back to the Netherlands for the Dutch national in 1994, and she placed third in the open bitch class, behind two top-winning girls, under breeder-judge Denis Descamps.

Niki remains one of our ideal Belgians for her temperament - strong, stable, non-reactive, intense, sociable with people (but not, unfortunately, with dogs) - and for her type. We bred Niki twice (Chantryile B and C litters) but she didn’t produce her temperament in either litter and none of the offspring were ever bred.

As Niki did not thrive in our multi-dog household, when we retired her from showing and breeding she went to live with one of Eleanor's sisters. It was a very difficult decision for us to do, as we were really attached to her, but Niki showed us that it was the right decision for her. A few months after she had left our home, she came back to stay a week while my sister and her family went on a trip. Niki fit right in again, so we wondered again whether we had made the right choice, whether she was happier with her new family. Well, you should have seen the welcome Niki gave my sister and her husband when they came to get her - that dog never looked back!

Sadly, Niki developed auto-immune mediated arthritis when she was about 10 years old, and it aged her very quickly, despite everything we tried. When her body couldn't take it anymore, my sister made the tough decision to let her go. One of her daughters from our B litter had the same disease, and had to be euthanized at only six years of age.

Photo Gallery: Niki