Dylan

Dylan – Can Ch/BPIS/BISS, Am GrCh/BISS, U-GrCh/BISS, Am Ch Nicha’s Dylan at Chantryile CD (AKC), RE (CARO), RA (CKC), RA (UKC), FCT (UBSDA), HIC

  • DYLAN'S PEDIGREE
  • January 11, 2005 - August 16, 2014 (died of chronic kidney failure after his kidneys were damaged by Leptospirosis in November 2013)
  • Canadian Champion, Best Puppy in Show, Best in Specialty Show, multiple Group Winner & Placer
  • UKC Grand Champion, National Specialty Best of Breed, Group Placer
  • American Grand Champion, Best in Specialty Show, national specialty Select Dog
  • (Can/Am Ch, Can BIS/BISS Alassio Oridix x AGMX ATChC Nicha Sonic Mach Three Can CD, multi-Canadian World Agility Team member) 
  •   Hips Good (BT-4810G29M-PI), Elbows Clear (BT-EL2102M29-PI), Eyes Clear (BT-3682/201) (tested 08, 09, 10), Thyroid Normal (BT-TH408/69M-VPI) (December 2010), Hearing BAER Normal (July 08)
  • Dylan's Photo Gallery
Thanks to Libbye Miller for this wonderful photo of Dylan and Eleanor at the ABTC National specialty in 2014.
 

Dylan came into our lives by chance. We had been looking for a female pup for several months, and a breeding we had been hoping for didn’t take place. I knew Michele had bred Sonic to Alassio but figured all the pups were sold. A week or two later, Michele sent out an email to a long list of people, with a photo of a cute little Terv boy who needed a home as the prospective owners in the US had backed out. We took one look at that puppy’s face and emailed Michele back to say we were interested.

I drove with a friend to Montreal, where Dylan was living with his mother, Sonic, and her co-owner, Marie-Noelle Cote. I called Greg to say that the pup had a beautiful body but I wasn’t sure how his head would turn out. Okay, so I didn’t get that part quite right.

From the very start, Dylan impressed us with his stable, outgoing temperament. Nothing bothered him, he approached any and all people with total confidence. At four months of age, we took him to Delavan, WI, to the BSCA national specialty. I think it’s fair to say that he was the hit of the show. I couldn’t believe how many Groenendael breeders/owners tried to buy him from us! We still hear from people who saw him then and remember what a striking pup he was.

Dylan is a natural show dog and has excelled in both the all breed and specialty rings. He has a gorgeous outline, ton of neck, stacks himself beautifully, and moves like a dream. To top it all off, as a collie breeder put it recently, he has “expression to burn.” Here are some of his accomplishments:

  • CKC Best Puppy in Show the day he turned 6 months
  • UKC Champion in one weekend, finishing the day he turned 8 months
  • UBSDA National Specialty Reserve Champion at 9 months (MI)
  • CKC Champion at 10 months, finishing with a Group 2
  • ABTC National Specialty Reserve Winners Dog, 2006 (PA) Judge: Debbie Dawe
  • UBSDA National Specialty Best in Specialty Show, 2006 (KY)
  • UKC Grand Champion at 2 years
  • ABTC Best of Winners/Winners Dog/Select, 2008 (TN) Judge: Steve Sorenson (Note; AKC rescinded this win due to Dylan not being registered with AKC and having been previously shown once)
  • BSDCC SOS Regional Specialty Best in Specialty Show, 2008
  • BSDCC National Specialty Select 2007 (NB) and 2009 (ON)
  • Multiple group placer/winner in CKC

"Winners Dog possessed the essence of the Breed. ... Under his abundant coat was a correctly square body with very good shoulder placement and fill of chest. His color ranged from fawn to russet mahogany with black overlay of the shoulders, back and ribs. He is a very clean moving dog with excellent, open, easy side gait." - Breeder-judge Steve Sorenson, 2008 ABTC National Specialty

Dylan never met a stranger he didn't like. Rock solid with people of all ages, shapes and sizes, he was outgoing and tolerant. He was a quick and enthusiastic training partner, and loved to work with me.

I had high hopes for Dylan as an agility competitor (like his mother), but a nasty neck and lower back injury when he was 2 1/2 put an end to that. I had trained him on all the equipment and he was doing really well, so it was disappointing not to be able to continue. Instead, turned to less strenuous activities, specifically rally and obedience.

In rally, Dylan competed in four different registries and qualified in every trial, with several perfect scores, High in Trials, and High in Classes. The only two scores that weren't within a few points of perfect were due to my error (performing the station incorrectly). I finally got back in the obedience ring, too, after about 15 years away (and only having competed in a few novice trials way back when). We didn't qualify in the UKC novice trials at the UBSDA National in October 2010, as Dylan didn't want to take the 24" high jump in the recall exercise. Considering the first time he saw a high jump was the week before in class, I had only set it at 16", and I VERY rarely ask him to jump anything (due to his back injury), I wasn't surprised by his refusal. Other than that, I was pleased with how we did!

We went  back into the obedience ring at the Cleveland shows in December 2010 and came away with two Qs and one NQ. I was showing multiple dogs (including Dylan) in conformation, as well, so it was a lot of running back and forth between rings! We finished Dylan's Am CD at the Detroit KC shows in Cobo Hall in March 2011.

Dylan finished his AKC championship on October 9, 2011 at the BBTC specialties in Connecticut. He went on to win multiple ABTC national specialty awards, including Select dog.

We lost Dylan much too young, due to kidney failure caused by Leptospirosis.