who has taken him to the top. Quinn is a great dog!!!  I did not post this in a very

timely manner. My apologies to Quinn and LuAnn. 

Lu Ann comments:

Very proud of Quinn (Rattlebridge Harle-Quinn Man CD, RE, OA, AXJ, NAP, NJP, THD),

who earned his BN title this weekend. Quinn is almost 11 years old and still loves strutting his stuff!

There is so much heartache in breeding dogs, but so much joy also.  A few weeks ago, I lost Ch. Rattlebridge Arch Rival to congestive heart failure. Archie finished his championship at ten months and shortly after our cardiologist, Dr. Linda Lehmkuhl found a click in his heart which was not there as a puppy.  Further testing revealed that Archie had the beginning of mitral valve disease.  He was a beautiful Cavalier that could have had a career as a show dog, but we never bred him and had him neutered so that there would be no accidents with our girls.  He lived a good life though not into his teens like most of our dogs.   He was one of my husband’s very favorites, but Archie loved me with his soul.  I picture Al scooping Archie up at the Rainbow bridge with Al’s Katie, Sammy, and Tia wagging their tails. 

Ch. Rattlebridge Arch Rival at ten months.  He had such a sweet face!!!

I would like to introduce Rattlebridge Cyber Dawn who went to his first shows a few weeks ago to lovely wins in the three shows in which he was entered.  I have not shown a dog in three years; I have never been a great or even decent handler on some days, but handled my untrained boy very bravely as I was almost gimping around the ring with a sprained ankle on one leg and fifteen stitches in the other.  Oh, the will to win against all odds!!!   Anyway, Cyber took winners dog and then best of breed over champions all three days even garnering a Group IV.  Not bad for a 13 month old puppy that had never been to a show and was in my own unique style “ half assed trained.”  Now I am giving away my total ineptness on filling out forms online when I tell you that I had registered Cyber online and thought it went through, then entered him with his litter number which a couple of my doggy friends told me I could do.  NOT!!!  He was not registered as I must have hit a glitch on the online registering process and his three majors were taken away.  Oh, well,  we will just have to start over and have more fun and he is so much fun to show with his effervescent attitude!  His brother Rattlebridge The Dawnald who like his siblings was co bred and co owned by my friend and partner in crime, Sherri Meyer, and his sister, the wicked Rattlebridge Dawnatella lives with me; she chewed up a rosary tonight and could get me in real trouble with the Blessed Mother just before Christmas.  She, in the true sense if the word, is a little bitch and gets away with it due to her beauty and adorability (my newest coined word—don’t you love it?). She and her brother, The Dawnald, already have points toward their championship.

                                                                                                                                                                   Rattlebridge Cyber Dawn

AND NOW TO THE NEWEST EXTENDED FAMILY COLLAGES:

Greetings from one of your pups….”Dash”….Walk the Walk.  I am getting
on in years, 14, but what a good life I have had.  I moved to Canfield Ohio
from Rattlebridge and have always had a companion cocker spaniel to play
with. on occasion even a springer.  I had to show them the ropes and what
was expected of them.  The highlight of my year was always the summer when
my family spent time at their lake house, and the arrival of three
grandsons, oh how they love me!!!! Unfortunately time marches on and I have
lost all my canine companions and am now alone.  I would miss them except
age has taken its toll on me as well and am not as playful as I was in the
early years.  I ma blind, deaf, lost most of my teeth and have seizures, but
I still manage to find my way to the dinner bowl, my bed on a couch in a
bright and warm sun porch, and of course to any friendly hands willing to
give me attention. I just had a haircut last week and look like the puppy
that left Rattlebridge many moons ago. Keep up the good work and breed many
more puppies just like me………Love Dash

I am so touched by Dash’s note and know that I will see him again at the Rainbow Bridge someday.  Stay happy and healthy, Dash.  Thank you, Jim, for loving him so much. 

Also, from Marilee Snyder, a wonderful picture of “Harley” (who really needs to drop a bit of weight!!! as Marilee knows. LOL) waiting patiently to be asked to play in the snow:

My friend Ellie has two of our Cavaliers that she spoils rotten beyond belief!  She warms their couch blankets in the microwave and Jasper crawls into his own little blanket sleeping bag.  I refuse to let my dogs see this picture lest they begin picketing for the same treatment!

We love to feature our Rattlebridge Cavaliers who live in their loving homes with families who adore them.

Roxy bought Time after Time from one of our first litters.  Her sire was my beloved Bounce.  While she did not turn out to be a show girl, she was a wonderful producer beginning Roxy’s Roxian line.  She was also Roxy’s soulmate just as my Bounce, Bandi, and now Clooney have been to me.  Of course, no one comes close to me as my Bandi or as close to Roxy as her Kelsey Sue.  Bounce kids have always been special.

Two weeks ago, I lost my wonderful, yet sometimes annoying, Ch. Rattlebridge Rosie O’Grady, ROM.  Rosie and I had a power play going on since she was a puppy.  She loved me, but certainly would never give me the benefit of showing her utter devotion.  Yet she was devoted to me.  I was the only person who showed her.  She and I were a team and while in the ring she did all I asked, but step out of the ring and she took total control, barking “Yeah, Right.” at me constantly.  She died one month shy of fourteen and I will miss her for a long, long time.  Sleep well, my pushy girl, and give all my other loves a big kiss (in your own sparing way, of course). Tell them one of the benefits of my leaving this earth will be to embrace all my dogs once more as well as hopefully seeing The One who created us all.