My very first memory of Able was before I even knew him. I had decided a few weeks before I knew anything about him that I would really love to get another BC and this time I wanted a smooth red boy! Of course that was before I realized that choosing on color or coat is not the best idea :-) Fortunately for me, it turned out perfectly on this occasion! Anyway, one day out of the blue Ables breeder, who also bred Secret called me and asked if I was interested in getting another BC, she went on to tell me that she had a litter on the ground as we spoke and that they were 4 weeks old.
I proceeded to ask if there were any smooth red males, she said there were 2 and that I could have my pick! It was fate, right? Well, I told her to choose whichever one she thought would be best for me and he would be perfect!
4 weeks later I picked my new baby up from the airport in Vermont of all places as I was to teach a camp that week and it just made sense since he was coming from the Toronto Canada area to ship him to Vermont.
I had never even seen a picture of him at this point! I arrived at the cargo area of the airport had a brief argument with the customs officer about trying to get my boy into the States since he was from Canada and finally got to meet Able.
From the very second I opened his crate I was in love, I knew from that very moment that we were going to share a very special bond and that we were meant for each other!
As he grew, (boy, did he grow!), it became increasingly obvious that he was going to be a big boy!
It was at about 4.5 months that he was dubbed donkey dog because of his ginormous head and ears that did not quite match his gangly body :-). Shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with OCD, in this case I am very sure that the OCD was brought about simply due to his excessive growth rate, he had surgery on the first shoulder, endured a couple months of crate rest only to be released to be a dog when he began limping on the other leg! OCD of course :-) Off to surgery we go again... He came through it all like the fighter he always was.
Able loved to swim, he loved to hike, he loved to play, he loved us... He protected me in many rest areas on many trips to agility trials. You would never get near the car if Able was in it, if the big yellow eyes, and prick ears didn't scare you off the bark sure would.
Able hated all things with wheels! Bikes, scooters, lawn mowers, you name it. Those of you that learned that the hard way over the years he was truly sorry :-)
Able was the focal point of a series of Clean Run articles I did years ago called bringing up Able, I loved those articles and to this day people still talk about them and remember some of his finer moments.
Besides being a part of my heart and soul Able was an incredible agility dog, what he taught me cannot be measured. To say it was at times a very difficult road would be an understatement. I can remember many occasions that I almost threw in the towel because he was such a crazy boy, who seemed to have one agenda, his!
Boy how that changed! By the time Able retired he had become "the old pair of shoes" I always knew what to expect, what he was going to do, we were a team!
I always said that although I won a World Championship with Secret, just making the World team with Able was at that time my greatest accomplishment, I am fairly sure I still believe that.
Able was famous primarily for his rubber chicken that he was always holding outside of the agility ring, I was reminded today that it actually started out as a rubber pig! He ripped the pig in half after his ADCH run, I was never able to find another pig like the first one so he graduated to the chicken. That chicken was blamed for a lot of stuff, but, it made Able very happy. I can remember a couple of "Busy Bee" arguments with Geoff at trials, just substitute rubber chicken for busy bee and you get it... LOL!!
Able was a very happy boy who brought a lot of joy to our family, up until the very end Able lived a very dignified life that he lived on his terms, enjoying every moment regardless of what he was doing at any given moment! He was my teammate and partner in agility for many years and his accomplishments are many, he was another true pioneer of the sport and I thank him for that, mostly though he was my friend, my protector, and, my soulmate. Sleep well my friend, I love you more than words can describe and I will miss you!
