Ann’s Holly
June 12, 2014
I am saddened to say that Holly passed away unexpectedly June 12, 2014. She was 13 years old. She was fine when we first got up, but shortly thereafter, she came to me and acted distressed. I petted and hugged her and she walked away and then came back. Her back end collapsed, then she lost her balance and struggle to get up a bit. On her side, I thought she was having a little seizure, but after petting her for a short time, I realized she was not moving or breathing.
The vet said that he thought it was most likely a stroke. She had done the same thing once before (back end sink, then fall over), but had been just fine afterward. She may have had little strokes before. Although she didn’t hear well and could not jump very high, she was otherwise doing well, including running when she wanted to play a little “chase”, so we really expected her to live for several more years.
Holly was a great “off leash” dog. We practiced agility in the neighborhood field near the school bus stop and entertained the children. My favorite trick was to ask her a question like “Are you smart? Are you?” She always answered to “Are you?” or “Do you?”. 🙂 She did not care to be pet or snuggle, but she would be your “bed buddy” all day if you were sick in bed or taking a nap. I taught her “speak” to call her hard-of-hearing mom, then taught my younger dog “speak” to call Holly when she got hard-of-hearing. She was always very patient and would let you do anything to her, including removing a tick.
We didn’t start performance training until she was 7, and had to quit for back trouble when she was 9, but her final AKC name and titles are:
Trilliant Soul Searcher RN BN NJP CGCA
Rally Novice
Beginner Novice (obedience)
Novice Jumpers Preferred (agility, lowered height)
Community Canine (CGC Advanced)
I’m glad I was there for her in the end and that she did not suffer. We will miss her. She was such a good girl and.
will forever live in our hearts,
Holly’s mom, Ann