Dufenhof Swissies
Rixeyville, VA 22737
United States
BISS Champion Stone Lea Blockbuster, ROM
Bobby is proof positive that you do not need to get a Swissy as a puppy to have them become a true member of the family.
Thanks to the generosity of his breeder, Kathy Larue, Bobby came into my life in the spring of 2002, just a few months after I lost Leroy. I was not expecting the opportunity and was apprehensive about the thought of a 2-½ year old Swissy boy joining my household. Especially a dog I’d never even met. Still, I missed having a dog to campaign in the show ring and I absolutely loved Bobby’s father, Jasper (one of the very best Swissies I’ve ever seen, with a personality to match). Throwing caution to the wind, I gratefully accepted the offer and agreed to take Bobby for a few weeks on a trial basis, starting at the National Specialty.
In April 2002 Bobby flew from Northern California to Perry, Georgia where I finally got to meet the dog I’d been hearing so much about. Although the specialty left little time for relaxing and getting to know each other, Bobby just took the whole experience in stride. A week or so later, after we had returned home, I walked into my living room to find Bobby asleep on the couch, feet in the air, snoring away, completely relaxed. That was it, he was home. I called Kathy to let her know that there was no need to make arrangements for Bobby to return to California -- he was staying put.
Over the next two years Bobby managed to do some very nice winning in the show ring, earning a Best in Specialty Show win at the 2002 Eastern Regional Specialty. Not to be outdone, his father Jasper won the Western Regional Specialty that same year and father & son were both ranked in the top ten for the breed. A few years later one of Bobby’s sons, Denali, would uphold the family tradition and repeat his father’s Regional Specialty win for a third generation of Best In Specialty Show winners.
While Bobby’s movement and structure made him fun to show, it is Bobby’s engaging personality & calm, even temperament that make him one of the easiest & most enjoyable dogs to have around. His uncanny ability to quietly charm people is a big reason for his seemingly endless list of admirers. Although Bobby has been retired for many years now, I still have people ask me about him when they see me at dog shows with my other dogs. It seems as if once Bobby has cast his spell on someone, they never forget him.
Bobby is enjoying his golden years living with my parents. He went for what was to be a short visit several years ago, and I’ve never been able to get him back. He loves to come for the occasional visit, but home is with my parents, not with me. I’m not sure if it was the allure of the nightly massages, sharing potato chips with my dad, or the proximity of his true love, Katie, that cemented the arrangement, but I was completely out-voted on the matter. Whatever the reason, even I have resigned myself to the fact that Bobby is exactly where he wants to be.
On October 16th, 2012, Bobby joined the ranks of those Swissies who have celebrated their 13th birthdays! He moves a little slower these days, and naps a bit longer, but he still enjoys himself every day and we hope he plans to stick around a while longer.
Update: Bobby passed away peacfully in his sleep in 2013 a few months after his 13th birthday. He had a long happy life full of love. He will never be forgotten.
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To see some of Bobby's kids go here.
Bobby's titled offspring include:
Tahoe, Ch Stone Lea Frosty Tahoe
Hailey, Ch Jodel Stone Lea Hail Storm
Madison, Ch Dufenhof Song of the South, CGC
Denali, BISS Ch Dufenhof North to Alaska, CD, HIT
Windy, Dufenhof Trouble in the Air, TDI
Bunny, Ch Dufenhof Angora Deb
Marshall, Ch Dufenhof Make Mine Milk and Pepsi
Rupert, Ch Dufenhof Prince of the Pizza Bowl
Henry, Ch Beowulf's Classic Model T
Bear, Ch Drumhill Mt Airy Ursa Major
Agador, Ch Beowulf's Kiss Me Twice
Bobby
BISS Ch Stone Lea Blockbuster, ROM
Breeder: Katherine LaRue, Stone Lea GSMD
Date of Birth: October 16, 1999
P2Y12 Status: Untested (3 offspring tested, 1 Carrier, 2 Clear)
Sire: BISS Ch Rina's JSL Just Step Aside, ROM, TT
Dam: Ch Snowy Mountain Chatelaine, ROM
Bobby, Fat & Happy age 8
Bobby & Katie, Christmas 2003
Bobby winning Best of Breed
Summer 2002
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Dufenhof Swissies
Rixeyville, VA 22737
United States