DOGGIE DOG BLOG

Story by: David Harris

Daisy was a rescue.  Returned to the shelter from three different homes and had bitten two people before Emma came into her life.  Emma was five years old and Daisy was one year old.  Emma started dragging Daisy to my group class every week so that Daisy could be like the other dogs she saw in the class. But, Daisy wasn’t like the other dogs in the class and didn’t want anything to do with obedience training.  Well they say ignorance is bliss.  I guess innocence can be too.  You see Emma didn’t see any of Daisy’s flaws, she just saw the wonderfulness that was Daisy.  So, with determination that would put most adults to shame she continued to bring Daisy each week to my group class.  Being an adult I was sure that Emma would quickly tire of dragging this intractable hound dog to my class each Saturday and I would soon be off the hook.  But, that was not to be.  Just the opposite occurred.  The more I doubted and discouraged Emma the more determined she became to prove Daisy’s worth to me and the world.  So, after one month of watching this little spit of a girl drag that hound to my class and in turn be dragged about during class I set aside my adult preconceived notions of what is possible and started helping Emma to train Daisy.  Emma took to the idea’s and principals involved in training like a sponge and Daisy soon started turning the corner on the notion of being trained.  Well the rest is history.  Emma and Daisy competed (against adults) in AKC obedience just after Emma’s sixth birthday.  Making her one of the youngest, if not the youngest person to have ever competed in an AKC Obedience trial.  Emma and Daisy stole the show wherever they competed and handling crowd control became my biggest job since Emma was a pro by then and did not need Dad’s help anymore.  This unlikely team went on to earn their Obedience title, Rally Title, Agility Title and is the only known American Fox Hound to have ever competed in the sport of Schutzhund where she stole the judges heart on the way to earning a Schutzhund BH title in a sport normally associated with adults and working, not hound dogs.  On top of the many accomplishments that Emma and Daisy have earned, the love and companionship between these two has only grown throughout the years. They eat, sleep and play together and have been each others best pals forming a lifetime of memories for them and those that have had the pleasure of watching them grow up together.  It was certainly my pleasure to have played my small part in helping them achieve their wonderful success together, but the real honors must go to Emma for  she and only she was able to see past the impossible to what is possible with determination, love and a little help from friends and family.

David Harris (proud father of Emma Leigh Ann Harris)

Emma and Daisy after their first successful AKC showing.

Emma and Daisy being Emma and Daisy.

Current Picture of Emma and Daisy.  Emma is now eleven years old and Daisy is semi-retired at seven years old.  They are still inseparable.