For those who never knew her, or for those who didn't know her well, please allow me to introduce Dogwood's Chantilly Lace. Lacey. Or Lacebug. Or Laceybug. Or just Bug. Frankly, I don't think she cared much what you called her, as long as you didn't call her late for dinner.
Lacey came to me as a little four and a half pound spit of a thing. I picked her from a litter of seven because she was the independent one. The one who, while the others paired off to play with one another, went into the toy box and grabbed a sock so that she could KILL IT. I thought that meant she would be tough. Boy, was I ever right about that.
Lacey and I played all sorts of doggie games, and she was never happier than when she was working. It didn't matter what it was, as long as we had a job to do. Agility, sheep herding, rally obedience....(we even dabbled a bit in tracking, though I'm quite sure that Lacey found it rather boring and pointless as she much preferred to be constantly on the move). Lacey's philosophy on life seemed to always be something along the lines of, "Keep working, don't stop, never give up, never give in, sacrifice your body for the game, don't ever be afraid to fail, KEEP MOVING."
Lacey was with me for more than fifteen years...the majority of my adult life. We fit together like a hand and glove. She was so amazing that she frequently read between the lines of my poor handling and fixed it for me. She was my teacher, my mentor, and sometimes, my drill sergeant. Shame on she who made a handling error while working with Laceybug. She would turn and tell you off in a heartbeat, no matter who was watching. She was always pushing...really, really pushy, that one.
It has been nearly two years since I had to say goodbye to my Laceybug, but she is with me still and always. She was braver than I. Always more willing to take a risk. And now...now that I am standing at the edge of a cliff wondering if I should take that leap and see if I can fly, I can see her pushy self turning around to bark at me...
"Keep working, don't stop, never give up, never give in, sacrifice your body for the game, don't ever be afraid to fail, KEEP MOVING..."
Yes, ma'am. I will.
I promise.
