Great Dogs we have known

Ch Teversal Kodi CaCh; CDex; TD1; Sch 1; IPO1 Some people are so blessed that someone ultra-special will come into their lives. They toss and tumble everything higgledy piggledy, mixing joy, fun, laughter, happiness and love into one existence. It is difficult to believe another being can change things so completely and totally. Drastically. That is what happened when Kodi and Maxxie moved into our lives. These two little Boyz started their lives with us on a thousand kilometer car journey. They imprinted themselves on that very first day. They were completely relaxed and had no hesitation with starting the adventure of the new life. Kodi the explorer and Maxxie the gentle companion. This was their pattern. Set for life. They loved each other and had no problem who knew that. They loved us and made sure everyone knew that. They were brothers. Kodi was a mischievous, charming bundle of fun. He had a good time, no matter what he was doing, or who he was doing it with. He had the greatest sense of humour and loved to play. Kodi was always up for a challenge. He chose a career in Schuzhund. Kodi loved to run. He held his head to the wind and gave it his all. He could move as fast as most border collies and perhaps even faster than some! Watching him do Schutzhund was a thing of beauty and grace. He was one hundred percent gentleman and one hundred percent athlete! Helpers loved to play with him. He would give them a very good workout. But it was always a game. Kodi learned the rules very quickly and stuck to them. He understood the principal of "procedure". On top of all of this, he loved his humans. He loved his mom. Sometimes Linda would ask him to do something and Kodi would not hesitate. He would go straight to his mom and tell on Linda. SHE was not going to boss him around.
	Kodi
Ch Teversal Kaiser Max CaCh; CDex; TD11; Sch 1; IPO1 Maxxie loved life. He was the proverbial gentle giant. Maxxie was as much at home watching TV with his Granny (Maxxie was way up to date with all the soaps!) as he was on the field, chasing an IPO Helper. However, he did not share Kodi's passion for running. He was more into short spurts of energy! Maxxie could keep up with the best of Border Collies in fly ball. That was his best and most favourite sport! Max and Kodi were real friends and partners they left a great legacy behind. Many firsts: They were the first Bernese Mountain Dogs in South Africa to make a name for themselves in the Working Arena as well as in Breed. They both enjoyed working and were often on the top floor of the winners' podium. They successfully took part in Working trials, tracking, obedience, carting (Champions) breed (champions) fly ball and IPO and Schutzhund. However, their most successful venture during their very, very precious lives, was to be our companions and loyal friends. I don't know if we loved them as much as they loved us, but I am sure it was close! They were brothers Our Father was gracious enough to allow them both to enter the next life together. The way they did everything!
	Max
Ch Teversal Murphy Murphy was a Very Special Boy. When Marion phoned and told us she had a "Very Special Boy" who needed a Very Special Home, we were totally honoured to be the Chosen Ones. From the day that little miracle came into our home, he turned everything upside down. Kodi and Maxxie adored him. Sebbie, who was a very stern matriarch, allowed him unheard of liberties. No human could resisit him. Murphy was a giving and loving Boy. As he developed and grew, we realised he had a limp which was never going to go away. He had a slightly deformed front left leg. His foot turned out and no amount of physio was ever going to straighten it. His leg was sore sometimes. But Murphy never complained. He was a care giver. When Sebbie was too old to want to play outside or lie outside, he stayed inside with her. He would tease her by lying down very, very close and TOUCHING her. Kodi and Max were amazed. No-one EVER got so familiar with her. She would not tolerate that. But Murph was allowed to ! She was feeling particularly down one day and Murph was at his wits end, trying to make her be happy. Then he decided if the Mountain won't come to Mohammed ................. He went outside and found his most, very favourite toy and brought it in, laying it down gently on her front legs. He pushed at it with his nose until she eventually acknowledged it with a push of her own nose. Mission accomplished. He then lay down, close to her and just chilled while she slept. He was a very brave boy! We could not really train him much, as walking continuously was not pleasant for him. He had one great desire. He wanted to also pull a cart! So, Mick and Linda built him his own rig. It was too glorious! His harness was Toney red, shiny and had lovely brass inserts on it. The cart had a real Swiss Cow Bell on it. Murph adored his bell. He would wag his tail with force, ringing the bell as hard as he could. Sadly, Murphy was taken from us at the young age of six years. He suddenly became very ill. For no apparent reason, his system shut down. Within a week of becoming ill, he was taken Home. It stands to reason that somone so special could never survive on earth. He belonged in heaven with the most special of all of God's Angels!
	Murphy
Ch Bellherhof Volf Ca Ch Ob Ch; TD111; PD; IWT 111 Volfie was one of the happiest "people" I have ever known. He loved living and he loved life. He didn't care what we were going to do. That was what he wanted to do. He enjoyed being trained more than anything else. He would dance around and bark with excitement when he recognised the signs of imminent training. He enjoyed all aspects of work. He was a top rated tracker dog, qualified as a Police Dog, Schutzhund and Working Trials. He won Best Belgian Shepherd Dog at the Kennel Union National Show 5 shows in a row. He remained unbeaten in the show ring until his retirement at age ten. To put the cherry on the top, he was a carting champion and won the National Carting championship show in 1995.He was (and possibly still is) the highest qualified Belgian Shepherd Dog in South Africa. Not to mention that he was also an Obedience Champion., being placed second in the National Championships in 1997. He did not like to be inactive. If we were not training, he would dance around on the spot, trying to get me to give in and start a training session. This was how he got the nick name "Dancing Boy". Volfie did the most beautiful heelwork ever. People would come to shows to watch the lovely black dog, who danced his heelwork course as if he was a Lipitzana horse. It was indeed a spectacular sight. He was always full of life and everything he did seemed so easy! Training him was a tremendous honour. He treasured every behaviour we taught him. He thought it was a huge game and was onloy too willing to be part of it. He tried very, very hard to succeed. His eagerness to learn was very exciting and spurred me on to keep trying new things. Volfie loved children and when we were invited to do demonstrations at the various events, he was like a magnet to the young one. I had to watch my dog every minute. He ws only too happy to go off with the children, to play chase or touch or football or even be the outfielder for the cricket team. He was a wonderful ball boy on the tennis court and of course, his greatest thrill was to take small children for rides in his cart. Volfie lived life to the full. He made the most of every second of every minute of the fourteen years that he spent with us. When Volfie passed away , it was as though he was still that energetic, enthusiastic young man. He never lost his zest and desire for life. He never really grew up.
	Volf
CaCh Sebbie Cd Ex If a person is extremely lucky and greatly blessed, God will lend you a "once in a lifetime" dog. Linda was such a person. She was chosen as the care-taker of Sebbie. Sebbie was never going to win any beauty competitions and she was not even competition for personality of the year. Well, maybe she was ............ as long as it was the strongest,, strictest, most dictatorial person of the year........... THAT she would win! What made Sebbie special are these exact characteristics. She was consistent and always true to self. She adored Linda and her loyalty was undivided and indisputable. Sebbie was not a socialite, but she had a quiet dignity that lifted her way above any of the highly pedigreed "ladies" that frequented the same clubs as she did. Linda was led to the animal shelter to find her soulmate. They met and bonded irrevocably and forever. Linda totally loved Sebbie. They were a couple! Training Sebbie in the beginning stages was never an easy task. She was stubborn and bloody-minded! Linda plugged away, trying this method and that method. Eventually they overcame the mountain of the problem! Sebbie finally agreed to retrieve! Who was the happiest??????????? Things went from not good to excellent! Sebbie was on the road to an obedience pro! Linda and Sebbie went from show to show, gaining everyone's respect and admiration. Sebbie sort of mellowed. She tolerated the other dogz in the pack. Yogi, Mick's Belgium Shepherd Dog, became her close friend and confidante. They would play together. Yup! I said PLAY! He was mentally strong enough to cope with her and demand her respect. Mick and Linda decided to enter a new sphere of training. They introduced Sebbie and Yogi to the sport of carting. It was great fun. The two dogz took it like dogz to carting! They shot to the top of their field and sat there, unshakable. Mick, Linda, Sebbie and Yogi travelled all over South Africa, competing and winning. Yes, Sebbie was certainly a cantankerous old bitch. But she was more happy and content all her life. than most dogz can ever even dream of!
	Sebbie
CaCh Vomhamel's Tsoko Tsoko was one of five puppies born in a litter sired by Yogi. He was the biggest, the noisiest, the most active, the skinniest and the cutest of all the puppies. Mick did not chose Tsoko for any of these qualities. Tsoko chose Mick. He crept into his heart and made himself at home there. He charmed his way home with him and secretely wove his magic, taking over Mick and his life. When we wiped our eyes out, Tsoko had been living with us forever! He was adorable. He ha dsome wierd ideas and was not always rational. But then............ he WAS Tsoko. A time went by, it became apparent that Tsoko was definitely not going to produce two healthy testicles. He managed one and then gave up. Amazingly, all the obedience and Working Trial enthusiasts aadvised Mick to sell him and get a "decent" dog. Wow! Tsoko was a living thing. He deserved respect and a good life. He was also very clever and loved being trained. He qualifeied everything with 100%! Soon he had the nickname "hundred percenter"! He took over the top carting spot from his dad. It seems the love of carting was passed via Yogi's genes. Tso was a big dog. Much bigger than his dad. He was powerful and very light on his feet. Soon, he was king of carting. He never quite enjoyed the same relationship with Sebbie as Yogi did. She was polite to him, but ............ Close but no cigar! Him and Mick shared a companionship of grand proportions. They went everywhere together and were totally inseperable.
	Tsoko
Ch Jolisl Yogi Bear Ob Ch; Ca Ch; TD11; IWT111; PD Yogi was the cornerstone of the pack as we know it today. He came to Port Elizabeth as an eight week old, black ball of fur. He was gorgeous. There was always an air of confidence and presence about him. As a puppy, he was very responsible and by the time he was twelve weeks old, he dominated the bloodhound, Watson, who was his companion. He simply took charge. He sorted the cats out and they quickly understood exactly what they were or were not allowed to do. I guess he was an "in-charge" kinda guy?Yogi had a great sense of fun and was a peasure to train. He enjoyed any aspect of dog sport. He excelled at Schutzhund (In South Africa we called it IWT). He was a great tracker dog and was one of the first Groenendaelers in South Africa to be seen in the obedience ring. Of course, he enjoyed the carting more than anything. Kodi's most favourite thing EVER was the annual trip to Oudtshoorn. We always stay in a cabin in the mountains, near the Kango Caves. A furrow runs through the resort grounds. In June (Mid Winter) we used to swim in the freezing cold waters. Ice cut against our legs as we played and romped. Yogi never felt the cold. This was his idea of heaven. He could run through the woods and across the grassy areas. He could swim. He could be totally free. No chance of a car running him over or another dog appearing out of nowhere. Just US! Everyone loved t there, but Yogi really, really loved ! He was always fun to be with. He enjoyed doing anything as long as we were doing it, too. Swimming in the sea was his next best thing to Oudtshoorn. But someone had to swim with him. Then he would surf the waves like a pro. He would swim far out and wait for a wave to catch him and take him in to shore. And then ........... back out again. Yogi's passing was a truly sad occasion. As he got older, he developed a cardiac problem which eventually became too much for him. He died as he lived. A true gentleman with dignity and pride.
	Yogi Bear