SW Graduation February 08

Sergi attended his second CCI graduation yesterday — the first being when he was just eight weeks old in November when we turned in his half-brother Pryde for advanced training. Sergi whined throughout almost the entire ceremony. It was very embarrassing. But, a whiner he is, and though we work on it continuously, he continues to do it. I've never had a whiny dog before. It's quite....shall we say...challenging? Actually, annoying is more like it.

We watched a couple of our friends turn in their pups, saw two friends' dogs graduate with wonderful matches, and we visited with folk that we generally only get to see the four times a year that graduation takes place. The greatest part of the day was getting Sergi together with his namesake. Ken Sergi was delighted to see us (him) and pleased and somewhat surprised at how nicely puppy Sergi has grown and lost his puppy fat.



Of course, pictures were in order and many were taken. It's wonderful to have a professional photographer documenting the stages of this wonderful dog. I continue to hope that Puppy Sergi will make Daddy Sergi proud as he finds his way and chooses his path.






Each graduation, I am reminded of a wonderful poem that I read on the CCI-People list years ago. I think it was written by Dailyah Patt:

Someone told me you're trying to grow a beautiful rose for us.

You might not have even been told that was your goal. You were probably handed some healthy startings, told vaguely to nuture them and told that we'd see you back in about a year.

As time has gone by you've doted, fretted and fussed. You've given those startings every chance possible. The plant is healthy and hardy. The flowers are stunningly gorgeous.

No one who sees your bundle isn't amazed at what you've helped grow from the small startings you were given...nobody could've possibly done a better job.

But you're trying to grow us a rose. And while tulips, orchids and sunflowers are very pretty and special indeed, they're not roses...

You couldn't have known what those startings would grow up to be. No one could have...unless someone like you had loved and nutured them for over a year so they'd flower. Raisers, please remember this no matter how badly you want to give us a beautiful rose.

If you were handed tulip bulbs - you've done a phenomenal job raising if the tulips are the vision of what a tulip can be.

If you were handed orchid startings or sunflower seeds, please know that the world wouldn't be complete without their color and zest.

If you were handed a rosebush, thank you for helping us make sure that all of the flowers go where they should.

Now, if you were given some startings and they whithered away because you didn't shower them with attention and care...well, nevermind - I've never known any CCI Puppyraisers like that.