Quincy
Quincy
A Short Story—Fiction
By B.E. Smith
January 5, 2018
Quincy is a dog. But when I say dog, I mean Quincy is not just a dog; he is an AKC Certified Champion Shetland Sheepdog, Champion Waldenwood Quinella. He is a horny, enthusiastic stud dog who monitors his in-house harem of Shetland Sheepdog Bitches and welcomes all visitors who come in season and ready to breed. Quincy is the prince of his domain and he raises his leg and leaves his scent wherever he goes to prove it.
The Show Dog
The goal of every Shetland Sheepdog show dog is to become an AKC certified Champion. That takes effort and money—a quality pedigree for multiple generations, training in his or her youth, grooming and handling on the day of the show and presentation to the judge when the show starts.
AKC, the American Kennel Club oversees all American show dogs in every breed. They set the standards as to what a Champion show dog should look like; they set the rules for making a champion and they manage the shows themselves. Some of the shows are small, like about 700 dogs, that’s small? Some are large with 2,000 dogs or more. Some are “All-Breed” which covers—well, all breeds. Some are Specialty shows which covers only one breed, e.g. Shetland Sheepdog which is the breed to which Quincy belongs.
It takes 15 points according to AKC rules to make a Champion and the dog accumulates points in every show that he wins. Only two dogs, a male and a female, win points in any given show. The most any dog, which is a male, can win is five points in a major show all the way down to 1 point where there is not much competition. The number of points varies depending on how many competitors a winner has in a given show.
AKC requires that to make a champion, the dog has to win at least two major shows which vary in point count from three to five points. Minor points can make up the rest and when the dog accumulates 15 points he or she, the dog or the bitch, is declared a Champion.
Owners and breeders can show the dogs themselves or they can hire a professional handler who will train, groom, and present the animal to the judge at the show. Some owners are breeders; some are just owners who bought they precious animal from a breeder or someone else. Some owners farm out their show activities to professional handlers, an expensive activity limited to affluent owners.
Quincy was a winner right from the start. His owner, Harriet, hired Julie, the handler for his first show at the Atlanta Kennel Club show in April 2003. Quincy was entered in the 6-9 puppy class and he kicked ass right from the start. Julie took him in the ring the first time and he adopted the majestic pose of a winner—even as a puppy, he knew what to do and how to do it. Julie with number 21 on her armband let 21 shelties into the open class ring in single file. Quincy was happy and enthusiastic. He looked straight at the Judge, Jim McCann. “You don’t scare me,” Quincy said, “I came here to win. What’s your fucking problem?”
He beat all the adult competitors in the Major show, and picked up his first three points. Quincy was on his way. “It’s hard to believe he won the major points over the adults,” Harriet said, “but we’ll take them.”
Quincy completed his championship 15 points in February 2006, winning 4 points in a major show in Greenville, S.C., his 4th major!
Quincy got his Certificate, Champion Waldenwood Quinella, February 2006. His picture and certificate were posted on the Winner’s Wall at Waldenwood Kennels in Morrow, Ohio.
The Stud Dog
Harriet posted on her internet site, www.Waldenwood.net that Quincy was now a Champion and “at Stud”. This was now Quincy’s main job, breed female Shetland Sheepdogs when they arrived and were “in season”. Quincy liked his job and when a new bitch arrived, he was always ready to go. Sometimes he bred bitches naturally and sometimes Harriet helped with Artificial Insemination or AI. Quincy didn’t care which, he just wanted to get it off, and he always seemed to be ready.
The Prince of His Domain
The one thing Quincy did not like was competition and Harriet had another Shetland Sheepdog, also at stud. His name was Lucky. Quincy hated Lucky and Lucky reciprocated that feeling to Quincy. They had to be kept in separate pens always or they would fight, going for the jugular; they would try to kill each other. No holding back.
Harriet always kept them apart but when they accidentally got together, it was a bloody fight that resulted in a trip to the vet for both combatants.
When Quincy and Lucky were outside at the same time but in separate pens, Quincy would look continually at Lucky. “I want to kill that Lucky,” he thought.
Quincy was the Prince of His Domain and neither Lucky or any neighbor dog was welcome. He guarded the other three female Shelties with a fierce and competitive determination.
The Sick Dog
Quincy spent his life breeding champion shelties and watching Lucky to make sure that he did not get to the front of the line when new bitches came along.
Lucky was older than Quincy and he passed away in 2012. Quincy still looked for him every day even though his pen was empty. Gunner came along. Quincy did not have the passion to defeat Gunner like he did Lucky but still intended to kill him at the first viable opportunity.
Quincy got sick in his fifteenth year, a long old age for a Sheltie. Harriet took him to the vet who determined that he had pancreatitis. The vet put Quincy on a strict diet of scientifically designed health food for dogs, anti-biotics and an assortment of other expensive drugs. Harriet cared for Quincy night and day, but he got to the point where he was not hungry any more, nothing tasted or smelled good. He began to lose weight, down from 26 pounds, his normal to 14 pounds, his sick weight.
Harriet cried and took him to the vet another time. “It’s time for Quincy to go,” the Vet said. She prepared the lethal injection, and Harriet gently massaged his back while the vet shaved a small spot on his right front leg.
The shot did not hurt. Quincy had a smile on his face. Just a small prick and Quincy thought, “when I find that Lucky, I’m going to kick his ass.”
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