Alphabet Soup
A good friend of mine, Jackie Nelson, has put so many titles on her little boy Soda that I say his name sounds like Alphabet Soup. Joking aside, the list of titles added his name all mean something very special. Years ago, when my Cloud earned his CD- Companion Dog title from the AKC, I found a beautiful poem that expresses to me what all those letters really mean. I want to share it here to honor all of those dogs and handlers who work together to achieve great things.
What Is A Title Really? |
A Title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honour the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better in that regard. And though the dog himself doesn't know or care that his achievements have been noted, a Title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count. A Title says your dog was intelligent, and adaptable, and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed. And a Title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog, and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed, and that in the end your faith was justified. A Title proves that your dog inspired you to have the special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, this dog with a Title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return. And when that dear short life is over, the Title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials before or after the name. A Title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received permanently.
Author unknown |