Marshall
(Seilatan's Marshall Harrison Can/Am CDX, TT)

On April 8, 1987 the woman that Marshall lives with had the pleasure of witnessing one of life's greatest miracles ~ birth.  A new litter of English Springer Spaniels came into the world that day and she felt fortunate to have been there.  One male puppy, a liver & white with lovely markings, seemed livelier and more energetic than the rest, right from his first breath.  As the weeks went by, and the woman had the opportunity to go and visit these puppies at her friend's home, she knew she was falling in love with that spunky little guy.  The breeder had nicknamed him "Dirty Harry", because as the litter became old enough to start eating solid food from a shared dish, that one male pushed and shoved and made sure he was the one getting the most food. This often found him perched right inside the dish, while his litter-mates ate all around him. He loved to eat. Although, at the time, the woman and her husband already had two female ESS (Becky & Amy) and they had no intention of buying another dog, her regular visits found her growing fonder and fonder of Dirty Harry. The thought of him going to live with someone else, where she may never see him again, made her realise they had to have another Springer. So, in June they brought home this marvellous puppy.  They decided that Dirty Harry wasn't a name they wanted to keep, because this pup was no longer dirty. He still loved his food and was still a little pushy, but he was always nicely groomed. So they named him Marshall Harrison, the protector of the "girls" (though not much of a protector ... it sounded good). It was lots of fun sharing their lives with three dogs ~ a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a 2 month old. The dogs all got along fabulously and they had three months of noisy play-fights, chases around the yard, and a triple dog pile when they were sleeping. Then suddenly and unexpectedly Amy (the 2 year old) died. If it had not been for Marshall they're not sure they could have handled it. The fact that they had a young pup in the house that needed training and loving and playing with, helped them immensely over the grief. Even Becky was depressed for awhile, but Marsh was too young, he didn't understand, and he forced them all to laugh again. They thank God for his timely arrival. Marsh is intelligent, active, sensitive and food motivated ~ a perfect candidate for doing well in obedience, and he did. In the Winter of 1989, after a two-hour drive through a wicked ice-storm, they competed in three trials over a two day weekend, and Marshall earned his Can. CD with three consecutive wins, 198 1/2, 196 & 197 out of 200. This earned him an Award of Canine Distinction (a Dog World Award). He later went on to earn his Can. CDX and Am. CD, all with 1st placements, huge scores, a High In Trial and lots of ribbons and trophies. His heeling was flawless and prancy, and all moving exercises were done with great precision, speed, gusto and sheer joy. Marsh had to retire early from obedience trials because of hereditary hip dysplasia, but he's never forgotten how to be a great dog. Marshall is older now, and their friend Becky is gone, so he and his family enjoy a quieter lifestyle. They go for long walks in the woods and fields around the Niagara Peninsula and play in the garden at home. Marsh is still very active and loves his overflowing toy box and favourite blanket. He still chases the squirrels, but no longer actually tries to climb the tree. Marshall has gone quite deaf, and he has arthritis in his hips, but he reads lips and body language extremely well, so he doesn't miss much. Marsh has brought more joy to his family's life than they can ever describe and they treasure every moment they share with him. He brings them love, laughter and faithful companionship. What more more could you ask for of a friend?