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Mollie
The foundation of my home-bred dogs. She comes from a long line of Field Trial Champions - predominantly of the Holway breeding line. She has a perfect temperament and is so willing to please. She has been a regular at Seaford Dog Training Club over the years and won the annual in-house competition in 1997. She occasionally now still visits the club to assist me in training the puppy class - I use her to show just what can be achieved with a little time and patience with your dog.
Mollie has proven to be an excellent brood bitch - having 2 litters and providing me with a bitch puppy to keep from each. I am extremely fortunate that both have taken after their mother in their wonderful characters and temperament.
Mollie is now 14 years old and ‘touch wood’ remains in very good health and still enjoys her run in the forest every day. She loves to play in the muddiest puddle she can find and all to often also finds something rather disgustingly smelly to roll in too! She never seems to learn - she hates being washed off when we get back home and that’s what has to happen when she has rolled.
Even at 14 years old, Mollie continues to astound us - her granddaughter Mia is her favourite play-mate at the moment. They play fight every evening in the lounge - a truly wonderful sight. As yet she hasn’t had much time or patience with our latest puppy Maisie - but I’m sure she will in due course.
2008 - Mollie has recently had a slight health scare. We thought she had the start of arthritis but the vet thought it more neurological - possibly wear and tear type arthritis pressing on her spine making it difficult for her to get up. She is now on medication and has responded amazingly well to it - very much back to her old self and really enjoying life.
2009 - Another scare! Very unusually for Mollie, she started to go off her food. She showed no other signs of being unwell but nonetheless we took her to the vet - he was slightly baffled too! He took bloods which gave no real indication of what was wrong. He thought it may be Pyrometra (womb infection) and asked if we were prepared to put her through such major surgery at her age. What a decision to make! We decided to give her the chance of and if she didn’t make it, well, at least we gave her every opportunity. I am so pleased to say that she sailed through the operation and was back with us the following day almost as though nothing had happened! She continued to make a complete recovery and was soon back on her usual walks with the others. She is now approaching her 14th birthday and starting to show her age but certainly is very happy in herself - so we hope she continues that way for some while to come.
2010 - As you would expect at over 14 years of age, Mollie is slowing down considerably now. She is no longer going for walks with the other girls as she can’t keep up and they have no respect for their elders when out. She finds it hard to get up and down, but apart from that seems to be very happy in herself.
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