Remembering out past....
Angevin A Quiet Promise
"Whisper"
(Ch. Sunburst Inner Promise X Ch. Keswicke Quest For Glory)
B/W, DOB 6/14/2000,
Bred by Michelle Givens, Owned by Dawn Horock & Michelle Givens
This was a picture of Whisper winning her 1st point.
This is a picture of Whisper and I at our very 1st dog show. It wasn't just our first show, but a English Springer Spaniel Specialty show.
I still remember how nervous I was!
Remembering Whisper....
Whisper was a really smart and excited puppy girl. She loved going to dog class and playing. Tom hadn't really had a dog before and although we bought Whisper for me, she determined that Tom was going to be her person. We had high hopes for this girl to excel in the show ring, but she was our pet and companion first and foremost. But, Oh was she a "Daddys Girl" and he was attached to her just as much. As time progressed we had noticed some changes in her behavior and felt that we made the necessary changes to address any of the issues we were experiencing with her. We had spoiled her and attributed some of the behaviors to that fact. Things were better and she was just a very happy go lucky girl. Again, we started experiencing behaviors that really weren't acceptable. These behaviors were aggression, possession aggression and space possession. So we contacted her breeder and Michelle (always fantastic for advice and suggestions) provided us with some information on what we could try to change some of these behaviors. Something else that I noticed was how dark her eyes would get. These behaviors weren't going away and we did try to deal with her and manage these incidents as best we could. At two years of age, we knew that there wasn't any point to show her any further and she obviously would never be bred. We had spoken to our veterinarian regarding having her spayed and if this might help any behavior issues. The vet was honest and said he didn't feel anything would change. We decided since she wasn't going to be bred, that we'd have her spayed anyway. We were certainly in for a huge surprise because from that point on these behaviors were exhibited multiple times per day. We had grandchildren and unprovoked behaviors by Whisper were shown when the kids were at our home. We were still trying to manage her as best we could. Up till this point, Whisper had "turned against" me and my daughter, Ashley. Whisper had never bitten anyone, but she really did scare us. Finally, my husband decided that we couldn't have Whisper act like she was anymore. It wasn't the puppy girl we brought home. It wasn't the girl that he loved and cherished, she had turned into something else. I'll never forget that my daughter, Ashley who had just gotten her drivers license, drove us to the vet. Whisper on my lap, eating all the treats she wanted on the way there. We arrived and waited outside for the last client to leave the office. I cried hugging that girl while the vet put her in her final sleep. Our hearts were broken and we missed her true spirit so much. This is the part of having dogs that is really tough! The part of having dogs that your hearts ache! The part where the sensitiveness is right at the top of the skin and one look or just the right phrase send the tears streaming down your face.
I've had many years to think about Whisper and what happened with her. Rage syndrome comes to mind, but more than that, I really feel that this may be some form of epilepsy. I say this because of how Whisper's eyes would seem to turn jet black, the stare and the growl and teeth showing. Minutes later, it was as if she wasn't even aware of how she'd just acted. So, I'm not sure "medically" what it was, but that is my gut feeling. As a side note: Whisper was one out of a litter of eight. Two other littermates, whom were males, were also put down for this same type of behavior. Michelle Givens (Angevin ESS, now Wilden Springers) was and is a wonderful & knowledgeable breeder. She stood by me then and is still someone I consider a friend. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank her enough for her support and knowledge she provided to myself and Tom.
This is a picture of my husband Tom pictured with Whisper. Whisper adopted Tom as her person.
