Grand Champion Silver

FOXFAIR RUDY VALENTINO, HOF,BIS

Ch. Keeshee Lock Stock "N Barrel x Ch. Foxfair Valentina

                                May 18, 2009  to  April 28, 2021

Rudy was born into a litter of seven, five boys and two girls, at Foxfair, in Burton, Ohio on May 18, 2009. That's right during the week of the KCA National Specialty. He was whelped by my son Ryan Lynch, and two expert horse women, my sister Donna Boggs and our friend Chris Shulman. They informed me later that you need at least three people to whelp a litter, one to catch puppies and clean them, one to weigh them and keep records and one to help the other two! 

The boys in this litter were exceptional and selecting one was difficult from the beginning. However, by the time they were nine weeks old a few of them moved ahead. Rudy drew notice for his loving personality, movement and outline. I took a video with my phone of his first time on lead and told Ryan, "If this puppy can move, he will be amazing." When I started with him on the grooming table I began to notice his personality. He loved to play and enjoyed grabbing the spray bottle of water by the nozzle with his teeth, I squirted him in the mouth and he thought this was a great way to drink water! Thus started the game that lasted the rest of his life. He knew that I would laugh when he grabbed the bottle and this was a way to play a game. He was much more interested in this than in getting groomed. His playful ways continued with the other Keeshonds here, especially the girls. I was alarmed that he would allow them to constantly maul him, even dragging him across the yard by his back leg or his tail. I called Kristen Cullen and asked her about this, she said he just like his dad, Keillor. This part of his personality was positive because he was a also a peacemaker, who never challenged our much older male dog, Andy, (Ch. Foxfair Excalibur, BISS), This had worried me from the begining because Andy was the alpha male before Rudy. But the young Rudy never disrespected him any way, and even though they all played together he was able to retire in peace, playing with the girls and gathering up all the apples and sitting on them.

Jeanne and I entered him at shows in the classes and he quickly earned his points and was nearly finished when he went to the 75th Anniversary National Specialty.  

While he was at the National Specialty, he took Reserve Winners dog and his sister Lillian took Reserve Winners bitch and won the Sweepstakes. He caught the eye of Heather Myers. She said she would like to campaign one more Hall of Fame dog and asked if I would consider co-owning him with her while she campaigned him. Jeanne had a young Galaxy to special and so it was decided to let him go out with Heather. She selected Stacy Threfal as his professional handler and she and her husband Evan did an excellent job as Heather expertly managed his career.  Rudy obtained his HOF  and retired from All Breed shows, he came home only to be shown at specialty shows according to his contract. 

Sue Kite handled Rudy at National Specialties and also handled him to Reserve Top Keeshond. They made a wonderful partnership and I will never forget their performance around the ring, which we have on tape, goosebumps! 

It was lovely to have him home. We have two yards and they share a fence. When I went out to check on Rudy the first morning, he was leaning up against the fence and Lillian was on the other side licking his ears. They were very happy to be reunited. Around that time I began the first of three orthopedic surgeries, the first one a hip replacement.  First, let me say that Rudy has a big personality, he is a rambunctious dog with a lot energy, convinced that everyone in the world loves him, dogs and people alike. So, the first time I went out with him in the car after my surgery, I was very careful. We had to go down steps to the garage. He paused at the top of the steps and looked up at me as if to say, "Are you ready?" Then he waited for me to take one step down, he would step down and pause, and that is the way we proceeded. He picked up instinctively that I had to go slow and he matched his steps to mine. He did this throughout that surgery and rehab and the next two knee replacements. He was always careful not to bump or knock ito me.

Rudy was one of those fortunate dogs that had several excellent Keeshond girls sent to him. Two were HOF girls, GCHS Keenorth All About U Haiti, RN, owned by Elizabeth Fortino, and GCHB Astarz Through the Looking Glass, NAP, OJP, OFP, CGC, TKN, owned by Donna Stekli and Kathy Barker. They both had beautiful litters that resulted in 4 and 2 Champions respectively. The lovely bitch Keepsake Burning Desire, CDX, MX, MXB, MXJ, also had a litter by Rudy resulting in GCH Keepsake Some Like it Hot, Trixie, Sweepstakes winner, and agility girl, Keepsake Hot Pursuit, OA, OAJ, NF, and CH. Keepsake Set the Worlkd on Fire, RN, NF. An exceptional litter was born in Russia, from the multi International Champion, CH. Russkoe Serebro Onn-No Yuki, This litter included the American Champions CH. Russkoe Serebo Emprise at Cara, and CH Russkoe Eleggia Mavskoy Nochi, and the Russian and International Champion CH. Russkoe Edelweiss, (Endy), now a sire himself, and recently BOS at the Russian National Championship show in St. Petersburg. Rudy's last litter sired when he was nine, from the darling CH. Keepsake Little Deuce Coupe, resulted in the recent champion CH Keepsake Great Balls of Fire, Lewis, and major pointed bitch, Keepsake DreamGirl of Foxfair.  Not be left out is his first champion from Ch. Nightwind Foxfair Trillium, the unforgettable Ginny, CH Foxfair Virginia Dare, a multiple specialty winners bitch, and BOS. 

About a year and a half ago, Rudy came into the house through my bedroom. He was bouncing around, as usual, but when I looked down his tongue and his lips were turning blue. I called his veterinarian and took him straight in. They took an x-x-ray of his chest, and he was diagnosed with AVVI, AtrioventricularValvular Insufficiency.  As we were waiting for the results of the x-ray, I started to hyperventilate myself, Rudy was watching me anxiously and I knew this wasn't doing him any good. Ik out my phone which has a meditation app and started to do deep breathing. He watched me carefully and laid down breathing along with me and relaxing. The diagnosis was not good at all. Dr. Jenny said she could put him on medication and refer me to a cardiologist. He was given six weeks to live and I was told not be surprised if I found him collapsed and gone. While his cardiologist Dr. Boddy, told me AVVI was common in all breeds of dogs, it was not genetic but acquired. In humans it is a surgical disease, and they would simply get a valve replacement. This surgery has not been perfected in dogs, the success rate is less than 20%. He had a doppler echocardiogram, radiographs and bloodwork. 
Dr. Boddy put him on different meds and in the meantime we got a referral to wholistic veterinarian also. So, he had a regimen of both cardio meds, and supplements. His prognosis was extended to six months, then to a year or possibly two. He was a happy patient, and enjoyed every day playing with his sister, Lillian and his daughter Reggie. I am so grateful for the time he had and that he was not symptomatic and could enjoy himself. He made many friends that helped to write the story of his life, Jeanne, Ryan, Chris, Donna, Heather, Elena, Victoria, Stacy, Evan, Elizabeth, Gina, Joan, Margaret, and Sue, Rudy and I are grateful for all that you did with him and for him. On April 28, he was not feeling well, his medications could no longer stave off the progression of his enlarged heart. 

I hope this summary and the pedigree summary below gives you an idea of Rudy's accomplishments but more importantly the special personality that he projected to the world and passed on to this children.  Although, I am proud of his accomplishments and what he has passed along it is Rudy himself that I will miss and treasure forever. I called him Buddy as often as Rudy, because that is what he was, my buddy, and friend. He took a piece of my heart along with him, he was so dear, funny and sweet, and I will miss him forever.