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Multiple
International Best in Show!!!
Am/Can/Intl
Ch
Coastal Wyndsong's Promise CD
"Keeper"
Ch
Jade Mist New Sun Rising ROM x Kandisweet Who's The Fairest
OFA Good --
CERF Normal
Photos in artwork above taken by Shannalee Michalsky
Akadia Shelties
Three AKC Best of Breeds on his way to his championship!
Multiple Canadian BOB & Group I placements
In the ribbons at both the 2003 & 2004 National!
Two more BOB in
Puyallup & Portland with HUGE entries...
Finished International title in
three shows with
three Group Firsts and two Best in Shows!!!
Legs in agility, herding & rally
Finished his CD in obedience with a High in Trial along the way!
Finishing with that last coveted
major!
Thank you, Jan Williams of Mistybrook
Shelties for your terrific handling!!!
You and Keeper were a beautiful team.
2004
NATIONAL
WIN!!! 
Keeper is an incredibly exciting dog
to own. More than that, he is my "heart dog," the one who makes
my heart leap more than any other. He is funny & playful, intensely smart, loyal
and breathtakingly beautiful. He excels in every venue we try our
hand at, whether it is conformation, agility, obedience, herding, running a lure
course, or just being the best dog
imaginable. Keeper manages to charm folks at ringside,
and has accumulated a loyal following wherever he goes. In
April 2002, I flew from Alaska to Washington DC to pick Keeper up (his
breeders Tammy Alden & Pauline Brolin were up in Maryland at Carol Howell's
place for a visit at the time and had brought him there for me). Tammy introduced
me to my new puppy, and I remember being struck speechless when I first saw
him. I also remember thinking there was some terrible mistake... that no
one would possibly sell me such a beautiful puppy. I had to fight the urge
to slam my check into Tammy's hand, grab Keeper, and hightail it for the hills
before she could change her mind. But Tammy was serious in entrusting this
exceptional young man to me, and I had the privilege and joy of flying home with
him in the cabin. Oh, what a trip that was... He was admired and
exclaimed over during the entire trip. Since
then, Keeper has exceeded my expectations in every venue. He has done
exceptionally well in the breed ring - a Canadian champion in limited showing by the age of 18
months, placed 2nd to the winner's dog at the 2003 ASSA National, third in a very competitive
American Bred class at the 2004 National in Utah, and multiple Best of
Breeds. He achieved three Group I placements in six shows in Canada
as a special, as well as three Group I placements out of three International
shows, culminating in two Best in Shows. When
Keeper turned a year old, I started him in agility training. We trained
for six Saturdays in a row with Liz Williams of Alaska Dog Sports (I didn't have
practice equipment at home to work him on), and he was doing so well, a couple
of months later I decided
to enter him in an agility trial just for the experience. To my surprise,
he ended up with a leg in novice standard as well as one in novice jumpers with
weaves. Amazing!!! Keeper
also had obedience training as a puppy, where he excelled at biting at my
heels. After just a class or two, we called it quits for a while to try
our hand at agility. For some reason, I never got back to training him,
but in 2006, I entered him in our specialty club's first obedience trial to
support the club. Time got away from me, and I ended up being able to give
him just a 20 minute refresher the night before the trial. Keeper shocked
the socks off me by performing respectably in the ring the next day in pouring
rain. During the long sit, again in the rain, he watched another dog lie
down, and obediently copied that dog. So close! 
This
year (2007) I again entered Keeper in the specialty obedience trial to support
the entry. Because of my work schedule, I didn't even get to do refresher
training with him. Imagine my surprise when he was high in trial with the
higher of the two qualifying scores that day... LOL I
decided I'd better get that CD done, since my gorgeous 5 1/2 year old dog
already had a leg, and entered him in a two day trial later that month in June
2007. With my work schedule, training was impossible, but he eeked out a
passable 186.5 and a 189.5 to finish his CD title... all from training when he
was a six month old puppy! WHAT
A DOG!!! We signed up for a herding clinic in Spring '03. The instructor
is a herding judge out of California. I had never herded sheep in my life,
and didn't have a clue about what to do, so the judge took Keeper into the pen
with the sheep. After a couple of minutes, he stepped out, handed me the
stick and said, "Have at it! He knows what he's
doing." And thus did Keeper pull me into a new area of fun
and interest! I'm hoping to find the time to help him achieve a herding
title as well. 
Keeper looking gorgeous on a road trip "right out of the
crate"
We
haven't mastered everything yet, but with this little dog's heart, brains and
natural talents, I think we can do just about anything! Thank
you, Tammy Alden and Pauline Brolin of Coastal
Kennels (North Carolina) for giving me the
opportunity to share my life with this wonderful dog. He has enriched my
life like nothing else has. Even if he never did a blessed thing in the
ring, I would be forever grateful for "my little man." Thank you, ladies!!!
BEST OF
BREED!!! 
Thank you, Judge Marjorie Tuff!
Look for him in the Mar/April 2003 and Sept/Oct 2003 issues of
the
Sheltie
Pacesetter, as well as the inside back cover of the
pre-Nationals issue in 2004 -- also the post-National issue
of the Sheltie International in 2004
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