Ch. Terenelf's Paddy Hopscotch
"Hoppie"

"Hoppie"
Ch. Stormwey Paddy ROM x Ch. Larklains Dandy Honeycomb
April 29, 1983 - January 7, 1992


Ch. Stormwey Paddy ROM OFAG
"Paddy"
Ch. Revelmere Cock-A-Hoop
 Ch. Penmoel Such Fun of Rivona
Revelmere Charmian
Desaree of Dwynella Ch. Crocket of Wey
Cordach Diadem
Ch. Larklain's Dandy Honeycomb
"Chilie Bean"
( Top Producing Brood Bitch '84)		 Ch. Larklains Redd Dandy ROMX Convista Envoy of Gairlands
Ch. Larklains Bronze Duchess
Larklains Honeydew Ch. Cappycorns Bach
Ch. Larklain Dragons Heidi

To say that Hopscotch was a multiple group winner and placer doesn't even begin to tell about Hoppie. My favorite dog of all time, my constant companion, my "nude model" for art classes when I taught middle school, my fun, my bed warmer, my emotional healer, my love, my heart, cruelly taken from me in the prime of her life by the killer tick borne disease, ehrlichiosis. It is so hard to write through the tears, but I must urge all readers to take advantage of the link to the Ehrlichia Homepage. This site has a copyright free comprehensive paper on this disease which is so little known in my area that Hopscotch went undiagnosed by four excellent vets until it was too late to save her. Caught early, it can be easily treated with Doxycycline. Undiagnosed or diagnosed late, it can kill. If you just know what to watch for, if you just demand the blood test when appropriate (even if you vet doesn't think it is necessary) it could save the life of your precious dog, just as a blood test and early treatment saved Ch. Terenelf's Double Dip. The signs are so subtle. Hoppie was shown and placed in veterans class at the National Specialty in September and died the following January, less that four months later. I am sure, however, that the ehrlichia had been lurking in her body for at least two years before she died.

She had become lame in one front leg. No pain response on physical examination. Super back and discs in the x-ray taken to rule out disc disease. The limp finally just went away untreated in three weeks and Hoppie seemed the picture of health for the next two years until December 1991 when I thought there was something wrong that I just couldn't put my finger on. It was just something about the way she looked to me. No one else could tell. I asked for blood tests (CBC and chemistry) and there was nothing unusual. We kept methodically trying to rule things out in a conservative, sensible way, but this was way too slow for this disease. She started to slow down, hesitated to do stairs, left just a little food in her bowl. I carried her upstairs every night so she could sleep on my bed. Meanwhile, I was desperately going from one vet to another, one specialist to another, to try to find out what was wrong with her. Eventually, she showed purple bruising on her chest, later uncontrollable bleeding from a needle prick. Finally, in trying to rule out cancer, I stumbled on a vet who had seen Ehrlichia and recognized it immediately. The morning of our appointment, Hoppie collapsed and I raced to the vet early thinking she'd die before I got there.. A blood transfusion (the first for four) gave her a boost and treatment was begun. But constant care and appropriate treatment at that point was just too late. She eventually died of a secondary infection, her immune system broken down. It broke my heart. It still breaks my heart to think that if I just knew then what I know now, she may have lived. 

PLEASE READ THE EHRLICHIA HOMEPAGE!
PRINT IT OUT AND GIVE IT TO YOUR VETERINARIAN.

 
Hoppie
 Hopscotch was always full of fun and funny, the source of much laughter. A natural born food inhaler, she used to wait for me to mix up all the dog food in the kitchen, patiently sitting up and begging until I started to finish up and then she'd hop on her hind legs to the spot where I'd put down her dish. This was entirely her idea. I had never tried to teach her how to sit up and beg. As long as there was food involved, she'd do it whether or not you were paying any attention to her at the time. When we started to show her, between times to gait and stack, she 'd spend most of her time in the ring sitting up, hoping for just a little more bait and only putting all four on the floor when urged by her handler, Sue Rayner. When curious about something, she'd pick up one of her front legs so as to crane her neck a bit more and get a better look. We decided to let her be herself in the ring and most judges seemed to like her even when she stood on three legs! 
Hoppie At Show
Hoppie went to her first show when she was six months old. After breeder judge Peggy Mickelson gave her Best of Breed (over her sire and dam), she went on to place fourth in the Group under Carolyn Thomas. The shows presented her with the opportunity to meet a lot of strangers and also get in a lot of lap time while we waited for group judging. She loved going to the shows and showed her excitement in the group ring, barking with the applause. During her show career, Hopscotch won the Group I six times as well as many group placements and Best of Breed awards. After her retirement from the ring, she'd get wildly excited when I was preparing to go to a show, racing between the front door and the gate to the driveway pleading to go along. It always broke my heart to leave her at home.

At home, Hopscotch was a champion couch potato and lap dog, always taking advantage of all the comforts of home. She'd sleep with her head on my shoulder all night and if I moved, she'd scramble to snuggle up to me in my new spot.

The Ultimate Couch Potatoe
 
 
 


Hoppie takes Group II 
at the 1984 Harrisburg show
Handled by her great friend, Sue Rayner
More Show Wins


 HOPPIE GOES TO SCHOOL
At the middle school where I taught, Hopscotch would relax on top of a woodworking table while my students practiced contour and gesture drawing techniques and learned about value and texture while drawing our "nude" model. You could always hear a pin drop in these classes while the kids gave the assignments their best efforts, often with striking results. To encourage creativity in writing as well as drawing, I'd tell the kids to write something about Hopscotch - anything - real or imaginary - a description of her, a short story, a poem. 

Hopscotch
Hopscotch is great
And she is never late
For the party when they celebrate
That she is great.
Melissa Vaught, grade 6

Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a champ,
She is no tramp,
She's small and cute,
But not too mute.
Her tail is shorter than a nail.
She can hardly look over a pail.
She has a white face,
But she does not race.
Erin Hardam, grade 6

Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a champion. 
She has won more than one.
At home she is lots of fun
And Miss Kay calls her a honeybun.
She has white feet and chest -
It looks almost like a vest.
Debbie Black, grade 6

Hopscotch
Cuddly
Cute
Always Happy
Perky ears
And deep, brown eyes.
Kristen Giamber, grade 6

Hopscotch
Miss Kay and her dog, Hopscotch, were taking a drive one day when a call came over the radio. "Calling Miss Kay, calling Miss Kay. Request your help at 25 Sicamore Lane. Bring Hopscotch too. She may be of some help." So Miss Kay drove her souped-up Lambergini to the address. A whole herd of sheep were running across the street. Hopscotch immediately jumped out of the car and ahead of the sheep. She started wildly barking. The sheep stopped and put it in four wheel drive reverse. They all rushed back inside the field. Miss Kay slammed the gate and said, "Case #1462501 closed!" Hopscotch saved the day (and the sheep). She got a real big reception from the town and then Hopscotch and Miss Kay drove into the sunset.
Ray Schinzel, grade 7
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