Tyler’s Story

Tyler’s Story – Part I

As I go through life, I realize there are some things which are just meant to be and Tyler was one of them.

It was early February 2006 and I was looking at my 2 older girls, Sara and Mish, realizing they were beginning to show their age and maybe it was time to start thinking about a puppy. Having moved from Charlottesville VA in 2003, I really didn’t know any Lab breeders in the area, so I went online and one of the first kennels I found was Carol Quaif’s Carenna Labradors. I emailed her and told her I was just beginning my search and asked her for a recommendation.

She said the only litter she knew of was in VA – a litter Martha Lee Voshell had bred. Unbelievable coincidence – Martha Lee helped us find our first Lab 25 years ago and basically everything I knew about Labs, I learned from her.  I had always wanted a Broad Reach puppy, but the timing had never worked out. I guess I had to move 500 miles away to find a puppy in my own back yard.

Tyler on the move - 10 wks

Randy and I drove up to see the litter. I’ve always said you don’t pick the puppy, the puppy picks you and this light yellow boy made it clear, he was the one. I knew most of the litter had been spoken for, but as things happen, I was thrilled to hear he was available, and so the story begins.

We had to wait another 2 weeks before we could bring him home, so another weekend round trip from GA, but we were so excited the time went by quickly. He started to fuss a little when we first put him in the car, so I took the fluffy towel I was holding him in and laid him carefully on the floorboard – just that nice vibration and he went fast to sleep.

There were many other coincidences in those first few months. We wanted a nicely bred dog, which Tyler certainly is, but we weren’t looking for a show puppy. Yet, as Tyler started to mature, he was so balanced and such a good mover that we thought we should consider it.

A friend suggested I give Lara Spears a call – she was a handler and could evaluate him.  Lara was just one of those people you meet and instantly connect with. It was early fall 2006 and Lara suggested entering him in a show here in Atlanta – it would be convenient and we could see how he liked it.

Ignorance is bliss. Unlike most of my dogs in the past, Tyler spent most of his time at home with his 2 aunts, Sara and Mish (both Labs), so we didn’t know what he would think about this big outing.

I told Lara I knew about horse shows, but essentially nothing about dog shows. I didn’t know how to train him to behave in the ring. She told us not to worry; she would teach him and puppies weren’t expected to show like old pros.

Tyler never batted an eye at all the newness around him. From the very beginning, he thought and still thinks that everyone is there just to see him.   I have no doubt Lara had a lot to do with that.

We had no real expectations, but were very excited when he won his first class! We learned class winners get to show against all the other class winners for Winners Dog – we thought that was great – he’d get more time in the ring.

He won his class the next day too and before we knew it, he was Reserve Winners Dog at 10 months old at his first show against some very nice dogs. We thought it was great, but really didn’t understand how impressive that was. In fact we were a little disappointed the next day when he got distracted and placed 2^nd.  We were thrilled with Lara, what a great job she’d done with him and how much Tyler had enjoyed himself. And so the story goes…….

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Randy and I would especially like to thank Lara Spears for making such a difference in Tyler’s life and ours. We hope she will be able to give some of his offspring the great experience she gave him and we look forward to a great friendship for many years to come.

For more information on Lara Spears, visit her website, www.sharpmtn.net - tell her Tyler sent you.