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SOUTHERN CROSS TOUCH OF APACHE HT JHD STDsdc APACHE TRAILS LUCKY STREAK STDsdc X SOUTHERN CROSS SINAMINT OTDsdc RTDsc "HOKE"
RED MERLE/WHITE, AMBER/BLUE EYES, 19" 51#, FULL DENTITION/SCISSORS BITE, DOB 07/07/03, OFA AS-21621E29M-PI EXCELLENT/AS-EL1890M29-PI ELBOWS NORMAL, CERF CLEAR 2006, MDR-1 Normal/Normal
Fresh cooled/frozen semen available 2006 Approved bitches only
The minute I laid eyes on him, hours old, I knew he belonged to me. But no, he belonged to his breeder, Tom Michelson of Southern Cross Aussies in Ramona, California, the man whom I trained Ho Dog with for 3 years, thru his OTDsdc, RTDsc, HTD1s and HSAs. That would change weeks later, when Tom had to go out of town for a few days and I offered to puppysit this gawky, gangly youngster. Ho Dog adored this munchkin and played for hours with him those 3 days - and ever since, as he never did go back that I recall. Tom reluctantly agreed to part with him, and Dale asked that eternal question of all Aussie puppy owners - "Will he grow into those ears and that nose?" Two years later, the answer is, yes, he did indeed grow into that long, pointy nose and long, floppy ears, and matured into one of the most instinctive working dogs I've ever had the pleasure of watching. From the first moment he stepped into the working arena, he had rate, he had balance and no mechanics were needed to work stock with this little powerhouse. He even occasionally exhibits some eye. Hoke is Dale's first working dog, and they are turning into quite the team. After a few lessons with Tom, they started training seriously with Laura Noll of Glenrose Farms, in the wilds of East Jamul, about an hour south of us in Ramona. Under Laura, Dale has gained a great understanding of working with his boy as a team, and their first trial, where they earned their AKC HT under judges John Harvey and Jerry Stewart showcased their talent to an appreciative crowd. These guys are gonna go all the way, and do it in style! Conformation - wise, Hoke is a very moderate male of about 19"-20" (I need to put the wicket on him) and right now about 51# of pure muscle. He is totally built for speed and agility, and those who have seen his "reining horse stops" in the working arena are always impressed. He is, as he should be, very reserved with strangers until he warms up to them, then he's a pest, just like his uncle Ho Dog. Watching Hoke and Gizmo play is quite a treat; Gizmo always acts like he's gonna kill Hoke, but he's gotta catch Hoke first! And as fast as Gizmo is, he IS 9 years old, and even though it's barely noticeable, he has slowed down a tiny bit, just enough to not quite catch the red merle rocket. Hoke is mostly deep, rich liver red with merling on one side of his face (with the amber eye) and on his front legs and a few tiny bits about his lower body, with a (when he's clean) white chest. He is docked. He moves well, efficiently and fairly cleanly, perhaps the only fault I'd give him is that he doesn't quite converge as well as I'd like to see in the rear, but so much better than probably 90% of the Aussies out there. Temperament - wise, he's somewhat of a softie, but on those rare occasions when he needs a correction, he can take it and move right along. He's not terribly fond of other dogs at first glance, but is not dog-aggressive, even as an intact young male. Once he knows a dog, then it's buddy time. Ho Dog's little brother, the black bi rocket Taz (4 years and neutered) came to stay for a few weeks, and Hoke met his match, speed and agility - wise. Those two left even Ho Dog in the dust, and wore each other down every day. It was fun to watch them, believe me. All in all, Hoke has been a great pleasure to have around. He's a good boy, has good manners, and is truly an old style Aussie, moderate, highly intelligent and a natural working dog. Watch for him and Dale on the trial circuit in 2006!
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