"Justice"

AKC ptd/INT Vet CH
Wayeh's Just Before the Dawn CGC

CH Wayeh's Cherokee Brave, CGC, TT, TDI
X CH Wayeh's Sassafras Lass "Razzy"
3/31/92 - 2/16/01
Breeder/Owner/Handler Billie Stewart

Justice was one of those one-woman dogs , she adored Billie Stewart but she had this attitude with other people: "I really really like you, but I'm not gonna love you." Even as a 10-month-old who returned to Wayeh, there was a bond between her and Billie .

When I visited my infant Summer, we were sitting in the living room upstairs kissing and hugging and telling Summer how beautiful she was when Billie smiled and said suddenly, "Don't move." And out of the corner of my eye, I saw the basement door was open and Justice stood at my shoulder. She looked right at me then gently took Summer out of my hands and carried her back downstairs to the whelping room. <G> Later, when we inherited Justice and she came to rule my porch, she decided that I got to be the lucky center of her affections -- it's quite a responsibility, especially since she has that lethal Malamute paw -- pet me or be flattened.

When Justice arrived at our Tennessee home, from Somerset, KY, her life turned upside-down. First, she lost Billie and all the Wayeh dogs grieved for her. Second, she lost her nice routines in a household of two people who were much quieter and calmer than we are. What this means practically is there is always a hub-a-lub at our house, we are always doing something. Perhaps it's because we have Siberians as well. Perhaps it's our emphasis on pack instead of kennel. And perhaps it's because I can never sit still. But after we introduced everyone to my vet and got the OK, we put the diginifed Lady J in a back pack and started working off (to be blunt) the old lady fat off her royal hind end! We also put her in harness and after she got over her initial indignity, she now pongo-pongo-pongos (bouncing in place) when she sees the back pack or harnesses come out. At 7 years of age she became a working woman and has never looked back.

Warning: when you put a retired show dog in a backpack with a pull harness underneath to free up your hands, you must understand from the getgo, that she is predisposed to PULL, even if she's never worn a harness in her life!

2nd Warning: a show dog naturally moves at a faster clip than a human does, even if she's brace coupled to her granddaughter Spirit, she can still run your legs off over 10 miles and pongo in place at the end of it while her granddaughter and her new mom glare at her from the shade.

So Lady J has 2 (of the 4) legs of her AMCA Working Pack Dog (WPD) Title, and this fall she will finish that and her AMCA Working Team Dog (WTD) Title as well in a planned excursion to the Daniel Boone National Forest. We are a firm believer in these working titles. Many dogs have the ability, but unless you put them under a pack or in a harness, you just don't know. Besides it's great fun to get out and DO things with your dogs.

With 8 AKC points, our Lady J is spayed and will not finish her AKC Championship, but look for her in the INT Veterans ring soon because this girl loves to show! She passed on her lovely bone and sweet sidegait to her daughters Summer and Hope ... And introduced to the harness and backpack at seven years of age, she said, "I am HOME!"

Pictures

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(8 AKC pts) IABCA-INT Vet CH
Wayeh's Just Before the Dawn CGC
Dam of 1 CH, 1 obedience title, 2 working titles, & 1 TDI