Time passes and often we forget some of our dogs who have made history in the breed. This story is in loving memory of Can, Am, Bah, Mex, Int'l Ch. Scottlands Fiona, Can, Am, Mex UD, Bda, Pr CDX, Bah CD, TT –Froufrou to her friends- who has ascended to stardom and contributed like few Westies to the accomplishments of the breed.

January 31 will forever be marked in my memory as one of the happiest and one of the saddest days of the year. This is the day that Froufrou was born and died. In 1980, Froufrou was whelped in Scottlands kennel (Joan Thompson) from Eng Am Can Ch Jerome of Whitebriar and Can Ch Craigievar Morag. When Joan let me have that lovely puppy, it was my first experience in Westies and I then knew nothing about shows.

As soon as I got Froufrou, I entered her in a puppy class. I wanted to give my new puppy all the chances to be well socialized and happy. Very soon, her willingness to please made quite an impression on the instructor as she finished first in her class. Her recalls were so speedy that once she went right through my wide open legs and finished centered at my feet… but behind my back. At that time, she was 4 months old.

Everybody was telling me then that a Westie, being a terrier, couldn't do well in obedience, especially in the "real thing", meaning the obedience ring. Besides, it was considered by all that showing a Westie in obedience would break his true spirit and ruin him for the conformation ring.

Even if I had no experience, I didn't believe that. I read all the books I could find on all possible subjects. We entered in other obedience classes, and always she would come first and beat other breeds renowned for their aptitude in that sport. We worked hard. Every day, we would practice the different exercises that we were taught for at least half an hour.

Each exercise was decomposed and done in every possible way I could imagine so the dog would have fun, not get bored. I wanted her response to be reliable in all kinds of situations. For example, when she was well trained for the long sit, I used to have all kinds of people clap their hands, walk around and over her, call her, offer her food, throw toys, bring other dogs who would also walk around her etc. (This paid off. Once, in a trial, a little 3 or 4 year old boy threw her food behind the judge's back; she never even considered leaving her place). Soon we were ready to enter the obedience trials. CD and CDX were obtained in three straight trials and Froufrou averaged an impressive score of 194.2 in 12 Open trials, being a first place qualifier 4 times. When I learned that it was possible to get a dog World Award for finishing the three obedience titles in less than 9 months, we rose to the challenge and thus Froufrou obtained that award by finishing her UD within 8 months before she was 22 months old. She was the first Westie (and I believe is still the only one) to have won this award. At the same time, Froufrou was also being shown in conformation in Canada, and though it was my first experience in grooming and handling, she finished her championship with 2 Best of Breed, 3 Best of Opposite Sex and 1 Group 4th over specials. She was the first Westie in Canada to have a dual championship.

Seeing her success in the obedience ring, I was prompted to campaign her. Some weekends, I would come back with my hands full of trophies. I used to laugh and say that she contributed to the family income by earning her living. The class instructor was proud of her and used to say to everybody that she would place in the top obedience dogs in Canada that year. And place she did. In 1982, she finished 8th in Canada with a total score of 241 points, which is by far the highest score obtained by a Westie. So far, she is the only Westie to have ever placed in the top obedience dogs in Canada, and in any other country that I know of. One of my best memories come from winning High in Trial 3 times in all breed obedience trials with 2 scores of 198.5 in Open B and one score of 199 in Utility out of a possible 200.

Showing that it was possible to compete in both obedience and conformation at the same time without ruining the showmanship, Froufrou was entered in breed and obedience in the United States at the same time she was being campaigned in Canada and obtained her American championship rapidly. I didn't always handle her myself in the States. As the competition was fierce, I turned to Barbara Partridge, a well-known handler, to handle her for her majors, which she did in her first 2 shows the same week end. I used then to groom Froufrou myself and hand her to Barbara just at the entrance of the ring. Some days, it was really hectic, especially on a rainy day. I remember once when I took her all wet and muddy from the long down under pouring rain while she had to be shown in breed in less than 8 minutes. You think it cannot be done? Nothing was impossible for Froufrou. Running under the tent, I grabbed the dryer, the chalk and the brush, I handled her that time, and she showed her best . . . and won Best of Breed, finishing her American championship.

Discussing it with a lot of people, I then learned that it was possible to enter one's dog in other countries. That is how, having done all that was possible to do in both Canada and United States, we came to compete in Bermuda, and after that Puerto Rico, Bahamas and Mexico. At that point, Froufrou was 3 years old and had one litter of five, two of whom became champions. It became more hectic than ever because I was showing her daughter Capucine at the same time as Froufrou.

I am sometimes asked if any funny or strange things happened when I was trialing. I can recount a couple of stories. The first was in Open with Froufrou at an outdoor trial. The weather suddenly turned windy, and dark clouds rolled in. The dogs were left for the "out of sight sit stay" under the branches of a large tree. The sudden fierce wind blew several of the branches down, some branches even landing besides the sitting dogs. Froufrou was so confident that nothing would happen to her when I told her to sit and stay that she never moved, even under those unpredictable conditions.

Another adventure happened at a Kingston trial when Froufrou was shown in Open. Again, it was an outdoor trial and this time, it was pouring rain. Most of the dogs failed, not wanting to stay on the wet grass. An elderly lady watching at ringside was most impressed with Froufrou, considering the terrible weather. This lady happened to be an official of the club. The following year, while I was campaigning Froufrou, I entered again the Kingston trial. When we arrived, the lady excitedly came up and told me that she had sponsored a High in Trial Trophy just for the "little white dog" to win. I was very touched by the lady's admiration of Froufrou but told her that we had entered UTILITY, and there were a lot of good dogs taking the easier Novice test. Therefore, it would be very difficult to beat everyone. This news didn't shake the woman's faith. Froufrou came through, passing all the exercises, but was the score high enough to beat all the other passing dogs in the trial? Yes. It was 199 out of 200 and a High in Trial. It was difficult to know who was more excited, the elderly lady or me, but when I look at the picture taken that day, I remember it as one of the very happiest moments I had with Froufrou.

We don't always realize how reliable Froufrou was. When I was called into two rings at the same time, or had to show both dogs in the same obedience ring at the same time, which was often, especially in foreign countries, another person, sometimes a complete stranger, had to handle one of them for the long sit and down. As Froufrou was so good, she was the one selected to impress that person and show how good Westies are. Even though I had to give a rapid course and teach the proper French or hand commands to the newcomer, she never failed.

It was in Mexico that we were the busiest. Over there, dogs must compete for the three obedience titles on the same day, though the superior titles are awarded only if the lower titles are achieved successfully. We had four shows in breed and 5 shows in obedience. Every day, I groomed Froufrou, who was shown in conformation by Barbara Partridge, while I handled her in CD, CDX and UD and Capucine, then aged one year old, was handled by me in CD and CDX. You think that a dog would suffer from all that stress? That his spirit would be doomed for the conformation ring? No way! Froufrou finished both her Mexican and International titles, winning 2 Group firsts and 2 Group seconds while at the same time completing her CD, CDX and UD. She became the most titled Westie in history with 21 titles.

One club I attended for obedience classes had a flyball box. I took it home and Froufrou learned quickly how to operate the box. She loved catching the ball. Because there were no other people interested in forming a team, Froufrou could not compete, and her skills at flyball went unnoticed and unrewarded.

Go-to-ground was also tried at an Ottawa test. Unfortunately, Froufrou thought it was easier to get the rats aboveground, rather than go through the tunnel. But she has, over the years caught two squirrels, (fortunately I managed to rescue them!), showing her true terrier spirit.

People tell me that I have had a lot of luck. That is true. I was lucky to find in Joan Thompson a responsible breeder when I was a newcomer to the breed; lucky to be helped in my grooming by Jean Brosseau, a local and reputable breeder; to have had the best oethologist in Quebec, Mr Richard Beaudet, run the puppy class; to have met Barbara Partridge who handled Froufrou so expertly and whom Froufrou liked so much in return; lucky to have had so many tips at shows from other breeders and handlers; lucky to have received a special trophy thanks to the generosity of Westie fanciers; lucky to have had such nice articles written about us in the Westie news and even in New Zealand. Westie people are wonderful people. But most of all, I have been lucky to have Froufrou for 16 marvelous years.

After five years, we retired from the show ring to enjoy life at home. Froufrou loved to romp in the yard, chase the squirrels, play in the baby pool outside on hot days, travel with me during my vacations and explore new tracks, sit on my lap in front of the fireplace, lie on my knees while I watched TV or sleep on my bed. She was so strongly bonded to me that, even if Westies love everybody, I was clearly her only master. For me, she had no faults at all. She was always in my shadow and trying to please.

Even with the best vet care, she started to age rapidly after a sprain in the fall of 1995. She recovered well from her sprain, and then from a corneal ulcer, but problems kept coming up. On her last Christmas, she played one last time with her favorite gift: a stuffed toy that she destroyed as usual in less than five minutes. Then, she started to loose her appetite. On the day of her 16th birthday, I came to the realization that she was weakening rapidly and that her days were gone. It was the hardest decision of my life. She died in my arms which was the place where she liked the most to be. Because it was winter, I had her cremated so that I could bury her in my garden this spring in the spot that she liked best. While I am writing these lines, I cannot refrain from crying. Even if her daughter Can, Am, Bda Ch Gailuron Capucine, Can Ud, Am, Mex CDX, Bda, Pr CD, TT, the second most titled Westie in history, is still with me, the house is empty without her.

Froufrou has made history. Since her achievements, Westies will never be thought of in quite the same way. I hope her talent will never be forgotten.

Monique Courtois
January 1995

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