Show Page

GRAND CHAMPION!!!
So VERY proud of all she accomplished!
June 2013
CH Bodanna's Blue Line Snow White 

She did it!! Yay Vivi!!!!
June 2012

August 2011

July 2011

June 2010

May 2009

SHOW UPDATES

In last June 2013, Vivi went Select Bitch at the Cambridge show which FINISHED her GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!  This is the same show that she got her very first point & how fitting to get her very last point as well?!  So very proud of everything Vivian has accomplished in her show career!  I've enjoyed every single second of it!  :0)

In early June 2013, Vivi went Select Bitch in Fargo which gave her a defeat & points towards her Grand Championship.  It was a supported entry so she got a very pretty ribbon!  :0)

In late October 2012, Vivi had a great weekend in Sioux Falls, SD where she went Select Bitch and got 3 majors towards her Grand Championship!  It was such a fun weekend!

In early August 2012, Vivi went Select Bitch at the Freeborn County Kennel Club show in Albert Lea, MN for one more point towards her Grand Championship.  This is the third year we've gone to this show & the third year we won!  In 2010, Vivi went WB; 2011 BOB & 2012 Select Bitch!  We like this show!  :0)

The weekend after Vivi's back-to-back wins, we went to Fargo for 3 days worth of 5 point majors.  On Saturday, June 2nd Vivi won Winner's Bitch & Best of Winner's under judge Joseph Gregory.  This win FINISHED her Championship!!  Wooo hooo!!!  So very, very proud of my snow monkey!  

On Sunday, June 3rd Vivi was "specialed" in the Best of Breed class & came in Best of Opposite giving her 5 points towards her Grand Championship!!!  Here we go again!!!!!

Memorial Weekend 2012 (May 25th & 26th) Vivian won back-to-back days at the Key City Kennel Club show in St. Peter, MN!  Was not expecting that at all!  Saturday she went Winner's Bitch under judge Desmond Murphy and on Sunday she went Winner's Bitch & Best of Winner's under judge Frank Sabella.  Both judges loved her tail & said she had the cutest face!  Oh they are so right!  After these wins, Vivi is "singled out" meaning I can only show her at major shows (3 or more points)!!

On December 11, 2011 Vivian went Winner's Bitch under judge Dr. Robert Indeglia at the Granite City Kennel Club in St. Cloud, Minnesota.  This was a very fun win because it was my birthday & also, Steve was there & finally got to see Vivi win!!  What a wonderful birthday present!!

On August 13, 2011 Vivian went Winner's Bitch, Best of Winners AND Best of Breed under judge Eugene Blake at the Freeborn County Kennel Club show in Albert Lea, Minnesota!!!  What a fun surprise!!  We've never won BOB before so it was quite the experience!!

On July 1, 2011 Vivian went Winner's Bitch AND Best of Winners under breeder judge Jan Lewis at the Milwaukee Bulldog Club's specialty show for her first MAJOR win!!!  Was not expecting that at all!!  So very, very exciting!!!!

2010 Show Notes
2009 Show Notes

Vivi's Page

VIVIAN
Ahhh our little girl!  Vivian is in every sense of the word, a princess....but still a bully at the same time.  She easily can hold her own with her 50 & 65 pound brothers!  She's the first girl in our home and we're definitely learning from her.  We were hoping to get another boy and instead we got this snow monkey!  I found out I was getting her on my birthday in December while on vacation in Disney World.

Vivi graduated Puppy Kindergarten in March 2009; she grew so much in those 6 weeks!  What a transformation!  From shy puppy to confident puppy, it was amazing to see the change.  Vivi had her first all-breed show in early April & her first bulldog specialty show in May 2009.  

Vivian continues to make me have fun in the ring & in the summer of 2010 picked up points towards her AKC Championship title!



                                                                       Vivi's Pedigree

 

Doc's Page

 

DOC

Doc came to us in a special way & he's our Doodle Bug!  He's as mellow as they come, he loves to cuddle, but yet can play like a puppy when he wants...he's only 3 years old afterall!  He loves to play in the snow & bounce around like a bunny; and he loves little kids!!  I hate to say he's your typical bulldog, because if I've learned anything, there is no such thing....but he does love to play & rest & snuggle!  That's the perfect bulldog to me!!  

Doc received his first and only point in Duluth, MN in July 2008.  He's enjoying "retirement" by playing with Howie & Vivian...but mostly by just testing out all the blankets in the house!  I'm sure he has found a favorite....or three!

In May 2009, Doc was put on a "diet"....poor Doodle!!  He has gained 8 pounds in 10 months.  YIKES!!  We had his thyroid checked, but it came back normal...which is good, but it means that we're at fault here.  I started cutting back his food portions & he just looks at me like "are you serious?!"  Hahaha!  Ahh...he's taking it all in Doc's normal clam stride & we hope cutting back his food along with his normal walks will help him get back to his svelte self!  We'll weigh him again in a week or two to see if we've made any progress.

Doc went to the vet in August 2009 for his annual exam.  I'm very happy to report that he has lost 6 pounds!  The green beans are paying off!  Just 2 more pounds to lose!  Yay Doc!!!

I'm happy to report, as of February 2010, Doc is down another 3 pounds!  That means he has lost a total of almost 10 pounds since May 2009 when we found out he had gained weight since we got him!  I cannot stress enough the power of green beans!  Especially in the winter!  Doc doesn't like to be outside when it's very cold...he has sensitive paws, so he doesn't get the walks he needs.  I'm very, very happy with the weight loss...as was our vet!

We're so thankful that he came into our lives in 2008, it's been an honor to have him as part of our family! 

 

  

Howie's Page

HOWARD
Fate works in mysterious ways doesn't it?  After we lost Ollie, we were both beyond devastated.  We knew we could never replace Ollie, but we missed having him around, and in time we knew we needed another bully in our lives.  I mean, you never realize how loud a bulldog is until their gone!  I missed his snoring so much!  In the months between Ollie & Howie, I did a lot of searching on bulldogs including health issues & cancers.  I searched on bulldog breeders, rescues, & adoptions.  I applied for rescues in other states, in our state & cried reading their stories.  

After a couple months with no leads, I was frustrated.  Why were there no puppies for us?  There were so many rescues, but no matches for us.  How come?  Well, I know this sounds weird, but I finally asked Ollie for his help.  I told him, "Ok Little Dude, it's up to you!  I'll let you pick out our next bully."  And then it happened....

One afternoon in September 2007, my mother-in-law had gone to a local pet food store & called me saying she had saw a business card with bulldogs on it posted on the community board for a breeder 3 hours north of us (we found out later that a friend of her's had just placed the card there that week).  She didn't know if there were puppies available, but she gave me the name & number & urged me to call or at least check to see if they had a website.  I did a search & sure enough...there was a website.  While searching the site, I couldn't believe my eyes...they were expecting a litter within a month!!

Well, I immediately emailed & inquired about the upcoming litter.  I explained that we were interested in getting a puppy, but of course understood the chance of getting a puppy of this litter was not realistic.  When I received the reply I was told it was not known how many puppies they were expecting, that there were already some families lined up but that they did want to know more about us because it's important to make sure the puppy & family are the perfect fit.  

During the next few weeks we emailed quite a bit.  Then one day, we got an email saying that 5 puppies were born!  About a week later we knew that we were getting one of the two boys!  After the puppies were 3 weeks old, we got to visit the puppies....when we walked in we were told which was our Howie!  He was the sweetest thing!  We got to see the puppy room & Howie's momma.  It was a great experience!!  I even got to bottle feed him!

Having a great relationship with the breeder prior to Howie's arrival at our home really made us feel like we were a part of his first 8 weeks.  It was great to receive emails almost daily on how the pups were doing & getting the photos were so fun!  

I thank Ollie everyday for bringing Howie into our lives!  He's now 3 years old & is still working off his all puppy all the time stage!! He LOVES everyone!!  As a puppy he had so much energy I enrolled him in a puppy agility class & he impressed the instructors.  Hey, bulldogs CAN do agility!  He loves playing with Vivian & Doc, but can easily keep himself entertained for hours!  He's such a sweet boy with a great temperament!  He does need a job though, so we'll be hitting the rally obedience ring soon.

Howie was never going to be a replacement for Ollie, but he has definitely found his place in our hearts!  He's our original monkey & we love him to pieces!  

And just think...it all started with a little card at a pet food store!

Howie Updates 

June 2009:
Howie had cruciate (ACL) surgery in June 2009.  We chose to do the basic cruciate surgery versus the TPLO or TTA surgeries.  It was a hard decision to make, but we did our research & are very happy with trying the much less invasive basic cruciate repair than the cutting of the bone & metal implant of the TPLO or the TTA surgeries. 

He is just at the beginning stages of his recovery & doing well so far.  He has been doing 5 min slow walks since 2 days after the surgery & has even put his tippy toe down while on his walk which is great!  Surprisingly my "always on the go" bully has taken to his confinement & rehab in stride.  We still have quite a bit of recovery time ahead of us, but taking it one day at a time.

October 2009:
Most of Howie's summer was dedicated to his ACL recovery.  He was the perfect bully patient; always enjoying time in his space & never trying to overdo his activity...which was really surprising to us.  I really thought his recovery process was going to be stressful since he was always the one bully that you could find running from one side of the room to the other.  Not sure if it was age (he turned 2 in September) or if the neutering done in March finally kicked in, but he really has mellowed out quite a bit.

His fur is still trying to grow back, which is kind of crazy since it's been over 4 months, but we've just gotten used to it.  His rehab went really well & he took to the walking, stretching, pushing & pulling all in stride.  One thing that has changed about him is that he's now a cuddler...he never used to be & now if you're sitting on the couch, he's very likely to join you!  It's great!

We do continue to monitor his activity, don't want him to get too crazy or do any damage to any of his legs.  One ACL surgery & recovery is enough for any bulldogger AND bulldog to go through in my opinion!!

February 2010: 

Howie had his first annual exam since his ACL surgery in June 2009.  EVERYTHING looks great...other than his hair still not growing back all the way yet!  It's growing back, but I would have thought it would fully be back by now.  Dr Jim said Howie's legs look great & his muscle mass has improved quite a bit since the last time he saw him!  Yay!  Now...if we could only get that hair to grow back!

LITTLE DUDE aka OLIVER

To think that this whole love of bulldogs started in 2005 reluctantly is just laughable now!  Oliver Rufus Hardy changed my life forever!  Thanks Little Dude! 

I grew up with cats my whole life, never had a dog, not that I didn't want one, just never really thought about it.  My husband, Steve, on the other hand, grew up with dogs his entire life while living with his parents.  The family got their first bulldog in 1995 and have had one ever since.  After we got married, Steve had to leave his bulldog, Mack, with his parents because we felt it wouldn't be fair to Mack to take him out of the home and away from his other dog siblings.  Sadly, a few years later Mack passed away at the age of 8.  Steve's parents got another bulldog, Bunk, about one year after Mack passed.

Steve always wanted a dog...specifically only a bulldog; but we knew with our schedules it just wasn't the best environment for a puppy....we were never home.  After Mack passed, Steve was devastated.  I felt so badly for him and thought since I was almost done with school that next June (2005), we would finally have a lifestyle to provide a puppy with a great home.  At the end of July 2005, almost a year after Mack died, we added the best thing to our lives.  His name was Oliver.  He was a puppy of 8 weeks old and we loved him to pieces.

I had done my homework, which included "Puppies for Dummies" and got a room ready for his kennel and all things a bulldog would need to call home.  I loved my "Little Dude" more than anyone thought possible!  Since this was my first dog, no one expected me to become so attached.

Ollie had me wrapped around his little paws the first night we had him.  He was crying in his kennel missing his bully momma and it just broke my heart.  We were sure to give him a stuffed animal we called Pooh Bear to cuddle with; and I had a clock that tick-tocked to mimic the mother's heartbeat on top of his kennel....hey, remember I read "Puppies for Dummies"!  From there on out, he was mine...all mine!  Oh & Steve's too of course!  We spoiled him rotten and he gave us nothing but unconditional love & lots of laughs!

Ollie loved his momma and daddy and his cousin Bunk.  He loved going for car rides and especially loved it when people told him how cute he was!  He was quite the character!  He loved going for walks with his momma and lying around watching TV with his daddy.  He helped his momma clean the house...he'd attack the vacuum cleaner and he also helped with the dishes he loved the dishwasher for some reason!

Unfortunately, our beloved Oliver passed away in April 2007.  After extensive tests, biopsies & surgeries, he was finally diagnosed with two types of cancer.  He had a low grade sarcoma on his muzzle & melanoma in his nose rope that spread to his lymph nodes.  The melanoma spread very quickly & totally deteriorated our 22 month old baby.

We had to make the hardest decision of our lives on April 14, 2007.  The cancer was causing him not to be able to sleep; and when he did sleep it was for very short periods of time.  The sarcoma was right underneath his nose & it swelled up; the melanoma had started right next to his nose & grew so fast & so big that it was closing one nostril almost completely shut.  Since the melanoma also spread to his lymph nodes it was pressing on his throat, almost to the point where he couldn't breathe when lying down.  Since his nose was basically swollen shut & when he laid down the golf ball size lymph node was causing him pain & interfering w/his breathing, he rarely found any comfortable position to sleep.  

Every once in awhile, he'd fall asleep with a ball in his mouth & I think that helped the airway, but it would last for such a short period of time.  The poor thing was so tired that he would fall asleep standing up & then tip over (like a cow), thus causing him to wake up again.  It was heart wrenching.

When we were finally given the cancer diagnosis, how far it had spread & the lack of options to save our "Little Dude" we didn't want to decide.  On the morning that we were bringing Ollie to the vet to have stitches removed from the final surgery that came back with a conclusive result (we had 3 others that came back inconclusive during an 8 week period), he tipped over & I just watched as he stumbled back up.  When he looked into my eyes they were no longer his big beautiful brown eyes, but rather sad & red.  We knew at that moment Oliie was telling us something.

After consulting with the vet, he informed us that even with the comfort care drugs, there was no guarantee that he'd get the rest he so desperately needed.  It was the hardest decision we've ever made & after a lot of consideration for his quality of life versus us just having him longer, we knew what we had to do.  

I'll never, ever forget that day.  What I wore.  What Steve wore.  What day of the week it was.  What time the clock said when we were back in the truck, this time without my Ollie.  I'll never forget the one & only dream I had of him that afternoon.  I'll never forget walking out of that room, a vision I can never erase.  I know many people won't understand this, after all he was just a dog, but he wasn't just a dog to us.  He was OUR Little Dude & my first dog & I'll be forever grateful for that!

Update:
April 14th, 2010--I've finally gotten around to write about Ollie's melanoma & sarcoma on my blog.  Photos are also included to show how fast it grew.