This lovely old boy was my Dancing Duncan. This photo was taken about a month before he died from pancreatic cancer, just 2 weeks after his 14th birthday. As I wrote about him after he died, he was my heart, my soul and my dance partner. He was Kastle's son, out of a litter of just 2 boys. He and his brother Flurry turned into amazing legacies of Kastle and Kate. But for the longest time, I didn't want to give him the training and time he so desperately wanted because Kastle was my main dog. But I had a very sage friend, Thank you Shane... tell me to give him a chance to be my partner too. That chance came when Kastle was injured and required shoulder surgery for a rotator cuff-type injury. If I wanted to work a dog, it had to be Duncan. Born in a barn on July 1, 1992, I had no idea the path we would travel then. I just knew that I wanted a Kastle daughter and got 2 boys instead. One of which stayed and one of which headed to OH.
Duncan was a quick, bright and eager learner. He adored me and wanted nothing more than to be with me. I couldn't see that at first. His training came easily, too easily at times, and so we quickly became partners. Kastle, who was out for more than 6 months with his surgery and recovery, was now the one on the back burner. Duncan turned into an amazing obedience dog, earning his CD in both UKC and AKC handily and with placements. He also earned his Open titles in both as well as his UD in AKC. And when Rally came, he earned his RN with perfect 100 scores. He was a perfectionist, always wanting to be right. He had multiple HITs in obedience and earned the right to compete at one of the last Eastern Obedience Regionals in the country. Although we didn't place, he got a score of 199 1/2 in the last round.
It was there that I saw canine freestyle as a demonstration for the very first time during lunch break. I was fascinated by how classic obedience moves along with "tricks" could blend so beautifully to music. The pair that made the most impact on me was a woman with her Rottweiler that performed to Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings". It moved me to tears and to have a burning desire to try this new sport. We got the opportunity later that same year during the UKC Centennial Shows in Kalamazoo, MI. Pupperoni sponsored a freestyle funmeet on one of the evenings and I entered both Kastle and Duncan. Little did I know where that would take us!
At that funmeet, I met some wonderful people, had no idea what I was doing, but still ended up placing 1st and 2nd with the boys in our division. I WAS HOOKED!!!!! My musical and dog loving backgrounds had found a common place to combine. Who would have thought? While Duncan truly enjoyed the freestyle, Kastle was not as enthralled and went back to his favorite things, which was okay. Duncan and his quiet personality seemed to blossom when freestyle became part of his life. I loved it... Freestyle became part of our everyday training and warm-up for going into the obedience ring. It relaxed both of us and put us in tune with each other (no pun intended <G>). It was that same year in September that we brought freestyle to the Highland Games for the very first time. People were amazed...
One October day, Duncan and the other dogs were out playing in the yard with my husband as I ran errands. The next day we were to leave for a freestyle competition in VA. Duncan chased a tennis ball, cried out and went down, unable to get up again. When I came home, I found a paralyzed dog and a husband sitting on the floor in tears with Duncan cradled in his arms. We had no idea what happened to Duncan and the why was a mystery at first. A quick call to our vet at home prompted a trip there immediately. Duncan was unable to moved his rear end, including his tail. The vet x-rayed his neck, spine and hips to see if he had ruptured a disk. He had not... We learned a very long phrase that day... Fibrocartilaginous Emboli... Duncan had thrown a bloodclot into his spinal cord and was now paralyzed. At that time, not even the vet knew if he would survive. We took him home with us after the vet had given him massive doses of cortisone to reduce the swelling and minimize further damage. And we waited...
Duncan was a proud dog and being dependent for everything was difficult for him. The other dogs rallied around him though as if cheering him on and up. Jessie laid by his side as did his best buddy Zoe. While Kastle kept vigil at night, checking in on him regularly as he slept. I doubt Kastle got much sleep those first few days. But given the quick action of the vet, Duncan slowly began to respond. It wasn't much at first. Sensation in his foot, a tail flick... but it was progress. His freestyle and obedience friends and fans prayed for him and his recovery. And freestyle would figure prominently in our lives.
Freestyle became part of his physical therapy. Once he was back on his feet, he had residual nerve damage in his left rear leg. He had to learn how to walk again, how to find that rear leg and foot, and finally how to adapt to run again, which he did. His tenacity and perseverance was written on his face at each PT session we did. At that time, there were no rehab vets that we knew of in this area. I did his rehab on my own and with the guidance of Kastle's surgeon Dr. Anthony Pardo. I took him to a boarding kennel that had a whirlpool once a week, walked him, did exercises with his legs, put cavalettis down for him to walk over and eventually he made such great progress that we began to heel again. His recovery was nothing short of a miracle. Six months to the day, we competed again with a hometown crowd. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. We were back!
But Duncan could no longer compete in obedience any longer because of the nerve damage. He was no longer able to jump and his promising obedience career came to a screeching, horrible halt for me. I cried. He was my OTCH potential dog and it was all now gone. It was too much for me. But they say, when God closes a door, he opens a window somewhere. That window was freestyle. While Duncan couldn't jump, he learned to use his momentum to spin, twist and do other freestyle moves he had been taught prior to the accident. And boy, could he still heel! Duncan went on to make World Canine Freestyle Organization history in many ways. He was the 1st Bronze Bar titleholder in both Musical Freestyle and Heelwork To Music, he was the 1st triple Masters level titleholder, he won the Southeastern regional, and was the very 1st Sassy Senior Champion as well,plus many, many more honors. Almost all of his placements were 1st place. He had 4 shelves in the dog room stuffed full of his booty from his wins! He has appeared on Animal Planet and Dogs With Jobs. He was most definitely a STAR!
But true to the nature of FCE, he had another bout 2 years later, which left him with nerve damage on his right side as well. He recovered much quicker, but the damage was done. After finishing his Sassy Senior Championship, I tearfully retired him at the Freestyle Fanatics show to, of course, "Wind Beneath My Wings". We had cake and I was given a beautiful plaque which I still cherish. Retiring Duncan was one of the most difficult decisions I made, but it was what was best for him. A new chapter started in his life, one that he embraced as long as he could still make the trips with us. Also during that time, he competed at the age of 12 at the All Star Tournament in York, PA in Rally Novice. My goal was top ten... He finished 8th, nerve damage and all. Good boy Duncan...
Duncan was not a herding BC. He would go around the sheep once and then lie down by the gate with a pleading look on his face as if asking if that was enough. I knew early on that even though the breeding behind him was great, he was not going to follow that path. And that was okay...
In early May of 2006, Duncan began having spells of confusion and disorientation. He was dropping weight and was having difficulty eating and keeping meals down. He was diagnosed with a mass in his pancreas and 2-4 months of his precious life left. I wondered if I would know when the time was right, and I did. We sent him to the Rainbow Bridge on July 16, 2006 just 15 days after his 14th birthday. His death took a large piece of my heart. But after giving myself time to grieve, Piper and I went back into freestyle in honor and memory of Duncan. He will always have a very special place in my heart and memory. And some day I hope to continue our dance once again...
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