Chance Ellis

A SAD GOODBYE TO OUR BRIILLIANT BOY ( ?? 9.2019)

On 10.4. 2020 Sue told us “Unfortunately, we lost Chance to cancer last September when he was aged 14years.

We have been told that, whilst this is really sad, we must try to celebrate his long and happy life with us. This is, of course, easier said than done.

We had Chance from you in 2006 when he was called ‘Goldie’. He made us laugh every day with the antics he used to get up to.

We remember coming to the IRR Fun Day with him and our other dog in 2007 and came away with such a stash of prizes and goodies it was an unbelievable day and one we never forgot. We still have and use the personalised water bowl that he won.

We miss him terribly and it was such an honour to share all those years with him. Hopefully, we gave him a good and varied life. He certainly travelled from one end of the country to the other seeing new people and places all the time and doing the obedience which he loved so much.

He was and is missed by many people who he entertained over the years at obedience classes and shows. We took a chance on him, although we would have loved him whatever, and Chance really was a chancer who, I am pretty sure, knew he was the boss.

His passing came as a shock, despite his age, as he had always been such a healthy dog but, sadly, during the last couple of years, he had needed to have several malignant growths removed. Typically him, through it all, he never complained and was such a stoic dog. 

Thank you to IRR for doing a great job but most of all thank you for letting us have him.

Pauline well remembers when Chance was adopted by her first choice, Sue, who said at the time “He is such a bright happy fellow and everyone loves him. He has certainly bought laughter back into our house with his antics. He can be such a comedian but he is also very strong willed.

His training is coming on well and we love him to bits and can’t imagine life without him now”.

Chance was certainly not an easy dog but our faith in Sue was totally rewarded when she did so brilliantly with him.

At our Annual reunion, he was, unanimously, awarded the IRR OBEDIENCE DOG OF 2007 which was fantastic but, even more importantly, he was adored by Sue and Dave throughout his lifetime and had a peaceful, gentle passing. What could be better than that?

Well done Sue and Chance.

FLY HIGH WITH THE ANGELS THEN SLEEP PEACEFULLY DARLING BOY

HISTORY

Chance came into IRR care in 2006. We didn’t know for sure his breeding, although we suspected it to be Collie x Golden Retriever, and we didn’t know his age although we thought about one which is the age when highly intelligent dogs become “unmanageable” through lack of training.

He was, clearly, a working dog through and through who would be unmanageable in a “pet” home but would flourish in a working one so he was deliberately fostered with Gemma who we could rely on to sort the “wheat from the chaff” for us.

When she applied to adopt we knew we had won gold when Sue told us “We had had a rough few years, losing several old dogs, and, at the end of May we lost another, she was a Goldie x Collie. Everyone thought she was a proper Retriever but I knew her mother and father who were mated specifically for obedience work. They were a lovely litter.

So this brought us down from 6 dogs to one and that one was 14 years old! All my dogs were pets first and the obedience side came second but, as they got older, the working side dropped off and I did miss training a dog so I knew in my heart that, if I did not get another now, I would probably give up training dogs all together”

ADOPTING CHANCE

Sue said “I had helped a friend find a Retriever from IRR so, when the time came, she helped me. I do not think I would have done things as quick except she kept pushing me and this is when CHANCE came on the scene.

He was being fostered, in Suffolk, by Gemma and her family. We live in North Nottinghamshire and it was a long way to go but I was determined to see GOLDIE, as he was called then, in surroundings that he knew.

As soon as we walked in, I knew I liked him he was so up for it and friendly which is what I like in a dog, especially if I intended to try and work him. I know if Gemma had not thought we were ok for him she would have said so as I know she turned a few families away. He was fine with our old GSD so she allowed us to bring him home”.

UPDATE FROM HIS FOREVER HOME

Sue mused “When you think what these dogs have gone through from whatever happened to them in Ireland to being transported across the sea and then by road they go through an awful lot in their lives and it is surprising how well some of them do pull through although I know some are not as lucky.

The only strange thing we have noticed with Chance is that when he hears sirens he just freezes. If he is in the car when police or ambulance pass with their sirens on he howls and barks and that’s the only time he really barks.

What a change to our lives he was. We had got into a sedate life style with having oldies for so many years that, now, it was as if a tornado had hit the household. The GSD hardly knew what had hit her.

They tried to play but the old dog would fall over although she loved him being here as it seemed to rejuvenate her.

*****NAME and DATE OF DEATH for OLD GSD SO SHE CAN GO ON THE NON IRR ROLL OF HONOUR. ALSO NAME OF COLLIE CROSS IN PICS with CHANCE …………………..

Unfortunately, she died in November and I know Chance missed her for quite a while as, again, his routine had changed and he took some settling but I made sure he met other dogs at club and elsewhere on a regular basis.

Chance has not been easy and, even now, can be very frustrating when he goes on a bender and he does not listen but his “episodes” are getting less often. He is still young and energetic but he makes us smile so much with his antics and he is such a bright dog who is very quick to learn ,even the bad things! He loves everybody and everybody loves him and our grandson, who is not doggy minded at all, talks to his friends about him.

Chance loves doing the tricks I have taught him. Sometimes he guesses and you get a whole repertoire.

His first obedience show has been booked for May and, whatever happens, I know he will have fun. I still cannot believe my luck in getting a dog like Chance, he is everything I would have wished for. Thank you so much to Gemma for entrusting him to us.

HE WIPED THE BOARD AT THE 2007 ANNUAL REUNION

Our faith in Sue and Chance was rewarded tenfold when he wiped the board of prizes at the 2007 Annual Reunion.