Caoimhe's Story

 Caoimhe was bred by Nittany Chinooks, and placed with a woman named Jan Petit and her husband, Ed, back in 2021. She was intended to be a show and possibly breeding dog, and everyone was extremely excited about her future! Ed and Jan loved Caoimhe dearly, and welcomed her into their home. 

 Unfortunately, not long after bringing Caoimhe home, Jan became very ill. As the months passed, hospital stays and doctor appointments took up more and more of her and Ed's time. In July of 2022, with the help of Caoimhe's breeder, Kirsten, and co owner, Patti, Jan reached out to my mom, Sue, and I for help. She had been unable to properly socialize Caoimhe, and Caoimhe had become nervous around strange people and situations. She was now nearly a year old, and had rarely left her home. 

So, Caoimhe came to stay with us for training. With some time and patience, she outdid our expectations and became a confident, outgoing dog who loved to meet new people and see new places. In March of 2023, she attended her first dog show! While she didn't win any points, she showed her heart out and had so much fun, all while Ed and Jan cheered her on. 

 For the next year, Caoimhe showed regularly, with Ed and Jan coming to see her frequently. Caoimhe earned many points, and even got her first major through a group placement! Finally, exactly one year after her first dog show, Caoimhe finished her championship by taking best of breed over 4 champion Chinooks. She went on to win a specialty group 3, defeating 399 dogs and catapulting her to the number one spot in the all breed Chinook rankings. With another group placement that summer, Caoimhe held the number one spot for the rest of 2024. 

 Unfortunately, not long after Caoimhe's big win in March, Jan passed away, and Ed passed not long after. They had both been fighting severe illness for a very long time at that point. Their loss was absolutely devastating to us. Ed and Jan had become very dear friends, and we miss them terribly. 

  After their passing, I formally inherited Caoimhe- and, after her health testing came back clear, the breeding program they intended to start with her, too. Since then, I have been researching and building a program that I hope Jan would be proud of, focusing on type, structure, and working ability. Meanwhile, Caoimhe continues to be my best friend. She makes friends everywhere she goes, and loves to travel and hang out at shows. As the next chapter of Caoimhe and my story begins, I decided to name my new program "Little Star", as an homage to Jan's Doberman kennel name: "Dark Star".