At the beginning of the year, and to celebrate 10 years of photographing dogs, we ran a ‘dog of the year’ competition with all dogs that we photographed last year eligible and voted on.
Our winners, by quite a margin, were delightful little Norwich Terriers Cyril and Crackle.
Here’s the story behind their owner coming to own this delightful pair (note – this is an abridged version, all being well we are planning an e-zine in the summer with a more detailed feature).
Cyril and Crackle’s owner already a Norwich Terrier, Toby, when “in 2014 a new recruit joined our family. I had told Toby’s breeder that I would be interested in a puppy hen she had a suitable one available. She telephoned to say that she had a nice one so I instantly said he would be known as Cyril after the Spurs anthem “Nice One Cyril” which was originally sung when their great left-back Cyril Knowles set up a goal.
In 2018 the breeder emailed to ask if I would be interested in a female puppy who she thought might benefit from living in a home environment rather than kennels and so Crackle arrived and completed our team.
Sadly in 2019 Toby crossed the rainbow bridge, no downturn in health or difficult decisions to come to terms with he just called for me I picked him up and held him and he peacefully passed away.
Although all the dogs have the fundamental Norwich Terrier characteristics of loyalty, courage, and curiosity coupled with lovable dispositions they have individual personalities. Toby was very much his own man but was astute enough to realise that buying in to the things I wanted to do worked to his advantage. Cyril is my velcro dog, he never voluntarily leaves my side and would sell his soul for my attention and praise. And as for Crackle, the female of the species ! She is highly intelligent and opinionated and very loving if she chooses to be. Everything is done on her terms leaving no room for negotiation or even bribery. She reminds me of the rhyme about the little girl who had a little curl “when she was good she was very very good but when she was bad she was horrid”.
Having the dogs has opened up so many new paths and friendships to me and I am pleased that through my voluntary work I am able to share some of my good fortune in being blessed with them. I have mentioned Pets as Therapy and the Cinnamon Trust already. Cyril and Crackle have both followed in Toby’s pawprints as PAT dogs expanding the care home duties by taking up placements in a hospital rehabilitation unit and a primary school. Norwich are an ideal size for placing on laps or beds and their cute and cuddly teddy bear look endears them to all even cynophobic children.
As a re-home I did not have registration papers for Toby but enjoyed showing him at Companion shows. He also gained his Trick Dog Champion title and competed in Heelwork to Music classes dancing his way to many wins as well as being a member of a team which got headhunted for Britain’s Got Talent , an amazing experience !
Cyril originally came to me with the plan to compete at Agility and Heelwork to Music but I started to show him as a puppy at Open and Championship level and got hooked with him going on to gain his Stud Book Number qualifying him for Crufts for life, his Show Certificate of Merit, Show Certificate of Excellence and Veteran Warrant.
Crackle was always destined to be a show girl and she gained her Stud Book Number and her Junior Warrant before Covid lockdown hit and curtailed her days in the ring.
Be sure to book a session with us this year to be in with a chance of winning our ‘Dog of the Year 2023’ competition which
we’ll be running in early 2024. You could win a magnificent peice of wall art of yor dog(s)!
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