Our 'Headmaster' that started it all, Moonshadow's Dancin' in The Dark, AKA ,DJ has passed to romp the Rainbow Bridge this December 2008. DJ was my friend, companion and teacher during his short 10 years on this earth. He alone sparked my passion to seriously get into the Breed. My dogs are my life and DJ, the 'Heart Dog' that started it all! It is DJ who posed for artist, Meredith Dwyer, to paint my beautiful logo and start the Shoebutton Norwich. DJ was always refered to as "The Miracle Dog" after his early (at 1 1/2 years old) brush with death. Read this remarkable dog's story below. |
My 2008 Christmas Story & Tribute to DJ How One Little Dog’s Magic Left a Big Paw Print on my Heart. DJ, my first Norwich Terrier in 28 years, was born and raised in NY state, making his way to my home in DJ has been a major part of my adult life’s journey. Major Life Incident # 1 – Helping me Heal from My Divorce The purchase of my DJ in October 1998 was my permission to me to pursue a project to heal my psyche after a long emotional whirlwind divorce. It seemed I could not get a Norwich Terrier from a good breeder unless I had a house with a fenced back yard…so I bought one! Interestingly enough, the house was within a half of a block where I had lived for 25 years as a teen into my early 20’s. I knew the neighborhood well and loved it. We were able to move in by February 1999. My total focus on designing a space for me and my friend was indeed a learning project on all levels! |
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Major Life Incident # 2 – Giving Me the Courage to ‘Make It’ On My Own. DJ helped me remodel our new home (after gutting it) from floor to ceiling by guiding me to pick suitable colors and designs for the whole house. This all had to be thought out in order to wrap around his allergies (which were to everything it seemed). He even convinced me to build an 18’ x 26’ room just for us to hang and watch TV! My bonus turned out to be a very nice 2500 sq ft space which was without mold, consisted of solid wood ‘everything’, had a 6’ privacy fence, and was landscaped with no poison plants! Best of all, this was for me and my DJ, just the way we wanted it, and we had done it together. The project proved to be a lovely foundation for the Shoebutton’s to live and play for the next 10 years! Would I have done this extensive remodel, or even bought a home without DJ coming into my life? I think not. To that point I loved my easy to care for, ground floor, condo that allowed me to lock the door and go at the slightest whim. |
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Major Life Incident # 3 – Being the ‘Light of her Life’ to my Mom in her last years. Just before the move, my Mom was confined to her apartment and only traveled with her wheelchair to support her. This house we made accessible, so she could visit, as the condo had too many steps for her to negotiate. Until her passing, in Jan 2005, she came (oxygen tanks and all) to visit her Grand-dog(s) just about every Sunday. This gave her such pleasure. DJ was the light of her life. My Uncle, also wheelchair bound, came many times just to see and play with the dogs. We had many hours of enjoyment, sipping our lemonade in the back yard garden and laughing at everyone’s old and new stories. Mom taught DJ to catch his treats (frozen peas) and he would only do it for her. These visits gave her a reason to make the effort to live and breathe for the next 5 years. |
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Major Life Incident # 4 – Teaching me about Holistic Healing on many levels. In a nutshell, DJ snored from day one. I had noticed he breathed very heavily after we would run and play. He had bouts of back sneezing while we were still living in the condo that led us to the ER more than once. In April 2001 he had a terrible episode which was later diagnosed as a collapsed trachea, elongated soft palate and major UAS problems. The trouble was he was allergic to most medications. I had dabbled in Homeopathy and Herbs, but this forced me to learn a lot about alternative medicines…just to keep my dog, my devoted companion alive! And that it did. With the help of a super Holistic Vet, Dr Anne Smith, we pulled DJ thru a 2 week Hospital stay in December 2001 where he was pronounced unable to be saved by six vets in the practice (not Holistic). I had to give him homeopathic injections as they washed their hands determining his case hopeless! He pulled thru and life went on for the next 7 years with a low dose of steroids as a crutch for a while and lot’s of supplements and remedies with a strict diet of only ID canned food, no wheat, no vaccines. This year (2009) December 2, he started to fail. After a week hospital stay, I had to let him go. Writing this story as a tribute to his life on earth, is my last Christmas present to him, also done to help heal my pain of losing the best companion a person could ever ask to have. From DJ’s illness I gained so much knowledge about Homeopathy, acupuncture, Herbs, and many other alternative therapies that I never knew existed. I believe that I successfully have used and spread this knowledge to my friends and family to contribute to their overall well-being. I am now a full fledged believer in treating the Whole, not just the parts that do not work. A dog’s positive response gets you past the argued placebo effect. In this way, DJ has had a huge impact on everyone I have consulted with using this knowledge of self-healing and cures from vibrational medicines. |
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Major Life Incident # 5 – Starting my Shoebutton Breeding Program. Even though DJ was never bred, I purchased a B & T female puppy named Pennyroyal’s Auntie Mame, just for him to play with! She turned out to be my foundation bitch that had 6 pups and thus started my Shoebutton kennel. Mayme (named after my Grandmother) produced two bitches, Agnas Gooch and Pegeen Ryan; they produced 10 pups in all, resulting in 7 Champions, one Master Versatility Dog, and 4 more major pointed dogs, soon to finish their championships! Would I have ever bought a female to start breeding my own |
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Major Life Incident # 6 – Playing Nanny to 8 Shoebutton litters & many other visiting youngsters raised at Shoebutton. I could not have done it without DJ. Raising
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Major Life incident # 7 – DJ was my internationally known ‘Model Norwich Terrier’ He was a beautiful dog. His father, CH Teutonia’s Viktor, won the Terrier Group at the Garden in 1999. He looked just like his father, so modeling jobs were right up his line. DJ’s photos and image have been seen world-wide by Norwich Fanciers. He started his modeling career by posing for a painting artist, Meredith Dwyer, did of him as a young pup with his Pooh Bear pillow. She then used him as a model for many of her painted objects & stationary that she did as well as my Shoebutton logo where a Bellhop Teddy Bear rides him at a full trot! He was a model for my friend who wove custom sweaters to sell. I have one sweater that I still get major compliments on when I wear it! He always loved to dress up and won silver trophies (with his companion Mayme) when I entered them in Fairs and Costume Contests. For years, every Christmas he dressed up and posed with the Shoebuttons for their Christmas Photo which I plastered on Stamps, address labels, Newsletters and cards. However, his most famous photo modeling came when his photos were chosen for the 2007
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Major Life incident # 8 – Marking the end of an Era The Shoebutton Gang will go on, but not without DJ as ‘Headmaster’ carved forever in their hearts and souls which will last for generations to come. Of course there are many more things that this little dog gave me, things that are beyond the power of the written word. He was my ‘Heart Dog’ and a real life changer is so many ways. I am sure he has earned his wings at the Bridge. God Bless you Little Man, may you Rest in Peace until I am with you once again! Your Loving Mom, Donna AKA Mama Shoebutton
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