Introducing: LoupGarou Cleopatra Addams!

Honorable Precedents!

LoupGarou Cleopatra Addams, aka "Cleo," has been a dream five long years in the making. Her first name, "Cleopatra," comes from a dog once owned by Dan's daughter, many years ago. While I don't know the breed of the original Cleopatra canine, Dan's daughter said that her face was marked very similarly to the puppy I was unromantically calling "Blue Tux Girl." Given that I don't like giving human names to dogs, especially those of historical figures, I took it one step farther: she is named for Morticia Addams' plant, Cleopatra, giving Cleo her surname. My thanks to Dan's daughter for helping me name this lovely puppy!

My Little Unicorn

Every so often, a breeder is privileged to get one of his or her "unicorns" in a litter. Cleo is such a "unicorn." When I first started looking into Teddy Roosevelt Terriers, I became enthralled by a truly wonderful-looking black tuxedo male called "Tank." But the dog I really wanted was a dark blue tuxedo, male or female, with open markings and an expression that was at one time adorable and heart-stopping. The litter I had my eye on had a blue tuxedo dam that approached what I wanted in a dog. I knew that the male she was bred to had other characteristics that I found desirable in dogs, plus they were both clear of the health issues that we tested for at the time. While I did not get the blue tux that I wanted so desperately, I did get an amazing black tuxedo boy, my wonderful Pip. His genetic testing revealed that he did indeed carry the dilute gene needed for producing both blue and pearl, as well as the chocolate gene for producing both chocolate and pearl.

I could not have been happier with Pip, but the purpose of a breeder is to breed. The first litter he sired produced a blue tri (my wonderful Yaddle), three black tricolors, and a black tuxedo--a male, who found himself a wonderful home in Missouri. I never had any intention of breeding Yaddle, not even to get the blue that I wanted. I bred Pip and Diva a second time, resulting in more "colors," including a blue tri male, an Isabella male, and two black tri females, one of whom was a natural bobtail that I kept (more coming on her, later), but still not the little blue tuxedo of which I dreamed. The addition of Mr. Steele to the pack seemed to be a fair way to add such a dog: his blue tuxedo and outstanding bloodlines, paired with Yaddle's clear genetics and open expression seemed to be the ticket. And, honestly, it was! Cleo was the second of four puppies to emerge, as well as the second blue tuxedo.

Sure, She's Pretty, but . . .

As you may have noticed, I love breeding to see what colors I can get, but I am NOT strictly a color breeder. After picking up my jaw at how beautiful this little dog was as a newborn, I forced myself to be patient and not get too attached. When you breed dogs, you need to avoid getting "over-dogged," to the point of having so many dogs that care and health begins to suffer. I'd already kept Topper from Pip and Diva's second litter, to see how he'd grow out, as well as Belinda, the natural bob. I didn't have room for another dog, not unless she was as perfect as I needed her to be. After a little while, it was apparent that her conformation was holding together nicely. I added an Embark test to Kathleen's kit order and held my breath until we got the results (not literally, as I'm still living, but, you know)! When I got the results, I opened them with trepidation:

• Coefficient of Inbreeding: 7% (Average for TRTs and low for most purebreds)
• Congenital Hypothyroidism with Goiter (CHG): clear/normal
• Primary Lens Luxation (PLL): clear/normal
• Chondrodysplasia: homozygous (2 genes), creates the short-legged appearance of the TRT--she will NEVER throw a long-legged puppy.
• Chondrodystrophy/Intervertebral Disk Disease (CDDY/IVDD): negative/normal
• Rear Dewclaws: not likely to have (N/N). She doesn't have them and is unlikely to throw them. A lot of my TRTs have one gene for them, so having a clear dog is a blessing.

The only things that keep her from being the "perfect" dog for my program is that she has a low normal Alanine Aminotransferase Activity level (which could be an issue in diagnosing liver disease), and that she doesn't carry a gene for chocolate. I don't even mind that she has a moderate expression of the saddle tan pattern, because what you're looking at above is as perfect a panel as you're going to find in a TRT. She's too young to have her heart, eyes, and ears done, but this little darling is spot on for a CHIC number next year--bestill my beating heart!

Blessed with Good Genetics, but . . .

How's her temperament? I'm glad that you asked! Cleo is pure terrier! She's sweet and loving but is still a firecracker. Attitude from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail. A UKC judge who has bred Rat Terrier and Toy Fox Terriers recently called her "saucy," which is all the recommendation I need for her being a good representative of her breed. Part of that is genetic, I know, because Steele has attitude to the tips of his ears right down to his toenails. The other part comes from having been the smallest in a litter consisting of her and three brothers. If she were a little girl, she'd wear a ball cap backwards, have scuffed knees, and be the first to egg on a fight between two of her brothers, but could still clean up well for Sunday Liturgy. Right now, she's beating the heck out of the toy that her granddam Diva" won at an Open Show--and I wouldn't have it any other way!

What's the Bottom Line, Then?

I have a very long way to go before I reach my goal for genetics, let alone for color. Every time we breeders get a handle on one genetic condition carried by our dogs, it seems another rears its ugly head. I know that there will never be a genetically perfect dog because all living creatures are inherently imperfect. I know that, if I tested her again in five years, new tests might reveal new flaws--and that's okay. She is the first dog that I've ever had who is that close to being a unicorn and, in two years when she is ready to breed, I will seek out that unicorn stud that will work well with her. I'm sure that an ay/aw sable male who is unlikely to have rear dewclaws, is clear of CHG and PLL, who is homozygous for chondrodysplasia, and who has normal ALT function is out there. The problem will simply be finding him. And affording his stud fee (YIKES)!

The good news is, until then, she gets to be a puppy. She gets to earn her CGC, a trick title or a Rally title (or both) and maybe get set up for nosework or some other event, too. She'll have fun walks and play in the yard and bark at the goats. Someday, I expect that she will set my world on fire. Right now, she's just a puppy. So, welcome Cleo, Code Name: "Unicorn One!" I know we're in for a glorious ride, if, possibly, a bumpy one! I'm ready to strap in tight and see how far we can go.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

If you're curious, Cleo's Embark test results can be found here.