But a truly "beautiful" Chihuahua
What she lacked in "head type", she made up for in sound body structure, outstanding movement, and loving personality. The child of dog show champions and the mother of dog show champions, Spot was never shown because she was "too plain". Nevertheless, I am so glad that she was able to share most of her life with us. Adopting Spot was one of the best things I've done over the years when adding to our Chihuahua family.
Behind Spot in the above photo is Kallie, who was repeatedly & most impressively ranked #2 US AKC show Chihuahua (all systems) for 4 straight years. Kallie gave me Puffkin. Spot gave me Puffkin's son Chipper. Spot also gave me herself. She was the most loving girl you can imagine.
*******************
Spot Had a History
Descended from Brite Star Chihuahuas
Born outside the family, Spot was the granddaughter of Chrissy & Coco's litter sister Panda.
Both Chrissy and Coco did great (in fact, history making) things in the dog show ring. However, Chrissy had only one puppy in her lifetime. He was pet quality and never bred. Coco also never had any puppies. So, it looked like that branch of the Brite Star family ended there. However, their litter sister Panda (who had gone to a new home) become the mother to a champion son who then sired many puppies. Therefore, through her descendants, Panda's legacy (and her parents who were my Brite Stars) still lives on in the dog show ring today.
In hindsight, I wish I had never let Panda go to another show breeder. But when you breed show dogs, you can't keep them all... Panda's first home (after-us) Breeder B never got the kind of puppies that he wanted from Panda. He was more into Dog Show wins than the dogs as individuals. So, when Panda was about 5, he sold her to another show breeder. Fortunately, the next owner (Show Breeder C) fell absolutely in love with Panda & turned her into a pampered bed pet. Because brood bitches are often just a means to future dog show winners (as with that breeder who got Panda from me), Panda was lucky in her second "new" home. In her second "show home", she was really loved. Panda lived out a good and happy, full life with that her new owner Breeder C. That show breeder bred one litter from Panda and then retired Panda as her own personal, devoted companion. The woman had been a show breeder for almost 50 years. As a puppy, Panda had been the sweetest puppy in the litter; so, I can see how she managed to capture the woman's heart in a crowd. Panda's second owner (after leaving us) Breeder C offered Panda's son (who was also the son of one of her own homebred, top ranked, champion males) to be used at stud by many different show breeders across the USA. Show breeder #4 (Breeder D) then bred a top winning male out Panda's son. In turn, she later offered that dog at stud to several champion females.
One of those offspring was born to a 5th show breeder (Breeder E). That puppy was Spot. Sadly, Spot started her life as a kennel dog. All of Breeder E's show dogs had been raised in the house UNTIL Breeder E had a baby. Then, they were all moved to an outbuilding next to the house. They were still well cared for physically. However, their amount of socializing with humans changed. The show winners got the most attention. In the show "limelight", Spot's littermate got a lot of attention. Not having the "typey head" to be a show dog, Spot was rather ignored. Being denied the kind of human attention that she desired, Spot merely existed. She became very frightened of humans. Although kept in very good physical condition, she was excessively shy and a very nervous individual by the time I first met her.
However, that was to change after I adopted Spot. In her new home (filled with lots of attention from her people), Spot's personality quickly blossomed into an outgoing, happy dog. For the next 15 years of her life, Spot was dearly loved by us (and very deeply loved us in return). Once house broken, Spot became a sofa pet who had free run of the house. And constant attention. She was finally at home where she belonged; not in a kennel where I found her. Not all kennel dogs are shy. But being a kennel dog was hard on Spot's personality. At our house, she became part of the family.
To this day, I regret selling Panda to Breeder B (who was the breeder of our foundation champion stud dog). But I was young and inexperienced back then. I didn't realize that not all show breeders really love their dogs in the same way I do mine. Having learned that, I am now grateful that Panda eventually ended up in another home as the beloved pet (that she was supposed to be). I am also grateful that Panda's great granddaughter "Spot" ended up with us; where she could also get the love she deserved.
Spot's joining our family (as an adult) brought home the "lost" Brite Star bloodlines of Chrissy & Coco. I was show breeder #1 and #6 (A & F) in this story about how my Brite Star Chihuahua bloodlines were lost and then came home. All homebred, Brite Star Chihuahuas today now are Spot's grandchildren. Although she was never shown & only gave us 2 litters, Spot left her impact on the dog show world. Spot's gorgeous son (descended from 9 straight generations of my breeding on his father's side) is the sire of our most current Brite Stars from different mothers. All are loved and live the life of pampered house pets. IMO, show dogs (all dogs) deserve to be loved as family members before anything else. Although I was naive about a lot of things when I was young, my feelings (and actions) about that have never changed.
Spot may not have been considered as "pretty" as either the Chihuahuas behind or descended from her, but she was a beautiful dog in all the ways that counted. I will always feel blessed that I found Spot & that she then was able to share her most of her life with us. She was such a sweet and loving girl who enriched our lives. Spot now waits - with my other Brite Stars - at the Rainbow Bridge. I miss her. Although I wasn't her breeder (and she didn't have the pretty head type that Bridge Star Chihuahuas were known for), Spot was a Brite Star!!!
*******************
Spot came from an out-of-state show breeder.
The breeder was a good person. She loved Chihuahuas as a Breed. However, she had just too much on her plate: with babies & a demanding, fulltime day job (& other personal things going on) to be able to devote a lot of time to socialize "extra dogs".
The day when Spot arrived at our home, she was so terrified that when I first picked her up, she started to bite me unmercifully. I then had the choice to just drop her (and save myself) or else hang on (and continue to be bitten) until I could sit her down unharmed. I chose to protect Spot; not myself. Both my hands ended up bloody with deep puncture wounds & then required being kept bandaged for weeks. Not well socialized, Spot was so scared at the start!!! Initially, she was actually wild. Far more so than I could have ever imagined. Therefore, I can't fault her behavior that day. To eventually gain her trust, I just had to be gentle with her and very patient.
Luckily, Spot quickly went from totally fearful to trusting and then to totally devoted. She was extreme in her feelings. Spot ended up being an extremely happy girl who adored me beyond belief. I've never seen such a change in another dog. Once we bonded, Spot would have NEVER again acted against me no matter what happened. She fully trusted me with her life, and I trusted her. Despite what had happened on the first day, I later had no fear of putting my face against Spot's to nuzzle and give her kisses on the top of her head and cheeks. I knew that she would never harm me. Spot loved to be kissed. She also was very sound of mind. Once trust came, her devotion and love for me was total; none wavering. No matter what happened.
Although Spot is now gone, it still makes me feel good that I was able to see beyond her initial fears (plus the lack of a "typey head"). From the moment I first saw Spot (hiding in the back of the kennel where she had been raised for her first 2 years), I could tell that there was something good and special about that girl. Admittedly, I didn't realize at that time exactly how fearful and wild she originally was. She had been bred by a friend; so, Spot suffering from a lack of socialization was beyond my initial belief. No one had ever harmed Spot physically, but she also never received the same human contact as the "prettier" dogs in the kennel. Being a sensitive dog, that obviously affected her emotionally. All the Chihuahuas in that kennel merely ran free together in the outbuilding where they lived. No cages. All were clean and well fed. However, being ignored, Spot more or less lived wild for the first 2 years of her life. Humans were aliens.
Nevertheless, despite her rocky start, there was truly a wonderful dog inside. Spot just needed love. Once adjusted to our home (which happened very quickly), Spot became the sweetest, most gentle Chihuahua that one could imagine. She had found the love she needed to feel secure. For the next 15 years, she then did her best to return that love 100 times over. I'm so thankful that fate brought up together.
In the right, loving home, Spot was able to become her real self. The "real" Spot was such a very, very gentle soul. Once socialized, she became accepting of strangers I approved. Her fear was gone. One couldn't ask for a better companion. I truly loved Spot for who she was: not for anything else. Her giving me some wonderful puppies (all with beautiful heads) was just a bonus.
Mother to https://pbase.com/britestar/image/139163183
and https://pbase.com/britestar/image/123115996
and https://pbase.com/britestar/image/16122048
and https://pbase.com/britestar/image/25326991
and https://pbase.com/britestar/image/6469336
and https://pbase.com/britestar/image/38251115
Great great Grand Niece to Chrissy & Coco https://pbase.com/britestar/image/168048450
