About Tory
RIP my precious Tory: Afortunado Victoire’s Victory at Sea BCAT SWN SIA CGC TKN
My heart is broken, and I am devastated. With having no children, I feel like I lost a child. My first Portuguese Water Dog named Tory left us for her next journey suddenly at the age of almost 8 years. She had 2 days of slightly lower energy and appetite, then collapsed and immediately passed as I was preparing to take her to the veterinarian. Fortunately, she passed near me surrounded by her family of dogs.
Tory was my heart dog, my protector, and the alpha dog of the house as well as being sweet and affectionate. Her love brought so much joy to my house. She taught me volumes about dog training and the PWD breed. We had a special tight bond. I miss her so much as does my other PWD Uma who was Tory’s playmate. I’ve talked with Tory, and she made her presence known twice, so she is still here which gives me some comfort.
Despite Tory’s confidence, spirited personality, and stubbornness that provided me with fun challenges, she achieved several titles: BCAT (FastCAT, 100 yard dash), SWN (scent work novice), SIA (scent work interior advanced), CGC (canine good citizen), and TKN (trick dog novice). We were planning to compete for Rally Obedience title this winter. Tory was almost a champion, but her progression was halted during and after COVID when dog shows stopped followed by low entries for several months. Tory kept busy with having 2 lovely, healthy litters of puppies – first litter 11 pups and 2nd litter 6 pups. She was an awesome mother! And she passed all her health tests/certifications prior to being bred.
Tory blessed us with so many precious memories. Here are a few that exemplify her mischievousness and intelligence:
- The crotch sniff: women and men (with a lift!), at a dog show she lifted the skirt of a friend for the sniff
- She would go into my bathroom and slam the door shut when she wanted attention
- When I would sit in my recliner, she stealthily waited out of my peripheral vision, then leaped unexpectantly into the air and directly onto my lap with no warning
- She knew the names of my other dogs and toys and would search for them if I could not find them
- She rang the bell to go outside but sometimes just for attention
- Her antics when asking her to come in the house: she would stop at the door with half of her body inside, look at me like “make me come in”, I would say inside but that seldom worked, then she came right in when I raised my voice and said “right now”!
Tory left her pawprints on my heart where she will always reside until I see her again after I pass. She is never more than a thought away. I will continue to talk with her when I feel the need for her love. She is a treasure, one of my greatest blessings, and is now an angel!
Thank you to Tory’s breeders for trusting me with her care — Shelley Plucker and Barb Crowther, Afortunado Kennel. Enjoy Tory photos below.