The Spaniel Annals

And to respond to the question of the last post, the answer is:

“BRIAN”
QUINLAN’S HIGH KING
DOB: April 29, 2020

I was originally just the temperament tester for this litter, as all the pups were spoken for.  Brian was exceptional in the testing: handled the restraints well, retrieved at first attempt, followed despite some inadvertent distractions, jumped right into the scent game, and in general showed boldness mixed with strong attraction to people.  Afterwards, I simply could not stop thinking about him.  When I walked into Michelle’s grooming shop the next day to play with him some more, and secretly to persuade Michelle to let me crash her owner list, she immediately said, “I think there’s a male home available!”  The previous home had backed out.  My next 2 playdates with Brian supported the findings of the test.   And so the universe arranged for this pup to meet up with me at just the right time.

By the way, the name has a special origin for me: Brian Boru was the first king to unite all of Ireland in the 9th century, and so was the first “High King.”  I’ve kept this male name in waiting for years, and it has at last found its owner.

My rather ambitious plan is to introduce Brian to new places, people, sounds, and events for the next 100 days, and to jumpstart this blog, I plan to post as many photos and records of this socialization journey as possible.  I might not hit every single day, but if you enjoy cute English Cocker pictures, stay tuned!