Izzie, the Wonder Pup, Times Two

 That's right.  Our little Iz has a sister, and they look almost exactly alike.  Her name is Hanna, and she lives in Indiana with her owner and handler, who is also a wonderful friend of ours.  You see - Hanna is an agility dog.  In fact, Hanna's mommy, Laura, judges agility trials on a national level, and has bred, owned, and loved cocker spaniels for these many years.

She called us this weekend to let us know that Hanna was competing in an agility show very close to our neck of the woods, so we grabbed Miss Iz and headed that way.

And here they are.  Together again!  That's sweet little Hanna on the left, and our precious Izzie on the right. They both have the same markings, right down to those big old white front paws.  In fact, that little asset earned them the nickname "The Go-Go Girls" when they were but pups.   Technically, they are brown and tan cocker spaniels, but the patches of white come from a party colored cocker way back in their ancestry.

But back to the action.  Here is Laura with Hanna, as they enter the show ring.  At a distance, I would have sworn that was Izzie sitting there with her.  You can't take pictures in the ring while the dogs are in action, so unfortunately I don't have those to share.  But let me try to describe it for you.  Watching a cocker run is like nothing else.  They don't really run; they fly.  Paws stretched, tail wagging, jowls flopping, and ears flying.  She ran, she jumped, she barked and wagged, then she hurdled, she bobbed, she weaved.  It was wonderful to watch.  Our little Iz could do that, no doubt.

And we got to see another old friend yesterday too.  This is Casey.  She is 10 years old now, and has been with Laura as long as I've known her.  When I first met Laura, she had four cocker spaniels, all show dogs, and Casey was my favorite from the moment I laid eyes on her.   We got to see her compete too, and let me tell you, you would never know she wasn't a mere pup.  This girl runs like the wind, and Laura says she is close to Champion status.  

Izzie watched all the action, and was such a good girl.  She and Hanna got along famously.  And we had more than a few people stop to ask if she was related to Hanna.  I guess they do rather look alike, and it seems that Hanna is pretty well known in this circle. 

 And to leave you with one final dose of cuteness, prepare yourself for overload.  This is Lucy.  She is Laura's new King Charles Cavalier Spaniel pup.  She's only 16 weeks old, and she is one fiesty little red head.  Her official name has something to do with Lucille Ball, but it was way to long for me to remember.

So it seems our Saturday just went to the dogs.  But, that's ok.  Valentine's Day is a coming, and there's nothing wrong with a little puppy love.