This was a wonderful, double portrait of a sweet, long haired dog in both her long coat and her short coat!
Rugby was born on March 21, 2001 in the Catalan region of Spain. She is the daughter of a Spanish champion. Her breed is known as Catalan Sheep Dogs (or Gos d'Atura Catala). This breed is not known in the United States, but it is very popular in Cataluña, Spain. The Gos d'Atura was named the symbol of the Olympics when they took place in Barcelona.
Gos d'Atura are bred as working dogs. They herd sheep on the mountains in Spain. They are known for their intelligence, good nature, and work ethic.
Rugby came as a surprise for our two boys who had been begging for a dog for years. We had to make all the arrangements in secret, but it was not too hard to do this since the phone calls took place around 2:00am (here), more like 10am in Spain.
Rugby spent the night in a dog hotel in Amsterdam on her way to Minnesota. When she arrived, my husband and I picked her up at the airport and took her to our friend Angel's house to bathe her and get her ready. We put a huge red bow on her neck and put her in a bin in front of our house door. We had made arrangements for all the cousins and our kids to be at our house with my parents. When we rang the door bell, my parents urged all the kids to go see who it was, but not one of them wanted too. Their parents had taught them that they should not open the door if they did not know who it was. My parents walked them all to the door and opened it. My husband and I were outside filming all the kids as they figured out that they were getting a dog. It was a really fun and memorable experience for all!
Rugby turned out to be the very best choice for our family. She is very gentle and good natured with children. She hardly barks and has never destroyed anything at our house. She is very smart and has lived a very healthy and long life. She turned 15 years old this past March and is going strong!
8x8 acrylic on wood, sold
8x8 acrylic on wood, sold
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