Li'se and Bachi

 

There is nothing like the love of a great dog for their human parents and then our love back to the wonderful creatures that God created, called the Doberman. The bond of love is so strong that when it is time for them to sprout their wings and go to heaven, it tares at your heart in a way that you know it is going to break, and can only be compared to the losing a family member; which is precisely what they are….a family member..

Two years ago on January 4th, Rabbi and I experienced a time in our lives that no one wants to experience…the death of our Dobe fur-kid. As we were experiencing the last weekend of our precious 10 year old Dobe girl, Miss Kitty, an online vet was walking us through what to expect - not only within Kitty’s body, but the emptiness we were about to feel in our own hearts. It was like he was an angel messenger sent to us, to not only help us with Kitty sprouting her wings, but he also shared information about HOH. Although Kitty was a non- Hoytt, it was in the course of her death that we were introduced to the Hoytt Doberman’s.

As we watched Kitty deteriorate to almost nothing, our hearts were breaking every time we looked at her. The online vet advised us that if we were to consider getting another Dobe that we would not find a better Doberman than a Dobe from Barrie Hoytt in Dandridge, Tennessee. The vet encouraged us that when the time was right, we should go to their website, to cry, heal and maybe take a road trip to Dandridge. If this vet said this once in that weekend, he said it at least 20 times…go to www.hoytt.com.

The words really sank into our hearts about finding out about Barrie and his Fur-Kids and that was exactly what we did. We cried for many days and soon my husband suggested we find the site. When we opened it up and saw the picture of "PALS" we knew we were on a site that we could trust because they felt the same way we did about our Dobe. I would go to 

 

the website many times a day, looking and asking God if we could have another Dobe. Many times all I could do was look at the pictures and cry; or I would go to the video of Jordan and bawl my eyes out just watching and listening to the song. Thanks Kim and Troy for your video and to all the other Hoytt Dobe owners, thank you for sharing your pictures of your incredible 4-legged kids. My heart began to heal from losing our Miss Kitty, through the gift of the Owner’s Gallery and the forum. Finally I got up the nerve to contact the office to request a time to talk with Barrie. When Hope answered the phone, all I could do was cry….when Barrie picked up the phone, all I could muster was …it hurts so much and the tears would start again. Hope and Barrie were so comforting and soon it was decided that Rabbi and I should make a trip to Tennessee to get a Dobe "fix"; but unfortunately that would not happen until May because of all the various snow storms that year.

In March, we applied for the adoption of our new Hoytt girl; but what should we name her? I gave Rabbi a list of 30 Hebrew words that would describe what we thought would be attributes that she would walk in. There were two words had literally jumped off the paper at me, but I decided not to tell Rabbi what they were. He called and said he had written two words down, come and see. When I went to his desk, he had written down the exact same two words that had jumped off the page at me. These two words spoke volumes to both of us and would be perfect for her. God had named our girl, Li’se Asa. Wow!

Li’se Asa, means – "God’s Promise of Healing." This is exactly what she has been; a promise from God that we could have another Dobe and a promise that through her, we would heal. Again we were going to be a complete family; a mom, a dad and a 4-legged fur-kid. God is so good! Our tears of sadness had turned into tears of joy.

Barrie told us that he had the perfect girl for us. He told us that she had been trained to have manners and she would fit into all the prayer counseling appointments we do weekly and be a perfect lady. He told us that her name was Lucy which was very close to Li’se (Lee see) and it would be easy for her to learn her new name. 

 

Li’se was one of Barrie’s special girls and she lived with Barrie and Marti for over two and one half years. This was going to be a tall order for us to fill in Li’se’s life because Li’se was very used to daily being surrounded by many other Dobermans. What a change for her to come from many friends to her being the only fur-kid of the family. She was also leaving her home and her best friend, Miss Marti and Papa Barrie.

 

 

 

This is my new forever mom telling me I am a gift from God to her and Rabbi. Maybe my new forever parents are a gift to me from God so I can love and protect them.  My new forever daddy (Rabbi) saw the sun above my head in this picture and thought I was a princess with the crown on my head.  Li’se wasn’t sure what was about to happen. Gee, she had been with Papa Barrie, Janine and Miss Hope for two and a half years and now she was going somewhere with strange people in the back of a van. Her world and her life was about to be turned upsides down and a whole new world was about to emerge. Before we could leave there was one person Li’se needed to say good-bye to, Papa Barrie. He had always been there for her and now he was going to trust another man to take good care of his girl.                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Li’se was very close to Barrie and evidently knew something was up. She knew she needed to get close to her Papa and gave him a good-bye kiss, even through she wasn't sure what was to come next.

 

We stopped every 2 hours for her to go potty…. but nothing. We called Hope and ask if this was a form of training that we were not told about and she said, no… she will go. Twenty five hours later, she could no longer hold on to her reluctance, so she finally went potty – at least a gallon and a half… Rabbi thought that Barrie should sell his technique because every husband would buy it to train his wife and children for long trips.

 

We brought her home and started having her in prayer appointments and she was so compassionate. Li’se became an integral part of healing appointments. One man had a hard time and was crying. Li’se got up and went to the man for him to feel her. He immediately reached out for her, stopped crying and relaxed.

 

Again in three months we were traveling to Ohio to see my mom. Li’se was not one to get on furniture. She saw the bench seat in the van as furniture and stayed on the floor. She no sooner got up the courage to try sitting on the back seat (under our encouragement) when we were almost in a terrible accident. Rabbi had to stomp on the brakes and Li’se went flying back down to the floor. She was shaking like a leaf and since we were outside of Knoxville, we decided to stop at HOH so she could calm down.

 

 

At the time, Gabby was at HOH taking care of her 11 new kids. We knew Gabby because she was from our home town in Florida. So we somehow managed to talk Barrie into showing us Gabby’s mom’s choice to keep;  That’s when we first got to meet little Miss Bachi (meaning kisses) and one of her brothers at 5 weeks old. Little did we know that Bachi, would one day join our family and Li’se would have a forever play-mate.

 

  Li’se had a look in her eyes as if to say… Mom, I like this one, I really like this one… Papa Barrie says her name is Bachi. She smells good! Can she come home with us?    Please mom!

 

All I wanted to do was breathe puppy breath and just kiss on them. Li’se was so gentle and very concerned about the little ones. When Bachi came out in Hope’s arms, Li’se kept smelling Bachi and allowed her scent to become permanently engrained. This was actually a God moment, where He arranged a meeting while Bachi was just a pup (which we understand is very unusual at HOH). Unbeknown to us, God already knew that Bachi would become a regular visitor at Li’se’s house in just a short while. This meeting between the two of them became very important because when Bachi started coming over in August, Li’se already knew her by her scent. They were instant buddies with an uncanny bond of love between them.

 

We left HOH and continued our drive on to Ohio to the Nursing Home where my mom was staying. We had called ahead to get permission to bring Li’se in and she was a perfect angel in a Doberman suit.

 

She was the star of the day, giving tons of kisses to everyone, and allowing everyone who wanted, to pet her. In Li’se’s loving way, she gave unconditional love to all as they came near to her to pat her head. My mom loved touching her soft fur and talked about it for months how her 4-legged grandchild came to visit her.

 

Li’se was very gentle with everyone as wheelchairs and walkers were all around her. She would let each person pet her and would get even closer, so each person could reach and touch her soft fur. It was like she totally understood that each one of them needed a touch of unconditional love and she was more than ready to supply that request.

 

We stopped by HOH’s on the way home to pick up Gabby, Bachi’s mom to ride home with us. It is truly a work of love between the two Hoytt Doberman’s. They all seem to know each other and there is never a conflict. Gabby and Li’se rode side by side for 14 hours with never a problem.

 

When Bachi was allowed to go home (or as rabbi calls her, "Little Bit"), we visited her and Gabby and absolutely fell in love with Bachi. Then, out of the blue, Bachi started visiting her special friend Li’se, at our house. She was so small that she would run under Li’se’s belly and she would take a nip at her heels. We are convinced that Li’se remembered Bachi’s smell from when she met Bachi as a pup and that created an unbreakable bond.

 

First Bachi would come over for play days and then she would get to come over for weekends. One time she got to come over for a whole week and then one rainy day in December, she came to live with her favorite friend …her sister from another mudder.

 

The famous duo’s love for each other grew quickly, and Bachi’s shenanigans included playing Hide and Seek with Li’se, hiding in the bushes and even the ferns. They played together and we would watch in awe as their loving relationship was growing. Li’se taught Bachi how to peel and eat tangerines …"Don’t eat he peel Bachi, it tastes bad – and don’t let it squirt in your eye – it hurts…Just leave the peels here, daddy will pick them up."  Bachi soon discovered lizards. She would find them and announce them to Li’se. They would chase lizards for hours on end, and before we knew it, we had tailless lizards running for their lives . It didn’t take too long for the kids to recognize that when it is cool out, they could lay on the brick sidewalk after the sun warmed them and enjoy the warm Florida weather. They both remembered Tennessee weather and this was heaven for them. All they had to do was get mom or dad to let them out so theycould soak up some rays and relax.

 

Then they discovered what we call wacky seeds. The Queen Palm tree produces a date like fruit that is apparently sweet to the dog’s palette. They willingly eat sand if it means they will get a wacky seed. They love them because it makes them drunk. It is so funny to see Bachi do a three legged stand instead of squatting to pee, or trying to sit up straight, only to drift over to one side and fall over. Funny yes, but we try to get to them first so they don’t get sick eating them.

 

 

 

Li’se and Bachi are very close. They share their toys and they are always near each other; they even lean against each other when they are grazing. Then there are days when Bachi is in trouble with her sister and Li’se will look like she is scolding Bachi, just like a big sister should do who totally loves her little sister. You know when Bachi thinks she is in trouble with Li’se for not listening. Bachi lays her ears back as if to say, "Mom hurry, open the door, I’m in trouble and Li’se is going to get me."

 

                                                  "Mom, look at her. Does that look like a face that loves me? Maybe if I look the other way, I won’t be in trouble…"

 

Li’se doesn’t stay aggregated with Bachi for very long and soon you will see Li’se give a look like she is laughing at Bachi for all the funny things she was getting into and not listening. Will this little one never learn? In January of 2011, after talking with Barrie we took Li'se for her spay having waited a number of heat cycles as Barrie suggested because of complications in the surgery, we almost lost our girl. I remember asking God, "Why did You take Miss Kitty last January, give us Li’se Asa for healing and now take Li’se also?" Li’se was rushed to an emergency clinic and was so close to death that the emergency room Vets didn’t offer us any hope. They were convinced that she would not make it and they never put her in a cage. Instead they laid out a mattress for her on the floor right where they worked, just to give her that extra touch of healing love. It was almost one year to the day after losing Miss Kitty. We called Barrie and we all cried, we came home from the Emergency Clinic and put Li’se on every prayer list we knew. We later found out that others spread the word that a special Doberman name Li’se was fighting for her life and need prayer. We had people email us for updates to their prayers for Li’se from all across America, Israel, Russia, Netherlands, Canada and South America. She had her own prayer team praying over her life and God worked miracles in Li’se’s life. Today, she is a walking miracle.

 

While Li’se was at the Emergency Clinic, we would take Bachi down with us. They would not let them see each other, but they both heard each other and maybe sniffed each other through the clinic smell in the air. They knew each other was there. They would both cry for each other, and as Bachi cried to her sister, Li’se would perk up her ears and a happy smile would cross her face. This simple act of love was speaking volumes of comfort and healing to Li’se, just by knowing that her little sister was there with her. Li’se was expected to be in the clinic for at least five days if she didn’t die, and she came out in three. These Hoytt Dobes are fighters Le'si knew it was not her time.  Just the other day I had to call the Clinic and they still refer to her as, "Li’se, the Doberman girl who escaped death by prayer, a miracle and a will to survive".

 

The girl’s number one priority seems to be letting us know how much they love us and of course, food and treats. Yes, they protect us, and yes they are always there for each other and us, but kisses is a priority. My brother and sister in law were visiting us and they fell in love with the girls. One evening we were sitting at the table and Li’se laid her chin on the table. Joe looked at her and simply said "your chin is on the table". Li’se respected his statement and without missing a beat, removed her head and immediately lifted her paw and put where her chin was. There was nothing we could do but laugh. There is a love language that these kids speak; they love everything they do. Our girls are extremely close… always washing each other’s ears and faces. When they lay down, they are generally touching each other. When one is in trouble, the other one is right there trying to protect her. We often laugh about how they are so joined at the hip with each other.

 

Thanks Barrie, for our precious girls. Life is never dull with these two, and we would not have it any other way. Thank goodness for the online vet, Dr. Peter who told us about HOH and thank you Gabby and Titan for you will never know how much more love and joy your baby Bachi has given us. We are so blessed!

 

                                                                                   Rabbi Charlie, Carol, Li'se and Bachi

 

LI’SE ASA – Hoytt’s Lucy in the Sky CGC CD ... 1/30/2008

 

DAM: Hoytt’s Piper of the Dawn CGC

 

SIRE: Contis Rodeo Von Hoytt CGC CD                                                                                                            

 

BACHI – Hoytt’s Kiss Ami Hunt ... 5/19/2010

 

DAM - Hoytt’s Hunt for Gold CGC RN

 

SIRE – Hoytt’s Tennessee Titan CGC RN CD TDI WAC

 

One last thing… Li’se will gladly get onto the bench seat in the van, but she still does not get on the furniture in the house. Bachi has no such reservations. She will get on anything that offers her a position of comfort, yet she is not totally uncouth. She doesn’t just jump on the bed. Usually, she wines or groans, repeatedly, until one of says something or we pat the bed. Then she jumps up, finds a spot and does a full body slam into position. Go figure… AND CHEESE??? Train up a dog with cheese and they will forever supply you with enough gas to cool or heat the house.