May 24, 1985 - April 8, 1999
Noble was the first Wing-N-Wave Lab, even before "Wing-N-Wave" came to be. His heritage was founded in some of the finest field kennels: Coldshore, Willowmount, and Trumarc. Noble was trained in obedience and field and was shown in bench. Not a large dog, Noble weighed 72 pounds and stood just about 22-1/2 inches at the shoulder. In his later years be developed a distinquished gray muzzle. Because he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, Noble was never bred. Despite his condition, he was an avid hunting retriever and excelled in upland hunting as well as waterfowl. His style and drive were always evident even in his later years. But above all else, I will always remember Noble for his friendship and devotion.
ODE
TO A PET (author unknown)
"I'll never feel the harness of a Service Dog. I'll never fly to
earthquake
sites. I'll never do airport or border duty. I'm just a pet.
I'm not as pretty as a show dog or as driven as a trialer. I go to school
but not to competition. I'll never pass on my genes. After all, I'm just a
pet.
You won't find my pictures in the famous books or read my stories in the
popular journals. The color of my nose, the shape of my tail or the
thickness of my coat are not that important. Remember, I'm just a pet.
Just a pet. A member of the family, a part of the pack. My photos are in
the album. I'm wearing reindeer antlers and silly sunglasses! I get special
birthday cakes and dog-friend parties. They take me to the beach, park, lake,
and forest.
My people worry over me. They get my shots and check-ups done. They spend
more time on my diet than they do on their own. I don't know why they do it,
I'm just a pet.
Just a pet, but they treat me like a
person. They talk to me, train me, brag
about me, hug me and sometimes even cry over me.
And I can't give anything back. I mean, I'll baby-sit and guard the house
and put up with anything the kids dish out. And just maybe, sometimes I let
them see something of themselves in me, in my gentleness, my courage and my
pride. Oh sure I love them totally without regard to anything. Maybe
because our time together is so short.....I don't know, I'm just a pet."
