Beau Geste Simply Marveluxa CDX SH WCX CGC TDI CCA VC (4/18/1999-10/25/2013)
Luxa, joined our family in 1999. She had a promising start in field and obedience but she contracted Glomerulonephritis (GN), which was caused by Lyme disease, at age three. This prevented us from competing for 5 years. During this time, she was still able to hike and swim with Bailey and me, but we refrained from formal training. When vacationing at Lake Winnipesaukee, Luxa’s instinct took over and she wanted to retrieve anyone who was swimming. She insisted on being the last one out of the water. As a young dog , she earned her AKC Novice title in obedience and also her AKC Junior Hunter and WCX.
By eight years old she had completely recovered from GN and we went back to field training. I taught her to handle (in retriever tests, handling is when the person (the handler) directs the dog to a hidden bird using hand signals). At nine years old she passed the four required tests to become a AKC Senior Hunter. I then took her back to obedience when she was 10 years old and trained her for Open. She was awarded her CDX with her title leg winning a runoff for High In Trial. At 11 years old she was still so fit and willing I trained her through Utility but showed her only once. She was missing signals when in certain light and I suspected she might be seeing in less detail so I retired her.
Glomerulonephritis is often fatal within months of diagnosis but Luxa lived a full life to the ripe old age of 14 ½.
Luxa and Kevin at Lake Winnipesaukee in 2004:
Luxa being a good girl:
