Welcome to the home page of Laurie Graichen and the Sky High Belgian Shepherd Dogs. I have had Belgian Shepherd Dogs since 1978, and although I have a "kennel name", there is no kennel (the dogs are total house dogs and sleep on the bed) and no puppies are bred here, since I only own males. I compete in AKC and UKC conformation, AKC, UKC and ASCA obedience, AKC, NADAC/ASCA, and USDAA agility, AKC and AHBA herding, and have dabbled in schutzhund and flyball. I have recently suffered a permanently-disabling knee injury, so Dillon and Bravo are now being trained and working as my Assistance Dogs. Click here to see them working, and to learn more about Assistance Dogs
The heartbeat of Sky High, the one who set the way for all others to follow, was Nordic, a male Terv (U-CDX, Am.Ch.Tri Sorts Nordic de Loup Noir, Am/Can.CDX,B,TT,HIC,CGC,TDI), whom we lost to hemangiosarcoma on November 19, 1998, two months prior to his 14th birthday. Although he was "officially" a veteran, he still acted like a 5-year-old, and in fact placed in the Veterans Herding Group 12 days before he died. He was neutered after finishing his championship, due to epilepsy and cataracts. He was the kind of dog you could take anywhere and he was the perfect gentleman. He was a gift from God, and I hope that everyone can sometime have the kind of relationship with a dog as I had with Nordic. Click here to go to Nordic's page.
Cruiser (Odysseys Perpetual Motion, CGC, TDI, was a happy-go-lucky, energetic guy who lives by the motto, "Life is short, so live it at top speed so you don't miss anything!". He has a lot of drive, and loves to work. He comes by it honestly - his sire "Charlie" (U-CD, Am.Ch/OTCh. Czequet's Charfire Charon, Am.UD,HT,TT,BSCA SchHI,HOF) and paternal grandsire "Zar" (U-UD, Am.Ch/OTCh. Qazar Charfire v Siegestor, Am.UD,HT, TT,B,WH,BSCA SchHI, HOF,ROM) were both Top Ten ALL BREEDS in obedience, and his maternal grandsire "Nobel" (Am.Ch.Nobel v Siegestor, Am.CD,TD, SchHIII, AD, B, WH, IPO I) was a winner in schutzhund. He was not happy in a multi-dog household, and is now living in Tuscon AZ and working as a service dog for a gentleman with Parkinsons Disease. I am extremely proud to have raised a dog who is making such a difference in his person's life. Click here to go to Cruiser's page Sadly, Cruiser was lost to lung cancer in late November 2002 at the age of 10.
Next is "Huck", a male Groenendael. Huck was part of a rescue in North Carolina in spring 1997 - he and his 5 littermates, as well as 8 adult Belgians, were confiscated by the Humane Society because their owner had them living in a van since Thanksgiving time. The dogs were filthy, matted, emaciated, unsocialized, and the puppies developed parvo. Huck was supposed to go to a foster home on Long Island, and I was bringing him up from NC (I had been down there for a job interview). After being around him for a day or so, I was so taken by him that I decided to keep him. He's very sweet, a wonderful bed dog. Although he never made it to competitio rings due to his unhappiness away from home and near strange people, he held a very special place in my heart. He was lost to kidney failure just short of his 12th birthday and leaves a huge hole in my heart and life. Click here to go to Huck's page
Next is "Dillon" (NATCH, U-Ag2, U-CD, Am.Ch Arlequin Debonair of Hyline, Am.CD, RAE, PT, MX, MXJ, XF, AHBA JHD-s, NADAC S-EGC, O-TN-E, TG-E, WV-N, USDAA AAD, GM, JM, RM, ASA, ASCA CD, RS-E, O-GV-E, JS-E, APDT RL2, UBSDA SCT, TT, CGC, TDI), an 12-1/2-year old Terv male. He is the result of two years of searching for a show quality male Belgian. He is a handsome fellow with excellent structure and movement, and a people-loving temperament. I'm having lots of fun with him, both in and out of the show and performance rings. Click here to go to Dillon's page
The end of May 1999 saw the arrival of a new family member, a grey
male
Terv whose call name is "Bravo", registered name U-Ag1, Klaar
Right
On The Money, RAE, PT, AX, AXJ, OF, NAP, NJP, NFP, NADAC O-EAC, O-EGC,
O-EJC,
S-TN-E,
O-TG-E,
O-WV-E, ASCA RS-E,
GS-E,
JS-E, USDAA AAD, ASA, AG, AR, APDT RL1, UBSDA SCT, TT, CGC, TDI. He's
from
the well-known
"Klaar"
kennel of
Dermott Young near
Calgary,
Alberta, Canada. Although Nordic was my soulmate and will never be
replaced,
Bravo has shaped up to be the "dog of my
dreams".
Click
here to go to Bravo's page.
For my next dog, I've "switched gears" and gone to a working-line
Malinois with "Surge", otherwise known as Overdrive du Dantero, TT.
Right
now he's just a tiny bundle of endless potential who alternates between
napping between my legs on the recliner and hanging off my sneakers or
pants legs, with a full-mouth grip. I'm looking forward to seeing what
the future holds for us in agility, obedience, and rally - after all,
Dillon and Bravo have set big paws for him to fill. Click here to
go to Surge's page
Though I wasn't actively searching to add a cat to the family after
losing the 2 senior cats who moved down from NJ to SC with us,
apparently a special little cat was looking to add herself to the
4-legged creatures here. Thus entered "Miss Kitty", a 6-month-old
female tabby who walked through the dog door and into my heart and
home. Click
here
to go to Miss Kitty's page
Visiting Sky High Farm in the summer of 1999 was "Max" (Am.Ch
Jacamar's
Maximillian d'Emi), a 4 year old Groenendael, who was here to add an
AKC
Companion Dog title to his name, as his owner was unable to show him
due
to work constraints. Click
here to go to Max's page
WHAT DO PETA AND HSUS ** REALLY ** STAND
FOR?? NOT FOR ANIMALS...READ THEIR OWN WORDS HERE
FAVORITE LINKS: Most of these have a long list of other links - enjoy!
All
artwork courtesy of Chris Aliapoulios, Peindre au Vif Belgians