Today we are looking back at 2024 which was a good/bad roller coaster year for our family. This is a big task for a guy who is not yet three but I am going to do my very best to remember everything worth mentioning that has happened.
The Bad Events of 2024
Let’s start with the bad and sad and get it out of our way.
- The top left was in January when Madison has her stomach turn and she almost died. Such a trooper she was, an ideal patient and healed so well.
- Next up in March, Mom smashed her collarbone while setting nose work hides for the four of us in a parking ramp. Because she did such a great job breaking it, she needed surgery to have a plate with seven screws put in. Mom recovered but we had to cancel our big nose work trip to Virginia and Washington DC.
- Olivia was bored while spending six hours at the car dealership in Ohio on our way home from Massachusetts. The car had the check engine light go on and it was a very serious error that had to be fixed. Half a day and a lot of money spent, we got back on the road.
- The bottom right is the last photo of the four of us together. Later that night Madison passed away in Mom’s arms on her own in her pretty pink blanket. This was the darkest day in a very long time at our house and the first loss for me and Olivia. We miss our pink girl so much.
FastCAT Titles 2024
We all ended the year in good position, but then again, not too many GBGV’s ran besides our family! Olivia is #1, I’m #2, and Madison is #4.
Mom calls us her FastCAT Team of 2024 as the three of us ran quite a few events together. Now we are super happy she made us take this photo in July.
I was the first one to earn a big FastCAT title this year, my FCAT, on June 9th. I’m the third GBGV behind my sisters to earn an FCAT Title and we are the only three to have one.
Olivia and Madison both earned their FCAT3 Titles on August 30th. Both of them retired from FastCAT after their new titles. Olivia retired because she wants to keep her status as fastest GBGV ever and as she ages she will get slower. Madison was eight and had started to have limping issues so she retired as well. Mom has retired her orange and pink FastCAT shirt too!
I Am Now A Tracking Dog
On October 27th, I earned my Tracking Dog Title. It was fun and Mom says I am a natural. Bailie and Madison have also earned TD Titles. Like my siblings I ran my track in just over four minutes.
AKC Scent Work Titles of 2024
Madison was the AKC Title star of the year! She earned her Master Container and Master Interior titles in April. In September she finished up her Master Exterior Title giving her the overall Master Title. We are so happy that she had so much sniffing fun her last couple of trials, it makes Mom very happy since Madison was always a happy hound.
I started out my scent work for the year in February earning my Excellent Buried Title. Next up I finished my Excellent Interior Title giving me my overall Excellent Title. In August I earned my Master Buried Title. I also managed to earn my first two Detective legs, eight to go until I am a Detective!
Let’s not forget Bailie. Mom decided to take her to one day of Scent Work Trials which turned out to be another disaster for her. Bailie is simply not interested in competitions. Still, it was a fun day with an odd trio of sniffing hounds and we are so happy to have a photo from that one day.
NACSW Nose Work Titles of 2024
Mom and Madison were so proud when she earned her ELT1 Title in March. Mom still had her arm in the sling but they still did fairly well for Team Pink. Sadly that would be Madison’s last NACSW Title.
Olivia isn’t earning as many titles since she has everything and is only able to enter upper level trials. She did earn her L3V Title in June, and her L2C earlier this month. BUT, the huge thing has been earning her Summit Title, the highest title in Nose Work and she placed third overall with a first and third place in two of the eight searches. This title is something any dog is very proud to earn.
I had a busy, banner year for myself. In May I earned my first NW3 Title the beginning of the month, you need three to move on. I earned a second one a week later along with the last of my NW3 Element Titles. In June I earned my L1I. July was amazing as I earned not only my NW3 Elite Title, but I placed first overall and was the only dog to find ALL the hides that day! Mom cried. Now I am at the Elite level and I earned my ELT1 in October. The photo is from my first place NW3 that I am super proud of.
Looking Back At 2024 Travels
It was rather disappointing having to cancel three bigger trips this year because of Mom’s collarbone, Madison getting sick, and then Mom was too sad to go on the third one. Despite that, we still visited some new states. In May, our biggest trip, Madison and Olivia added five new states, and I added six since I had not been to New York before. The other five were Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
In November Olivia and I added two more states, Kansas, and Oklahoma, aka, Tornado Alley.
Bailie would like to say she is happy as a clam to get to stay home and travel to nowhere!
At the end of the year our states visited tally is: Bailie – 24, Madison – 30, Olivia – 33, Nelson – 25.
That concludes our high and low lights from 2024. Hopefully 2025 will be a happier year, but you never know.
My GBGV Life is joining Comedy Plus for the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.
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