Minois was our first Briard and my heart and my soul.   She taught me and defined for me everything it means to be "Briard."  We did "everything" together.  Conformation (my first REAL show dog), agility (my first REAL agility dog) having my first children who she took on as HER charges.  I had twins and one would cry and she would do her best impression of "Timmy is in the well---can't you HEAR that baby is crying."  The expression is that Briards are "hearts wrapped in fur" and they are but most importantly---they wrap themselves around your heart. Minois was the most amazing spirit and intellegence.  She watched over my children from the moment they were born letting me know which people and dogs could and could not be trusted (as far as I know---she was never wrong.)  When we went to the dog park or a show-she would strategically put her body between my twins in their stroller and the rest of the world.  I have always said she was like Nana on Peter Pan.  She really did things like alert a baby sitter when she was not watching closely enough and a 4 year old wandered out of the house and she let me know when I hired a baby sitter who actually had "some issues."  In December of 2001 she started to develop a strange condition with her eyes called episcleritis.  We ran EVERY test and after treating her for 6 months we finally figured out why --- all of her lymph nodes were suddenly swollen---Lymphoma!  Having lost my sweet Golden Retriever, Kyrie, to hemangiosarcoma--I had tried to do EVERYTHING right with Minois including breaking down her vaccines, making her food and feeding her "all natural" etc.  Even though we fought it tooth and nail-- in July 2002 she lost her brave battle.   Minois was definitely my other child.   She will always hold her space in my heart  

Minois (pronounced Min-wa) means pretty face in French. She was an American and Canadian champion titles that she won easily.  She earned her herding instinct certificate, her canine good citizen (CGC) but flunked her TT because she looked for me to save her from the threatening stranger (if one of the kids had been on the end of her leash it would have been a different story.  She was trained to excellent levels in agility but only had time to get her Novice Standard (NA) and Novice Jumpers with Weaves (NAJ) titles. Her "official" accomplishments were too few because the cancer stole her from us way too soon of course we would have been happy for her to have been "just a pet" if she could have instead stayed with us longer.  Minois was a terrific dog, a great Briard and a special soul.  We hope to see you again Minois, at the Rainbow Bridge.....  

The  Rainbow Bridge

Author Unknown

 

There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth.  It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors.  Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.

 

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place.  There is always food and water and warm spring weather.  The old and frail animals are young again.  Those who are maimed are made whole again.  They play with each other.

 

There is only one thing missing.  They are not with their special person who loved them on earth.  So, each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up!  The nose twitches!  The ears are up! The eyes are staring.  And this one suddenly runs from the group!

 

You have been seen, and when you and your special friend meet, you take him in your arms and embrace.  Your face is kissed again and again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet.

 

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together never again to be separated.
 

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"Farewell Master, yet not farewell.  Where I go, you to shall dwell.  I am gone before your face, a moments time a little space.  When ye come where I have stepped, ye will wonder why we wept."