Elán du Chenil de France

"Finnie"

SchH III

b.

Elán (aka Finnie) was my first Malinois, and my first Schutzhund dog. Although I had Belgian Sheepdogs before him, they were no preparation at all for the likes of him. Descriptors included bull-in-a-china-shop; no brain, no pain; two speed (full on or asleep); and knuckle-head. Sprinklers made him berserk, he broke off a canine when he attacked a field irrigation water gun. He provided me with an abundance of bruises and flesh wounds during training - full speed body slam recalls were his delight. On the other hand, he was extremely affectionate and had a heart as big as the sky. He got "helicopter tail" when he flirted, gave the slimiest kisses on the planet, and made me laugh.

Together we learned about schutzhund, and although we made plenty of mistakes, he finished his SchH III. He was always pronounced and deserved it. Tracking was his bug-a-boo, and I sure learned bunches about what not to do with the next dog.

And if you are wondering where the nickname "Finnie" came from, it was bestowed upon him by a member of our training group. Lee spent time in Guam, where the natives called fruit bats "fin-a-dinnie." The name fit, and it stuck.