Emry’s Story
Emry’s life told from his point of view, spanning from his karmic creation, through his european travels, to his ever-lasting retirement.
The first thing I remember was movement and sounds of people talking. I heard two people. One kept asking to keep a boy puppy and the other saying that we needed a girl. The first one insisted and said she wanted a tan boy puppy and would not stop asking for it. The other who had the deeper voice finally said that the only way they would keep a boy was if all the puppies born happened to be boys.
I remember a lot of movement around me and the space got tighter and tighter. One day the movement got even greater and I heard a big cry and there seemed to be more space. I started to move and then felt great pushing and squeezing through something. Then all of a sudden I fell and was being licked all over by a big tongue. I felt others like me and crawled with them to get close to our mom. It was nice drinking moms milk and sleeping with others right next to her.
I next remember rocking back and forth in a dark cage with my brothers. Yes, my mom only gave birth to boys! We stopped and then again were jostled around until settled and could hear the two voices next to us. Then a rumbling sound and a vibration started that went on for a long time. I think we all fed and slept two times until it stopped. But we experienced one more rocking episode and I remember hearing “to Chomel Street in Paris”. When we finally got out of the cage, we were in a nice bed without mom.
Then the fun began. We all started to hear better and see! And then we got to run from what they 
called the bathroom to the kitchen and in between was a slipper floor that sometimes we would knock into each other and slide. We had a lot of visitors and got a lot of attention. My bigger brother was white and the other black and white. I was tan and of course the favorite of Reyna, the daughter of Anne, the big person.
We would soon go for walks on a cement floor with a lot of people walking by and have to cross a street that had a lot of traffic. We learned that we had to wait until Reyna or Anne said it was OK. We had some trees in an area between the cars going one way and the other and there was grass around them for us to do our business. it was very fun for us to run back and forth and in and out on our leashes and get tangled up. We were a challenge to walk.
The three of us took a trip to Switzerland to meet my Sire and his owner for a dog show. I was led around on a leash and checked out by a judge. He said I didn’t keep my tail up enough but he gave me best puppy anyway.
When we reached 3 months old, the biggest named Elki went to a new home and it was just Eli and myself. Anne’s son said he wanted Eli for a pet but I was to be kept as a show dog. Reyna was ecstatic because she had her tan boy. They named me Emry and I applied for my French show status. But then we had to move back to the states.
The next I knew I was going with Reyna and Anne to a new home. I played with my brother, but I think our definition of playing was a tad different from the big people. Not too long after, it was back to Paris and then a train north to meet what is called a handler. Justin said I was “not a bad pup” and said he would show me in France and other European countries. My first show was on my first birthday in February 2009 and I had to be confirmed in order to be in that show. It was fun after all the practice Justin made me do and I won Best of Breed over all the other Havanese. I heard the French breeders complain. I went to a lot of shows with Justin after that and won many ribbons and championships in three countries. But then he stopped paying attention to me and I got so skinny. I think it is because I was bothered by all the urges to get to some of the bitches and they were in cages very close to me. I didn’t feel like eating and was not interested in just walking around and being pretty. I became more interested in sniffing for any bitches with that special smell.
I eventually started feeling very bad. I had sores on my body and was losing my hair. My eyes itched and my feet itched and I had nothing to do but lick them. I was let out to pee and poop but no one played with me and I had no other practice sessions with Justin. But then I was taken on a trip to Switzerland for a show and was passed on to the breeder of my sire. She was so nice to me. She gave me a lot of baths and great food and I got to run with all of her dogs in a big house and a great big yard. I was so happy to be out of a cage all the time.
Then one day a nice lady came to visit and took me on a plane. It was my half sister’s handler that came across the world to pick me up. I heard her say to someone that I would just be a pet from then on. That sounded very nice to me! When we arrived we were met by Anne who gasped when she saw me. I was in pretty bad shape. She said she was afraid she was never going to get me back. I guess it was nine months of her trying to get information from Justin. She was trying to transfer me to America so I could be shown in the USA and she was hearing nothing at all. My new name was to be Bellesteven’sun’s Emry. I couldn’t have a fancy show name like the others in the US because the French have simple names and I had to keep mine. It was going to be a long time before I could show again but Anne said she thought I was a very nice dog and was not going to give up on me.
I was pretty hyper when I got to Seattle. I ran with the others but was very nervous and wouldn’t stop licking my feet. Anne would put me on the bed at night and brush and comb me gently for a whole hour at times and tell me how good and beautiful I was. My hair started to grow slowly and all my sores went away. My ears stopped itching but if I was left in a cage for very long I would lick at my feet. It was months of getting to sleep on the bed next to her in Paris that gave me back my peaceful feeling.
Tammie worked with me and after a short time I was ready to show again. In only three weekends I got my championship. Anne wanted me to go to the Havanese Club of America Show in Bloomington, Illinois but Tammie said I wouldn’t win. Anne wanted me to go anyway because she wanted to really make a difference in the Havanese world and thought that it was very important being involved with the National Club. Anne could not come with us until the national because Reyna was in a horse show in Oregon, so Tammie showed me on her own at the National. We went in as a special against about 60 other Havanese beauties. I was chosen as one of the 12 best and circled around again. Then I was put in the last group picked and circled again behind one other dog but moved up in front to circle one last time. I had won Best in Show over 150 other Havanese. Tammie was shocked and pleased. I jumped up several times as high as I could, as I was prone to doing.
The ribbon was almost as tall as Tammie. The next morning Anne arrived and 
was able to watch me again the the ring. This time I was pulled in the top 12 but did not get a ribbon that day. After we got home we did many other shows. I earned my Grand Championship in a couple months. The humans decided that I should keep showing for a little while, so we travelled to shows until I got my Bronze Grand Championship.
After that Anne chose to let me retire. She shaved off my long coat, which was a relief and made it easier to jump around. Ever since I have been with Reyna and Anne, enjoying a home life fit for a king, spoiled with love from both.