Cherrywood's Encore, CGC, LCA TDA
    aka "Elsa Beth"  Feb. 9, 1998

    a.k.a. Elsa Beth, came to us at the age of 15 weeks
    as a rehome.  Ann pulled her from the family that
    originally purchased her, and we were the ones who
    picked her up.  And she never left our house.  As a
    favor to Martha Kalina, she became an honorary
    Rescue so LeoRescue could put her story up on their
    website - they needed stories back then.

    Gus, our first leo, who was nine months older than
    Elsa Beth, adored her from the get-go and she's run
    him ever since.  She became a therapy dog in the
    Baylor Hospital Animal Assisted Therapy program as
    soon as she was old enough and has worked there
    her whole life, retiring this year with great honors.  
    As we've acquired more leos, Elsa Beth has continued
    to run things and has been a very able alpha dog,
    managing her pack with finesse and an iron paw in a
    velvet glove.  When she was two years old, we took
    her and Gus on a trip to Iowa to spend a weekend
    with Shirley Chong, a top trainer and animal
    behaviorist who declared Elsa Beth to be a genius in
    the dog world.  And we have to agree with her.

     Elsa Beth has been a blessing and a delight to our
    family.  Peggy
    Cherrywood's Enchanted Evening
    aka "Nala" Feb. 9, 1998

    It is hard to believe it has been ten
    years!  Nala has been a great dog and
    even though she is slowing down some,
    she still acts like a puppy.  She can still
    wrestle with her brother in the snow and
    bounce around like a lamb when her Papa
    comes to visit.  She feels it is her job to
    make sure everyones' faces are clean
    including the cat's and spends most of her
    time "holding the floor down"  as her
    Papa likes to say.  She has been a joy and
    we thank you for letting us have her.
    Brenda
 Cherrywood's Elara aka "Elara" Feb. 9, 1998

    Last weekend, Elara shared a  slumber party
    with my daughter's friends for my daughter's 8
    year birthday party.

    We have been so blessed with the ten years we
    have shared with Elara. The whiskers are
    turning grey (not the only one in the family),  
    the squirrels are only there for observation
    now, not chase toys, but her heart remains as
    youthful as the day she joined us.

    One of her nick names is "the mommy dog",
    which she has proven to be exceptionaly good at
    as she has helped us raise our daughter and be a
    constant companion. Elara can always be
    counted on to give a smile, a kiss, a shake of the
    head, perked up ears and a never ending tail
    wag. Like many moms, she knows what she
    wants, will tell you, and in the end makes you
    feel so wonderful you wonder why you ever
    questioned her in the first place. Yes she scolds
    us and takes up more then her share of the
    couch, but her head on your shoulder at the end
    of the day makes you forget all the day stresses.
    She snores more like a father though!
Cherrywood Kennels
LEONBERGERS
18900 Chamberlain Rd. Grafton, OH 44044 |  440-926-2801 | cherrywoodleos@yahoo.com
Cherrywood's Golden Oldies
Dedicated to those wonderful "senior citizens" from Cherrywood Kennels
Happy 10th birthday to our D and E litters!
    Cherrywood's Divine Diva aka"Diva"
    Feb.7, 1998

    "Diva came to us about six years ago, after
    her previous owner died. She was already
    four years old, and we knew that as a large
    breed we might not have her for very long,
    but we couldn’t resist her sweet
    personality. When we come home from
    work in the evening she throws herself at us
    with such gusto that she pins us to the wall.
    She sleeps at our feet and wants nothing
    more than to be with her family.  She used
    to like hiking and would follow us anywhere,
    but she is slowing down a bit now.  We have
    had several other dogs living with us and she
    has always been so gentle with them. We
    have a chihuahua now who sleeps curled up
    on her back to stay warm and cozy. Diva still
    loves to swim and when we take her up to
    the lake with us she circles us and tries to
    pull us to shore. No matter how cold it is she
    will still jump in and swim for a few minutes.
    Diva has brought such joy to us, and we hope
    we have her for years to come." Karen
    LCA CH. Cherrywood's Enough Already aka
    "Stella"  Feb. 9, 1998

    "Stella is a beautiful girl, both body and soul, who
    stole our hearts the day she was born. I don't think
    we ever questioned if it would be she who was
    staying with us. She has been very special
    throughout the ten years she's shared our home
    and our lives.  With a great and elegant presence,
    she swept through the show ring, kissing the
    judges, assuming all the applause was for her, and
    enjoying every second of her illustrious show
    career.

    With her wonderful sense of humor she was known
    for stacking herself beautifully in the ring and, at
    the all important moment the judge would give her
    the final look, and I'd be holding my breath,
    breaking her stack and throwing her rear at the
    judge. Despite her shenanigans, she still managed
    to take a number of Best Opposites and also Best in
    Regional Specialty.

    Stella has been one of my best "demo dogs" in by
    obedience classes and was also a regular visitor for
    six years at my mother's assisted living facilities.
    Now, as a senior herself, she has slowed down but
    her sense of humor remains well-honed."  Ann and
    Kevin
Cherrywood's "D" litter
Cherrywood's E litter
    Many weekends end up with a visit to
    one of the dog friendly restaurants in
    our city. Elara always attracts a crowd
    and the typical Leo Q&A session. The
    conversations often end with "what a
    beautiful dog" ... We politely say 'thank
    you', our soul is saying 'if you only
    knew how beautiful she really is'.

    Happy Birthday Elara

    Love,
    Your Lucky Family