ABF Ember-Wan Kenobi of MSCA

Ember has always been my Jedi Knight. Let me explain -

Ember was born in Wyoming on 3/6/25 on Abundairy Farm. When I contacted Anne, looking for a male puppy who would be genetically complimentary to our girls, it turned out that her litter of puppies might fit the bill. After a good conversation with Wendy (founder of the breed) it was determined that, at least on paper, Anne's current litter would be a good match.

I asked Anne what traits she breeds for and she said, "Carpet". Since that was a new idea for me I asked her to explain. She proceeded to say that carpet means that the dogs spend their days peacefully laying around... until there is a threat... and as soon as they have neutralized the threat they go back to laying around like carpet. She continued by telling me a story about the older half sister to these pups who, single-handedly, killed a coyote in the middle of the day, returned to the yard and flopped down. Job done and she was back to carpet. That dog now works a ranch on the edge of Yellowstone, guarding against wolves.

When the time came to meet the puppies via a FaceTime call I watched as Anne stepped into the kennel. The puppies all rushed to her feet for love, getting head and belly pets. All but 1. Ember sat just separate to the rest, waiting patiently for everyone else to have their pets. I found his patient sit inspiring. When Anne came to him, he rolled over to get his belly rubbed, but even through the phone I could feel his patience and calm. His beautiful black mask and freckles were a beautiful reminder of our old dog Smokey, who had died 2 years earlier. So I trusted my intuition and told Anne that he was the dog for us.

To be sure, I didn't stay confident in my intuition. In the weeks between picking Ember, and going to get Ember, I was an anxious basketcase. The day that I flew to Denver and then drove to Wyoming with a friend, I was taking deep breaths and searching for my bravery. When we made it to Anne's, and she put Ember in my arms, he snuggled in and put his nose on my shoulder. I thought he would be looking to me for comfort as I was taking him away from his home and putting him in cargo on the plane. But instead, he soothed my anxiety and greeted everyone at the airport like a rockstar. He spent a half hour taking selfies with everyone who worked at Alaska Airlines that night.

So yes, Ember is my Jedi Knight. He has the emotional discipline to adapt to every situation and everyone he meets. He is athletic and attuned to the energy around him. "A lifelong commitment to serving as a guardian of peace and justice." I could not think of a better way to describe Ember.

I am so excited to see what this next chapter holds for Ember as his first puppies are born and he will get to mentor the next generation.

Ember is 31" tall, clean legged (no dewclaws behind) and has a magnificent medium length coat that sheds easily in the spring. His OFA hip radiographs will be done in March '27 when he turns 2 and his DNA is clear on all counts.

P.S. It occurs to me that I should include that there have been challenges and frustrations along the way. It has not been all rainbows and butterflys. There is real work involved in training and we have had to find new ways to communicate our expectations at times. We have an extraordinary neighbor who has been a source of inspiration in our training and great at reminding us of the relationship we are building.