—”Monet” is a multi-titled and multi-talented 5-year-old Weimaraner. She’s skilled at bringing out smiles from owner-handler Tanya Rowan, and fellow Conformation competitors regardless of the venue or sport. But the real wow factor with this versatile dog stems from her perceptiveness, no matter the venue – home, ring, or field. Monet, GCHB CH Oakpoint’s Platinum Water Lily JH DCAT SCN SIN RATN OSD CGCA CGCU TKE VHMA VSWB FITG isn’t just a skilled Conformation dog with a Grand Champion title, among others. The Weimaraner from New Hartford, New York, is also a medical alert service dog for her owner.
A Trustworthy Alert Dog for Multiple Conditions
But Monet isn’t just Rowan’s medical service alert dog, teammate, or pet. “[Monet] is my soul dog,” says Rowan, who suffers from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), a painful neurological nerve disorder for which there is no cure. RSD is also highly difficult to diagnose.
Symptoms of RSD include a constant burning or aching pain in the legs, arms, and feet. Rowan suffers from debilitating migraine headaches, which she says often leave her “violently ill.” Add to that, she is hypotensive (low blood pressure), leaving her with a high stroke risk.
Monet is very sensitive, and has been trained to be aware of Rowan’s symptoms for each. Monet has been known to suddenly stop in the middle of an event to tend to her owner if she senses that something is off.
Those alerts come in several forms, depending on the medical issue. “She will nudge me to sit down when she senses a fainting spell or a drop/rise in my blood pressure,” explains Rowan. “If she stands behind me and leans into me, that’s her alert for an impending dizzy spell. Constantly pawing at me — when I don’t have a treat in my hand — is her classic ‘you’re getting a migraine’ alert.”
In April, at a show in West Springfield, Massachusetts, Rowan and Monet were about to enter the Conformation ring in front of a judge they’d showed for many times. Usually, Monet could hear the judge’s voice, and have to go say hello to her. This show was different. “I felt OK and thought everything was going well until the judge asked, ‘Is she OK? She’s not acting like herself today.'” Rowan assured the judge that she felt fine, but Monet continued alerting her that something was going on. They got home after the competition, driving three and a half hours home, when suddenly, Rowan felt what Monet had been trying to tell her.
“It hit me, probably the worst migraine I’ve ever had. Monet had alerted me eight hours before the attack,” Rowan explains. “That’s the most amount of time she’s alerted me before an episode. I saw the same judge the following week at shows in Pennsylvania, and she asked how I was doing. I filled her in on what happened, and she urged me to listen to Monet next time!”
Looking for a Dog That Could Do It All
Rowan, who has owned Weims since 2001, loves the breed’s versatility. “Mine have always been up for anything! Add to that the ‘wash and wear’ aspect, which means very little grooming,” she notes. Monet boasts Canadian roots, coming from Oakpoint Weimaraners in Warkworth, Ontario, owned by Greg and Nikki Newton, and she competes readily in both countries. Rowan was at a show in Canada when she first met Monet’s dam, “Harlow.”
“Harlow was only 4 months old but had an old soul,” explains Rowan. “She was so confident, walked in the ring for the first time, and went back-to-back Best Baby Puppy in Show! She had a sweet nature, and I told Greg, ‘Please put me on the list for a Harlow puppy.”
She knew it would be at least a two-year wait for her puppy but was more than willing. Fast-forward to May 2019, when Rowan was competing in Conformation with her medical service alert dog, “Leonardo,” also a Weimeraner. Rowan had just walked out of the group ring after taking a Group 1 with Leonardo at the Upstate Kennel Club Dog Show in Tonawanda, New York, and her phone rang. It was Newton, saying, “Your puppy was just born!”
Knowing she wanted a female, the Newtons made the puppy selection for Rowan, selecting Monet out of a litter of eight. They made the decision knowing she would eventually breed the puppy to Leonardo to carry on the service dog lines. Plus, she wanted a dog who could compete in multiple disciplines.
Monet’s Role as a Medical Alert Dog Came Sooner Than Expected
But just two weeks later, Leonardo unexpectedly died, and Rowan’s world was turned upside down. From that point on, Monet, who was just 12 weeks old, was on the fast track, working on service dog training at an accelerated pace. “I started her on simple things like picking up items I had dropped, finding and retrieving the blood pressure monitor and my phone,” Rowan recalls.
The Newtons are like family to Rowan, and she and “Amelia,” Monet’s 3-year old daughter, make the nearly four hour drive to Canada to visit them often. “The girls start screaming about two miles from the house because they know where we are going. Weim Paradise! They run on the farm, see the horses and go to the secret pond for water work and bird training. But they’re in heaven when they see Greg and Nikki.”
Those visits are often planned around a show of field and water events in the area, but Rowan always leaves time for field exercising and a meet-up with the breeders. “My goal is whatever titles Monet earns in AKC, we will also do the equivalent in CKC (Canadian Kennel Club). It’s a lot of work, but it is very rewarding to watch Monet do what she was bred to do.”
Expanding to Numerous AKC Sports
While she excels with the exacting Conformation ring requirements, this “goofball” Weim is just as happy on the AKC Fast CAT course, a sport she was introduced to three years ago. “She loves chasing the white plastic bunnies, and although she’s super fast, she does not like being caught in the catch pen and instantly turns around and races right back to me! Her return run is always faster than her official run, and you can always see the pure joy in her face in all her goofy expressions,” says Rowan.
Barn Hunt also revs up her engines, and she trials at Grace Farms in Central Square, New York. “Monet knows where we are the moment I turn onto their road and sings loudly in her crate with excitement. She loves having an audience and usually stops and poses if anyone has a camera or cell phone,” Rowan says. “Her indications for the rats are lightning fast. She loves doing the tunnel and will do it multiple times even though she only needs to do it once.”
If that’s not enough, Monet also competes in Scent Work and Field Work. Monet loves being active with Rowan, and their fantastic teamwork extends to her job. Rowan knows that she can count on Monet to let her know if something’s going on, even in the middle of a sport or activity. She was able to fill Leonardo’s shoes and stepped up even as a puppy, and has become Rowan’s right hand inside and out of the ring.