Soren

Soren

Photo by Steve Surfman ©

Meet Soren. As you can tell by his expression, he is a Frenchie with a mission. His desire to go, go, go and to please makes him an incredible partner in just about any dog sport we try.

I'd been told that those Frenchie boys were real love bugs, but I had no idea to what extent till I met Soren. When I lie down on the couch at night, there he is right next to me, his forehead on my forehead, his nose on my nose, his mouth on my mouth. Makes it difficult to breathe, let alone see the TV.

Soren is just precious... a real WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) kind of guy. No agendas, no mean bones, no ulterior motives. Just pure good nature through and through, and with an exuberant joie de vive that exemplifies the best of French Bulldog character.

The handsome Mr. Soren (named for Danish philosopher SØren Kierkegaard) came to the U.S. from Denmark as a promising young pup. As it happened, the breed ring's loss was our gain. Smart, agile and with incredible heart and a big desire to please, it seemed that he was destined for other things.

Original Photo by M. Nicole Fischer, Silliness by Deb ;o)

Special thanks to Suzanne Orban-Stagle and Ron Readmond for recognizing Soren's "performance" potential and allowing him to explore it here with us. I hope we'll make you proud. And to Brenda Hasbargen, Pat Berry and Carol Heisterhagen for encouraging me to "just meet him." As promised, he is a most special guy. His athleticism and work ethic is truly astounding. This boy can leap tall buildings and give a speeding bullet a run for its money.

Poor Soren had a bumpy arrival, beginning with a very potent stomach virus that was going around the show circuit. But that was a piece of cake compared to "The Taming of the Lu" (or was that "Shrew" ... well, same difference) that ensued once he got home.

Photo by Jill B Newman ©

Dear as she is, Lulu has a little "mine" complex, and Soren's job was to avoid her wrath by learning her complicated (and oft times "less-than-rational") set of dos and don'ts. My personal favorite is, "Soren shall not to come near the vacuum cleaner when it's in use." Not sure if that's for his own protection, or just plain weird. The dishwasher is another Lulu no no, and any time you see me loading the dishwasher, you can bet you will find Lulu guarding by my feet, and Soren a safe distance away on the den rug, looking deliberately disinterested.

Soren is training in both obedience/rally and agility. Whatever we do together, his intensity and exuberance is just so much fun. He clearly has a passion for agility, and has amazed me with how quickly he has learned and how much he has accomplished.

And last, but certainly not least, is his utter devotion to me, which I must confess is one of my favorite "features."
Another of my favorite "features" is his "amazing border collie imitation." I stand there and open my arms and, from the floor, this little bulldoggie jumps into them. This is always followed by a good face washing. It is just too cute. As an added bonus, he gives the very best hugs too.

(Photo © by Moy Wong)

When he isn't tearing up the agility course or leaping into my arms, Soren knows how to kick back and relax. Even at a trial with a hundred dogs and people milling about, he can often be found on his back, snoring gently, a smile on his face that hints of sweet dreams. He is truly precious.