We had a little canine fun this past weekend, so here are the answers to the Ketterman K-9 matching game along with several "dog-gone funny" stories. The Ketterman Family Dogs provide us with memories and chuckles we hope these tales do the same for you.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
What’s in a Name?
Chia Bob is the curly canine of the Jacki's family. She got the first part of her name because of her hair, she is like a Chia pet. She has the most interesting coat that causes her to always look dirty. She has an underlayer of soft brown fur topped with a second coat of course curly white hair with brown patches. Her feet look like she is wearing brown footies. Chia may have gotten this “super” coat from her genetic background and that leads us the to second part of her name, Bob. Bucky and Moo were the mom and pop of the Jack Russell Breeding family at the Kettermans and they are the parents of Kitty Bucket. While Kitty was still living at the Ketterman farm, she came into her first heat. The Kettermans kept her confined to the mud room and leash walked her so as to keep her apart from the stud dog, her dad Bucky. Well… one of the little riding students needed to use the bathroom and accidentally let Kitty out and Bucky got to her before the Kettermans could. They took her to the vet to see if there was anything that could be done. The vet confirmed pregnancy and gave counsel. He said the best thing to do was to let the pregnancy go to term and see what the results were. Statistics showed that there was a 25% chance of getting all the best traits of the Dad and no bad results at all. A 50% chance was offered for just a plain old dog and then the scary 25% possibility of some kind of mutant. We are proud to report that one puppy, one Super Puppy came of the union and thus has the second name Bob standing for “Best of Bucky”.
To a T!
Reese Norman is an extremely successful entrepreneur at the age of 7. The Ketterman family bred and sold Jack Russell puppies since their 5th daughter was 5 years old. The profits from the sales were enough to put one girl through college. Tammi’s dad once remarked that by cutting his own hair his whole life he had saved $8,000.00 in his lifetime. So using this principal of doing anything small, long enough, it can make a real impact. The Kettermans decided that as a first birthday present for each grandchild they would purchase livestock to be bred and the proceeds to be saved for education. Many of the children received cattle, but Reese Norman chose dog breeding. His mom and dad saved the “seed” money given to purchase the project until Reese was three and then set out to Kentucky to purchase a male Miniature Australian Shepherd to breed to the female (Tilly) they already owned. That’s a long road trip for a little kid so Richi and Chris distracted Reese by trying to come up with a name for the new dog. But, all the way there, Reese kept asking “are we in Tucky yet?” When they finally arrived at their destination, they took one look at the blue eyed dog with the multi colored coat and named him Tucker in honor of the "Tucky" trip (and keeping up the "T" family trend - they also have a jack russel named Tally.) Tucker and Tilly have delighted many homes with their pups and Reese is on his way to paying for his college education.
From a Child’s Perspective
Holly is the beautiful Black Lab that is the proud owner of the Cockerill Family (Katie Ketterman, her husband Josh and her boys, the W’s Will and Wyatt). In the Cockerill family, if you are a W and do something naughty, you have to sit down with Dad and have a talk. Josh gently tells them that they have made a bad choice and that they should not do that again. The Cockerills live on a 300 acre farm and one day, while playing in his yard, Will saw a bunny and started to try to catch it. His mom soon called him in for his nap. After what is referred to as a light nap in our family (as compared to a dark nap at night) Will awoke and went back outside to play. Here came Holly with the bunny that he had been chasing in her mouth, she had caught it for him. Unfortunately, when a Lab catches a bunny, it doesn’t bode well for the bunny. Katie had to break the news to Will that the bunny had died and gone to heaven. Will got very sad and went out on the porch where he sat on the step. When Holly approached, Katie overheard will say “Holly, we need to have a talk.” He put his arm over her shoulders and said, “Holly, I love you, and I know you thought you were doing a good thing, but you are not supposed to kill bunnies. Now don’t ever do that again, okay?”
Road Trip
Kitty Bucket is the cute little Black and White rough coat Jack Russell that lives with The Millnick Family, Dillyn and Justin. She was born at the Ketterman home and was named “Buckette” as the first daughter of Bucky. When Buckette was about three months old, she disappeared one afternoon. The whole Ketterman Family combed the farm looking for the little dog, posted signs and called animal control. Together, they prayed that His mercies would be new in the morning and Buckette would show up, but morning came and no Buckette. That afternoon, Tammi got a call from her oldest daughter Jacki who had recently married and moved from the Ketterman home in Philomont to a home in Hamilton. “I’ve got her” she said excitedly, “but I have no idea how she did it”. Jacki teaches riding lessons at the Ketterman farm each afternoon. At that time she was also teaching Kindergarten at Middleburg Elementary School in the mornings. Buckette had climbed into Jacki’s car motor at the farm and ridden from Philomont to Hamilton the first afternoon, slept there in the motor all night, ridden to Middleburg Elementary School, back to the farm in Philomont and then back to Hamilton that evening where Jacki noticed that her dog at the time (Happy) was jumping up at the car and barking. Jacki heard whining from inside the hood and when she raised it, Buckette poked her head out, not a scratch on her! So that is how she got her name Kitty, because we have had kittens do this very thing but never a dog. And, well Kitty Buckette didn’t flow easily and got simplified to Kitty Bucket.
Blessing and Honor
The Kettermans have lived in Philomont since 1991 and there had not been a non Jack Russell in residence until 2013 when the youngest girl Ellyn came home with a “girly dog”, a grey and white peek-a-poo. Ellyn had not asked if it was okay to bring a new dog to the farm and Dan and Tammi knew it would be trouble as the animal looked more like a cat than a dog. Jack Russells and cats don’t dwell well together (the cats get the short end). Ellyn promised that she would keep the peace among the animals (a promise that has been tested quite often). She then announced the name she had chosen for the fluff ball. The name Beeyore was invented. Ellyn had lost her sister earlier that spring and in honor of Hatti, she named the dog after two things that reminded her of Hattie, bees and Eeyore. Hatti was allergic to bees and yet they became a symbol for her and even attended her wedding. And Eeyore was her favorite Pooh character, probably because he was just the opposite of Hatti with his doom and gloom and Hatti with her Joy and Faith. So Beeyore the cat/dog became a part of the family at the farm and reminds us that even though we may spat from time to time, we need to look for the blessings in everyone, even Beeyore.