Jalapeño, The Fiddlin' Dog

Jalapeño (Holly-peño)

Jalapeño was My dog.  I called her Holly.  She was born in Utah on October 20, 1995.  She was with me nearly every single day since Christmas of '95.  She rode in the truck, heck she even got her own seat on an airplane.  She went everywhere with me, she was my best friend.  She was great around people and kids, with the only exception of when she was in the back of the truck she would bite (pretty good guard dog, though).  She was also always afraid of thunder and fireworks.  Holly died on July 4, 2004 of what appeared to be heart failure.  I was quite fortunate to have such a fine companion for 8½ years.

Mardi Gras

Holly had pups on Fat Tuesday, 2001.  All of the puppies were sold, except for one.  I gave one female to my best friend Bubba under the condition that if anything were to happen to Holly, I would get the pick of the first litter.  Bubba named his pup Mardi Gras and she turned out to be just as talented as Holly. 

Little Miss Molly

Well, Mardi Gras whelped her first litter on the fourth of July 2006, exactly 2 years after Holly's untimely death.  She had 5 puppies: 3 males and 2 females.  The last puppy was born right at midnight and it's hard to believe how much she looks and acts like her grandmother.  I named her Little Miss Molly. 

Now, Molly goes everywhere I go.  She sings when the Manchaca fire truck goes by and plays the fiddle like a pro.  Her favorite sport is, of course, ball.  She loves to travel and meet new friends; adults, kids of all ages, and other dogs.  She does however try to protect her home and family from strangers.  What a good dog!

The Madsens

In 1995 I worked at Don Donnelly Stables in Phoenix, Arizona and there I met the Madsens.  Good people.  Every morning I would see this small puppy sitting inside the door of a trailer, looking out and bawling.  I decided I had to have her, she was so cute.  I hadn't had a dog in a while and I didn't have a girlfriend, so there would be plenty of time to spend with this dog.  This is my first picture of Holly.  That's the lady I bought her from, Dee Madsen.

The Madsens trained dogs (and other animals) for rodeo performances, with highly respectable techniques.  Chip, Holly's sire, looked much like her with his face split in half - white on one side, black on the other.  He was big and really fluffy.  I don't remember anything he did other than growling a lot.  Not in a mean way, more like trying to talk and yawning.  That's where Holly got it.  Jill, Holly's dam, performed many different tricks.  One particular one was to roll over, but she hated hitting the ground, so she would just flip over sideways in a full run.  She looked just like Mardi Gras with a slight build and mostly black face and thin stripe down the middle.  Mardi got her agility, too.  I think Holly was out of Jill's last litter.  The Madsens told me the dogs were McNabs. 

They advised me to breed back to a Border Collie, so that's what I did.  Mardi's sire lived in Manchaca, Texas and was a Border Collie.  Molly's sire lives in Austin and is also a Border Collie (not exactly planned, though!).  I docked all my pups' tails since they are out of a McNab bloodline, and because I don't like tails.  Why?  They knock things off coffee tables! 

Holly had a docked tail.  She growled and yawned constantly, could sing, and say 'I love you'.  She cleaned herself like a cat.  But she hated cats.  She was a one-owner dog and obeyed only me.  She was very friendly with people and kids, and sometimes with other dogs.  She was protective of the back of the truck and her food bowl.  She was not high-strung, most always laid-back and cool.  And she would do anything I asked her.  Yes, she understood English.  She could ride a horse.  She could climb a rail fence and balance on top, while balancing a ball on her nose.  She loved water.  She loved her job and was always learning new things.  I had her on a vocal leash and was confident to take her anywhere.  She met Skidboot once in L.A.  I don't know which dog played a cooler card upon meeting, but they both knew it. 

Holly was the most talented dog in the world.  She could do anything. She was with me 8½ years and I taught her everything I knew.  Look at her singing! ...playing the fiddle  ...doing impressions ...sleeping one off  ...chainsaw carving The things I got my dog to do! She still loved me. What a talented dawg! Look at Holly climbing the tree. Holly when she was a pup. That's my friend, Ray, as Santa. This is Ray's summer time gig.  He's the Lost Dutchman out in Apache Junction, AZ. On stage, don't know who she's stickin' her tongue out at.   This is one of my favorite pics of Holly. Funny, ain't it? Holly just rolled in cow doo doo. I yelled at her. She gave me a dirty look. I took a picture of her looking dirty. No pun intended.     I didn't make this sign, it was there when we arrived.  Here's me and Holly on our way to the Leno Show. Yes, she got her own seat! Holly, Me, and Leno. In the green room on Dennis Miller's couch. L.A. was cool. Here she is getting makeup before her appearance on Pet Star.  Hehe. Holly and me at Southwest Texas State University.