Today we are looking back at 2024 which was a good/bad roller coaster year for our family. This is a big task for a guy who is not yet three but I am going to do my very best to remember everything worth mentioning that has happened.
The Bad Events of 2024
Let’s start with the bad and sad and get it out of our way.
- The top left was in January when Madison has her stomach turn and she almost died. Such a trooper she was, an ideal patient and healed so well.
- Next up in March, Mom smashed her collarbone while setting nose work hides for the four of us in a parking ramp. Because she did such a great job breaking it, she needed surgery to have a plate with seven screws put in. Mom recovered but we had to cancel our big nose work trip to Virginia and Washington DC.
- Olivia was bored while spending six hours at the car dealership in Ohio on our way home from Massachusetts. The car had the check engine light go on and it was a very serious error that had to be fixed. Half a day and a lot of money spent, we got back on the road.
- The bottom right is the last photo of the four of us together. Later that night Madison passed away in Mom’s arms on her own in her pretty pink blanket. This was the darkest day in a very long time at our house and the first loss for me and Olivia. We miss our pink girl so much.
FastCAT Titles 2024
We all ended the year in good position, but then again, not too many GBGV’s ran besides our family! Olivia is #1, I’m #2, and Madison is #4.
Mom calls us her FastCAT Team of 2024 as the three of us ran quite a few events together. Now we are super happy she made us take this photo in July.
I was the first one to earn a big FastCAT title this year, my FCAT, on June 9th. I’m the third GBGV behind my sisters to earn an FCAT Title and we are the only three to have one.
Olivia and Madison both earned their FCAT3 Titles on August 30th. Both of them retired from FastCAT after their new titles. Olivia retired because she wants to keep her status as fastest GBGV ever and as she ages she will get slower. Madison was eight and had started to have limping issues so she retired as well. Mom has retired her orange and pink FastCAT shirt too!
I Am Now A Tracking Dog
On October 27th, I earned my Tracking Dog Title. It was fun and Mom says I am a natural. Bailie and Madison have also earned TD Titles. Like my siblings I ran my track in just over four minutes.
AKC Scent Work Titles of 2024
Madison was the AKC Title star of the year! She earned her Master Container and Master Interior titles in April. In September she finished up her Master Exterior Title giving her the overall Master Title. We are so happy that she had so much sniffing fun her last couple of trials, it makes Mom very happy since Madison was always a happy hound.
I started out my scent work for the year in February earning my Excellent Buried Title. Next up I finished my Excellent Interior Title giving me my overall Excellent Title. In August I earned my Master Buried Title. I also managed to earn my first two Detective legs, eight to go until I am a Detective!
Let’s not forget Bailie. Mom decided to take her to one day of Scent Work Trials which turned out to be another disaster for her. Bailie is simply not interested in competitions. Still, it was a fun day with an odd trio of sniffing hounds and we are so happy to have a photo from that one day.
NACSW Nose Work Titles of 2024
Mom and Madison were so proud when she earned her ELT1 Title in March. Mom still had her arm in the sling but they still did fairly well for Team Pink. Sadly that would be Madison’s last NACSW Title.
Olivia isn’t earning as many titles since she has everything and is only able to enter upper level trials. She did earn her L3V Title in June, and her L2C earlier this month. BUT, the huge thing has been earning her Summit Title, the highest title in Nose Work and she placed third overall with a first and third place in two of the eight searches. This title is something any dog is very proud to earn.
I had a busy, banner year for myself. In May I earned my first NW3 Title the beginning of the month, you need three to move on. I earned a second one a week later along with the last of my NW3 Element Titles. In June I earned my L1I. July was amazing as I earned not only my NW3 Elite Title, but I placed first overall and was the only dog to find ALL the hides that day! Mom cried. Now I am at the Elite level and I earned my ELT1 in October. The photo is from my first place NW3 that I am super proud of.
Looking Back At 2024 Travels
It was rather disappointing having to cancel three bigger trips this year because of Mom’s collarbone, Madison getting sick, and then Mom was too sad to go on the third one. Despite that, we still visited some new states. In May, our biggest trip, Madison and Olivia added five new states, and I added six since I had not been to New York before. The other five were Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
In November Olivia and I added two more states, Kansas, and Oklahoma, aka, Tornado Alley.
Bailie would like to say she is happy as a clam to get to stay home and travel to nowhere!
At the end of the year our states visited tally is: Bailie – 24, Madison – 30, Olivia – 33, Nelson – 25.
That concludes our high and low lights from 2024. Hopefully 2025 will be a happier year, but you never know.
Our blogging friend Ann at Zoolatry has a tribute to the bloggers and pets we lost in 2024. If you are interested here is the link.
My GBGV Life is joining Comedy Plus for the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.
You and your mom are so talented together and every single ribbon shows that! Well done and there will be more to come in 2025 – we’re sure of that! We miss Madison. She was a beautyā„ Hugs to all of youā„
Thank you. We had a lot of success in 2024, but it was also a pretty tough year. Hopefully 2025 will not have as many speed bumps.
All in all, it has been an amazing and wonderful year for the GBGV family ~ though we share the sadness of saying farewell to Madison along with you. Congratulations on so many awards, your continuing travels … and terrific accomplishments. We look forward to spending another year with all of you!
Thank you for being such a wonderful and caring person. We love you and June and look forward to the next year with the two of you.
Thank you so much for the look back!
It was a year with lots of great achievements but also very sad. Life can be that way sometimes.
I love that each year is a grand adventure with a mission. Like most years, 2024 has been filled with mountain top and valley experiences. May 2025 be a truly mountain top year for you and the pups.
We hope for many more mountain tops and we want to avoid the valleys.
I cried through the entire post. I am trying to understand if the dogs know what happen with Madison. I know we will never know but we all miss her.
On a happier note you guys accomplished so much during the year. So proud of all of you. Congratulations to you and Mom.
Life can be very cruel sometimes. We are all very proud and happy about some pretty big achievements but the loss is really a punch in the gut that keeps going.
It was quite the year for you guys, not all of it good. But we send our best hopes for a better 2025. We know you guys will be pawsome competing.
We are hoping for a really good year.
Gosh darn it may 2025 begin with lots of happiness.
Sending Hugs Cecilia
We hope so, but it will be a bit until our fun starts up again.
one word….WOW!!!!
It was such a good year with goals reached and exceeded but then the health things really take the wind out of the happy sails.
Sometimes some rain falls, but you got through it. You all are so precious and so is your wonderful mom.
Thank you for joining the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Awww Monday and week. Scritches to the pups and a hug to your beautiful mom. ā„
We do our best to keep Mom happy and we all know time will heal the wounds and turn tears to smiles but it takes time, a lot of time.
Bailie ~ I am with you ~ I now stay at home and glad I travelled but home is the best.
Wonderful post and sweet photos of you and your precious doggies ~ be well ~ Life is filled with ups and downs ~ tis the way it is and you know that ~ with love and hugs to you all ~
Wishing you good health,laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
I never liked to travel but it took many years for Mom to give up on trying to take me along. I’m much happier being at home. You enjoy being home too.
2025 has been such an emotional time for your pack…We do love how you always look on the happy side, and brighten our days(and your Mom’s too) with all your sports accomplishments!
Here’s to a Happy 2025 with lots of traveling(except for Bailie BOL)!
xoxo,
Rosy & Sunny
We are hoping for a Grand 2025 but we shall see how it goes!
What a year you all had. We thank you for including all of us followers on all your adventures, even the really hard ones. Yes, we were crying through this whole blog.
It has been a real roller coaster and we would like to get off now. Hopefully 2025 will be a better year especially with the health thing.
We are still very sad about you losing your sister Madison. But the sports accomplishments this year really were totally amazing!
It was a great sports year but things were dampened by the health issues and then losing Madison so out of the blue.
This is such a thoughtful review of your year. A good and tough year. We forgot about your mom’s injury! She is one tough cookie. And of course sweet Madison. Such a wonderful girl. We miss her. Today it is a year since Lilly died. We couldn’t believe its been a whole year. Also, Mom is still in her cast! this has been crazy. (She isn’t as tough as your mom–She kinda whimpers about the cast. Not being able to put weight on it is really tough for her!!) She finally hired a dog walker and I am sooo happy! But I will be glad when mom and I can walk together again! Thanks for your post. We loved remembering with you. your friend Chester
Mom says the first year is the worst, so now you have that behind you. We miss Lilly too. Sorry your mom is still in the cast. Non weight bearing would be so hard! At least when Mom had her arm in a sling, she didn’t want to do anything with it. Hopefully that cast can come off soon and you can start putting your life back together. We are ready for a new year and hope it brings some good things and not so much sadness or health issues.
It certainly was an up and down year. I pray you all have a blessed and beautiful 2025.
We hope you get a bit of down time in 2025 and that you have a wonderful year.