UWP Grand Ch. PR
Mountain Rain Dancer Quinault CGC FDCh
July 17, 1995 to November 15, 2009



Call name: Quinnie Marie
OFA Fair; CERF Normal
Breeder:  Ginger Corley, Rain Mountain Chinooks
Owned by Susan Fletcher (Frontier Chinooks) & Ginger Corley
Foundation Dam for Frontier Chinooks, Washougal, Washington
Sire:  North Wind Kiska, 1994 National Best of Breed and working sled dog
Dam:  Ch. PR Mystic Sahalee Rain, 1995, 1996, 1997 National Best Female

Frontier Chinooks and Rain Mountain Chinooks are sharing the sadness of missing our girl.  Quinnie Marie lived a long and very happy life then simply did not wake up one morning.  She was surrounded by her descendants, all marked with the dark muzzles and down ears she stamped on her offspring, courtesy of her sire, the great North Wind Kiska.  For more than 14 years Quinnie had brought silliness, fun, and love to everyone around her.  She proved that the best tricks are those a dog discovers on its own.  Hers was "the Bunny" -- a feat that few dogs will ever master.  Only Quinn could stand on her hind legs and hop for as many as six or more steps before touching down again.  She inherited her skills for vertical work from her dam, Mystic Sahalee Rain, one of the best counter raiders in all dogdom.

Quinn was born in the Heatwave Litter at Rain Mountain.  Susan Fletcher had admired Holly for many years.  Where most people were running for cover from the wild gray and tan Chinook, Susan saw her potential and stuck with me when I felt that someday I would have a good dog if I didn't kill her first (or her, me).  Connie and Bob Jones also believed in Holly after meeting her at the 1994 UKC Premier and Chinook Specialty; later when I asked about using Kiska at stud, they agreed.  Holly was kind enough to go into season while we were at the ARBA Cherry Blossom Classic in Washington DC and went home with the Jones.  Nine weeks later and after flying home to Seattle, Holly's first litter was born on the hottest day of that year.  Susan met the pups when they were two weeks old and was instantly taken with the dark little female.  I had already told her that she could have her pick of the females and that we would co own it.  After all, that freed me up to keep a male myself.  But as the pups grew, I would call Susan:  "Are you sure you like Dancer?  She's the littlest.  Wouldn't you rather have nice big Princess?  Dancer can be a bit obnoxious."  That was putting it mildly.  Dancer (Quinnie's baby name) had opened her eyes a couple days ahead of her brothers and sisters.  During that time she outright beat the crap out of them, taking advantage of their blindness.  But as soon as their eyes opened, it was time for paybacks and most of them were bigger than her.  It was obvious that Quinnie could dish it out but couldn't take it.  She had a healthy set of lungs.

Susan was working as a professional dog trainer and the new trend was to do temperament testing when pups were EXACTLY 49 days old.  Her boss also advised her that she should definitely take her out of her litter at that age.  I trusted Susan so was fine with anything she wanted though I was making others wait until their pups were 8 to 10 weeks old.  I waited a week until I got up the courage to call Susan.  We had a good laugh.  She admitted that the first few days she had completely hated me for letting her take a pup that was that young.  Quinnie had yowled and cried almost non stop that first week.  Ever since then you will find that Susan and I wait until a pup is at least 8 or 9 weeks old before we take it home, even though we each have more dogs that were most likely in its litter.

Quinn was very successful in a variety of venues.  After her dam had won Best Female at three consecutive Chinook National Specialties, Quinn won it the next year after Holly had retired.  She finished her UKC Championship easily, then her Grand Championship.  She was not completely in love with formal obedience but she did earn her AKC Canine Good Citizen title.  She hated the part where Susan had to go out of sight but luckily there was something that smelled good in the ground and there was nothing in the rules that said she couldn't dig a hole.  She did earn two of the three legs needed for her UKC Companion Dog title but she and Susan both lost momentum.  There were too many things that were more fun to do.  She and her brother Thunder (who lived with me) were in the first batch of Chinooks to earn UKC Weight Pull titles, along with Susan's other dogs Dakota and Finnigan.  Susan and I, with Quinn and Thunder, traveled up and down the West Coast and all over the northern states going to various events.  It was quite normal for us to share a hotel room where we would have eight dogs, including intact males and females in season.  Everyone got along with a simple portable fencing panel separating them.  I know that the dogs enjoyed the travel as much as the humans. Quinn was not only the first but is still, I believe, the only Chinook to earn a Flyball Championship title.  Susan loved the fast moving sport and primarily worked her Chihuahuas.  But Quinnie enjoyed the running and jumping too and would usually remember to bring back the ball.  After all, retrieving is not usually a Chinook's strong suit.

Quinn produced two beautiful litters.  The first was sired by Grand Ch. PR WoodsRunner Duncan TT, who belonged to Bob and Connie Jones.  Of that litter, Susan kept Akeena, a near twin of Quinn but with a nicer coat and the smoothest gait I think I've ever seen.  Klickitat came to live with me until she finished her championship then went through training to become a Service Dog for the disabled; she has spent her life helping a woman with MS who lives on the East Coast.  Akeena lives with Susan still and has become the Head Girl Dog there now that her dam is gone.  Quinn's second litter was sired by Ch. WoodsRunner Rorik and the pups went on to help found many other kennels around the country.  Frontier Buck Sullivan went to Hurricane Chinooks and his daughters were the foundation of GreatMountain Chinooks.  Frontier Dandelion Sky was the foundation of Seven Lakes Chinooks and Frontier Indian Summer is with Rivertrail Chinooks in upstate New York.  Frontier Rain Dancer McKenzie was such a smart pup that Susan and I held onto her until we found someone willing to get involved in training to keep her busy; she both became the foundation of BrownStone Chinooks and contributed to the Rain Mountain bloodline through her daughter Lolo, Quinnie's granddaughter.  McKenzie's son Rodion sired a recent litter continuing the Frontier bloodline through another generation.

The Fletcher and Brennan household is more quiet without Quinnie there.  She brought such humor and light heartedness for so many years.  I know that I will miss her on my visits.  She knew that I was her co owner and always made a fuss over me when I visited, much more so than other people.  She often came to visit me as well, going to shows with me when Susan couldn't.  It's as if with her passing, an era has come to an end as well.  She was the oldest living Rain Mountain baby and the only living pup from North Wind Kiska.  Co owning Quinnie solidified Susan and me into a friendship that I hope will last forever.  I think that she may come back to us someday, especially considering that her granddaughter Lolo was bred the same day that Quinnie went to the Rainbow Bridge.

Copyright  Photos above: Top, Mountain Rain Dancer Quinault shortly after her first birthday.  Next, at Agility Camp, Quinnie rests on the dog walk.  Third from top, standing on a rock overlooking her daughter and grandson playing in the Columbia River just outside of Chinook, Washington.  Fourth, In a flyball tournament, Quinnie hits the box which kicks out the ball.  She then must catch it and run back, going over the hurdles along the way.  Above, August of 2009, Quinnie meets her great grand pups, Jory and Emma.  Left, always willing to play, Quinnie play bows a dog at the daycare where Susan works part time.  She was a great ambassador for our breed.