Chili was our very first dog. We are still a bit amazed that Anja and Thomas allowed us to buy her. I don't think we would have sold a dog to someone who knew as little about dogs as we did. It's thought-provoking now that we are breeders ourselves and have to choose who buys our puppies.

When Chili came into our lives, Kristian had just turned 6 years old. Although he wasn't particularly thrilled with her very sharp puppy teeth at first, they developed a very special bond, and Chili will probably always be the dog that has meant the most to Kristian.

Chili introduced us to the world of dogs – both the good and the bad. We got hooked on hunting training and field trials. We got a taste of the show ring, and we had our debut as breeders with Chili.

Chili was trained under the DRK program, and we participated in working tests and field trials under DRK – with varying success.

Over the years, she developed some ailments – including spondylosis – but she managed well, and you could rarely tell that her body had aged. She was always ready for training, a walk, or a little "wrestling match" with Kristian.

We thought she might live forever, but a suddenly severe pyometra put an end to that. So, a little less than two months before her 13th birthday, we said goodbye to Chili. It was indescribably hard.