Archimède Hijo van Hoefflaeckens Cocó

In 2003 our Schapendoesfamily – on mama Cocó’s birthday – was increased with (among the others) her son: Archimède Hijo Van Hoefflaecken’s Cocó.

At home he is called Hijo (which is Spanish for “son”) or Mannetje.

Like his mother his colour is all shades of grey, Hijo is a robust male with an incredible handsome head and an absolutely enchanting caracter. From day one it was obvious that he was a real male. No doubt about that.

Hijo had a difficult start in life and at first I had to feed him with a sonde, Cocó then was given some of the same stuff in a bowl > this so her puppy would stay smelling familiar. The very first time that Hijo all by himselve and without any help at all, drank independantly from his mama I said “eureka” > and that is why his name is Archimède Hijo. His brother did well from the start so I called him Achille, but to make up for that I added “Lucky”.

At 4 months old he for the first time accompanied us on a winterholiday to the snow. He then immediately – and he still does – loved the snow. Every snowhill was his and soon he was given the nickname “snowbunny”. Hijo has an extraordinary deep voice.

One day, during one of our walks in the snow, people came around the corner and completely astonished said “does that little doggy have that deep voice?”

Hijo completed the same schooling as his mama and for the Cycling-test he succeeded when he was 3 years old.
In shows he is as successful as his mother: he has 40 titles to his credit. Yes-yes, indeed, it runs in the blood, like mother – like son.

Hijo became a father to 7 litters / 49 puppies, and – at death – a grandfather to more than 100 grandchildren and greatgrandfather to also more than 100 greatgrandchildren.. Grandfather first of all and very especially to the first 10 puppies of his daughter Ke-sera de Cocó’s Hijo and greatgrandfather first and above all to the 6 puppies of his granddaughter Ròsa Ke-sera. Hijo has the most loving and pleasant caracter in the world and to my joy he passes that on to his offspring.

Hijo is an adorable, always happy, sunny lad and his biggest hobby is to lie on my lap and to be cuddled. He also is the protector of his – in the meantime – harem. No-one is to touch his ladies.

And then …. it was July 2006 and there was ( grand)daughter Ke-sera de Cocó’s Hijo. Immediately madly in love with her daddy and never to be seen without him. Where daddy is you will find his daughter. They also have a striking resemblance.

And then finally – we had to wait for it very long – there was our 4th generation. With the birth in 2010 of Ròsa Ke-sera Van Hoefflaecken’s Cocó, I had my lucky “four-leaved-clover”.

But that’s not where it ended, for on Friday 13.09.’13 the 5th generation Cocódotjes was born. It made his mama Cocó a great-greatgrandmother and Hijo himself a greatgrandfather. His mother decided there was room for one more and found one of the girls to fit in perfectly > so she stayed and her name is I Besos di Ròsa Van Hoefflaecken’s Cocó. At home she is called Besos and that is Spanish for “kisses” > and a good kisser she is! I am extremely happy that my Cocó was still around to experience the birth of the fifth generation Cocódotjes.

HIJO
has left us to go on a voyage to his mama Cocó

When Rubí’s puppies were appr. 6 weeks old, our Hijo all of a sudden fell ill. He gave us a terrible shock, but to our relief we, with a lot of effort and TLC, managed to pull him through: saying our goodbyes in such a hectic time was not what we wanted and / or he deserved. The girls all were terribly worried about him and didn’t leave him alone for a minute, most of the time they all together lay close around him.

But Hijo courageously kept on, he was sweeter and more affectionate than ever. Long walks were no longer possible but he most certainly wanted to go out for a walk and stayed interested in what dog had been there before and in whomever visited. He stayed part of all we did. That is why we these past weeks lived life as we always used to do, just in a more relaxed place.

My Hijo, our ‘man-der-mannen”, my ‘machissimo mio’, our ‘everything’. A great guy, in body and mind, the only man in our family of females, a fabulous peacemaker and he took well care of homely tranquility. Loved and admired by many.

Hijo – who after birth, together with his mama and brother came home to die at home, that’s in how bad shape Cocó and Hijo were, the little brother however did well

Hijo – for whom’s life I truely had to fight for and – because he was unable to drink at his mama’s – whom I had to give tube-feeding. When he for the first time drank by himself, I said ‘eureka’ >> that’s what he owns his name Archimède to, and Hijo (– son) because he is the son of Cocó

Hijo – during his first year I couldn’t or dared not believe that he would stay alive…

Hijo – who in every thinkable way, grew out to be a tremendous male

Hijo – who on countless shows managed to convince the judges of his qualities and won the immense amount of 40 titles

Hijo – who, with his steady and balanced caracter was able to handle and solve the most difficult situations

Hijo – who – to the great bewilderment of many a male-owner – accompanied us when we went on the road for a mating of one of the girls

Hijo – who, whenever we decided to keep a puppy, was the one to, with all the patience in the world, teach her about life and what was or wasn’t allowed

Hijo – with whom the girls cuddled up whenever they didn’t feel well or just before giving birth to their puppies.

In shows Hijo very successfully performed in Couple Class with his mother, as well as with his daughter and granddaughter. In the beginning of this year I realised that he had not done so with his great- granddaughter I Besos di Ròsa. > we made up for that by entering in a simple clubmatch of a Club in Waalwijk, and they even finished as Nr. 2. So happy we managed to do that in time.

In the evening, Hijo loved to come sit on my lap for a while, he would first come sit straight up and lay his head on my shoulder to have me tickle him behind his ears, to after a while turn around and comfortably go lay on his back to be cuddled and caressed.

During our walks in the woods, Hijo -besides doing his detective-work – loved to at full length go roll in the leaves: he then was all leaves all over, no dog to be seen anymore. But, after a good shake out and walking on, by returning home most of the time there were no leaves left in his coat anymore.

Hijo fathered 7 litters in 3 countries (3 in The Netherlands, 3 in Germany and 1 in Sweden) giving a total of 49 puppies. When he left us – I believe – he was 108 times a grandfather and 93 times a great-grandfather. From his first litter we kept our Ke-sera de Cocó’s Hijo. She on her turn gave us our Ròsa Ke-sera. An she then gave us our I Besos di Ròsa. Generation after generation. Without Hijo none of them would have been… And each of them totally crazy about him.

The same goes for the Gos d’Atura Català: due to Gala from a young age being Hijo’s Spanish ‘girlfriend’, she stayed with us for a while to do some shows but after that could not live in a kennel anymore and so came to stay for keeps. She having puppies – from which we kept our Rubí – therefore also is thanks to him.

The last days of his life Hijo spent abroad, enjoying lovely weather and rolling in the young grass and all of a sudden enjoying his food again.

He was very affectionate and the nights he even spent sleeping on the bed with me.

A few hours before his passing we even had a lovely walk and he sprayed his smell over the smell of many other males > a true male up to the very end! Hijo was laying at my feet, but all of a sudden got up, turned around, lay down again, lifted his head … put it down again … and slipped into a very deep sleep, out of which he didn’t awake anymore. I even called the Vet, who immediately came but, when he arrived Hijo had left us already: that’s how fast it happened.

The girls made a terrible noise barking and running around. After that they all sniffled him all over, Rubí even washed his feet and Besos couldn’t stop kissing him.

Just like we did with Cocó, we all together took Hijo to the crematorium : but here our big doggy-family was more than welcome. Together we there took him to his last spot. Together with the man responsible for the cremation I positioned him for the last doings….after which we for a while went for a walk. After a little over2 hours we went home again wíth Hijo. That felt so good. Now Hijo is next to his mama on the piano – he simply stays amidst of us.

Now no more Hijo who helped me control the girls,
no more Hijo who informed me when one of the girls would start her period,
now no more Hijo wanting to be cuddled first by visitors,
now no more Hijo who helps raise the puppies and só patiently plays with them,
now no more Hijo who would ‘drop by’ to come give a kiss,
now no more Hijo who …

Now só much …
no more …
Now … no more Hijo.
The loss is só immense.