08/18/2026
Ralphie has officially retired.
Cartuck von Stoverhaus, AS1 PDC
2026 has been hard on us. I thought if we worked hard at rehab I might be able to bring him back but it just wasn’t in the cards for us. Significant arthritic changes in his spine forced us to make a difficult decision in order to keep him healthy and sound.
We miss working so much but I am grateful to still have him with me, even if he is objectively a really s**t pet dog.
I knew switching sports would mean less finished titles before retirement. And while I wish we could have done more in way of titles to show the world how spectacularly unhinged he was in the work - it has been SUCH a beautiful journey and I am grateful for all I have learned across many years and multiple sport venues. A sport career packed with memories, growth, and friendship.
It’s been weird not actively working a dog in 2026 after doing so everyday for the better part of 10 years. It’s been a difficult adjustment for a dog who lived to work.
But lucky for me we still have each other.
So I will try my hardest to give Ralphie the love and safety he deserves through his golden years after he spent all of his youth giving everything to me.
The end of an era but the beginning of a new chapter.
I think it’s okay to be happy, sad, and so very grateful all in the same moment.
💕💕
