Saturday, March 28, 2009
Public Service Announcement: Handling Classes in Gorham, ME
Penny Cary of PETIQUETTE Canine Education will be holding indoor handling classes at Refreshing Paws in Gorham. Classes start on April 1 and run 6 weeks, on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM. Contact Penny for class prices and other information.
Monday, March 09, 2009
A Candid from Crufts
Congratulations to Leo (Bendale's Special Times) and his mom Anne Wilding for winning BOB at Crufts! We were cheering for him for BIS, but the judge didn't pick him for the group. Ah, well.
I hope this link stays up a while, but take a look at this CLASSIC photo taken at the show by a Reuters photographer.
I hope this link stays up a while, but take a look at this CLASSIC photo taken at the show by a Reuters photographer.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A Brief w00t and a Few Shout-Outs
Just wanted to announce that my article on Maine dogs at the Westminster Dog Show appears in the March issue of Downeast Dog News, and the paper's designer made the story look just fabulous. I'm deeply tickled that Holly (the editor) asked me to send her one. Thanks, Holly!
That article wouldn't even exist if it weren't for David Frei, director of communications for the Westminster Kennel Club. Because I didn't have access to a print catalog, he saved me thousands of hours of painful combing through the online results for every single AKC breed in existence by sending me the list of local competitors. I contacted a couple of them and asked them a few questions, and had the most delightful conversations. Thanks, David -- you've saved my life and helped me make my deadline. I owe you one.
Thanks too to the kind ladies who took time out of their post-show days to let me interrupt them and beg them for stories. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the ring when the snow finally leaves this latitude.
That article wouldn't even exist if it weren't for David Frei, director of communications for the Westminster Kennel Club. Because I didn't have access to a print catalog, he saved me thousands of hours of painful combing through the online results for every single AKC breed in existence by sending me the list of local competitors. I contacted a couple of them and asked them a few questions, and had the most delightful conversations. Thanks, David -- you've saved my life and helped me make my deadline. I owe you one.
Thanks too to the kind ladies who took time out of their post-show days to let me interrupt them and beg them for stories. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the ring when the snow finally leaves this latitude.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The Westminster Post-Game Show
Congratulations to CH Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee (Stump), the Sussex Spaniel who took BIS at Westminster! We who love our old guys can be especially proud that 10-year-old Stump took the honors, as if to declare that our senior dogs can still show the young pups how it's done in the show ring. Those of us who have less-popular dog breeds can be cheered that for once, a Best in Show judge had the guts to choose the dog from the 145th most popular breed in AKC registrations, instead of just going for the easily-recognizable breeds or the toy dogs again and again.
I'm happy to admit that Stump was my pick for BIS. I fell in love with that beautiful brown face during the Group judging, The camera obviously loved him as much as I did. "There," I told Greg. "There's the dog I would pick for BIS, but he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. Just you wait -- that Best in Show judge is going to pick a Poodle or some little foo-foo dog. No one ever picks the rare breeds."
Not that I'm knocking the BIS judge at all — Sari Tietjen has been a legend in the dog-showing world for ages, and I remember as a little kid, reading her name in the AKC Gazettes that my uncle gave me back in the '60s and early '70s. Although she is known most for her involvement with Japanese Chin, I could swear she also had Pekingese at one time. (I stewarded for her sister Joy once. We didn't hit it off.)
Anyway, I was sure that this meant she'd favor the Brussels Griffon -- who was quite the little specimen in his own right. And, of course, there was a Poodle in the ring. I also loved Tiger Woods, the Scottish Deerhound -- another breed that I figured wouldn't get any respect. In short, there wasn't a loser in the bunch -- but the big question remained, Who would be the biggest winner from among the winners?
Was I tickled when Mrs. Tietjen picked Stump! "I can't believe it!" I told Greg. "She picked the best dog there, and it wasn't the Poodle!" I know this means that the Sussex Spaniel Club of America is going to have its collective paws full with people calling to buy Sussex puppies -- but the Sussex is a breed that won't end up going into manufacture to meet the demands of Flavor-of-the-Month fans.
Stump has a busy year ahead of him, as Uno did last year. As the newly crowned "America's Dog," Stump will be traveling with David Frei, Westminster KC's communications director and my current hero (more on that later), to appearances all over the country. He will assume a new role as spokesdog for all good dogs. He'll visit children and soldiers in hospitals. He'll help educate people about responsible dog ownership. I'm hoping that he'll help people to think about what it means to live with and love a dog, and to help stem the crazy, wrong-headed tide of anti-dog/animal-rights-sponsored legislation that's rising all around the country and trying to end dog ownership as we know it. It's a big job, to be sure. Miss America should have as important a mission. Although David will do a lot of the talking, Stump's gorgeous hazel eyes will also speak volumes.
20 Minutes of Fame, Up From 15
You might remember last year at about this time, when my friend Monica Collins (a.k.a. Ask Dog Lady) asked me about a certain little-discussed, but no less vital, aspect of showing at Westminster. Thanks to Monica's witty syndicated advice column of the same name, dog lovers all over the country (wherever her column appears) had the chance to -- er -- go behind the scenes at the Garden. It just figured that when my 15 minutes of fame came around, that I'd spend it discussing dog poop.
Anyway, when Monica asked me to join her and her co-host on her weekly radio show, I was just tickled to bits. (I did wonder whether I'd have to watch what I said about poop over the airwaves.) We had a delightful time chatting about Stump, and our feeling that his win was a victory for senior dogs everywhere. She asked me to explain some of the acronyms in Dinah's list of accomplishments, and we even had a caller! That was perhaps the quickest 20 minutes I've experienced in my life.
You should be able to hear our portion of the show on the Ask Dog Lady Web site once it's available. The sound experts probably have to edit out all my "um"s and "ah"s. Oh, and we didn't talk about poop. (Much.) The FCC will be proud.
I'm happy to admit that Stump was my pick for BIS. I fell in love with that beautiful brown face during the Group judging, The camera obviously loved him as much as I did. "There," I told Greg. "There's the dog I would pick for BIS, but he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. Just you wait -- that Best in Show judge is going to pick a Poodle or some little foo-foo dog. No one ever picks the rare breeds."
Not that I'm knocking the BIS judge at all — Sari Tietjen has been a legend in the dog-showing world for ages, and I remember as a little kid, reading her name in the AKC Gazettes that my uncle gave me back in the '60s and early '70s. Although she is known most for her involvement with Japanese Chin, I could swear she also had Pekingese at one time. (I stewarded for her sister Joy once. We didn't hit it off.)
Anyway, I was sure that this meant she'd favor the Brussels Griffon -- who was quite the little specimen in his own right. And, of course, there was a Poodle in the ring. I also loved Tiger Woods, the Scottish Deerhound -- another breed that I figured wouldn't get any respect. In short, there wasn't a loser in the bunch -- but the big question remained, Who would be the biggest winner from among the winners?
Was I tickled when Mrs. Tietjen picked Stump! "I can't believe it!" I told Greg. "She picked the best dog there, and it wasn't the Poodle!" I know this means that the Sussex Spaniel Club of America is going to have its collective paws full with people calling to buy Sussex puppies -- but the Sussex is a breed that won't end up going into manufacture to meet the demands of Flavor-of-the-Month fans.
Stump has a busy year ahead of him, as Uno did last year. As the newly crowned "America's Dog," Stump will be traveling with David Frei, Westminster KC's communications director and my current hero (more on that later), to appearances all over the country. He will assume a new role as spokesdog for all good dogs. He'll visit children and soldiers in hospitals. He'll help educate people about responsible dog ownership. I'm hoping that he'll help people to think about what it means to live with and love a dog, and to help stem the crazy, wrong-headed tide of anti-dog/animal-rights-sponsored legislation that's rising all around the country and trying to end dog ownership as we know it. It's a big job, to be sure. Miss America should have as important a mission. Although David will do a lot of the talking, Stump's gorgeous hazel eyes will also speak volumes.
20 Minutes of Fame, Up From 15
You might remember last year at about this time, when my friend Monica Collins (a.k.a. Ask Dog Lady) asked me about a certain little-discussed, but no less vital, aspect of showing at Westminster. Thanks to Monica's witty syndicated advice column of the same name, dog lovers all over the country (wherever her column appears) had the chance to -- er -- go behind the scenes at the Garden. It just figured that when my 15 minutes of fame came around, that I'd spend it discussing dog poop.
Anyway, when Monica asked me to join her and her co-host on her weekly radio show, I was just tickled to bits. (I did wonder whether I'd have to watch what I said about poop over the airwaves.) We had a delightful time chatting about Stump, and our feeling that his win was a victory for senior dogs everywhere. She asked me to explain some of the acronyms in Dinah's list of accomplishments, and we even had a caller! That was perhaps the quickest 20 minutes I've experienced in my life.
You should be able to hear our portion of the show on the Ask Dog Lady Web site once it's available. The sound experts probably have to edit out all my "um"s and "ah"s. Oh, and we didn't talk about poop. (Much.) The FCC will be proud.
Public Service Announcement: Handling Classes in Fryeburg, ME
Telling Tails Training in Fryeburg is holding breed handling classes with Dayna Rousseau. The classes take place on Tuesdays from 7-8 PM. If you're in southwestern Maine or that part of eastern NH, they should be well worth the trip. I know Dayna slightly from back when I was trying to do agility with Charlie, and Dayna took some priceless pictures of Chuckles for me.
Now is a very good time to get come practice in before the show season starts in Maine. Fryeburg is a haul for me, but if you go, let me know what you think.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Dog Showing in a Nutshell
A big thank-you to Szizlin Vizslas for having this article on the very basics available on their Web site. Although there are parts specific to Vs, most of the article contains information that any Dog Show Newbie can use.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Obligatory Look Back, and Where We Go From Here
At the end of every old year/start of every new year, it's customary to look back at the year you've just slogged through and try to assess what the h-e-double-hockey-sticks just happened. Top 10 lists abound, as do pleas to vote for the Best Whatever of 2008. Given the state of things these days, there are plenty of Worsts out there, as well.
I don't feel any sense of loss in saying goodbye to old 2008, though for us, it will be the Year Dinah Finally Finished, Dammit. Just for chuckles, I scanned the past year's blog posts to compile the year's statistics. We really didn't show that much in 2008, but it wasn't for lack of trying.
Here's what we did in 2008:
Some folks have told me that I'm a masochist for doing this, but I went back and calculated how many shows it took to finish Dinah. 30! 30 frickin' shows (if you count Saturdays and Sundays separately) -- and that doesn't count all of the ones where we ate the entries due to lack of competition! Granted, we did almost all of our early showing in places where Trav was the only other Beardie, so there were no points to be had. I probably should count them as lessons, since puppy entries were (at the time) cheaper than handling classes. However, the AKC counts them as shows, and so must I.
However, I am NOT brave enough to calculate how much money we spent getting there. I'm afraid I might cry.
You'll have to forgive me if I avert my eyes, stick my fingers in my ears, and sing "La la la la la la, I can't heeeeear you" every time I get reports of someone else finishing a puppy in three shows, going BOB or BOS over a dozen specials for a bazillion-point major every time. We never had that kind of luck. It was such a struggle for us that I just plain don't want to hear it. Congratulations. I'm glad for you, really. Now go away. I'm not bitter; I'm just tired.
Where Are They Now?
Nicole, the editor of The Show Ring Online (for which I'll be writing soon), asked me whether I've been bitten by the dog-showing bug as a result of my experience. The answer is maybe. A true dog-show addict, feeling just a tad bereft after finishing her first show dog, would probably rush right out and buy or breed the next puppy, and then start all over again. A real die-hard would also special the new champion.
It's not that Dinah and I don't have plans -- we do -- but I feel that achieving the CH is just the beginning of our adventures together, not the end. I'm just so relieved to finally get the whole frickin' thing over with that I can't even begin to think about starting over again with another show puppy at this point. I honestly think I don't have it in me to do this all again. "La la la la la la, I can't heeear you!"
So What's This Beginning Thing You Speak Of?
What's in store for Dinah and me for 2009? Kathy and I have been trying to compile our to-do list. The top of the list for me is to take Dinah back to Canada and get that last point for her CKC championship. Kathy pointed out that we should try to bring her back to the BCCC National as a special this year. Dinah would be only the second Am/Can CH in the Breaksea family, and the first bitch to sport that combination.
The joy of being a special is that you can pick and choose your shows, instead of desperately hurling money at every show within a 300-mile distance that stands even the remotest chance of attracting enough class dogs to make the trip worthwhile. With that in mind, we'll make an appearance at Ladies to support the local Beardie club's first Regional. Kathy and I both have warm spots in our hearts for the Garden State Regional, so we'll definitely want to head back there (and make plans for dinner at that Tuscan bistro) -- assuming we're home from the National in time. Since I have to show up to the BCCA National in Minneapolis anyway and the Burfitts will be there, Dinah might as well come along. At this point, Dinah's 2009 career as a special will probably be limited to those shows. We haven't the time or money -- or the need or desire -- to put Dinah out on the specials circuit every weekend. Kathy has a life, too -- and dogs of her own as well as other clients. It's Diva's turn to be at the top of the show-handling food chain.
Since the BCCC National is coming to Quebec (the closest thing we'll ever have to a local National Specialty), we'd be crazy not to go. Kathy and I would both like to show Dinah there as a special -- so we can plan on two Canadian shows this year.
There's always UKC, too. We've made it this far in one weekend, even with our pulling from the last show due to burnout. We might as well get that done.
Performance Events: Sticking With What We Know
Whatever will we do with all of the extra time and money we'll have now that we're not going to so many dog shows?! We've been enjoying our Tuesday-night agility classes with Auntie Cindy, and Dinah just keeps getting better and better. She improves by leaps and Beardie bounces. I improve by baby steps at best, but my handling is getting just the teensiest bit better. We're not ready for trialing just yet (as our performance at our first CPE trial strongly suggested), but we'll have more time to practice. With the money I'm not spending at dog shows, I can purchase some more equipment (or materials to make some) and a subscription to Clean Run.
Dinah also accompanies Seamus and me to Sunday morning rally-roo classes. I have her enrolled in Auntie Judy's Novice class, which meets just after Seamus's Advanced/Excellent class. I don't think Dinah sees the point of rally just yet -- why stop so many times when you could fly around the ring and really have some fun? -- but she does the best she can to humor me. Seamus loves to work for the sake of working, but Dinah's work ethic is a little different. She wants to know why one would bother. If you give her a good enough reason, she'll put her heart and soul into it.
Me to Charlie: Jump!
Charlie: Nah. Been there, done that. Ask one of the kids to jump.
Me to Seamus: Jump!
Seamus: Yes, ma'am!
Me to Dinah: Jump!
Dinah: Why?
I confess to being the world's laziest trainer, which partially explains why Dinah's littermate Buffy already has about 658 performance titles after her name while we have only two. Add to that my stage fright, and it's a wonder any of my dogs have ever earned titles at all. Duncan the Wonder Dog really only needed me to sign the entry checks and drive him to events; he could have done everything else without me.
But What About the Blog?
Ah, not to worry. I'll still have plenty to say in between shows. As an owner-handler, I'm still very much on the newbie end of the scale -- so there are plenty of newbie adventures to be had. Here's to 2009!
I don't feel any sense of loss in saying goodbye to old 2008, though for us, it will be the Year Dinah Finally Finished, Dammit. Just for chuckles, I scanned the past year's blog posts to compile the year's statistics. We really didn't show that much in 2008, but it wasn't for lack of trying.
Here's what we did in 2008:
- 6 AKC shows, 4 BOS, 1 WB at a Regional Specialty, 2 majors
- 3 CKC shows, 9 CKC points, 1 WB at a National Specialty
- 6 eaten entries, 4 more where we pulled out before entries closed
- 1 broken major
- 3 UKC shows, 85 UKC points, 3 BOBs, 1 major, 1 Group 3
Some folks have told me that I'm a masochist for doing this, but I went back and calculated how many shows it took to finish Dinah. 30! 30 frickin' shows (if you count Saturdays and Sundays separately) -- and that doesn't count all of the ones where we ate the entries due to lack of competition! Granted, we did almost all of our early showing in places where Trav was the only other Beardie, so there were no points to be had. I probably should count them as lessons, since puppy entries were (at the time) cheaper than handling classes. However, the AKC counts them as shows, and so must I.
However, I am NOT brave enough to calculate how much money we spent getting there. I'm afraid I might cry.
You'll have to forgive me if I avert my eyes, stick my fingers in my ears, and sing "La la la la la la, I can't heeeeear you" every time I get reports of someone else finishing a puppy in three shows, going BOB or BOS over a dozen specials for a bazillion-point major every time. We never had that kind of luck. It was such a struggle for us that I just plain don't want to hear it. Congratulations. I'm glad for you, really. Now go away. I'm not bitter; I'm just tired.
Where Are They Now?
Nicole, the editor of The Show Ring Online (for which I'll be writing soon), asked me whether I've been bitten by the dog-showing bug as a result of my experience. The answer is maybe. A true dog-show addict, feeling just a tad bereft after finishing her first show dog, would probably rush right out and buy or breed the next puppy, and then start all over again. A real die-hard would also special the new champion.
It's not that Dinah and I don't have plans -- we do -- but I feel that achieving the CH is just the beginning of our adventures together, not the end. I'm just so relieved to finally get the whole frickin' thing over with that I can't even begin to think about starting over again with another show puppy at this point. I honestly think I don't have it in me to do this all again. "La la la la la la, I can't heeear you!"
So What's This Beginning Thing You Speak Of?
What's in store for Dinah and me for 2009? Kathy and I have been trying to compile our to-do list. The top of the list for me is to take Dinah back to Canada and get that last point for her CKC championship. Kathy pointed out that we should try to bring her back to the BCCC National as a special this year. Dinah would be only the second Am/Can CH in the Breaksea family, and the first bitch to sport that combination.
The joy of being a special is that you can pick and choose your shows, instead of desperately hurling money at every show within a 300-mile distance that stands even the remotest chance of attracting enough class dogs to make the trip worthwhile. With that in mind, we'll make an appearance at Ladies to support the local Beardie club's first Regional. Kathy and I both have warm spots in our hearts for the Garden State Regional, so we'll definitely want to head back there (and make plans for dinner at that Tuscan bistro) -- assuming we're home from the National in time. Since I have to show up to the BCCA National in Minneapolis anyway and the Burfitts will be there, Dinah might as well come along. At this point, Dinah's 2009 career as a special will probably be limited to those shows. We haven't the time or money -- or the need or desire -- to put Dinah out on the specials circuit every weekend. Kathy has a life, too -- and dogs of her own as well as other clients. It's Diva's turn to be at the top of the show-handling food chain.
Since the BCCC National is coming to Quebec (the closest thing we'll ever have to a local National Specialty), we'd be crazy not to go. Kathy and I would both like to show Dinah there as a special -- so we can plan on two Canadian shows this year.
There's always UKC, too. We've made it this far in one weekend, even with our pulling from the last show due to burnout. We might as well get that done.
Performance Events: Sticking With What We Know
Whatever will we do with all of the extra time and money we'll have now that we're not going to so many dog shows?! We've been enjoying our Tuesday-night agility classes with Auntie Cindy, and Dinah just keeps getting better and better. She improves by leaps and Beardie bounces. I improve by baby steps at best, but my handling is getting just the teensiest bit better. We're not ready for trialing just yet (as our performance at our first CPE trial strongly suggested), but we'll have more time to practice. With the money I'm not spending at dog shows, I can purchase some more equipment (or materials to make some) and a subscription to Clean Run.
Dinah also accompanies Seamus and me to Sunday morning rally-roo classes. I have her enrolled in Auntie Judy's Novice class, which meets just after Seamus's Advanced/Excellent class. I don't think Dinah sees the point of rally just yet -- why stop so many times when you could fly around the ring and really have some fun? -- but she does the best she can to humor me. Seamus loves to work for the sake of working, but Dinah's work ethic is a little different. She wants to know why one would bother. If you give her a good enough reason, she'll put her heart and soul into it.
Me to Charlie: Jump!
Charlie: Nah. Been there, done that. Ask one of the kids to jump.
Me to Seamus: Jump!
Seamus: Yes, ma'am!
Me to Dinah: Jump!
Dinah: Why?
I confess to being the world's laziest trainer, which partially explains why Dinah's littermate Buffy already has about 658 performance titles after her name while we have only two. Add to that my stage fright, and it's a wonder any of my dogs have ever earned titles at all. Duncan the Wonder Dog really only needed me to sign the entry checks and drive him to events; he could have done everything else without me.
But What About the Blog?
Ah, not to worry. I'll still have plenty to say in between shows. As an owner-handler, I'm still very much on the newbie end of the scale -- so there are plenty of newbie adventures to be had. Here's to 2009!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Belated Report from Bay Colony
Quite a lot has happened since the Bay Colony Dog Shows on December 4-7. Since then, we've endured a couple of snowstorms (including the one currently falling out of the sky) and an ice storm that left us (and 220,000 of our neighbors) without power, heat, or Internet connectivity for five days. More on that later in my other blog.
Anyway, I did in fact make it to the Eastern Dog Club show on Sunday the 7th. Julie, owner of the PR firm for the cluster, met me in the lobby, showed me the coffee, and briefed me on the order of events. We passed quickly by the Beardie ring, only long enough for me to spot my friend Joanne and her puppy-boy Jack.
The Cluster puts on a fabulous buffet luncheon for the judges/stewards/show staff. Julie very kindly obtained a lunch ticket for me and introduced me to members of the clubs.
My task this year was to serve as MC for the Rescue Parade. Some of the local shelters and breed rescue organizations exhibit at this show, including NEOESR. The Sheepie contingent included my little buddy Denver and his mom Martine, Charley-girl, her Shih-Tzu mix roomie, and their mom Sandy, and Niles and his mom. We also had several German Shorthaired Pointers and one Wirehair, a Pom, a Lurcher, and a host of other happy dog/owner teams.
It took me a few attempts to get the microphone situated for optimum listenability (now I know why singers look as though they're swallowing the things), but Julie managed to keep me from getting too confused and tongue-tied. We offered up a couple of trivia questions for the audience (next time I'll come prepared) and handed out goodie bags to the people with correct answers.
During the parade, I read a brief biography of each dog as penned by the adopter, and people applauded as the dog/owner team took a victory lap around the ring. Some of the dogs' stories were genuinely heartbreaking, but all looked fit and happy in the ring -- and some came dressed for the occasion. We invited members of the audience to come in and meet the rescue dogs after the parade was through, and many of the dogs were surrounded by adoring fans.
We had to clear out fairly quickly so the Meet the Breeds event could set up in the same ring, but everyone left the ring happy -- and some with fans trailing behind. I hope that we can draw a good crowd for next year's parade in Providence!
Anyway, I did in fact make it to the Eastern Dog Club show on Sunday the 7th. Julie, owner of the PR firm for the cluster, met me in the lobby, showed me the coffee, and briefed me on the order of events. We passed quickly by the Beardie ring, only long enough for me to spot my friend Joanne and her puppy-boy Jack.
The Cluster puts on a fabulous buffet luncheon for the judges/stewards/show staff. Julie very kindly obtained a lunch ticket for me and introduced me to members of the clubs.
My task this year was to serve as MC for the Rescue Parade. Some of the local shelters and breed rescue organizations exhibit at this show, including NEOESR. The Sheepie contingent included my little buddy Denver and his mom Martine, Charley-girl, her Shih-Tzu mix roomie, and their mom Sandy, and Niles and his mom. We also had several German Shorthaired Pointers and one Wirehair, a Pom, a Lurcher, and a host of other happy dog/owner teams.
It took me a few attempts to get the microphone situated for optimum listenability (now I know why singers look as though they're swallowing the things), but Julie managed to keep me from getting too confused and tongue-tied. We offered up a couple of trivia questions for the audience (next time I'll come prepared) and handed out goodie bags to the people with correct answers.
During the parade, I read a brief biography of each dog as penned by the adopter, and people applauded as the dog/owner team took a victory lap around the ring. Some of the dogs' stories were genuinely heartbreaking, but all looked fit and happy in the ring -- and some came dressed for the occasion. We invited members of the audience to come in and meet the rescue dogs after the parade was through, and many of the dogs were surrounded by adoring fans.
We had to clear out fairly quickly so the Meet the Breeds event could set up in the same ring, but everyone left the ring happy -- and some with fans trailing behind. I hope that we can draw a good crowd for next year's parade in Providence!
Murphy's Laws Pertaining to Dog Shows
Little disclaimer here: This came from one of the dog showing email lists, and no one there knew who originally wrote it. If I ever find out, I'll post the attribution here. If you wrote it, please drop me a note so I can give you the proper credit. In the meantime, thanks to whomever came up with this in the first place!
1. After trying forever to obtain that elusive second major, you have no problem getting the third major the next day.
2. The Novice people who enter every show and drive 8 hours even if you show at 8am will not show up on the day that it is exactly a major.
3. If you try to build a major, the stuffer will win.
4. Your dog needs a major to finish. You drive 12 hours to a 3-day circuit to discover the superintendent erred in the count and you are one short of a major--and of course your dog is WD. You go home, as the next 2 days are not majors. You get a call Monday morning. The super erred again. The following 2 days were majors and your dog would have probably won, as the judges were great for him.
5. The day you leave your mud boots home because it is the middle of a drought, there will be 12 inches of rain.
6. Although every dog show has dozens of vendors, the day you forget your tack box will be the day the vendors have no show leads.
7. If you go to the trouble of checking out of the hotel before you show, you will not win breed.
8. If you don't check out of the hotel before you show, you will win breed and there will be no time to go back and check out before the group.
9. Your National is always scheduled 2 days ahead of your most promising puppy's 6-month birthday.
10. Your dog will totally blow coat one week before the National, and after you have paid for hotel, airline, banquets, etc.
11. The day you say, "If Buffy doesn't do something today, off to a pet home she goes!", she wins a 5 point major. Of course she never wins another point and all the pet homes have fallen off the face of the earth.
12. And, we all know about the now neutered puppy we sold as a pet and the littermate we kept as a show prospect...
13. If your dog does better as a follower, you will always be forced to be first in line.
14. And of course, if your dog does best at the front of the line, someone will have already beaten you there.
15. The judge you didn't enter under because he hates you/your dogs/your new hair style/whatever draws an overload and your favorite judge in the entire world picks up the overload.
16. Whenever the group judge is one that adores your dog, the breed judge will be the one that told you to pet your dog out. But, if you don't enter, refer to rule 15.)
17. A particular judge always puts up the dog for Best of Winners unless YOUR dog goes Winners Dog and there is only a major in bitches.
18. When you enter a small show that normally has no Specials, 5 of the top 10 dogs in the country will be there.
19. If you do win an easy breed at PoDunk, NoWhere, you will then learn that a dozen top dogs and their handlers have flown in from the furthest corners of the country and they're all in your group.
20. If you win the Group, you will discover that the BIS judge's all time favorite dog has just won its group and the BIS judge has already given it several BIS.
1. After trying forever to obtain that elusive second major, you have no problem getting the third major the next day.
2. The Novice people who enter every show and drive 8 hours even if you show at 8am will not show up on the day that it is exactly a major.
3. If you try to build a major, the stuffer will win.
4. Your dog needs a major to finish. You drive 12 hours to a 3-day circuit to discover the superintendent erred in the count and you are one short of a major--and of course your dog is WD. You go home, as the next 2 days are not majors. You get a call Monday morning. The super erred again. The following 2 days were majors and your dog would have probably won, as the judges were great for him.
5. The day you leave your mud boots home because it is the middle of a drought, there will be 12 inches of rain.
6. Although every dog show has dozens of vendors, the day you forget your tack box will be the day the vendors have no show leads.
7. If you go to the trouble of checking out of the hotel before you show, you will not win breed.
8. If you don't check out of the hotel before you show, you will win breed and there will be no time to go back and check out before the group.
9. Your National is always scheduled 2 days ahead of your most promising puppy's 6-month birthday.
10. Your dog will totally blow coat one week before the National, and after you have paid for hotel, airline, banquets, etc.
11. The day you say, "If Buffy doesn't do something today, off to a pet home she goes!", she wins a 5 point major. Of course she never wins another point and all the pet homes have fallen off the face of the earth.
12. And, we all know about the now neutered puppy we sold as a pet and the littermate we kept as a show prospect...
13. If your dog does better as a follower, you will always be forced to be first in line.
14. And of course, if your dog does best at the front of the line, someone will have already beaten you there.
15. The judge you didn't enter under because he hates you/your dogs/your new hair style/whatever draws an overload and your favorite judge in the entire world picks up the overload.
16. Whenever the group judge is one that adores your dog, the breed judge will be the one that told you to pet your dog out. But, if you don't enter, refer to rule 15.)
17. A particular judge always puts up the dog for Best of Winners unless YOUR dog goes Winners Dog and there is only a major in bitches.
18. When you enter a small show that normally has no Specials, 5 of the top 10 dogs in the country will be there.
19. If you do win an easy breed at PoDunk, NoWhere, you will then learn that a dozen top dogs and their handlers have flown in from the furthest corners of the country and they're all in your group.
20. If you win the Group, you will discover that the BIS judge's all time favorite dog has just won its group and the BIS judge has already given it several BIS.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Ta-Daaaaa! Sound the Trumpets!
Here she is, the New Champeen Herself...
Photo by Ashbey Photography.
The look of relief on Kathy's face pretty much says it all, doesn't it?
Although we don't have the official certificate from AKC in hand just yet, she is listed on the AKC Web site as CH Breaksea November Storm, so we're free to bandy the title around when entering other AKC events and stuff now.
Her breeder's comment echoed my own thoughts when she saw this photo: "She's grown up all of a sudden, hasn't she?" Yes, our little girlie is growing up! Not so long ago she couldn't buy a glance from the judges, but this year she started to come into her own and is looking like a young Bearded Lady. It helps that she's losing the "cotton-head," too. She still looks mostly presentable between crate and ringside now, instead of looking as though she hadn't seen a brush all day.
All in all, it's a nice way to finish out the year for 2008. We traditionally hibernate from Thanksgiving until Opening Day at Fenway, so now we can spend the winter training for other things and thinking about finishing up in Canada and UKC next year.
Photo by Ashbey Photography.
The look of relief on Kathy's face pretty much says it all, doesn't it?
Although we don't have the official certificate from AKC in hand just yet, she is listed on the AKC Web site as CH Breaksea November Storm, so we're free to bandy the title around when entering other AKC events and stuff now.
Her breeder's comment echoed my own thoughts when she saw this photo: "She's grown up all of a sudden, hasn't she?" Yes, our little girlie is growing up! Not so long ago she couldn't buy a glance from the judges, but this year she started to come into her own and is looking like a young Bearded Lady. It helps that she's losing the "cotton-head," too. She still looks mostly presentable between crate and ringside now, instead of looking as though she hadn't seen a brush all day.
All in all, it's a nice way to finish out the year for 2008. We traditionally hibernate from Thanksgiving until Opening Day at Fenway, so now we can spend the winter training for other things and thinking about finishing up in Canada and UKC next year.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Newbies on the Road (Again)
You might remember that last year at this time, the PR firm for the Bay Colony Dog Show invited me to come down to the show for a day and blog about it. Julie, owner of the firm, put up lots of links to my blog post and invited me back to do the same honors for this year.
This year's shows run Thursday, December 4 through Sunday, December 7. Monica Collins, the Dog Lady of Ask Dog Lady fame, is the MC for the Rescue Parade on Saturday. I'll be holding the mike for Sunday's parade. Kind of a bummer that Monica and I won't be in Ring 2 together, but we're hoping people will have a good time. Bless Julie's heart -- she mentioned that we'd be on hand to meet fans! Now all I have to do is get some (grin).
A brief but thankful shout-out goes to Holly Sherburne of Downeast Dog News for including a blurb in the December issue!
If I understand correctly, the Bay Colony Shows will be leaving Boston after this year -- at least for a while -- until renovations to the Bayside Expo Center are completed. According to Julie, next year's shows will take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center on December 3-6, less than an hour from Boston (and less than 15 minutes from my home town) and with indoor parking. I had heard rumors for the past year that the shows were headed to West Springfield and the Big E, but they're staying in the east. Good news! Not that we don't have some recent good memories of the Big E, but folks from the Boston area can still conveniently drop by the shows.
This year's shows run Thursday, December 4 through Sunday, December 7. Monica Collins, the Dog Lady of Ask Dog Lady fame, is the MC for the Rescue Parade on Saturday. I'll be holding the mike for Sunday's parade. Kind of a bummer that Monica and I won't be in Ring 2 together, but we're hoping people will have a good time. Bless Julie's heart -- she mentioned that we'd be on hand to meet fans! Now all I have to do is get some (grin).
A brief but thankful shout-out goes to Holly Sherburne of Downeast Dog News for including a blurb in the December issue!
If I understand correctly, the Bay Colony Shows will be leaving Boston after this year -- at least for a while -- until renovations to the Bayside Expo Center are completed. According to Julie, next year's shows will take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center on December 3-6, less than an hour from Boston (and less than 15 minutes from my home town) and with indoor parking. I had heard rumors for the past year that the shows were headed to West Springfield and the Big E, but they're staying in the east. Good news! Not that we don't have some recent good memories of the Big E, but folks from the Boston area can still conveniently drop by the shows.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Long March
South Windsor Kennel Club, 11/22/08
1st/WB/BOS, 4 points
Springfield Kennel Club, 11/23/08
BOS
It's over. The Long March is over. I still can't believe it!
Now presenting... CH Breaksea November Storm HIC CGC (AKC certification pending)!
The big event took place on Saturday in Springfield, of all places. After our heartbreaker of a weekend at this cluster last year, I wasn't sure what to expect for this year. Probably half of my older blog posts contain complaints about showing in Springfield. The Better Living Center is large and noisy, and dogs who have shown all summer at the outdoor shows sometimes need time to get used to being indoors with the acoustics, the hair dryers, and the rubber mats. Still, that's where the majors are, so that's where you have to go...
I don't mind telling you that I'd been on edge since sending in the money for this cluster. Even with Lesley's kind offer to bring two bitches, plus Deb bringing Diva, there were no guarantees that we'd have enough entries -- and if we did, that all of them would show up. You never know until you get to ringside and count noses. (Lesley is one of Trav's breeders. A while ago, she offered to help build a major by bringing one of her girls and a puppy girl who is full sister to Trav. Majors aren't that easy to come by in New Jersey these days, either.)
Fast-forward past all of the anticipation to ringside on Saturday. All 7 of the class bitches showed up! At least the problem of adequate numbers was solved. Everybody needs majors.
I spotted Karen Bowens and her sister Gail with Joel and another of the class bitches. "You guys are a long way from home," I said. "Hey, we have to go to where the majors are," replied Karen.
We had known for a while that the judge forbids the use of bait and toys in the ring to get dogs' attention. This wasn't a big deal for Dinah, who only baits when she feels like it anyway -- but the multiple signs saying "NO BAIT OR TOYS IN THIS RING" must have discouraged the habitual bait-throwers at the show. We haven't had too many real bait-hurlers in the Beardie ring when I've been there, but I've heard stories about spectators receiving flying liver surprises when passing by. Good for the judge!
Handsome Joel took Winners Dog -- no surprises there at all. Joel is just a week or so past turning 2, and he still has an adolescent coat of many colors -- but he's a beauteous boy, and Karen handles him nicely.
Deb was worried about how Diva would react at this huge, noisy indoor show. Diva was mighty unhappy at the last two outdoor shows, and made that plain when trucks rumbled by on the highway or golf carts rolled past the rings. She acquitted herself pretty well indoors, though. Aside from a little "where's Mommy?" behavior, she seemed much less nervous when she entered the ring and had a job to do. Kathy reported that she settled in a little. With time and practice, she will learn to settle in the ring -- even if she has to show indoors to avoid the motor vehicles. Diva ended up taking 2nd in 12-18, but not Reserve -- but that doesn't reflect the progress the little girlie has made. She'll get there.
The Open Bitch class was over before I knew it. Dinah showed well and didn't appear to miss the lack of bait. The judge carries a little buzzer in his pocket that he uses to get the dogs' attention, and she gave him the right reaction there, too. (I didn't hear the buzzer, but Kathy told me about it later. It didn't appear to scare any of the Beardies, even the ones with some noise issues.) The judge wasted no time in putting Dinah first. Karen, who had been showing an Open Bitch, called congratulations to me as she exited the ring.
The steward indicated Kathy and asked me, "Are you two related?" I said that we weren't, but apparently we've been showing together long enough that we've started to look alike.
Next thing we knew, Dinah had taken Winners Bitch. Lesley's girl Fanny took Reserve. "We were cheering for you!", she told us.
Could it be over that quickly? Did Dinah really take the 4-point major? Gail came up behind me, put her arm around my shoulders, and told me that the major had held and that Dinah was finished. Dinah took BOS to Sparky and Joel took BOW, so Joel benefited from the 4 points in bitches and finished too. There were many hugs and high-fives all around. "She even looks different now that she's a champion," Karen told me.
Deb remarked to Kathy that I didn't look particularly excited that Dinah had finished after all this time. The truth of it was that I couldn't get over the shock -- we've been trying, and trying, and trying for ages now. The first emotion I felt was relief, and the second one was joy. Both came long after plain and simple amazement, though.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any idea that Dinah might finish at that show. I had a bottle of champagne and some plastic cups in my backseat, but didn't bring them into the building for fear I'd have to carry them back out untouched. Dinah got her reward for a great performance, though -- she got to wrestle with Her Trav. We opened up the champagne, and followed that with wine and lunch at the tavern on the grounds of the Big E. Greg, who had a half-bottle of champagne at home, toasted the new champion over the phone.
The only disappointment of the whole day was that Val, who has been a constant with help and encouragement throughout the Long March, couldn't be there. She'd dropped a tile on her foot, bruising it pretty badly, and didn't feel quite right hobbling around the show wearing one shoe and one slipper. (Yeah, excuses, excuses!) Pat and Trav came on their own and set up with Lesley and Sue, so he had some prep help -- but Val didn't get to see the Princess finish. Pat called her right away to tell her the news, and she called me and posted the news to the BCCME email list.
My friend Elizabeth emailed me to congratulate me and added, "And she finished in her natal month. Now she can be Breaksea November Champion."
Newbie Tricks
Kathy has a new client now, sort of. She showed Lucy the Cavalier in Fitchburg, and reported that Lucy squeaked for her mommy the whole time she was in the ring. Her owner got her groomed with Kathy's help, and handled her herself. While Kathy, Deb, and I were watching Cavaliers, a Great Dane owner Kathy knew came up to us and mentioned that for practice, she had entered her bitch in Novice, Am Bred, AND Open classes in all three days' worth of shows. Talk about getting some handling practice! Of all of the newbie things we've done and heard about, that has to be one of the newbie-est!
Nose Count, Redux
After Dinah finished, some of the owners of the other bitches came over to ask me whether I would keep Dinah in the class the next day or move her up to BOB. This is another one of those situations where you're damned no matter what you do: either you stay in the classes and risk taking another major away from someone else who still actually needs one, or you move up to Breed. If one other bitch doesn't show up, then you've broken the major for the remaining bitches.
Our friend Kandis was planning to show one of her bitches on Sunday, so the number of class bitches remained constant even after Deb and Diva headed home. Kathy checked with her to make sure that she was still planning to come, and then we decided to move Dinah up to Breed early on Sunday morning. We still had 6 bitches for a major, and Dinah was out of the way.
Lesley and her puppy Callie took the points on Sunday, so the little girlie is off to a good start. Callie isn't a flashy bitch, but she's nicely put together and moves beautifully.
We Were That Close (Again)
In her debut as a special, Dinah very nearly got the breed. She showed the best she has ever shown, possibly. The judge realllllly liked her, enough so that he took Kathy aside later and told her that he thought Dinah was absolutely gorgeous, and would have given her the breed if he hadn't liked Sparky's front just a little better. Kathy was very satisfied in knowing that she got to make Cliff sweat a little in front of Sparky's owner. :-)
The part of the show that Dinah liked best was getting to play with Her Trav. No matter where we were at the show, the second she glimpsed him, she HAD to go see Trav! I asked him if he had anything to say and he told me "Arrrrrrr."
Shortly after the Beardie judging was over, I ran into Barb Rimoshytus and Rio. She congratulated me on Dinah's finish, and reported that Rio was still chasing his one last major. He had gone Reserve that day, and she'd been hoping for those last 3 points. They'll come. Rio's a beautiful boy, and he will shortly live up to his registered name of Brookfield's Slam Dunk. Just you wait!
1st/WB/BOS, 4 points
Springfield Kennel Club, 11/23/08
BOS
It's over. The Long March is over. I still can't believe it!
Now presenting... CH Breaksea November Storm HIC CGC (AKC certification pending)!
The big event took place on Saturday in Springfield, of all places. After our heartbreaker of a weekend at this cluster last year, I wasn't sure what to expect for this year. Probably half of my older blog posts contain complaints about showing in Springfield. The Better Living Center is large and noisy, and dogs who have shown all summer at the outdoor shows sometimes need time to get used to being indoors with the acoustics, the hair dryers, and the rubber mats. Still, that's where the majors are, so that's where you have to go...
I don't mind telling you that I'd been on edge since sending in the money for this cluster. Even with Lesley's kind offer to bring two bitches, plus Deb bringing Diva, there were no guarantees that we'd have enough entries -- and if we did, that all of them would show up. You never know until you get to ringside and count noses. (Lesley is one of Trav's breeders. A while ago, she offered to help build a major by bringing one of her girls and a puppy girl who is full sister to Trav. Majors aren't that easy to come by in New Jersey these days, either.)
Fast-forward past all of the anticipation to ringside on Saturday. All 7 of the class bitches showed up! At least the problem of adequate numbers was solved. Everybody needs majors.
I spotted Karen Bowens and her sister Gail with Joel and another of the class bitches. "You guys are a long way from home," I said. "Hey, we have to go to where the majors are," replied Karen.
We had known for a while that the judge forbids the use of bait and toys in the ring to get dogs' attention. This wasn't a big deal for Dinah, who only baits when she feels like it anyway -- but the multiple signs saying "NO BAIT OR TOYS IN THIS RING" must have discouraged the habitual bait-throwers at the show. We haven't had too many real bait-hurlers in the Beardie ring when I've been there, but I've heard stories about spectators receiving flying liver surprises when passing by. Good for the judge!
Handsome Joel took Winners Dog -- no surprises there at all. Joel is just a week or so past turning 2, and he still has an adolescent coat of many colors -- but he's a beauteous boy, and Karen handles him nicely.
Deb was worried about how Diva would react at this huge, noisy indoor show. Diva was mighty unhappy at the last two outdoor shows, and made that plain when trucks rumbled by on the highway or golf carts rolled past the rings. She acquitted herself pretty well indoors, though. Aside from a little "where's Mommy?" behavior, she seemed much less nervous when she entered the ring and had a job to do. Kathy reported that she settled in a little. With time and practice, she will learn to settle in the ring -- even if she has to show indoors to avoid the motor vehicles. Diva ended up taking 2nd in 12-18, but not Reserve -- but that doesn't reflect the progress the little girlie has made. She'll get there.
The Open Bitch class was over before I knew it. Dinah showed well and didn't appear to miss the lack of bait. The judge carries a little buzzer in his pocket that he uses to get the dogs' attention, and she gave him the right reaction there, too. (I didn't hear the buzzer, but Kathy told me about it later. It didn't appear to scare any of the Beardies, even the ones with some noise issues.) The judge wasted no time in putting Dinah first. Karen, who had been showing an Open Bitch, called congratulations to me as she exited the ring.
The steward indicated Kathy and asked me, "Are you two related?" I said that we weren't, but apparently we've been showing together long enough that we've started to look alike.
Next thing we knew, Dinah had taken Winners Bitch. Lesley's girl Fanny took Reserve. "We were cheering for you!", she told us.
Could it be over that quickly? Did Dinah really take the 4-point major? Gail came up behind me, put her arm around my shoulders, and told me that the major had held and that Dinah was finished. Dinah took BOS to Sparky and Joel took BOW, so Joel benefited from the 4 points in bitches and finished too. There were many hugs and high-fives all around. "She even looks different now that she's a champion," Karen told me.
Deb remarked to Kathy that I didn't look particularly excited that Dinah had finished after all this time. The truth of it was that I couldn't get over the shock -- we've been trying, and trying, and trying for ages now. The first emotion I felt was relief, and the second one was joy. Both came long after plain and simple amazement, though.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any idea that Dinah might finish at that show. I had a bottle of champagne and some plastic cups in my backseat, but didn't bring them into the building for fear I'd have to carry them back out untouched. Dinah got her reward for a great performance, though -- she got to wrestle with Her Trav. We opened up the champagne, and followed that with wine and lunch at the tavern on the grounds of the Big E. Greg, who had a half-bottle of champagne at home, toasted the new champion over the phone.
The only disappointment of the whole day was that Val, who has been a constant with help and encouragement throughout the Long March, couldn't be there. She'd dropped a tile on her foot, bruising it pretty badly, and didn't feel quite right hobbling around the show wearing one shoe and one slipper. (Yeah, excuses, excuses!) Pat and Trav came on their own and set up with Lesley and Sue, so he had some prep help -- but Val didn't get to see the Princess finish. Pat called her right away to tell her the news, and she called me and posted the news to the BCCME email list.
My friend Elizabeth emailed me to congratulate me and added, "And she finished in her natal month. Now she can be Breaksea November Champion."
Newbie Tricks
Kathy has a new client now, sort of. She showed Lucy the Cavalier in Fitchburg, and reported that Lucy squeaked for her mommy the whole time she was in the ring. Her owner got her groomed with Kathy's help, and handled her herself. While Kathy, Deb, and I were watching Cavaliers, a Great Dane owner Kathy knew came up to us and mentioned that for practice, she had entered her bitch in Novice, Am Bred, AND Open classes in all three days' worth of shows. Talk about getting some handling practice! Of all of the newbie things we've done and heard about, that has to be one of the newbie-est!
Nose Count, Redux
After Dinah finished, some of the owners of the other bitches came over to ask me whether I would keep Dinah in the class the next day or move her up to BOB. This is another one of those situations where you're damned no matter what you do: either you stay in the classes and risk taking another major away from someone else who still actually needs one, or you move up to Breed. If one other bitch doesn't show up, then you've broken the major for the remaining bitches.
Our friend Kandis was planning to show one of her bitches on Sunday, so the number of class bitches remained constant even after Deb and Diva headed home. Kathy checked with her to make sure that she was still planning to come, and then we decided to move Dinah up to Breed early on Sunday morning. We still had 6 bitches for a major, and Dinah was out of the way.
Lesley and her puppy Callie took the points on Sunday, so the little girlie is off to a good start. Callie isn't a flashy bitch, but she's nicely put together and moves beautifully.
We Were That Close (Again)
In her debut as a special, Dinah very nearly got the breed. She showed the best she has ever shown, possibly. The judge realllllly liked her, enough so that he took Kathy aside later and told her that he thought Dinah was absolutely gorgeous, and would have given her the breed if he hadn't liked Sparky's front just a little better. Kathy was very satisfied in knowing that she got to make Cliff sweat a little in front of Sparky's owner. :-)
The part of the show that Dinah liked best was getting to play with Her Trav. No matter where we were at the show, the second she glimpsed him, she HAD to go see Trav! I asked him if he had anything to say and he told me "Arrrrrrr."
Shortly after the Beardie judging was over, I ran into Barb Rimoshytus and Rio. She congratulated me on Dinah's finish, and reported that Rio was still chasing his one last major. He had gone Reserve that day, and she'd been hoping for those last 3 points. They'll come. Rio's a beautiful boy, and he will shortly live up to his registered name of Brookfield's Slam Dunk. Just you wait!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
All Right... I Said I Wouldn't, But...
Charlie thinks a Beardie would make a great First Dog!
It's been almost two weeks since President-Elect Obama's public Election-Night promise to his daughters to get them a puppy, and the swell of opinion on the subject shows no sign of lessening. Every dog blogger and his littermate has had to weigh in on the subject -- not to mention all the journalists, political bloggers, armchair politicians, and practically anyone else with a mouth and an opinion. The Ambassador from Peru has offered a Peruvian Inca Dog (hairless) to the soon-to-be First Family. I'm sure that hundreds -- thousands -- of other people have been offering up candidates for First Dog. The offers range from people promoting shelter dog adoptions to fans of some of the other dog breeds who have already graced the White House. Enough, already!
I really thought I would just keep my mouth shut and blog about something else, but I've even been receiving emails from people I know, and whom I don't know, asking whether I could find a rescue Beardie for the White House.
On the plus side, Beardies do have hair rather than fur, and they thus produce a lower level of dander than many other breeds. I wouldn't go so far as to call them hypoallergenic, but a well-kept Beardie has played less havoc with most of my dog-allergic friends and acquaintances than have other dogs.
Does this class them with other dogs rumored to be better for allergic individuals, such as Poodles, Bichons, Soft-Coated Wheatens, and even (may the heavens rain down fury on those "breeders'" heads) Labradoodles? I don't really know. Only Malia Obama, her parents, and her allergist will know for sure.
Even the hairless breeds, such as the Chinese Crested, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Xoloitzcuintle (don't ask me to pronounce that! -- otherwise known as the Mexican Hairless) -- produce saliva. If there are allergens in saliva, then very sensitive individuals might not suffer all that much less with a naked breed. Please forgive me, all of you who own them, but they're just not all that much to look at.
One thing is definite: In order to have a Beardie in the White House, you must be possessed of one hell of a sense of humor, and lots of cleaning supplies besides. Imagine a happy, muddy hairball bouncing all over visiting dignitaries, counter-surfing at state banquets, and leaving miles of muddy pawprint trails through the Lincoln Bedroom, down the halls, and onto the papers on the desk in the Oval Office. Only the British Royal Family, with the Queen's pack of Corgis, would really appreciate the humor.
Not that a First Beardie wouldn't make a great asset. The dumbass TV presenter who got a chunk taken out of his hand by Barney the Scottie (smartest and most articulate member of the Bush family) deserved everything he got by swooping down on the dog, but had there been a Beardie on the scene, the talking head would simply have been covered with mud and had his microphone slurped off instead.
If I had to make a choice for First Breed, I'd recommend a Standard Poodle. They're intelligent, athletic, very trainable, and can be great with kids when bred, raised, and trained properly. They're also not yappy. Their coats are classed among the less allergenic, which means that they might be suitable for Malia.
All the same, I have to smile when I think of what the White House would be like with, say, half a dozen Old English Sheepdogs barreling down the halls.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Proud All Over Again
I've been sitting at home, feeling sorry for myself because everyone else is out at the BCCA National in California, drinking Sonoma County cabernet and having a grand old time -- while I'm freezing here in New England. It isn't the first, or fifth, or fifteenth, or fiftieth time I've wished that I'd had the available cash to take Dinah out there and show her to Wendy Hines. Bess and Travis will just have to uphold the family honor for us.
The one bright spot is if I hadn't been stuck home this week, I wouldn't have been here to pull the latest issue of the Bearded Colleague (the BCCC's quarterly magazine) out of the mailbox. This was the Specialty issue, so it brought back some nice memories of August in Gananoque all over again. I'd taken out a nice little black-and-white brag ad for Dinah's two Canadian wins this year, and Lois (the editor, who also owns Seamus's litter sister Kyla) did a fabulous job with it.
Dinah's BCCC win photo (photo by Kathleen Schaffer of Pup Art):
The part that I've been waiting for is the judge's commentary on her various placements. Here's what she had to say about Dinah:
Another sweet and completely unexpected surprise was the note of congratulations that Seamus's breeders added to his mom Maxine's ad in the Colleague. Not only did they congratulate Conor for his BOW/AOM at the Specialty, but they also congratulated Seamus for completing his APDT Rally Level 1 championship (RL1X) back in September. I have to admit to getting a little choked up. We expect Dinah Moe to get the glory when she does well, but it was genuinely touching for Seamus to get some too.
The one bright spot is if I hadn't been stuck home this week, I wouldn't have been here to pull the latest issue of the Bearded Colleague (the BCCC's quarterly magazine) out of the mailbox. This was the Specialty issue, so it brought back some nice memories of August in Gananoque all over again. I'd taken out a nice little black-and-white brag ad for Dinah's two Canadian wins this year, and Lois (the editor, who also owns Seamus's litter sister Kyla) did a fabulous job with it.
Dinah's BCCC win photo (photo by Kathleen Schaffer of Pup Art):
The part that I've been waiting for is the judge's commentary on her various placements. Here's what she had to say about Dinah:
Breaksea November Storm: 1st in Open Bitch. Quality bitch of the style I like, beautiful feminine head and expression, she is completely balanced combining strength with quality, shown in good coat and condition, her free flowing movement impressed me, I felt she was worthy of Winners Bitch.
Another sweet and completely unexpected surprise was the note of congratulations that Seamus's breeders added to his mom Maxine's ad in the Colleague. Not only did they congratulate Conor for his BOW/AOM at the Specialty, but they also congratulated Seamus for completing his APDT Rally Level 1 championship (RL1X) back in September. I have to admit to getting a little choked up. We expect Dinah Moe to get the glory when she does well, but it was genuinely touching for Seamus to get some too.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Up Close and Personal
Our show photos from the Harvest Cluster arrived in the mail today. The Lovely One has never looked lovelier. Ta- daaaaa!
Here's the photo from Saturday's show. Judge: Vincent Grosso. Photo by JC Photography.
And here's Sunday's appropriately seasonal photo with judge Larry Stein. Photo by Perry Phillips.
Here's the photo from Saturday's show. Judge: Vincent Grosso. Photo by JC Photography.
And here's Sunday's appropriately seasonal photo with judge Larry Stein. Photo by Perry Phillips.
Monday, October 13, 2008
This Just In: Lightning Does Strike Twice
Palisades Kennel Club, 10/11/08
Winners Bitch, 3 points, First Major
Garden State Bearded Collie Clan/Ramapo Kennel Club, 10/12/08
Winners Bitch, 2 points
Kathy said it first, but I was thinking it. Neither of us could shake the feeling of deja vu, the sense that we'd been somewhere before.
When we went to Canada for the BCCC Specialty in August, I was convinced that Dinah wouldn't win the show for a second time. It wasn't due to any lack of confidence in The Lovely One or in Kathy's handling -- only that the odds of her winning twice at the same show seemed pretty remote -- and at a national specialty, even less likely. Was I surprised to be proven wrong!
Likewise, Dinah went WB at the Garden State Bearded Collie Clan's Regional Specialty last year. (Blog post is here.) It was a beautiful Indian Summer day, we had a great time, and I'd already found a soft spot in my hard little heart for that show. When the time came to enter for this year, I not only wanted to go right back to the GSBCC Regional, but I was psyched to enter on that Saturday and make a weekend of it this time.
Even though the GSBCC Regional didn't have enough bitch entries for a major, the Saturday Palisades show did. I tried not to care about that part too much. Majors have a way of breaking your heart if you let them, after all.
We had a good crew coming: Jake (as a special this year) and Diva, plus Kathy's Newfie Casey and client Newfie Clarence. Kathy recruited Joanne (one of the juniors who helped us out at that show last year) to come back and lend a hand. Sadly, Jake had forgotten to bring most of his coat, so Deb and Kathy agreed to pull him from the show and let him serve as a cheering section for the grrrls.
After our embarrassing loss at Westchester, I asked Val (who is an animal communicator) what Dinah was thinking. Dinah replied that she wanted to have fun at the shows, and that she didn't enjoy showing when everyone was too serious. With that in mind, we let Dinah goof around with her buddy Jake as much as she wanted to. She didn't care to pal around with the Newfies, though -- she only had eyes for the Beardie boys.
Saturday: Strike One
On Saturday, Diva was entered in Sweeps before the regular Beardie classes. While Kathy took Diva into the ring, Joanne and I readied Dinah for later on that morning. (Well, Joanne worked on Dinah. I just kept her standing up.) This means I didn't have a chance to watch Diva show, so forgive me if I get her placements wrong. I'll correct them once the results are posted.
Anyway, Kathy, Deb, and Diva returned with a third-place ribbon, a puppy toy, and a check for something like $5.27. Now Deb can answer "Yes" the next time that anyone asks her, "Have you ever won money at dog shows?" Diva can take that $5 and change and parlay that into a little shopping spree for puppy toys.
Thanks to Joanne's expert grooming, Dinah looked her loveliest for the regular classes that day. She was one of two Open Bitches, and took First... and then before I could draw breath again, she took... Winners Bitch!
I didn't even dare react. Everyone under the grooming tent was asking the same question: Did the major hold? In New Jersey, you need 7 bitches for a major.
When the ring steward (who was quite a character -- ask Kathy!) verified that yes indeed, the major had held, I was still too surprised to react. After all this time, expense, and heartache... could Dinah really have picked up her first major? Weren't majors something other people's dogs got and not ours? Surely there was some mistake. People must think I'm the coolest character at ringside, but I'm not. I'm just holding my breath the whole time, and for so long that I forget to let it out again.
Woohoo! It was indeed Dinah's first major. My friends under the tent congratulated me, including Karen Bowens, who has handled Dinah in the past and who had the other Open Bitch. I told her that I was sorry that Dinah didn't cooperate for her at Westchester, but it makes for a good war story. Dinah didn't get BOW, but we didn't care. We had our major anyway. We took our picture with the judge, and returned to our grooming area happy.
Dinah won some pretty decent swag, too: an engraved cast pewter medallion from the Palisades KC, plus a dog toy and a decoupaged treat jar from GSBCC.
It was a pretty good day in Newfie-land later on, too. Kathy's boy Casey, who has been waiting to grow up a bit, took BOW and the available 2 points. He really looked wonderful out there, and behaved nicely for Kathy.
Clarence acquitted himself nicely for Joanne, considering that it was his first show. Kathy and Joanne had raised blisters on their scissoring fingers trying to find a show dog under all that hair -- and they succeeded. Although Clarence was a tad dubious about this weird new sport, he behaved well enough to take his class and go Reserve to Casey.
Kathy, Deb, Joanne, and I held our post-show celebration at a Tuscan bistro not far from our hotel. If you're ever in or near Newton, NJ and are looking for some amazing Italian food, go to the Tuscan Bistro on Route 206. We raved about the place all during and after the meal. If we show there again next year, we are definitely going back there for an encore dinner!
Sunday Classes: Strike Two
Maybe it's because I've had a lot of practice at not getting my hopes up, but I had long been convinced that Dinah wouldn't be the judge's type. Larry is one of Traveler's breeders, and Trav is a very different type of Beardie from Dinah. (This is why Val didn't enter the shows. Both Bob, the sweeps judge, and Larry are two of Traveler's breeders.) Larry has never met Dinah or Kathy, even though his wife Angela has.
We've known since the entries closed that the show wouldn't have a major for bitches, but if Dinah went BOW, she could get the major from the boys' entry. The odds weren't really in our favor, but it made for a nice dream. Imagine finishing out there among friends, in the Indian Summer sunshine?!
Diva took Second in Sweeps, but was not happy with the golf carts trundling past the ring. Deb worked on desensitizing her to the ambient noise of dog shows by having her stay by the ring for a while, getting used to the various sights and sounds.
I barely remember the class judging, perhaps due to oxygen starvation brought on by forgetting to breathe again. Angela took photos at ringside. I had my camera, but forgot to use it.
Everything I'd assumed about Larry's likes and dislikes were wrong, wrong, wrong. He picked Dinah for WB! He also picked handsome Joel, a distant relative of Dinah's from the Breaksea/Balidorn side of the family, for WD. Karen handles Joel, and I've liked that dog from the minute I saw him. He's not a British import, but he's the son of two British imports -- both beautiful dogs.
Sunday BOB: Strike Three
When Best of Breed finally came around, I could barely stand the suspense. I could barely stand up! If Larry picked Dinah for BOW, lightning might as well strike me on the spot. Nothing more fantastic, or unlikely, would happen that weekend. He gave both dogs a look that seemed to last weeks, and for an infinite minute there I thought he'd pick her for BOW. He did end up picking Joel, but we were that close. People came by later to say "We were rooting for you" -- including Karen. She showed Joel well and he looked great. Except that I'm biased, I might have picked him too.
Joanne came by with the armload of trophy-type stuff that Dinah had won: a papier-mache box, a hand-painted Lenox plate that just happened to be Val's work, and the First and Winners rosettes. Kathy handed me Dinah's leash. "Here. Let's make her happy; you can take her back to the tent." Larry had a pile of breeds to judge before we could get a photo, so our objective was to keep Dinah happy, clean, and cool.
GSBCC throws a terrific catered luncheon feast for exhibitors at its regional specialty. Karen's sister Gail was this year's host/chair. I fully intend to steal this idea for BCCME's regional, if we ever get around to throwing one. Kathy and Joanne had to eat and run to get the Newfies ready for judging and Deb needed to tend to Jake and Diva, so I ended up alone at the table about midway through my sandwich. I migrated to Lucy's table and started chatting with Joanne Williamson about regionals, nationals, and other scary subjects appropriate for Hallowe'en. Joanne's gorgeous puppy-boy Jack not only took Best Puppy at the regional, but he also ended up taking a Puppy Group 1 later in the day. I don't know how he fared in Best Puppy in Show.
Later on in the afternoon, it was the Newfies' turn to shine at their supported entry. Clarence looked and behaved even better on Sunday than he had on Saturday. Casey took WD and his very first major! Both boys won pottery, dog toys, and heaps of other goodies along with their rosettes. The weekend turned out to be a pretty good one for Kathy, as far as majors are concerned -- and she even got to bring one of them home with her dog! Woohoo! If I'm not mistaken, this brings Casey up to 7 points with one major. Dinah now has 21 points and one major.
Eventually, we took our pictures, packed our equipment and our swag, and headed for home. Unlike last year's trip home, we didn't end up stuck on I-84 for hours behind a traffic accident that closed the road. I'd like to think that the rest of this year's shows, like our ride home, are nothing but smooth sailing ahead.
More Belated Shout-Outs
We haven't posted anything to this blog since Westchester, but Barb Rimoshytus sent me this photo of Rio's BOW win from last month. He now only needs one more major to finish, just like The Lovely One.
Barb also reported that her Golden, Tazzy, completed his RN at the Golden Retriever Club of America's national specialty in RI. I reported this along with Seamus's rally-roo news on my other blog, but Barb and our cheering section visit this one. Tazzy finished the title with a perfect score and a second-place finish out of 65-odd Goldens entered.
Congratulations to Barb and both boys!
Winners Bitch, 3 points, First Major
Garden State Bearded Collie Clan/Ramapo Kennel Club, 10/12/08
Winners Bitch, 2 points
Kathy said it first, but I was thinking it. Neither of us could shake the feeling of deja vu, the sense that we'd been somewhere before.
When we went to Canada for the BCCC Specialty in August, I was convinced that Dinah wouldn't win the show for a second time. It wasn't due to any lack of confidence in The Lovely One or in Kathy's handling -- only that the odds of her winning twice at the same show seemed pretty remote -- and at a national specialty, even less likely. Was I surprised to be proven wrong!
Likewise, Dinah went WB at the Garden State Bearded Collie Clan's Regional Specialty last year. (Blog post is here.) It was a beautiful Indian Summer day, we had a great time, and I'd already found a soft spot in my hard little heart for that show. When the time came to enter for this year, I not only wanted to go right back to the GSBCC Regional, but I was psyched to enter on that Saturday and make a weekend of it this time.
Even though the GSBCC Regional didn't have enough bitch entries for a major, the Saturday Palisades show did. I tried not to care about that part too much. Majors have a way of breaking your heart if you let them, after all.
We had a good crew coming: Jake (as a special this year) and Diva, plus Kathy's Newfie Casey and client Newfie Clarence. Kathy recruited Joanne (one of the juniors who helped us out at that show last year) to come back and lend a hand. Sadly, Jake had forgotten to bring most of his coat, so Deb and Kathy agreed to pull him from the show and let him serve as a cheering section for the grrrls.
After our embarrassing loss at Westchester, I asked Val (who is an animal communicator) what Dinah was thinking. Dinah replied that she wanted to have fun at the shows, and that she didn't enjoy showing when everyone was too serious. With that in mind, we let Dinah goof around with her buddy Jake as much as she wanted to. She didn't care to pal around with the Newfies, though -- she only had eyes for the Beardie boys.
Saturday: Strike One
On Saturday, Diva was entered in Sweeps before the regular Beardie classes. While Kathy took Diva into the ring, Joanne and I readied Dinah for later on that morning. (Well, Joanne worked on Dinah. I just kept her standing up.) This means I didn't have a chance to watch Diva show, so forgive me if I get her placements wrong. I'll correct them once the results are posted.
Anyway, Kathy, Deb, and Diva returned with a third-place ribbon, a puppy toy, and a check for something like $5.27. Now Deb can answer "Yes" the next time that anyone asks her, "Have you ever won money at dog shows?" Diva can take that $5 and change and parlay that into a little shopping spree for puppy toys.
Thanks to Joanne's expert grooming, Dinah looked her loveliest for the regular classes that day. She was one of two Open Bitches, and took First... and then before I could draw breath again, she took... Winners Bitch!
I didn't even dare react. Everyone under the grooming tent was asking the same question: Did the major hold? In New Jersey, you need 7 bitches for a major.
When the ring steward (who was quite a character -- ask Kathy!) verified that yes indeed, the major had held, I was still too surprised to react. After all this time, expense, and heartache... could Dinah really have picked up her first major? Weren't majors something other people's dogs got and not ours? Surely there was some mistake. People must think I'm the coolest character at ringside, but I'm not. I'm just holding my breath the whole time, and for so long that I forget to let it out again.
Woohoo! It was indeed Dinah's first major. My friends under the tent congratulated me, including Karen Bowens, who has handled Dinah in the past and who had the other Open Bitch. I told her that I was sorry that Dinah didn't cooperate for her at Westchester, but it makes for a good war story. Dinah didn't get BOW, but we didn't care. We had our major anyway. We took our picture with the judge, and returned to our grooming area happy.
Dinah won some pretty decent swag, too: an engraved cast pewter medallion from the Palisades KC, plus a dog toy and a decoupaged treat jar from GSBCC.
It was a pretty good day in Newfie-land later on, too. Kathy's boy Casey, who has been waiting to grow up a bit, took BOW and the available 2 points. He really looked wonderful out there, and behaved nicely for Kathy.
Clarence acquitted himself nicely for Joanne, considering that it was his first show. Kathy and Joanne had raised blisters on their scissoring fingers trying to find a show dog under all that hair -- and they succeeded. Although Clarence was a tad dubious about this weird new sport, he behaved well enough to take his class and go Reserve to Casey.
Kathy, Deb, Joanne, and I held our post-show celebration at a Tuscan bistro not far from our hotel. If you're ever in or near Newton, NJ and are looking for some amazing Italian food, go to the Tuscan Bistro on Route 206. We raved about the place all during and after the meal. If we show there again next year, we are definitely going back there for an encore dinner!
Sunday Classes: Strike Two
Maybe it's because I've had a lot of practice at not getting my hopes up, but I had long been convinced that Dinah wouldn't be the judge's type. Larry is one of Traveler's breeders, and Trav is a very different type of Beardie from Dinah. (This is why Val didn't enter the shows. Both Bob, the sweeps judge, and Larry are two of Traveler's breeders.) Larry has never met Dinah or Kathy, even though his wife Angela has.
We've known since the entries closed that the show wouldn't have a major for bitches, but if Dinah went BOW, she could get the major from the boys' entry. The odds weren't really in our favor, but it made for a nice dream. Imagine finishing out there among friends, in the Indian Summer sunshine?!
Diva took Second in Sweeps, but was not happy with the golf carts trundling past the ring. Deb worked on desensitizing her to the ambient noise of dog shows by having her stay by the ring for a while, getting used to the various sights and sounds.
I barely remember the class judging, perhaps due to oxygen starvation brought on by forgetting to breathe again. Angela took photos at ringside. I had my camera, but forgot to use it.
Everything I'd assumed about Larry's likes and dislikes were wrong, wrong, wrong. He picked Dinah for WB! He also picked handsome Joel, a distant relative of Dinah's from the Breaksea/Balidorn side of the family, for WD. Karen handles Joel, and I've liked that dog from the minute I saw him. He's not a British import, but he's the son of two British imports -- both beautiful dogs.
Sunday BOB: Strike Three
When Best of Breed finally came around, I could barely stand the suspense. I could barely stand up! If Larry picked Dinah for BOW, lightning might as well strike me on the spot. Nothing more fantastic, or unlikely, would happen that weekend. He gave both dogs a look that seemed to last weeks, and for an infinite minute there I thought he'd pick her for BOW. He did end up picking Joel, but we were that close. People came by later to say "We were rooting for you" -- including Karen. She showed Joel well and he looked great. Except that I'm biased, I might have picked him too.
Joanne came by with the armload of trophy-type stuff that Dinah had won: a papier-mache box, a hand-painted Lenox plate that just happened to be Val's work, and the First and Winners rosettes. Kathy handed me Dinah's leash. "Here. Let's make her happy; you can take her back to the tent." Larry had a pile of breeds to judge before we could get a photo, so our objective was to keep Dinah happy, clean, and cool.
GSBCC throws a terrific catered luncheon feast for exhibitors at its regional specialty. Karen's sister Gail was this year's host/chair. I fully intend to steal this idea for BCCME's regional, if we ever get around to throwing one. Kathy and Joanne had to eat and run to get the Newfies ready for judging and Deb needed to tend to Jake and Diva, so I ended up alone at the table about midway through my sandwich. I migrated to Lucy's table and started chatting with Joanne Williamson about regionals, nationals, and other scary subjects appropriate for Hallowe'en. Joanne's gorgeous puppy-boy Jack not only took Best Puppy at the regional, but he also ended up taking a Puppy Group 1 later in the day. I don't know how he fared in Best Puppy in Show.
Later on in the afternoon, it was the Newfies' turn to shine at their supported entry. Clarence looked and behaved even better on Sunday than he had on Saturday. Casey took WD and his very first major! Both boys won pottery, dog toys, and heaps of other goodies along with their rosettes. The weekend turned out to be a pretty good one for Kathy, as far as majors are concerned -- and she even got to bring one of them home with her dog! Woohoo! If I'm not mistaken, this brings Casey up to 7 points with one major. Dinah now has 21 points and one major.
Eventually, we took our pictures, packed our equipment and our swag, and headed for home. Unlike last year's trip home, we didn't end up stuck on I-84 for hours behind a traffic accident that closed the road. I'd like to think that the rest of this year's shows, like our ride home, are nothing but smooth sailing ahead.
More Belated Shout-Outs
We haven't posted anything to this blog since Westchester, but Barb Rimoshytus sent me this photo of Rio's BOW win from last month. He now only needs one more major to finish, just like The Lovely One.
Barb also reported that her Golden, Tazzy, completed his RN at the Golden Retriever Club of America's national specialty in RI. I reported this along with Seamus's rally-roo news on my other blog, but Barb and our cheering section visit this one. Tazzy finished the title with a perfect score and a second-place finish out of 65-odd Goldens entered.
Congratulations to Barb and both boys!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Voila -- the BCCC Show Photo!
Thanks to Kathleen Shaffer of Pup Art for this screen-rez image. Kathleen took a gazillion really great shots of The Princess, and it was hard to decide which one to pick to send to everybody. I can't wait to get the prints into people's hands!
You can see all of the photos -- candids as well as wins -- on her Web site.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
No Joy in Mudville, But Plenty of Mud
Time for another chorus of that old song: Why, oh why, do we do this, again?
Of course we can't win them all. Ask most exhibitors and they'll probably say that their dogs lose more often than they win. Still, Dinah's been "pointed out" since last June, and we still just can't seem to get those gawdforsaken majors done. This means that aside from the Canadian and UKC shows, every single show we've entered since then has been a failed attempt at trying to get those majors. Every single one. Even when we've won, we've lost: someone doesn't bring a bitch entry, the major breaks, and we've taken two points from someone else who could really have used them.
We gave it another shot this weekend. I drove through friggin' Tropical Storm Hanna to the Red Roof Inn in Milford, CT on a day when I would much rather have stayed home with my sweetie and all my dogs, watching our Netflix rentals and making popcorn. But noooooo. There I was on friggin' I-95 in Providence, half-blinded and half-deafened by the rain pounding on my car, trying to get to the hotel so I wouldn't have to drive five hours to a show on show day. I got stuck in traffic behind one car crash, and passed a couple of others.
Not that we're afraid of a little rain, or even a lot of it. Dinah thrives in crappy weather. She loves showing in mud, and she doesn't care if her feet get wet. Maybe it's the British heritage thing.
We did have mud at the show. The rings were actually pretty dry, but there were some major mud grooves cut into the fields where vehicles sank a little getting into and out of the parking areas. We brought Dinah to the ring in boots.
All six bitches were in the Open class at the Tarrytown show, even the ones who were being shown by their breeders. It was a massively competitive class, with nary a bad one in the bunch. The usual "big hats" were there, plus a couple of the top breeder/owner/handlers. Every single entry was beautiful, impeccably groomed, and worthy of the major. The judge placed Dinah fifth out of the six. He wasn't grossly confused like the last judge we faced last time we tried for a major. It simply wasn't her day. Again.
Dinah just wasn't "on" today, and when you're faced with a lineup like the one we faced, it isn't enough just to go in there and look pretty good. You really have to shine -- but she didn't shine, and so she ended up in the penultimate spot in the pack.
There's no shame in being beaten by a lineup like that, but I just can't help but wonder if it will ever be our turn. I have a friend who finally just spayed her bitch at age 8 after failing to get her majors and finish her. She's a beautiful girl who just doesn't happen to like showing very much -- which is generally not Dinah's problem. I just can't see myself still trying to get those same majors for five or six more years, when a single show entry will be above $50 and entries will be down so low that it will take two male Beardies to make a major -- but the AKC will keep the number of bitches at six just to keep things interesting.
When I talked to Greg on the phone afterward, he asked me whether it might not be time to just give up. I couldn't give him an answer.
We're approaching the part of the year when we can pretty much count the number of shows we're entering between now and New Year's (probably two). Because winter comes early and stays late in this latitude, the new year won't start up for us again until next April. Come spring, we'll have a whole new crop of hot competitors to face. They'll all finish in 3-4 shows and we'll still be plugging along.
Kathy's trying to help strategize by creating the perfect conditions for Dinah to win. The show is preferably outdoors, not too hot, and she gets to play with at least one of her buddies. Of course we'll have Great Bait there, and we won't have shown her every day of a three-day weekend.
We have to keep hoping that day will come (actually, "those days", since we still need two majors) -- but when?
Of course we can't win them all. Ask most exhibitors and they'll probably say that their dogs lose more often than they win. Still, Dinah's been "pointed out" since last June, and we still just can't seem to get those gawdforsaken majors done. This means that aside from the Canadian and UKC shows, every single show we've entered since then has been a failed attempt at trying to get those majors. Every single one. Even when we've won, we've lost: someone doesn't bring a bitch entry, the major breaks, and we've taken two points from someone else who could really have used them.
We gave it another shot this weekend. I drove through friggin' Tropical Storm Hanna to the Red Roof Inn in Milford, CT on a day when I would much rather have stayed home with my sweetie and all my dogs, watching our Netflix rentals and making popcorn. But noooooo. There I was on friggin' I-95 in Providence, half-blinded and half-deafened by the rain pounding on my car, trying to get to the hotel so I wouldn't have to drive five hours to a show on show day. I got stuck in traffic behind one car crash, and passed a couple of others.
Not that we're afraid of a little rain, or even a lot of it. Dinah thrives in crappy weather. She loves showing in mud, and she doesn't care if her feet get wet. Maybe it's the British heritage thing.
We did have mud at the show. The rings were actually pretty dry, but there were some major mud grooves cut into the fields where vehicles sank a little getting into and out of the parking areas. We brought Dinah to the ring in boots.
All six bitches were in the Open class at the Tarrytown show, even the ones who were being shown by their breeders. It was a massively competitive class, with nary a bad one in the bunch. The usual "big hats" were there, plus a couple of the top breeder/owner/handlers. Every single entry was beautiful, impeccably groomed, and worthy of the major. The judge placed Dinah fifth out of the six. He wasn't grossly confused like the last judge we faced last time we tried for a major. It simply wasn't her day. Again.
Dinah just wasn't "on" today, and when you're faced with a lineup like the one we faced, it isn't enough just to go in there and look pretty good. You really have to shine -- but she didn't shine, and so she ended up in the penultimate spot in the pack.
There's no shame in being beaten by a lineup like that, but I just can't help but wonder if it will ever be our turn. I have a friend who finally just spayed her bitch at age 8 after failing to get her majors and finish her. She's a beautiful girl who just doesn't happen to like showing very much -- which is generally not Dinah's problem. I just can't see myself still trying to get those same majors for five or six more years, when a single show entry will be above $50 and entries will be down so low that it will take two male Beardies to make a major -- but the AKC will keep the number of bitches at six just to keep things interesting.
When I talked to Greg on the phone afterward, he asked me whether it might not be time to just give up. I couldn't give him an answer.
We're approaching the part of the year when we can pretty much count the number of shows we're entering between now and New Year's (probably two). Because winter comes early and stays late in this latitude, the new year won't start up for us again until next April. Come spring, we'll have a whole new crop of hot competitors to face. They'll all finish in 3-4 shows and we'll still be plugging along.
Kathy's trying to help strategize by creating the perfect conditions for Dinah to win. The show is preferably outdoors, not too hot, and she gets to play with at least one of her buddies. Of course we'll have Great Bait there, and we won't have shown her every day of a three-day weekend.
We have to keep hoping that day will come (actually, "those days", since we still need two majors) -- but when?
Friday, September 05, 2008
Here's the Princess!
Isn't she pretty? Not 30 seconds after she came home from the groomer's, she was outside in the backyard looking to expand on Charlie's Big Dig. Fortunately, we caught her before she could get started. We might have to show in the mud on Sunday, but I'd rather she stay clean for just a little while longer...
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