The Kaiser Chiefs with The Ukulele Orchestra - Ruby

I've decided to educate us all with finding obscure stuff on ewe choob etc with obscure references to my dogs or songs I associate with my dogs, so Surprise, surprise we start with Ruby's theme song! Enjoy -----more on the way!

Shaggy dog

I've mentioned before how shaggy draco's coat is, well here are pics that do it justice!






Pretty Molly


Blossom leading the charge!

training Madeleine how to jump!

Pictures- at last

DRACO

Well Marie was away to play in Scotland for the weekend with Beryl, her smooth collie for the weekend. She came home the bridesmaid again though! Beryl's big failing is her movement at the moment and again it let her down in Edinburgh, eventually coming second to the bitch that won Crufts and went on to win BOB for the day making that dog up to a CH. Though Marie complained that the other dog doesn't move so well either and there was a suspect looking 'patch' on the other dog! Ho hum, she'll just have to try again...........and again!
Ruby came into season the weekend of dashin dogs, so no training for her last week - for once her seasons have landed at the right time, so a whole season of competing for her! She's 6 next week, I can hardly believe it, but , like me, she's still young at heart. Here she is in a rare moment for her, that is, not avidly gazing at the hamster!

As the wife was away Puck could come in and spend some quality time with his dad, and hopefully watch my old decrepit cat, Les move from his basket occasionally! Puck trained very well last week, but as usual, we get it together on our 2nd run, not our 1st go! He was on a mission though and nipped me a couple of times, I love it when he does well , and just wish to show him how I feel about it, unfortunately Puck see's this as a chance to "eat" dad!! , Ruby punches me in the unmentionables, Puck tries to maul me........is it something I've done??

I must admit though, I am getting mightily BORED with just training..... and it's taking the edge off my desire to do agility, 6-7 month's of just training is taking it's toll and my concentration is deteriorating and I'm not doing my dogs justice- I need competition now, and still none till Wallingford, though I think I've cocked up the entries - I wanted to enter the brace, but when I entered quickly on ISS the option just didn't seem to come up- so I think I missed it, I think running Ruby and Puck together would have been interesting. Also not doing the laser pairs as Ms White is off after easier pickings up North! Also don't think I'll be getting a chance to be in the Power and Speed final as the heat at DD was cancelled, and I'm judging on the day in question at Supadogs!............Not a happy bunny!
Judging this weekend at wye valley small/medium show, should be fun as I've got teams and 6-7 jumping (my fav) I do like making these little dogs run and stretch out on courses!
Took some pics of the pups at the weekend, not as good as Marie's, but great for me!
This is Molly , speed demon, needs more socialisation as everything new needs to be barked at !! Still hoping for a home, yet another reason to get to more shows, for people to see her in the flesh!


Draco is growing fast and is such a handsome litte fella, he idolises Puck, but Puck won't have anything to do with him, though he does like Belle! These pics dont do his coat any justice, it is about 3 inches long over his back .....when you consider that Kelpies coats are about 1 inch long! I'm hoping he won't suffer too much when (if!!!) it ever gets sunny and warm.

Well.....nothing went to plan!

Realise I must get some more photo's. vids of the dogs done soon, sorry bloggers who take the time to read this I promise I'll post some soon!
Well the first show of the season loomed large last week, and we still had no caravan, it has been in at the repairers getting numerous things fixed in it- new window, repair from the blow-out and the bathroom area totally overhauled, when I popped in on Wednesday not a lot had been done! Eventually we got it back at 3pm on the Thursday ( and we still had to load up etc!) A 4 hour journey then ensued up to North wales and DD, we got to the site at around 8 30 pm and had to be towed on! Not a good start , and the rain and wind were whipping up! We made do with the basics in the caravan and saw to the dogs and the pups as it was their first big trip out! No accident and all was fine in the van.
The ensuing night was an experience to remember! the caravan rocking and rolling as the wing buffeted us, the wind howling and whistling, and then came the hail and rain, i thought the caravan would either be penetrated by the hail, or that we would be blown away or over or at least be moved by the wind! At 2.30 we heard someone tooting a horn - Super-Marie was up, dressed and foul weather gear on off she trooped into the Maelstrom- well, someone had to stay behind to provide ballast for the caravan!! The secretary's marquee etc had been blown away, and lots and lots of people had ruined awnings/ fences left. In the morning no let up in the weather, and the news came that the show was cancelled, a very sensible choice considering the conditions. And then Cheryl from Northern Ireland arrived! Not good news for her as she'd paid a fortune in fuel, ferries etc! We all felt very sorry for her!
The pups had a great time, out for walks and run abouts with older brothers and sisters, they also caught up with Flash and Diane, he's a big boy and very, very bouncy and active!
We were then waiting to meet the people to come and see Molly on the Saturday, they spoke to us on the Friday and arranged to come and see her on the Saturday.
saturday am came and marie took a phone call from the people to say that they wouldn't be coming to see Molly as they had been to see a litter of Manchester Terriers and fallen for one of them! Now this is fine, but I wish they'd told us that they were going to see another litter (as we'd just spoken to them the day before!) Poor Molly, she's such a cracking little dog, but we'll do our best by her!
Then Cheryl fell in love with Halo! Now I planned to keep a bitch from this litter and I thought long and hard over which one to keep, Draco was a choice of the heart as I think he's a lovely wee chap and he looks so different even more so now that his coat is getting longer! But with pressure from others about how I'd cope training and bonding with 2 dogs and with how much Cheryl seemed to desire halo I relented and the deal was done! Halo was on her way to Northern Ireland. The decision was not a light or an easy one, I was very attached to halo, but watching Sheugh (Cheryl's other kelpie out of ruby- and puck and ~Tinks brother) I thought he needed another kelpie to play with, and he seems to have calmed down a lot, ( he is on the more dominant side of the kelpie trait!) But he needs to stretch out instead of chasing spaniels around all the time, and he seemed to take to halo as she was not too much in his face! And realising my time constraints and training facilities locally I decided it would be best for halo to go with Cheryl. We spoke to Cheryl last night and it seems she's settled in exceptionally well, claiming the camper van as her own and not missing her litter mates at all- or having struggles with the irish brogue! And now she's known as Ali
So I'm left with Draco ,and Molly is still looking for a home!
And on Saturday ruby came into season! So all in all it was probably fortuitous that we had no show! My next show is in 3 weeks time- so Great as she'll be out of season, and have all competing season with no worries regarding her coming in, and with luck she'll come in before Olympia - should we lucky enough to get there!
So that's that all my energies are concentrated on Draco - no pressure! But he's sat in front of me now chewing a bone and looking mighty pleased that he is now the 'chosen one.'

man flu and it's consequences

Well the grand events of Cruft's came and went, and I'm sure I missed it in a blur, or is that wishful thinking?
Come the Friday and the ABC event I started to feel a bit queesy, I put this down to nerves. It was a struggle to run amber round the courses, nice courses they were too! She ran quite well, not full on as she can do when an audience is there, but at 08.30 in the morning there was no audience worth speaking about! She must've picked up on dad not being too well and stayed 'close to home', a pole unusually down in the agility was followed in the afternoon by an aberrant move by myself in the jumping- a blind turn- suitably punished by amber, as she ran past the next jump!!
Saturday was spent mainly on the sofa with a headache, which I put down to the weather! Beryl had a starring role on the TV by doing what she does best- sitting still!!Apparently the Beeb phoned marie in the week to say thanks for letting them show beryl and that they would be sending a DVD of her time on the sofa, and may be in touch in the future as she was such a good dog!
Up early on the Sunday and away to Cruft's and feeling vacant! What happened to the nerves and anticipation, to be honest I turned up physically for the event, but by no means mentally! I walked the jumping course, and was really peed off that the tricky bit got so glued up, but thought we'd do it a certain way, but knowing ruby's right turn issues just now, I tried to walk it 2 ways!
Off she started, and at the tricky bit where she should be landing and turning right, I could feel her peeling off to the left, so it was on to plan B ( I originally wanted her to take obstacles 6,7,8,9 the same way Mandy took them, but rapidly reverted to plan B - the way everyone else took the course, still i could feel her peeling to the left when she needed to go right, come the jump after the collapsible and she was again off to the left so a big (panicky) shout "right" resulted in a pole down! By now I was pissed with her turns so I worked it a bit better, even though it looked like she was going to miss the long jump! I could feel her powering down and getting nowhere!
So 5 faults ( all I had last year!) And faced with the agility, and as someone pointed out to me I walked the course in a trance!It was trappy and technical, but i thought I liked it! Then I watched the small dogs go and I thought- they're going over jumps I walked the other way! Not a confidence booster! I'd walked a tougher course!
But we were undone by our (one of many ) weaknesses, having to put her onto the dog walk, catch up with her and tell her to get it (contact) Well nothing at all was uttered by me to tell her anything and she pinged the contact, the next second was spent berating myself for not saying anything and off she sailed over the wrong jump- Crufts over! Need to go home!!
Now I know what was wrong I'd got the flu, I've struggled with sinusitis, blocked nose, head splitting headaches, aches, pains and fevers all week, only today abating slightly enough to write this!
There's always again next year! no points chasing this year ( I don't do enough shows to justify competing for this) but lots to go for Ruby deserves a run out at Olympia - so that is our main objective- any which way!
Not disappointed by Crufts Just dismayed that my body let ruby down at the crucial time!



It looks like we may at last have a forever home for Molly, fingers crossed, she may meet her potential owners at dashin dogs and be on her way from there, she needs the 1-1 attention.
And yes at last competing season gets underway this weekend, Amber is consigned to ABC's this year mainly, courses seem to suit her ( OR MY FRAME OF MIND!)
Ruby needs 'culturing' and bonding with dad in a competitive setting, and a better contact method.
Puck I think I'm excited with this season, not as consistent as his mum, but gives 100% commitment all the time and I look forward to testing him out on courses he has been groomed for, he won out last September and this weekend will be his first serious attempt at grade 6, so look out he'll either be phenomenal or disasterous ( with a huge pinch how did he do that!!) He is a work in progress and he's shaping up nicely!