Your dreams can only be shattered so many times before they become your nightmares. If I could just have one Champion dog, then I'd be sailing on cloud nine for years to come. The big problem is, I love my dogs as individuals more than I love the "sport." Pet/show owners may not consider that a problem, they would consider it a blessing, "show"people may well see my dilemma. In a "Show home" puppies who lose the early potential are re-homed and the mother is mated again to different bloodlines. I don't actually see the harm in that, actually I consider it the best course of action as long as these puppies/young dogs are rehomed carefully into pet homes to live life to the full, then they are not left to live their lives in kennels as rejected show dogs. I consider my dogs pets who go to shows and not just show dogs, there is a difference. My dogs live the pet dog lifestyle, they live in the house and get walked not just "exercised" for the show ring, they get treats, cuddles and as much love as I can give them. Some of you may recall John Mclain asking me why my dogs are so obsessed with me? Hell I don't know, I hope I give them the best I can, there is great love, but also discipline here, we do run an organised ship.
Last night I sobbed my heart out again after chatting to a friend about her preparations for "The Sieger." I'm really enthusiastic for her and I wish her all the best, but that doesn't change the fact that I feel sorry for me and mine. Like me, she's worked hard to get where she is, but after 30 - 40 years of dedication to this breed neither of us have really managed to get any of our dogs close to the top, no, not even once. Her dogs live like mine do, if it stays it stays so I guess there is less chance of getting the big winner. In Beti I really thought I had it, but with her elbow abnormality even if she does have a successful show career she can not be bred from. I would never consider re-homing Beti, she came here and made me smile when I was at my lowest, and she continues to make me smile every day, but the "Blanik" line can not carry on through Beti.
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Cards on the table, and I haven't said this about anyone in a long time, but I am disappointed in Meerah, by that I mean in her show/breeding potential. She is far too big and has a noticeable short steep croup. Though she may have a family expression, her current conformation is not representative of either of her parents or any of her "Blanik" ancestors. I know things can change, I know she may well look better in a years time, but currently, well I am considering whether at the end of August I take her out of the ring for 6 months or so ... we'll see. Of course the "show person" would get those hips x rayed now, then with all the necessary information they would re home her and take Siska to a dog of totally different bloodlines! I honestly can see the benefits to that here. I currently do not need more dogs, but clocks are ticking and I have two years at the most for Siska to have a second litter, and when my desired female comes to Orin, I'll have to go for it when ever it is. (Yes, I've told Steve!) The "desired" female is Beti's age, well a month older, so her owner will probably want to mate her within the next year ... that is their call not mine but if I've any chance of carrying this line, that is so precious to me, forward, then I have to go back to the drawing board with Orin and Siska. With hindsight, maybe I should have kept a K litter female, it would probably have been Ginger, but hell never any regrets of having Orin here, he's very special to me, though in my emotional state last night I did tell Steve that I need to learn to make better decisions!
So going back to Meerah, I am willing to give her time as I know it's an odd age, and I can only hope that she'll just take time and look more balanced as she gets older. What's difficult to know is whether she should go in the ring looking like this just to gain experience, or whether she should stay at home till she's "show ready?" It's a hard one isn't it as we know what people are like! Anyway just to put things into prospective, here are two photos of Loki, in April 2015 at 9 months and a year later at the same show in April 2016. I'm using photos of Loki as he was a tall male and I remembered how leggy he was as a teenager. I guess there is hope! I must apologise for my emotional ramblings, whether here or on the phone, hopefully things will get better!
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