Beautiful Morning On The Mountain

Walking The Dogs

 Loki, Mikey and Sammi

 Tali, Asha and Ziva

The plan for walk three was simple. Finlay still wants to come but he can't do the distance that Nico and Jezi need. He still get's so excited that I haven't got the heart to go without him. So Steve came with me and when the "old boys" had had enough they went back. But these things never go as they should do do they and one old boy was struggling well  before the other! As I walked away with Nico and Jezi I could see Finlay pulling back towards us. He so wanted to come on the whole walk, and yeah he could have made it to the end, but then we have to go all the way back, and that simply would have been too much for him. I'm not afraid to deny that I cried as I saw him having to be pulled away, but it was for his own good, and safety! Anyway like I said, these things never go to plan because when I got back to the van I found that the other old boy had had a fall on the way back ... but of course I'm not suppose to tell anyone about that!! I think I need to think of another plan as that one really didn't seem to work! 

Loki Doing His Individual At Crufts

Crufts 2016

Having set off from home at 5.30am yesterday morning I can honestly say that when I arrived home as 12.20am today, I was well and truly knackered. I was traveling with a friends who's Malinois bitch won the CC, BOB and was shortlisted in the pastoral group. What a day, what an experience for her .. and yes she was TV last night and I'm sure will be tonight too ... if your watching then watch out for Tish and Noya!

Our own "showing" wasn't as successful and to be honest, though I tried not to show it I felt pretty deflated. Loki was pulled out 2nd but moved down behind an inferior dog; the judge commenting that ... "he needs to put more effort into his performance, and that his ears where back on the move!"  Ok I have always said that Loki is too laid back, no I have never read anywhere that he couldn't put his ears back when moving! Don't get me wrong, I know his limitation .. I've only got rose tinted glasses for Sammi, but for fecks sake he didn't deserve that! 

Bella wasn't placed but put in a faultless performance which we were all proud of and she and Loki both coped fantastically well with everything thrown at them during their day at Crufts! Yeah to be honest they were an absolute pleasure to spend the day with! 

The BOB has yet again caused controversy, with her character as well as her conformation called to question! I was right next to the ring during her class. Even there the bitch was obviously unsettled and very scatty. Though she didn't back off, I was horrified that the judge did not see this. Also mostly she stood reasonably well, but sometimes she seemed to "Fold" into the position she was in in the group ring. Maybe this is out of character for this bitch, but it's the dog on the day and she should have been judged appropriately! In my opinion the RCC bitch or DCC was a far better candidate for the group on the day. (the dog was the lovely Yupp who I posted pictures of as a candidate for Sammi!) 

Photos of Noya, Loki in his original second place position, Loki about to be assessed by the judge and Bella in the ring!  

Loki At Crufts - Photos

I'll tell the tale later!!! (Tali says it should be tail!!!)

Blanik Ivana

Love this photo of Sammi 

Bath Time

Preparing for the day ... 

And still wagging his tail! 

Today

A sneaky walk on a glorious spring day with Finlay before his vets check-up. 

Nothing new really to report, other than I did ask the question ... 

Of course there are no guarantees but the vet felt that we may well get to the Summer. Though there is no doubts that there is something sinister going on she feel he still has a lot of spirit! 

This morning Steve drove me down to the village and got me and the dogs safely onto the track up to Llyn Cop. It was my first decent walk for 12 days and I loved it. Yes tonight I'm a little more sore, but hell it was worth it. Steve sat up on a rock admiring the view as the little ones and I enjoyed a mess about by the lake ... but they did find him!

A First For A Blanik

This is Caleb - Sammi's brother. He is now competing in "Canicross." We've had Blaniks in the show ring, doing Obedience and Agility, as well as a bit of working trials ... but Caleb is the first to do canicross. As this is a new sport of recent years I've googled the correct description ....
"Canicross is the sport of running off-road with your dog. The human participant wears a waistbelt which attaches via a 2-metre bungee line to a padded dog harness. It is a fantastic way to keep you and your dog fit whilst enjoying the great outdoors together. It provides a physical workout for your dog and the use of directional commands will help him to learn to use his brain and build up his confidence."
Linda and I did see a display of it at a companion show a couple of years ago but that was around a large field. The sport obviously being taken to another level as Arthur and Caleb run up mountains! (and what goes up - must come down!!!)
Here's quotes from him .. he does make me smile!
" He's so strong Rhian, he helped me get about the 8 minute mile up Moel y Ci. And i shat me self literally on the way down....."
Well let's be fair I would shit myself too if I was being pulled down a mountain by a 40kg GSD attached to a bungee line, must take some trust and some control!

Ears Today

I seem to be spending a lot of time at the vets these days. Finlay has an appointment to see Jill tomorrow and I was lucky to get Nico in to see Rachel today.
Every morning I worry is going to be Finlay's last. He won't get up, and when I do manage to get him out of bed he's so lethargic it's sad to see. I feel I need to get him up and out as he must surely need a wee, but he has no energy, no spark, just a blank exhausted expression. But then, by a about mid morning to lunch time he seems to come round. He eats his breakfast around 11 ish and though he's obviously not dancing on the tables the lights are back on!
Nico has been scratching at his ears and face for a few days. The hair so now coming off around the rim of his ears (On both sides)  he has an eczema type rash a little bit more wide spread on the inside of his ears, and today a patch by one eye. We have noticed that Nico does not like the heat in the living room and Rachel suggested that a small dermatological problem is being aggravated by the heat. His ear canals are spot less and she could find no other reason for this flare up! ( I did tell her about his habit of putting his whole face in ditches - but she thought the heat was a more likely cause)

Danko In A Ditch!

Anyway I was given the option of a steroid spray, cream or tablets. As he has a stud book in about 10 days I opted for the spray, if it does not clear with that then after the mating she will give him oral steroids.
Whilst we were there I popped Nico on the scales. Must admit I can't remember when he was last weighed .. but I think he was about 37kg -  OMG he's now 41kg! I suppose some of it is maturity, but without doubt some of it is less exercise than normal! Must get Mikey weighed sometime soon to see which of the fatties is the fattest! I know Loki is about the same wight, but he really is a much bigger dog, I wonder what he'll weigh as a mature adult?