A Week On

                                  

The lights are different, but  you can see how much the tan and silver stripe have crept through the black. His coat is thickening daily. A few more days before he's 4 months. 

Playing And Training

Ian managed to fight his way through the New Zealand chain gate fastener and came to visit the Blanik. His help today was fantastic; hopefully tomorrow I can put the fencing up along the rest of the wall. I had hoped to do it this afternoon, but it took me a long time to straighten it and drag it along the length of the wall.

After running the adults and getting to see Kasey and Kiaan, we did 10 mins with Zavi. Just once around the ring, some hide-and-seek games with me hiding and Zavi seeking and then some standing practice. These are screenshots from a video, and without a third person, he's twisting towards me, so not perfect, but still fab for our memories! 

Walking Words

I loaded the first four into the van and came back for my keys and phone. Steve was carrying wood in, so I left the gate into the yard open for him. What I hadn't realised was that Steve had finished carrying wood in, and what he didn't realise was that I'd left the gate open. As soon as the van went down the track, Steve let Ross and Beti out; of course, they saw the open gate and charged down the fields. Oops, yes, they chased the sheep that were in our fields. Human error let the dogs down, and I'm disappointed my dogs were put in a position of danger, but I'm not disappointed that the sheep got chased out of the fields!

On this footpath where we don't see anyone, we saw a man and a dog today. Though his dog was on a lead, the sheep were running in front of him. I opted to branch off and walk towards the quarry, only for him to circle round and come towards me again, with Sammi air-scenting, I turned back and did a short walk along the main path. I felt the walk was enough for Zavi, but I did feel our very fit older lady was not amused!

As soon as I got Meerah and Zeus out of the van, a woman came towards me. We exchanged pleasantries about the strong breeze, and she said rain was forecast. Was it? Hell, though I'm now in my expensive £3.00 charity shop coat I didn't have waterproof legs! LOL 

I love this photo of Zeus of Meerah. 

In fields that I shouldn't be in with Orin and Siska, a few spots of rain, but we plod on. This little cottage has collapsed so much over the years, to think when I first moved here that one of the farmers kept his dogs in it! 

Orin and I had words over his explosion out from the van. He seems to have forgotten the meaning of "Wait," so today we had a little training! Bless him; he's like a bull in a china shop in all his life!

Walk 4 with Ross and Beti, I forgot the kong – Oops, but we found a stick for mega gob! It pissed it down on us, but we didn't care! 

As we went back towards the van we saw Ian's van coming down the hill and parking next to us. He came out of the van and called out to me. Beti heard him, she started to run off , I called her she stopped. She looked at Ian, looked at me .. OMG dilema .. but off she went, leapt over him and then came back to me! Naughty Beti, but she loves Uncle Ian!  

You're Entered!

I've entered Zavi at his first show, it's a baby puppy S/C class at a Regional. As I've said before, they are really not my scene; they are like the RKC Breed Champ Shows that I started to attend in the 90ies. Following the implementation of RKC rules, the RKC shows are calmer now, though sadly with not even half the entries of 20 years ago. It's not just GSD shows that are suffering; dog shows in general are now very low in entries. 

I much prefer the calmer, but quicker judging of general champ shows. Depending on the judge of course. I sometimes think regionals are like watching paint dry. Mind you, it took one judge 7 hrs to judge 52 dogs at a breed champ show last month, I think I'd have given up the ghost. I'd expect 52 dogs to be judged in about 3 hrs.

I've basically entered Zavi at this show just for the experience; it will be loud and hopefully busy there. I would never discount showing him at Regionals, I'll have to see where he fits in best. My hope would be that I could do a bit of everything with him, but my preference is to spend time with my bunch of friends at my kind of shows. We are a close-knit group who support each other and just have the best time. A couple of my "champ show" buddies are going to join us at the regional; just a shame it's so far or we could all have gone! 

As you can see, Zavi's head is looking better again, but now we have a severe left ear malfunction 😁 ... seriously no, I'm not worried! His coat is coming through beautifully, and I'm sure by the time of the regional that he'll look pretty decent! (No, I won't be going with expectations, especially knowing which litter will be just a week short of 6 months and who will probably be handling them.) 

Cancellations

The week is not going to plan ... On Monday Steve went for his audiologist appointment; the time on the card was 9.30am and the date - 14/9/26. When he got there, they told him there had been a mix-up; the appointment was 14/10/26. They did apologise, but ... 

This morning I was driving to my appointment in Llandudno hospital when my mobile rang. Hands-free was not as easy in Steve's car, but since I was using the phone for Sat Nav it was in the cradle, so I was able to answer. It was the appointment department of the hospital cancelling my appointment. "Oh Hell, but I'm on my way." She apologised, but the person I was seeing had phoned in sick! I guess I was glad of a mobile phone, as I was able to turn back, but Gail who was going with me to hold my hand, had taken a day off work. Well, we stopped for a cuppa and had a good natter, but after working myself up a little for the appointment, it was disappointing. The caller assured me that I would get another appointment within a couple of weeks, but I can't ask Gail to take another day off work, can I? 

Tomorrow is Mum's appointment in the pain clinic ... 3rd time lucky? 

Sheep And Puppy Pens

The bloody sheep are haunting us again. After Linda and I thought we'd sorted out the top field, the bastards and their friends were back in this week. They had completely demolished the fencing we'd put up in the old gateway. Today Steve and I tried to redo it; we'll see. The twat sheep and her very agile lamb seem impossible to keep out, but when they bring their friends in, well, that's taking the piss. With the old van still here and needing a run, I took it up the mountain to collect some discarded panels to try and further secure the section. If money were no object, I'd keep this van too ... just because!

Anyway, back to sheep, as much as I complain about "her" and her lamb, I really don't wish them harm. I just don't want them in our fields. I've cleaned buckets of shit up twice this week and thrown it all over the wall into the farmers' fields. A couple of weeks ago I decided to report the neglect of the sheep up here (Not twat sheep and her lamb, they look fab on our grass!) Some of these sheep haven't been sheared in years; imagine looking like that in that heat, and then the weight of it in the heavy rain. RSPCA said nothing to do with us; contact APHA. They said nothing to do with us as they are on common land, contact Trading Standards! Well they came out and saw them saying they were in good condition; they just need shearing, but as they have no ID, they can't contact an owner to deal with them. They said they would contact the Common Land Grazing Society, but that is the last I've heard of it! Whilst corresponding with trading standards about the sheep, I mentioned our problems with the sheep coming into our fields, but of course I knew the answers...

The "Customary Duty to Fence": Because your property is on or near Common Land in Y Fron, the legal precedent (Egerton v Harding) states that the duty falls on you (the property owner) to maintain an adequate fence or wall to keep the livestock out—not on the farmer to keep them in.

The Limitation of the Animals Act 1971: While the Animals Act normally makes livestock owners "strictly liable" for damage caused by trespassing animals, the final paragraph explicitly warns that this law may not apply to you because of the customary common land duty. 

Zavi is still having a left ear malfunction. It's not quite got the strength to stay up for the whole day, it's quite funny really. I took it on myself to take the puppy pen down last week. With nothing but hospital/ Doctors' appointments this week – I realised today that I may have been a bit previous. Anyway, this morning whilst I took the second groups out walking I put Zavi and Meerah in the big pen .. I put them there again when we were fencing; it worked well. It makes me feel better, at least I know that when I'm at Llandudno Hospital on Wednesday, and I'm taking Mum to the pain clinic on Thursday, Steve can put 4 dogs in the pen and have 2 in the front garden and middle room and two in the living room and yard. Tomorrow Steve is seeing the audiologyist, and I'm staying home with the gang! 

Sunday On The Mountain

A happy first walk with Meerah and Zavi. Obviously we didn't go far, but I want to keep him walking with different dogs so today Meerah was in charge. 

Some great "Waits" from Zavi for photos.

Though Sammi is happy to walk with Zeus and happy to be with him in the garden and middle room, she really doesn't want to spend time alone in the bedroom with him. It's sad to see really, she'll turn tail and go off into the crate in the utility room rather than sit with him on the bed! I must admit I've seen what goes on, so I don't blame her!

There's always a walk that makes me stressed; it's not often Ross and Beti, but it was today! They nearly pulled me over and the number of times we all got tangled was just ridiculous. I guess neither are used to being on the lead on the mountain, but Sundays are no better on there. The traffic up to the shooting range was never-ending; the cows, with calves were up there as well as the usual sheep, and of course the Sunday walkers! Remind me next weekend why I don't walk on the mountain on a Sunday!

I got Orin and Siska out of the van just as two men wandered up towards us. I've no idea why but Orin kicked off. As Steve always tells me, you are a woman walking dogs in remote places; don't tell them off for barking if they are uncomfortable with someone. Even as they walked away, he continued to bark, really not like him. 

This photo made me giggle. The plan was that they would both go onto a different slate. Siska had another plan and I left her to it!

With every walk it got warmer; after yesterday, who would have believed I'd have been walking in a T.shirt today!

Who Let The Sun Out?

Colour Changes

Some very quick colour changes are going on here now, and a struggling left ear. 

If you compare with this photo taken on the 7th, you can see the tan spreading up his shoulder blade and that silver line coming through behind it. Fascinating, isn't it! If I remember I'll try and get another "side profile" pic next weekend. 

Mid- Month Weigh- In

Just out of curiosity I weighed Zavi today. He was 18.5 kg and around 50cms at the wither. So weight/height wise still ahead of Orin, who was 19.2 kg and 51 cms at 4 months. Zavi won't be 4 months till the 24th, it will be interesting to see then where he compares to Orin and the other Blanik boys over the years. (And Meerah! LOL)

The photo is another screenshot from the video we took yesterday. Whilst the other photo was my first pick, I keep coming back to look at this one too. Though the far side foreleg is too far back, I prefer the front assembly in this one. (head, neck, forelegs) I also love his unexaggerated hindquarters ... Yeah, another super photo.