Hips and Merioneth

 

Ziva's hips

Jezi's hips

Looking at these photos of the X-ray's interests me greatly. Even I can see the difference in Jezi's left hip to the other three hips. To my eye the ball does look smaller, and does not fit as comfortably in the socket. I don't really understand the finer points of the scoring but it is possible to see that that hip would score higher than the others. Still a total of 18 is quite acceptable, and she would still qualify for a breed survey class one with her 6+12 score. (53+53 is the top score and that means severe hip dysplasia)  So though you always hope for better I guess I can't complain about either. Good on yeah girls!
Merioneth


Blade at Ruthin in 1995

Like many other local shows I have been attending this show since 1991/2. I have rarely missed it, taking time off work to make it to the mid week show. Now despite what you may think, it's never really been a lucky show for me. All those years and only ever 4 best of breeds. It's just when we win there, we win big! Blade took his first Best of Breed there with Best In Show in about 1995, and then his second Best In Show from a veteran class in 1999.
The Summer of 99 had been very emotional, Blade had suffered his first torsion in the June and we had come so close to loosing him that I had him wrapped up in cotton wool. The morning of the show I loaded the youngsters into the blue metro, telling Blade that though he was entered he was staying at home. Steve would be home at lunch time to check on him. Blade was such an Obedient dog, but that day he shoved past me ran out and jumped over the front seat into the car. I just couldn't do it to him, I couldn't bring him back when he wanted to go so badly! And there he was at the end of the day ...BIS from veteran under The Kennel Club's chairman Ronnie Irvin! The icing on the cake was that Kiri also went Reserve Best Puppy In Show on the same day. I think I floated home!

Mikey BIS 2012/13

And that was it, no more wins at Merioneth until 2012 when Mikey took his first best of breed with Best In Show there, his first Best in Show at this show but his third of that Summer's season.
2013, and when Mikey went BOB I can't deny it the thought did cross my mind ... could he do it again? But my god I can't explain the excitement of it actually happening. Way To Go Mikey Mikey.
So Merioneth show, 22 years of competing with 4 BOB's doesn't sound that good does it? But 4 Best In Shows ... like I said when we win there we win big!

What A Boy!

 We've just had another Fantastic day in the show ring. Blanik Georgios (Mikey Mikey) was BEST In SHOW at Merioneth Agricultural Society show for the second consecutive year. Thanks to the two judges for thinking highly of my homebred boy and to my friends there and at home for their continued support.

 

Over The Moon

Ziva's hip score has come back,
a fantastic score of 4 + 5, and her elbows are 0 0.

Best score here since Dexi.(who was 2+3) On a high now :)

WOOHOOO MIKEY GOT "THE" POINT!!!!!

 To be fourth has NEVER meant so much!!!

It's been 12 months of BEST OF BREEDS followed by jack shit in the groups, but today we got past the glamour breeds and at least got a Pastoral Group 4. All well needed to send off for his Open Show merit Certificate. The Kennel Club will take three weeks to process the application, then with a bit of luck Mikey Mikey will have letters after his name. To his friends he will always be Mikey Mikey, others may then address him as Blanik Georgios ShCM! :)

Please can I sleep now?

2 Year Old "H" Litter Girls

Ziva

 Jezi

Lexi

Some Fun At Training For Nico

 

Fun Pics From Today Too

Nico - go boy go

Jezi - Not playing!!!!

 Everybody in!

 Mikey -Splashing just a little

 Beautiful Asha - coming through!

Ziva and Mikey

Like A Box Of Quality Streets

Everyone has a different favourite ... except me.

I Love them all

My Beautiful Boys

Nico

Finlay

Mikey

 

***

My Gorgeous Girls

Ziva

Asha

Jezi

Tali

Nico

 

Please don't get me wrong I'm not disappointed in the dog. I adore the dog, everything about him makes me smile from ear to ear. I'm disappointed in myself, in my inability to sort out the problem. Someone else' careless training is affecting out current show days and I'm finding it difficult to "untrain" him without maybe bringing back some unpleasant memories. There is a way, there must be a way to get this right and get this beautiful dog the recognition he truly deserves.

Plonker!!

Have to admit I'm feeling pretty low this morning. Shouldn't take it to
heart, but I do. I have this lovely male here, best since Dexi and I can't get his performance right in the ring. He looked stunning yesterday and looked sound as a pound going round the ring.
In my eye he should never have been last, but this up and down is such an issue and I don't know what to do about it. In fairness to the judge he obviously liked him and gave him extra opportunities to get it right, but he didn't! I've been going to training and teaching him "steady," he's great at it there with me, but I've got no one here with GSD's who can help. As soon as he's in that ring he just thinks he should pull like an idiot. Even John (Did you win the lotto to buy that) Thomas said yesterday that he should never have been last, but with the excessive pulling and digging in the judge obviously felt he looked unsound, which I know he's not!
The other comments yesterday was "has he had a bitch yet? He's frustrated " He was so OTT, but Jezi is just finishing her season and he LOVED Lilly. I'm telling you my hands were red raw with being dragged about after bitches! (LOL) But what can I do? I can't force people to use him, and I can't till next year. Such a waste ... I hope I'm not wearing rose tinted glasses but I think he's just stunning.
Sorry to go on, needed to rant, hopefully it well help, any tips gratefully accepted ....

Welsh Kennel Club Champ Show Tomorrow ...

... so who's going then???

Any One Else Get Cake?

Lucky, Lucky Danni

Happy 2nd Birthday ...

To our beautiful girls, Jezi and Ziva ...

Your like Chalk and Cheese,

you may not have always given us an easy ride, but I think we may have finally got there...

Happy Birthday wishes to all the other "H" litter babies.

Diesel my precious boy, we are thinking about you..

Rip my angel  

Nico

It's a year to the day since Heather first sent me an e.mail and a photo of a dog she had taken back called "Danko." My head was immediately buzzing and I remember sharing the news with Sarah as we were talking in facebook "chat" at the time. The e.mail followed a brief PM in Facebook and informed me that ...
 ...his forehand was better than in the photo, but his back line needed to firm a bit more and he needed to build muscle in the croup. She was convinced it would come with training as there's was already a marked difference in the short time he'd been back in Scotland. When they first got him back, you could see every rib and his pin bones were sticking out, he looked "like a bloody rescue," with dull coat and eyes. But by then, he had weight and had muscle on him, his coat was gleaming and he was a very happy boy with a happy outlook.

"I honestly think you would love him and think he could do very well for you in the ring when fully fit. But the way your lot run that will take no time at all."
I was smitten, I immediately set my heart on "Danko" coming to Blanik and a very long month of waiting began. It's common knowledge that as the weeks went by a lot more was discovered about Nico's past abroad and sadly little of it pleasant. But despite some minor difficulties caused by his earlier treatment I can honestly say that hand on heart it's been one of the best decisions I ever made. He's a star, a happy loving dog who wants no more than to please, we both adore him. No doubt in Sept I'll be rethinking and repeating the emotion of the day when I first set eyes on my precious boy.

Professional Photos from last weeks show

 

Being presented BIS

 

BIS, RBIS and BPIS

Wonderful photos again by the talented Dog Show photographer Bethan Hughes

Mixed Walks in evening sunshine

Finlay, Asha, Nico and Ziva

Tali, Mikey and Jezi

Jezi's in season and though she's not at the peak she's throwing herself at a very willing Nico.

At the moment Mikey is taking every day as it comes and as she's leaving him alone he's still pretty calm, calm enough to walk together anyway. No doubt things will change drastically over the next few days.

Ziva and Nico are getting on a treat, she's enjoying the attention and even dropping her toy to play with him! I've quite enjoyed taking them out in different groups over the last few days to be honest, and it no doubt does them good too!

He's still not Smiling!

I'll let you decided what's true and what isn't, it's not that I'm past caring, far from it; I just can't tell anymore .....
"George Michael has been pictured with a huge scar on the back of his head following his car accident back in May.The 50-year-old singer was airlifted to hospital after he fell out the passenger seat of a Range Rover on a busy M1 motorway near St. Albans, Hertfordshire. George spent two weeks in hospital following the near-fatal incident, after suffering head injuries, cuts and bruises
And while Careless Whisper singer George is 'on the mend' and maintaining positive spirits following the crash, the lasting damage is clear to see.
As well as the large scar on his head, estimated to be around five inches in length, George also has another scar on his left elbow.
After the crash, driver Katherine Fox spoke of her shock after she had to swerve and skid to a halt to when George fell out of the car which was travelling at around 70mph.
Children's nanny Fox said: 'I honestly don’t know how he survived. He had a bad cut on his face and the blood was running down over his mouth and teeth.
'He was in shock, breathing and conscious, but looked terrible. There was so much blood on his face that I didn’t recognise him.’
George hit the third of four lanes on a northbound stretch of the motorway. His trainers and trademark designer sunglasses were flung into another lane by the impact.
However, a source told the People newspaper that George is doing his utmost to maintain a positive perspective on life following the crash.
The source said: 'George is enjoying life, a few scratches but he's glad to be alive.'
George, who has enjoyed a successful solo career since finding fame in the 1980s duo Wham!, was close to death only 18 months ago after being struck down with pneumonia in Vienna......................" 

Rotary Club Of Bangor Country Fayre/Show

After Reserve Best In Show in 2011

Mikey wins Best in Show for the second year in a row at this show.

What a Star!!!!

Our celebration dance sadly seem to turn into a rain dance and by the time Finlay got into the ring it was pissing it down!!! My poor old man got soaked to his skin but didn't let the side down winning second in veteran. He also went into the ring with a teenage girl he met 5 mins previously. He was an absolute star, gave a great performance and helped her win her age class, then in the knock out she was awarded Best Junior handler in show. So proud of him!  

Finlay with Georgia

Baby Ziva Flying....

Look no paws on the ground

Ziva and I are so pleased today is over, nothing more I can do.

 Now it's the waiting game.