So Chuffed

Last night I took Ziva to dog club for the first time in about 2 years, it went 10 times better than I thought it would. Due to a catalogue of bad experience in the club at a crucial time in her socialising period, Ziva hated dog club and anything to do with anyone touching her whilst she was in a show stance. For the first year or so I continued to take her, but i eventually realised that being in that room in that atmosphere was detrimental to her. To be honest it wasn't helped by the fact that I got more and more wound up and emotional about it.
Ziva is a happy bubbly playful person who loves life, she is confident around anyone and everyone, until she has to be shown. Well the moving bit is not a problem, she loves it, and neither is the standing still, but mixed up memories seem to come flooding back as soon as the judge starts examining her backend. If she is not in "stance" this does not happen and she's happy to accept any contact.
Ziva has not been in the show ring for about a year, I had felt that if she hated it that much, then what is the point? But with Sammi being miss cocky confident and not really needing ring craft I thought I would give our Zee one last go. Two years ago she would have been curled up on the sofa shaking when she saw me getting ready to go, last night she came with me happily as if we were going for a walk. She walked into the hall confidently and for the first time showed them her true self in that club. She was sociable and happy, she moved like a dream and was happy with any contact, until I stood her. As the trainer approached her in stance she moved her bottom sideways and clearly showed signs of being uncomfortable being "gone over!" But after 3 or 4 attempts of just "standing" on a loose lead she relaxed and settled down well. Again we attempted it in stance and she moved sideways - but free standing she was comfortable and relaxed. I too am in a very different frame of mind these days, back then it ment too much I guess, I was also ill and didn't yet know it , and the death of a friend has put a hell of a lot in life into prospective for me. If I can get Ziva back in the ring and enjoying it then I'll be over the moon, if I can't, what the hell? In her I have a wonderful friend who has and does give me so much of herself.
Watch this space ....

Remember The Runaway Angel?

It's now been 2 months since the last scary "runaway angel" incident. I don't know why she suddenly stopped doing it, but my god I'm glad she did! Was it just a phase she was going through or have the two interventions influence her behaviour? You may remember after a frustrating and scary 20 mins of trying to catch her at the end of a walk she came flying down the track behind me; with precision timing that's usually alien to me I grabbed her and pinned her to the floor holding her down for about 20 seconds before marching her home on the lead. I don't believe in smacking as it simply makes no sense in doggy language, but I did swear a fair few choice words in her face as she was pinned to the floor!
Only days later she charged off towards some campers by the lake, but in fairness returned to a recall a fair distance before getting to them. I was so chuffed to see her coming back so enthusiastically and was ready to praise her, sadly for her her mother had other ideas! Ziva threw her to the ground and growled aggressively in her face, keeping her "down" for a fair few seconds before allowing her to get up and continue with the walk.
Between us I guess we both reprimanded her in a similar way, I comforted myself at the time that I was walking away and not calling her, so I caught her in the act so to speak. But Ziva did exactly what we have been told never to do,  she reprimand the puppy on her returning to the pack which now makes me doubt everything I have been taught, we still have much to learn from pack behaviour.
Now I'm not saying all our recall problems are over and my heart still churns as I return home to the top gate. Will she come in or will she leg it down the track again? But with every day and ever walk that passes my confidence in her builds. Like I said I don't know why the behaviour changed but from the day I caught her charging down the track from behind me she has never done it again. No I'm not complacent, this is Sammi Belle, bright, inquisitive and very confident of her own self. Maybe I've won this round, but I fear there's a few more rounds to the war just yet!

Some Photos

 Sammi out in the evening sunshine

Tasha and her beautiful babies

Kai taking a dip 

Yesterday's Walks

With the bloody cows hanging around here I decided the only way I could get decent walks was to put the dogs in the van and go over to the other side of the mountain. I honestly believe these large animals should not be roaming free through the village and on common land where people walk, but obviously my opinion counts for nothing! 

I set off with Nico, Finlay and Jezi, taking my camera with me as I usually do these days. I wonder, are these the most photographed dogs in Wales? lol  Anyway the route was mapped out in my head, but best laid plans and all that eh! Within minutes of setting off Jezi submerged herself in a mud filled bog. Too late to do anything about it I got the camera out and took some piccies. They were strangely dark and unclear, I blamed the sun for being in the wrong place! So with smelly dog in tow we changed the route and went down to the lake ... again the photos were dark and unclear. Though it did give a wonderful light on some of the scenery shots! Thinking there was either something wrong with the camera or the very cloudy sky was affecting the light I gave up and carried on on my walk. 

By the time I was doing walk number two the sun was in it's full glory so the camera came out again, still the quality of the photos were poor! It was only about half way through this walk that I realised I was having a blonde moment ...the camera was set to Sunset!!!! 

No comment.

So above a dark photo of mucky Jezi, Finlay and Nico

below a nice photo of,

 Ziva, Asha, Mikey,Tali and Sammi in front!

Exciting News

Tasha has had 10 babies today.

 The first arrived at 11.20am - the last at around 7.30pm. 

Hoping now for regular updates! 

GSD Type - A Breed Apart?

Just incase you don't know what I'm talking about. 

 I'm being careful and using this photo as it was taken by a friend a few years ago. It's classic "English bred" German Shepherd, what we would refer to as an "Alsatian!" In fairness this one has fair length of leg,most don't, but look at the overall length of the animal, the over done front assembly, exaggeration in hindquaters and the ski slope overline.

This is Nico taken earlier this month, he has what I would call a "harder" overline and hindquaters that can get him about, they don't bend underneath him when he's walking. I know he's far from perfect but which of these two dogs could do a days work? 

So which is correct?- that is how you interpreter the written word I guess, but what I'm getting at is that you can't consider both to be correct - can you? 

City Of Birmingham

Sammi in the ring

After a 4.45am start it was around 7pm when I got home from C.O.B. Well what a day, great fun with great friends and super food all set up and contributed by GSD folk. And the judging? Well what can I say, not meaning to take anything from any of the winners, but after 23 years of showing it was the most inconsistent mish mash I've ever seen. No, it's not sour grapes, Sammi won her class, but how can dogs so constructionally different possibly stand side by side on the winners podium? I watched ever class and I just didn't get it.

Father and daughter

We all know that there are "types" of GSD's in the show ring, dogs that look so different they could almost be a different breed. We all interpret things slightly differently, but where type is concerned you have to agree that one or the other fits the standard, in my opinion it is simply impossible to believe they could both fit the standard .... so how the hell did we see it today? It was the total inconsistency of the judging that had everyone's jaws dropping, honestly it was beyond belief, almost laughable. Let's hope that next year this show society get's us a breed judge, after all this years Boxer/ French Bulldog specialist was really not up to the job of judging our breed!!!!
I was luck to get this lovely photo of Sammi with Nico. This photo shows the huge differences in characteristic between a young female and an adult male.  The breed standard states that "clear definition of masculinity and femininity are essential!"  Can't you just tell! So beautiful - So Proud!

My Precious Ziva,

Ziva is a happy bubbly girl, she's full of fun, very obedient and almost sickeningly loyal to me. At the moment she is in full coat, and that's one huge coat she's got,  it can only have been inherited from her granddad Kai. To be honest she's looking bloody fantastic, and she moves like a dream ... but I haven't entered her at any show.  I'm in quite a quandary about it really, it's been almost a year since I've shown her, but she really didn't like it; would she now? Would the break have done her any good I wonder? I just don't know what to do really. Maybe I'll enter her somewhere and see, I'll just give it one more go. It's such a shame, she's a beautiful bitch who really should be in the ring ... but if she hates it then I won't bother again. I want happy bubbly smiley Ziva.
One thing I want to make sure of is that she isn't missing out. Everyone has had a trip out recently, so we had to make sure Ziva had one too! Photos from our run out and walk at Llanystumdwy on Tuesday.

Struggling To Choose

I have really been struggling to choose between this photo and the one I used in the post "Critique" yesterday. Both are lovely, but both have had to be modified. The first picture has had to have a completely new background as we had cars, people walking and a fun fair behind her. We were only messing about and didn't expect to get anything that good. Anyway that was above and beyond my capabilities and Bethan was kind enough to do it for me. 

This photo was taken in strong sunlight and Sammi's croup blended into Angela's jeans, basically all I've done is lighten the photo and remove the rope that made up the ring that was behind her head. 

So, yeah, two lovely photos but I think at the end of the day because of the angle of her neck (Being more forward than pulled back)  I prefer this photo. As naked as she is I think this is lovely as shows who she is. 

I've also come to the conclusion that she looks far better with a handler, looking for me she is pushing herself forward and gives herself a "harder" topline. I love showing her and will continue to do so for the next few open show, but maybe by the end of the year someone else can take over ... if he wants to of course! 

Critique

Junior 1
1st Stanley BLANIK IVANA 8 mnths, bitch, black and tan. Med Size and medium strong. Excellent pigment. Good head planes with feminine expression. Good ear carriage, dark eye, correct dentition. Nice lay of shoulder with upper arm slightly steep. Good height to length proportions. Normal wither into good clean overline. Nice underline. Sound away and back with steady side gait. Shown out of coat but good condition. BPIB and Puppy Group 4