Beti's Ball

Falling asleep on the job!

Gazebo For The Dogs

In a lot of ways the big pen is fantastic, it gives us an extra safe place for some of the dogs whilst the others are in the garden or the yard. But, of course nothing is perfect and whilst the rubber matting is easy to clean and water drains off it, it also gets very hot and if it's too hot to put your hand on it, then it's far too hot for paws. I've tried tying blankets over the sides, but the midday sun in Fron is high in the sky and the only thing I could think of doing was to somehow put a temporary roof over part of the pen. For the last couple of days this tarpaulin has worked, but it's already starting to rip ... so plan number two, I've ordered a 3M x 3M gazebo. The pen is about 10ft by 15ft and if I'm right, then 3M is a little less than 10ft, let's hope it works and that I've got this right!!!

Some Snaps Today

My beautiful Orin out in the evening sunshine.

Sammi and Zeus are spending more time together, though I don't leave them alone together as he does still get OTT and as an older lady she needs more respect. 

Jan, a friend of over 30 years, but she still doesn't like my cats... LOL

Of course Jamie will sit with anyone!

Steve managed a walk to next-door today, though they were not home, but that was not the point. He's still using the walking frame outside and practising with the crutches in the safety of the house! There's a long way to go, but equally he's come such a long way in the 4 weeks since he's been home.

Dog Club

I've been attending The Nantlle Vale Dog Training Club since I passed my driving test in 1988, in the early 80ies I went to the Porthmadog and District DTC. A feud within the club in those early years split the club in half, with some staying in Porthmadog and the others moving to Penygroes. As soon as I could drive, Pepsi and I joined my friends in Penygroes, and in 1991 I qualified as a training instructor with the BIPDT and my had my first GSD Puppy, Blade a few weeks later. I've never left the club, though I do much less now, and I did have a break off the committee for some year, but it has always been part of my adult life and society needs it now more than ever. In the early years it ran one night a week, but in 1993 with the committee's backing I started a ring craft (Show training) evening. With great officers and committee, the club has gone from strength to strength and now runs 4 nights a week with a waiting list to join. As I mentioned earlier, with other commitments I do less now, but one thing I can do is continue the blog that Brian started ... if anyone is interested then click on the link... 

Nantlle Vale Dog Training Club

Family Updates

 This morning the physio team got Steve walking on crutches. He took about 10 steps outside and then into the bedroom, a break in the bedroom before coming back out to his perching stool. He was knackered and exhausted, but considering he was called Bambi the last time he tried, well he did great! They told him to use them as an exercise a few times a day, but to carry on using the walking frame for most of the day. I did snitch and tell them he wanted to get part way down the field, they advised him not to!!!

After they left, I had to whizz off to Tremadog to see Mum and wait for the lady from the social to come and see what plans can be put in force for her. At least we are moving forward now, then I was off to Aldi for the shopping before coming home to find Zeus had miraculously been in the locked pen and retrieved the boomer ball that I'd confiscated before I went out! Funny that isn't it!!!!

The Gang In The Sun

Thunder

 I have a question, now if you are a George fan then you'll know the next line so we'll go straight to the question. Why has Sammi had a complete meltdown during the storm tonight? Sammi has never been bothered by sounds, to be honest Sammi has never been bothered by anything, but tonight she's got really upset. Everyone was already crated after eating and Steve and I were just setting down to eat when I heard Sammi having a wobble, by the time I got through she had bent the front of her crate and her tray and bedding had come out through the gap at the bottom of her crate. I let her come into the bedroom with us, yes we are still eating in there, and she was immediately calm again. I found it all very odd ... but I guess with old age senses change ... including hearing, sight and smell. Google says "As dogs age, their hearing can decline, making them more sensitive to loud noises or changes in sounds that they might not have noticed before." So I guess that is our answer, but it was nice to know she immediately relaxed in our company. 

A Few Pics

Orin - Looking fabulous in my opinion

Siska of course!!!

Legs - lol

Beti - bald but beautiful

Meerah and Siska with Linda

Heaven Sent and Heaven Stole

Kaiah

It's been two years and I still miss her so much. I have made her into an image of perfection in my mind, which of course she was not, she could be as naughty as the best of them, but when I think of her all I remember are the good bits, and my god she and those black eyes were beautiful. I rarely talk about her as I always cry when I do, but I never stop thinking about her .. 

The hardest loss to bear is when the story was not finished 💔

National Ch Show

Well, where do I start? I've done a "thanks to all" post on Facebook so maybe with a breakdown of that. It took a team of people to help me get to the show yesterday, so maybe first on the list to thank is my brother, Alun came home to spend the weekend with Mum, so I knew part of my nursing duties were sorted. Being so independent, Steve was not as easy to organise, but obviously for my peace of mind we needed a plan. Thanks to Sharon and Ian who came up with lunch for him and Paul and Jo who checked in on and off during the day. Ross and Sammi were in the living room with access to the yard, and Zeus was supposed to stay in the safe pen for the day. He was provided with a 12 litre bucket of water and had both his favourite blue balls for entertainment, but of course Steve felt it was "Unfair on my boy" and took him in the house after Ian and Sharon left, no surprise really!!!! 

I don't generally take 4 dogs to a champ show, but the only way to make it work was to do just that.
Gone are the days of turning up at a show with a dog on a collar and lead with a brush and a bowl of water, it's almost like a camping trip these days and the van was loaded with stuff! I don't think we'll bother thanking the parking attendant who wouldn't let us park by the fence ... but at least we were not miles away. Two trolleys full of stuff, 3 crates, (and Siska's chair) and 4 dogs took a fair bit of unloading, thanks Linda and Jane. Actually, thanks to Linda, Jane and Sarah the day went reasonably smoothly, another pair of hands during the bitch judging would have been great, but I understand everyone has their own things going on, and it's not always possible. 

The show is one of my favourites, but I do think that maybe it's time to stop showing Orin. I hope I don't have rose tinted glasses in most cases, but maybe I do with him. When he looks and moves like he did yesterday and still ends up 5th out of 6, well you wonder what you are not seeing, don't you? I just don't think he deserves to be, "and also ran," so yeah maybe after the next one, where he's entered it's time to call it a day and let his progeny speak for him instead! 

Meerah was 2nd out of 3 puppy bitches, and yeah, she looked tall, you know she reminds of how Loki looked at the same age, just legs, let's hope for improvement or she'll be another one just sitting at home! I'm not blinkered, she no showstopper but hopefully she'll appeal to some judges, she behaved reasonably well, her gait not as fluid as it could be but she's missed out on so much that credit where it's due really. She was also fantastic walking around the busy show ground.

And then there was Beti ... OMG. I probably should never have shown her, completely out of coat she
really didn't look the part, but even in full coat, and had she behaved she wouldn't have been any higher up, the CC and RCC going to the two bitches in front of her. I've never known her behave so badly in the ring, pulling scrabbling, she even slipped her collar and went flying over the fence back towards where we had set up out "camp, " as I was the other side I was lucky someone grabbed her as she hurtled off. I'm convinced she was put on this earth to make me laugh, but Beti there is a time and a place!!!

Siska was her usual predictable self, laid back and bordering on lazy, until she saw Meerah at the ringside, well that woke her up. She was 2nd in limit and I'm happy with that. 

The last photo is of a LSH female that comes to club, this is Mattie Rose. One day, hopefully we'll be talking about her again!