[cuckoo]

Hi

Anyone going to Crufts this year - we are taking two of our Irish Terriers (Erin and her daughter Willow - pictured below) on Sunday (Terrier Day) to go on the Discover Dogs stand in the afternoon - we will be watching the IT judging in the morning - am currently trying to make one of them look a bit less like a teddy bear!!

My Irish Water Spanial was qualified but I missed the deadline - lots going on in January - never mind - always next year - her coat needs time to develop anyway.

Well - if you are going good luck - have a great day and maybe see you on the DD stand

[doganjo]

Yup, I'll be there with Allez and Belle, my older dog and younger bitch.  Long way for us - leaving about midnight, driving down, showing, not allowed to leave till 4pm, probably take us 2 hours to get out of the car park, then another 7 hours home.  Just as well all four of us can drive!
Won't see you unfortunately;y as Gundog day is Friday.  DD stand is good fun, have you done it before?

[cuckoo]

Hi,

Yes we have done DD with the Irish since 2006 except the year my daughter was born - it is always great to meet people interested in Irish - especially as this year I was at the breed open show / fun day and someone came up to me and showed me their puppy - they recognised me from the DD stand!
Good luck

[Hazelwood Flock]

Good luck all, I'm not going but will watch on T.V. especially the gundogs, hounds and terriers!

[doganjo]

Unfortunately, they only show the very unusual breeds or the very popular ones so you might just catch a glimpse of the Brittany who gets Best of Breed in the Group ring, but you won't see me.

[Hazelwood Flock]

My vet had a Brittany called Daniel (the spaniel!), I used to walk him and a black lab for miles and loved his unflagging energy - if only I could look so perky at the end of a walk!

[doganjo]

Oh boy!  What a day!  Brilliant results for my two furbabies!    Belle was in the veteran class - a big one with a number of Champions in it.  She was only beaten by two of them and one of those was the Reserve Challenge Certificate winner  - so she was third in her class.

Allez did even better - won the Open dog class, again a strong one with three Champions in it - then went on to get Reserve Dog Challenge Certificate.  I am soooo chuffed I just had to share!  Beautiful Prize Cards and lovely big three tier rosettes!  well worth the overnight drives to the NEC and back.  my clever dogs.  And they work too!  Dual purpose as they should be!

[Sandy]

Well done Anne, think the Kennel Club were on thier toes re some vet checks after that programme....at least you came away with a worthy prize to show off!!

[doganjo]

Thanks, Sandy.  My dogs have done really well, this last year or so as well as starting to become really good working on our wee shoot - Allez has a Challenge Certificate plus four Reserves now and Belle has two CCs.

There is a list of high profile breeds on the KC website here - http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/4042  The Clumber is the only Gundog listed and it got through with flying colours yesterday.  Another BOB was withdrawn today - the Mastiff.

[Sandy]

The programme may have been one sided but one sided is better than hidden.....I would hate to breed a dog with health problems......poor things..I would have loved to have gone to crufts, never mind!!! Glad  you came away proud of your lovely dog and I hope without spending too much

[doganjo]

Why not come with me next year then?   It's good fun to go without a dog too as you get to see more - you have to keep going back to the benches if you have dogs entered to make sure they are comfortable and safe.

I've become used to all the Crufts hype and didn't spend much - just bought a special gel to get rid of the plaque on their teeth.

[Sandy]

Thanks for the offer but any spare money will b e going towards a trip to Ozz (Not to see the wizard), I either have no time or no money or more often that not both!!!!

Maybe one year I will see one of the weeshires pups/dogs there!!

[SallyintNorth]

Many congratulations, Annie, Allez and Belle 

[doganjo]

Thanks for the offer but any spare money will b e going towards a trip to Ozz (Not to see the wizard), I either have no time or no money or more often that not both!!!!

Maybe one year I will see one of the weeshires pups/dogs there!!

Perhaps, the Labradors are beginning to look a bit more normal these days - not so many fat blobs on legs that are near to the ground, but not the leggy working stock either.  Such a pity there are two different types, that;s why we try to keep our breed dual purpose.  Are any of your pups going to show homes?  It takes a lot of effort, time and money to campaign a dog at Championship Shows - not the only way to get to Crufts, but the other way is through the Gamekeepers classes

(Hope you manage to get to Australia soon. Will be nice for you to see your family again.)

[Sandy]

Not sure about show homes but they will be well loved pets......I am not a bit believer in competition, that's not my sort of thing at all, I like to see a good looking healthy dog, although I like them to be put to work, I think that's utilising their natural abilities, showing dogs to me is no different to showing people!!!! maybe a bit controversial but never liked stuff like that, just like crufts to see all the dogs, to me my dogs are beautiful and I do not feel the need to see them win prizes for any reason.   Charlie wanted one of the pups but we had none left!!! The older ones are turning out to be very good looking and talented dogs so who knows?  Like I said, each to thier own but in Labradors in particular, competition has caused a great amount of bad breeding to comply to  breed standards!  Although I can see the enjoyment and fun showing a dog would bring, just not for me, I slipped and pressed report this rather than modify, just did not want it to sound that I was sooo against shows, just I do not like them!!!