Fun & Fancy Free

Here we are at the end of another dog show weekend - as Erin says "It was not an Aegis weekend" (sub in Invictus for Aegis and that's how it went). Archer was last again but given the fact that he looks and acts about a year younger than the other two males in his class (as in he looks and acts his age) one can hardly blame the judge. However, he showed and stacked like a superstar and I was so proud of my little stinker. Leeloo was a completely different dog than yesterday and stood and stacked beautifully - she won her class but lost Winners Bitch to the junior puppy bitch who (let's face it) also looks more mature than Legs Leeloo. Make of that what you will.

As a breeder one needs to reconcile with oneself that although the dogs you are showing may not be the lowest common denominator (as in a different type than the majority being shown) they must be the dogs YOU prefer according to your interpretation of the standard. If I was frustrated enough I could easily go out and buy an LCD dog but it does not follow that I would prefer that dog to what I have. In the long run you must actually like the dogs that you breed and show - if they take longer to finish their championships because they are different (but NOT incorrect) then so be it. Dog showing is not a race and you don't actually get a special prize for finishing the fastest. No one remembers how a dog got its championship. If my two misfits take their time about it I'm pretty okay with that - I like the shows, I like the travel, I enjoy the dog's company - what else is a hobby supposed to be? Plus - people who know me will understand that not only do I rarely choose the LCD ... I almost actively avoid it!

We also met Halo's new mom at the show. Her name is Pia and she lives in Quebec. She was visiting friends in Halifax this past week and we made arrangements for her to come and see Halo and decide whether it would be a good match. Pia can offer Halo everything a retired show dog could want and more. She works out of a barn office in the summer where she can take Halo everyday and works from home in the winter. Halo is booked this Thursday for surgery on her leg to remove a lump, then, because Pia is going to the Royal Fair in Toronto in November, we thought it best she wait until she returns from that event before taking Halo. She will drive here to pick her up and Halo and Pia will spend the winter getting to know each other. Halo will have her person at last.