Plan 9 From Outer Space

Despite the fact that I have my own dogs I seem to have been blogging a lot about other people's dogs and that trend isn't going to stop today. I like to write about how the extended Invictus family is doing across the continent because it shows now only how awesome the dogs are but also how everyone who has one of my 'babies' also becomes part of a family of sorts which spans provincial, international and state lines.

Last weekend Luke, who now lives in Newfoundland with that naughty puppy Quinn from Coso Ridgebacks (and his BFF Dallas who is from an Ontario breeder), was at the last show of the year for Atlantic Canada. There is now a 5 month stretch where there are no shows at all and it's a good time to do some training, enjoy the holidays and let those adolescent dogs mature a bit more. Luke was the only Ridgeback entered, he only ever is, and in order to get anymore points he'd have to place in group. We've always known this would need to be the case with Luke since he would be the only Ridgeback showing on The Rock.

(Luke at 10 months) 

There are 4 shows held over 2 days which means 4 chances at points. He went into the show with 6 points and only needed 4 more to finish his Championship. Stephanie gave him a good long break from the last shows and he went into the ring fresh and ready for action. The point system for placing in group is a little different than in the breed ring - how many other breeds entered versus how many of the same breed entered - so with an entry of 6 breeds total Luke just needed to place in group with at least 5 to show up. In the first show there were 2 breeds missing so despite his best effort he didn't get any points but in the afternoon he won a 4th in the group and was on 7 points.

(Luke in the group at 10 months)

The next day Luke was a super star in the ring and pulled off two second placings in the Hound group and yet ... it still wasn't enough with a dog absent again. Luke will certainly be Leeloo and Raimi's first Canadian Champion but with only one point to go he will have to wait until Spring! It's the dreaded 9 point curse where you are so close but so far away from being able to call your dog a Champion. So now Luke has all winter to grow up a bit more and in the Spring I am confident he will be able to get that elusive group win I know Stephanie is gunning for! It's neat to see how he's bodied up in the photos ... just wait until he's 2 and a half!

(Luke in August 2012 at 14 months)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

In the aftermath of something like Rifka's loss there needs to be some good news. The puppies are doing incredibly well and hitting all the milestones they are supposed to and Lola will be able to go home to her own family in a very short time. I am really looking forward to seeing what kind of quality comes out of this litter and have high hopes for a special Rifka daughter for Taryn.

(Rifka's litter continues to excel)

The circumstances surrounding a loss like this really brings home how connected we in the purebred dog world are, and how we pull together to help each other. This is never more apparent than when tragedy strikes, but it also works the other way and allows people to come together to make good things happen. I know that through the whelping of Rifka's litter Kim of Enigma Ridgebacks in Alberta, was right there via text message for almost every moment. She was the first to learn that Rifka was gone, hugged her own girl Emmie and cried the tears for which Taryn could not spare time. Texting doesn't seem like much of a support system but I've come to learn that no matter how you communicate, the medium is not as important as knowing someone is there and understands.

(Kim and her girl Emmie spending some quality time)

I've known Kim for years now, I referred her to another breeder when I didn't have a puppy for her when she inquired. She got her girl Emmie as a pet and we met up a few times for Emmie and Leeloo to play. Over time Kim decided she wanted to try and show Emmie, she bred a litter and added Ridgbeback boy Draco to her home. Although by then I had moved to Nova Scotia, we stayed in touch and have praised each other's wins, lamented the losses and ground our teeth about some shocking and unsportsmanlike behaviour in the dog show scene. It's great to have friends you can trust to bemoan the injustices of the world.

(Kim teaching her boy Draco to stand while Emmie waits for the fall out)

Over here in Nova Scotia I was in discussion with Luke's owner Stephanie about her next puppy bitch. She wanted good lines that might one day compliment a breeding to Luke and since I know the lines and several breeders who have dogs with familiar pedigrees, I was casting about for a good match. Over in BC Coso RR had just had two litters and both were out of dogs whose pedigrees were similar to my own and also included some nice outcrosses. I sent Stephanie to Lance and hoped a puppy from one of the litters would make its way to Newfoundland. The reason I was so interested in getting one of these puppies to Newfoundland is because they are directly descended from my own dogs. Halo is their great grandmother - hard to believe she's already a 'great'! - and are out of Birdie. I was an integral part of planning the litter Birdie came from and was very interested to see what she could produce. She was bred to one of Lance's dogs, Kija, who is from well known lines in the US. The expectation for this litter was understandably high.

(Birdie with 3 of her litter)

In due course I chose the puppy I liked most for Stephanie and had hoped it was the one Coso could send to her ... but there was a problem. Since they literally live on opposite coasts, it was going to mean a flight for a puppy. There are no direct flights from Vancouver to St. John's and even though I have shipped puppies many times with no issues, I always try to find the most direct flight. Something about moving a puppy from one plane to another makes me nervous - even when it's the same company. Lance and Deb were reluctant to fly a puppy when it involved multiple take-offs and landings and possibly plane changes.

(Even at just a few weeks this girl caught my eye)

Fortuitous timing and circumstance was on our side - last weekend the Tradex show in BC was held and Kim drove over the Rockies with a couple of her own dogs and a friend. I had only been home from Barbados for 24 hours and was catching up on all the show news. I found out that although there was a chance that Stephanie could get the puppy I thought would be best for her, there was still the issue of shipping her to Newfoundland. On Sunday morning I was sitting at my computer, thinking about how the heck to get Stephanie this puppy, when it hit me.

(The best puppy is a napping puppy)

There is a direct flight - with a stop to refuel in Toronto - from Calgary to St. John's, Newfoundand. Kim lives 45 minutes from Calgary. I texted Kim right away to ask if she could do me a huge favour: take the puppy home with her and put her on a flight to Newfoundland. There wasn't a lot of time to hash out details - all I knew was that the puppy needed to get to Calgary if she was ever going to end up in Newfoundland. To Kim's credit the firs thing she said was "But of course" and the only questions she asked were "Where do I get a crate and what size?" She was showing only a couple hours later and then needed to hit the road immediately since she had a 10 hour drive home so I made a call to Stephanie to ask if she was SURE she wanted this puppy because I thought I had a way to make it happen. It would involve a lot of favours but it was the only way I could see her getting this dog.

(There she is stealing the spotlight in the middle - 3 weeks older than her 'friends')

You're probably wondering why I didn't initially text Lance(of Coso), even though it was their puppy to sell, but it was because I knew they were dealing with not only showing their own dogs but also with transferring Lola and Rifka's litter to Taryn plus they had a sick dog at home. Kim was also showing but I knew she'd see Lance in person and explain the plan and discuss logistics - much easier in person! It was really more about whether Kim would be willing to do me and Stephanie this incredible favour. Just as Kim was hitting the road I spoke to Lance to clarify some details and it was official, Stephanie was getting her puppy. Taryn stepped in and lent Kim a crate and so, with the support of not one, but 4 breeders behind her, on the evening of October 29, Quinn was on her way to Calgary. She travelled in the good grace and exceptional company of Kim and Colette and of course with Lance and Deb of Coso trusting us all to make sure the puppy made it safely to Newfoundland.

(Quinn riding shotgun with Colette)

So Quinn was in Calgary. When to get her to Newfoundland? With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on half of North America there was some concern about delays and issues with the stop in Toronto. We carefully watched the forecast but it looked like it was all systems go for Thursday, November 1st. After only 3 days in Kim's company Quinn was quickly adored and it was going to be very hard for her family to let her go - including a 2 and a half year old Draco who was now in love.

(Draco using Quinn as a pillow)

At the last minute Stephanie, Lance and I worked out and clarified the contract agreements on the future breeding career of Quinn and everything was set. Kim was off to the airport despite the flight being delayed by an hour and, bless her heart, she waited there until the very last minute before they needed to load Quinn on the plane - now delayed by 3 hours because of weather in Alberta. It never occurred to me that the delays would be at the Calgary end since we were all anticipating a hold-up in Toronto! So Kim gave even more of herself and her time to ensure that Quinn was comfortable and ready for a flight across the country.

(Napping with her buddy Draco)

And that is how Quinn landed in Newfoundland November 2nd at 3:30am. I was incredibly concerned that there wouldn't be anyone at the cargo bay when the plane arrived so that Stephanie could pick up Quinn right away (it has happened!) but she called the office when it opened and they told her "Not to worry Stephanie, we're not Air Canada, as long as your dog is coming, I'm not going anywhere." doG bless Westjet.

(Quinn exploring The Rock)

I couldn't possibly thank Kim enough for her kindness and generosity in helping not only Taryn in her time of need, but for responding without hesitation to help get this puppy to Newfoundland. She has her own life to deal with, plus the emotional strain of Rifka's loss and a friend's ailing dog; taking on a puppy for a few days and getting her to the airport was going well above and beyond. I owe her a lot and should the day comes when she needs something from me it will be without question. Thank you Kim, for everything.

(The well loved Quinn)

So watch this space for news of Coso's Here Comes Harley Quinn - she may not actually be my dog but she certainly holds a place in my heart and the hearts of the people she touched along the way. I look forward to seeing her in person in the New Year!

 

Steel Magnolias

I remember when Rifka was born of course, who could forget that day? Christmas Eve 2007. It was my second Ridgeback litter and Halo was making quick work of whelping many more puppies than I expected. I thought they'd arrive on Wednesday but instead they came Monday - I missed Christmas dinner as a result but I certainly don't regret that. Everyone was duly ribboned except the two lightest, and Miss Yellow was, for several weeks, just one of a dozen. There she is in the middle at 1 day old plump and shiny, just as she should be.

 

I wish I could say that I remember each puppy as individuals and therefore am able to point out significant things about Rifka while I had her, but the truth is I can't. Thankfully I have the blog to jog my memory. I specifically started this blog for the Christmas 2007 litter so I could not only keep track of development but also so the new homes could follow along as the puppies grew. It also serves as a 'baby book' for the puppies in the litters, no matter where they are their owners can skim through their dog's 'baby years' whenever they want. It's hard to keep track of a dozen puppies, as you can imagine. There are Rifka and Zero ... going against the grain.

 

 

In many ways, for me, that is my most significant litter. From it came Zero who is now a multiple Best in Specialty winner, Best of Breed winner at some pretty significant shows in the USA and a top Ridgeback for 3 years in a row. Also making the news is his sister (name redacted) who's litter record is now infamous. Rifka also came from this litter as Love Actually - one of my very favourite movies and I make sure to watch it every year at Christmas. Rifka had some nice wins in her youth but her true purpose in life was to be 'The Boy' for Taryn. She made a good start with moves like this ...

 

I remember meeting Taryn at a dog show in Red Deer where she was introduced to Halo for the first time and also met The Boy who was still but a gangly puppy. She said she wanted a foundation bitch like Halo, but improved, and I thought I could do that based on the puppies from Halo's first litter. I remember Taryn being quite specific about where she got her foundation bitch - she wanted to breed, looked around, did some research and knew where she wanted to start. She was determined, focused and I felt would be a great home to one naughty puppy.

(Rifka at 5 weeks playbowing - I do not know what Zero is doing)

As Halo got fatter and fatter I contacted homes to confirm interest and to be honest I wasn't sure Taryn was still interested as I hadn't heard much from her in the weeks leading up to the due date. However after I contacted her she emailed back an adamant interest and I confirmed her as a home. I came to learn that is Taryn: undemanding with quiet but firm resolve.

(Rikfa at 5 weeks eating my hand)

When the puppies started to mature I was looking at them with interest but hadn't chosen who was going where. With 12 to evaluate it was no easy task. Taryn expressed a preference for Miss Yellow and I kept that in mind for my final decisions. Of course Miss Yellow became Rifka and Taryn lost her heart. Rifka was the first puppy to go on a Friday evening when Taryn arrived from Edmonton to pick her up and from that moment the two were inseparable. Rifka is named to honour the memory of a horse owned by one of Taryn's friends. He had to be put down at age 35 just the week before Taryn picked up her new puppy. Her friend had owned the horse for 26 years ... quite a friendship and it bode well for Taryn and Rifka's future.

(Rifka at 7 weeks eating a sheet)

It's hard describe to anyone who hasn't had a Boy or a Rifka what it's like to have a dog, from the moment you meet it, connect to your soul. I imagine something of the sort occurs when people meet their 'soul mate', fall in love, get married and carry on through life together. The difference is that The Boy is almost infallible and people, no matter how much you love them, always are fallible. Even when The Boy gets in trouble he is almost instantly forgiven - my cries of "You NAUGHTY Boy!!" are never accompanied by real fury, usually it's just extreme exasperation. I may say I want to throttle him sometimes but the truth is that just below the surface is a strength of love I cannot explain. I don't know why it's there, or why it's him, whether its normal (and I don't care), and what people think when I tell them some of my greatest joy in life comes from looking at his great bulk, into his lovely, round innocent eyes, and knowing, no matter what happens, he will adore me and I him for as long as we each are on earth - and beyond. He will never break my heart, even when it's time for him to leave me, because it won't be his fault. I don't write about The Boy to detract from the story of Rifka, but rather to attempt to explain the connection between her and Taryn. The best I can do is compare my relationship with The Boy - Rifka is Taryn's Boy. The only thing greater than her love for Rifka, is Rifka's love for her.

(Rifka 5 Weeks)

Rifka and Taryn took to the shows together, Taryn never pressing Rifka for more than time spent together, simply enjoying the company of other show exhibitors and never demanding from her dog more than she could give. I met her at a show in Calgary to compete against her sister and brother and Rifka was just as I expected, a gangly baby with an adoring Mom. Taryn was always detracting from her own handling skills but in the end they finished with some nice wins at a Specialty and lots of memories of the journey.

(Taryn with Rifka at her firt show - 6 months)

 

Rifka spent the early part of her life in Edmonton, poor thing, but eventually Taryn moved to BC to make her fortune. Things happen in life as they do, and through anything and everything Taryn experienced, Rifka was there to see her through.

Over the years I have come to know Taryn as a person with a huge heart. It's pretty easy to say how nice someone is and whenever I read or hear that about someone I don't know, I often wonder if the praise was simply lip service. (I know, I'm a cynic.) However, although I haven't seen Taryn in years, and our main source of contact is through the internet, when I say that she is a person with true generosity of spirit, it is not praise given lightly. Taryn selflessly takes in rescued dogs through an organization in BC. She takes in all breeds, integrates them into her pack of terriers, cocker spaniel and Ridgebacks - allows them to learn how to be dogs again - if that's what they need - and then sends them to homes to start life anew.

(Rifka taking a break from 'policing')

I will never forget Taryn telling me Rifka's role in the rehabilitation of the rescued dogs. She said that Rifka was like the temperature gauge for the newly arrived rescue. I have heard of dogs like this from behaviour specialists. Not all dogs can manage that kind of stress but the ones that can are worth their weight in gold to rescue organizations. I have seen this trait in action - some dogs have the ability to tell when another dog is unstable, insecure, or aggressive - often even without direct contact. In Taryn's words "She just was the calm balanced dog that always knew what the other dog needed in order to find their balance. Sometimes it was to just hang out and be there, sometimes it was to get them to play and sometimes it was simply that they needed correction. She would retrieve dogs for me too when teaching them to be off leash." Only people who are tuned into their dogs and are very learned about dog behaviour can read the signals and Taryn is one of those people. She says that Rifka did all the work and she got all the credit. She and Rifka developed such a trusting relationship, with Rifka knowing Taryn would never put her in danger, and the dogs that came through Taryn's house - from dachschunds to pit bulls to Ridgebacks - all had the benefit of Rifka's calm authority to carry them through. It's part of the reason she made such a great mother to her puppies.

(Rifka - far left - with 3 of her puppies from her first litter)

Rifka, in good time, started her own family in 2011 when she was 3. She, like her mother Halo, found being pregnant a hassle but the duties of raising a litter was something she excelled at. It's so great to see the future of the breed, and of the dogs I helped bring into this world, carry on the generations just as life intended. There is always so much potential in a litter and Rifka was bearing out all the hopes that I and Taryn had expected. All ridged and lovely puppies to watch grow. Just as all of Halo and Leeloo's puppies do, these are little pieces of Rifka to walk the earth.

Raising puppies is no walk in the park, they are certainly demanding on the people and even more so on their mothers but Rifka, like any good mom, tolerated the tugging, teething, barking, pooping, peeing and wrestling with good spirits. Although I don't think she very was sad to see them go!

Rifka's next litter wasn't planned for some time, if at all, but once the first litter was mature and Taryn could see the quality in it, she decided to go ahead with one more breeding to get a nice show bitch. Taryn, like me, prefers the girls to the boys. Don't get me wrong, The Boy has my heart, but having more than one boy in the house can get a bit tiresome. A person can take only so much adoration and although the girls do adore me, and I them, they are not so ... clingy about it. So Taryn bred Rifka to a lovely boy named Manny (of Coso Ridgebacks in BC) and we all eagerly anticipated a litter.

(Rifka pregnant with her second litter)

Rifka got more and more round, and more and more uncomfortable, as puppies are wont to do to a dog, and after ultrasounds it was decided that Rifka had 11 puppies. It would be a nice send off for her career as a broodbitch - lots of puppies to choose from and hopefully a good balance of the sexes. Rifka looks an awful lot like her mother Halo did when she was pregnant with Rifka!

She was due at the end of October, right when I was going to be in Barbados, but I knew I'd be able to check in via wi-fi at the hotel. Just before I left on Thursday night Rifka had the inevitable temperature drop and we knew the puppies were on their way. I flew out of Canada on Friday morning and was not able to check in again until Saturday evening. Good news! 10 puppies born and they were all doing great. I hadn't heard from Taryn yet but I knew she must be busy with 10 babies to care for, then on Monday morning I opened my email at the hotel and my heart stopped. Rifka had died.

 

(Rifka with that all too familiar 'secret smile')

 

She gave birth Friday night to one puppy and then the second puppy gave her trouble. Taryn rushed her to the vet and they decided on a c-section with a spay to save Rifka. It is suspected there was an infection as the puppies had begun to separate from the uterus far too soon. Rifka never properly came out of the anesthetic and died a few hours later in Taryn's arms. Sitting on the vet clinic floor with the familiar weight of Rifka's beloved head in her lap, Taryn was forced to say a premature farewell.

 

(Rifka and the only puppy she saw)

 

It's a hollow victory to have 10 beautiful puppies and no mother to raise them. I don't know any responsible breeder who would sacrifice their bitch for puppies and I know Taryn would trade the litter in a heartbeat to have Rifka back. As it is Taryn now has 10 puppies to raise. The best thing to do in this situation is to have a surrogate  mother but they are hard to find and not all bitches will allow strange puppies to nurse from them. So in the hours after a shocking loss Taryn had a mad scramble to find a bitch who had just whelped a litter and who might accept 10 strange puppies into her whelping box. Time is of the essence. Often in these situations litters are split up, especially with such a large number, but in this case there was a miracle on Vancouver Island.

 

(Lola and one of Rifka's puppies)

 

Enter Lance and Deb of Coso Ridgebacks and their amazing dog Lola. She had literally just weaned her own puppies and so Rifka's last litter was given their first real chance of survival which hinged on the acceptance of their biological aunt - Lola is Manny's sister. I am awed at Taryn's fortitude and determination in the wee hours of that morning- telling Lance and Deb what happened, asking for their help, planning logistics of travel from the mainland to Vancouver Island with puppies just hours old, leaving Rifka behind, talking to strangers to book passage, making plans, setting up contingencies, trying to ensure no one else dies - all while suppressing an overwhelming sorrow that would have filled, and still fills, her entire soul. We all know this sorrow; the one that bubbles up from your heart, closes your throat, fills your eyes, hitches your breath and leaves you exhausted.

 

(Lola and Rifka's litter - 1 week)

 

It is safe to say Taryn is living my absolute worst breeding nightmare. There is nothing I fear more than losing a bitch to a litter. It happens, not often, but it does happen and you are almost always counting on other people, usually who have a different breed and are often complete strangers, to raise your puppies for you. If you are very lucky your puppies will have had a chance, as Rifka's did, to nurse from their mother in those first few hours and ingest some of that all important colostrum to boost their immune systems. Rifka's last gift to her puppies was her immunity to things that will quietly take a puppy's life. I look at these photos of Lola with Rifka's babies and am very happy they are doing so well and that she is such an awesome dog ... and then the tears well up as I think of how it should be Rifka in there with them.

 

(Lola and one of Rifka's puppies - 1 week)

 

There is injustice here. Taryn is not about breeding. She is about the dogs. She doesn't breed for money or fame or ribbons - she breeds because she likes the breed and loves dogs. Since she didn't keep a puppy from Rifka's last litter, she decided one last time to try and get a nice bitch to show. It bothers me a lot that there are people out there breeding their girls over and over and over like puppy factories - I can't help but think it's only about the money for them. That someone as good and kind and well-intended as Taryn loses her heart is an incredible injustice. Why do those irresponsible breeders get to keep their bitches and Taryn does not? I don't wish for the death of any dog - and certainly no dog born in my house - but I do wish backyard breeders had more consideration for the life they are putting at risk. The dogs that create these puppies are not machines and they can die as a result of what we do with them - whatever the purpose. The unjust death of a dog like Rifka is exactly that - unjust. It happens, this I know, but it shouldn't happen to people like Taryn and dogs like Rifka.

(Deb of Coso RR supplementing one of Rifka's puppies)

This is only the second dog I have lost from the litters I have produced. Both are Halo's daughters, both shuffled off this mortal coil years before they were supposed to. Geddie died in 2010 at only 3 years old from an attack of bloat, or gastric torsion - she was Raimi's littermate and it hit home how fragile their lives are. It's simply a coincidence that Rifka and Geddie were Miss Yellow in their litters and both are gone at an early age, but all the same I will be retiring the yellow ribbon. Taryn is not using yellow in her own litter as she didn't want it to bias her choice, but personally I think it's time to let that color fade away.

(Rifka this past summer gazing with the expression of love I know so well)

I wish there was some way for Taryn to parcel off her sorrow so that other people can carry it for her, if only for a little while. She is strong, and must be strong, to raise the litter and make sure each puppy is prepared for a new home so that the very best of Rifka is represented. Rifka left our company much too soon and the hole that remains will never be filled though the grief will wane and the pain will fade. Ten puppies are Rifka's last contribution to this Earth and all the hope and promise that comes with any litter lies with them. One last kiss Rifka, time to walk away and care for the babies you left behind. You are greatly, sadly and immeasurably missed every day.

For Taryn & Rifka 

 

Peace of an angel

This much we know
Flight without wings
But born of a Halo.

Piece of the future
A blueprint called pure
The one with the Yellow
Of that you were sure.

Peace to your heart
No words can express
How deep was your love

No one can guess.

 

Piece that is missing

Love Actually gone

She's all around us

'de Lint' her last song.

Peace waits with Rifka
The Bridge calls her name
But until you're beside her,
There she will remain. 

Working Girl

As promised I have some photos from Leeloo's first show in over 2 years. She looks pretty darn good for a gal whose had two litters since she finished and her youngest litter is only 7 months old. Her under carriage is showing a little loose skin but it's nothing that can't be over looked and I'm told when you have kids things never go back to the way they were. She is fit, trim, and ready for action. My parents were there with a couple of Pulis - my mom finished an Elite Championship on her boy Parker this past weekend (that's his fourth Championship title (CKC, AKC, CFC and Elite CFC) and made a good start on Esme's sister Fanny. If Leeloo looks cold it's because she is ... it was so cold in there.

Photo credit Karen Metcalfe

The nice thing about this show was that it's a lot more of a relaxed attitude with the exhibitors. Because you are relying solely on the judge to award your dog an Excellent, and you don't necessarily have to beat another dog to gain your title, I think it takes some of the competitive pressure off. There are also very few professional handlers so you feel like you are in with a chance since none of the judges know specifically who the 'faces' are (although it wouldn't take them long to guess) and they are looking at the 'correct' end of the lead. I got to chatting with the person who had the Beagle at this show and she very kindly took several photos of Leeloo for me. When I look at the photos and then back at some of the judge's comments I have to wonder what they are seeing that I am not. Her movement is lovely as evidenced by this delightful photo taken during the morning show. Then again, I am obviously biased.

Photo credit Karen Metcalfe

In the Best in Show ring there were 10 dogs instead of the usual 7 so we had a bit of a wait. I didn't expect anything to happen with Leeloo since the BIS judge was the guy who gave her a Very Good the day before. It was likely he did not expect to see her in the Best in Show ring! She was well behaved, as she usually is as long as I keep stuffing her face with food. Not that she starves, while I left her in the truck by herself for about a half hour, she managed to eat my molasses cookie, a block of cheese and half a box of Triscuits. She had also been fed a French fry from another exhibitor, a couple of plain Tim Bits that I bought her and all the bait I'd already fed her that morning. Still hungry. Go figure.

Photo credit Karen Metcalfe

It was incredibly cold in the building because at the last minute the show had been moved to make way for some dairy cow show and sale in the building we usually exhibit in. Apparently the grounds had been sold and the location had been double booked. I think they gave the show a deal on the building and good thing too, my feet were blocks of ice - thank doG for Tim Horton's down the road.

If you get a chance to attend a CFC show I encourage you to take it. I realize that a lot of people don't take any other shows except AKC or a CKC title seriously, but it's a great way to get actual feedback from experienced judges. There are also dogs entered that you just don't see in CKC shows because they are not accepted - where else would these dogs show? The little Danish-Swedish Farm Dog that attended is the only one of it's breed in North America. Don't see that every day. The judges they bring in for these shows are not slouches or the dredges of the dog world, they are well respected across the globe and have travelled thousands of miles in their lifetimes looking at and evaluating dogs. Maybe Leeloo wasn't the type or style a couple of them wanted to see but then again a couple of them loved her. Leeloo got out for a day and although she doesn't love showing and never will, it's good for her to stretch her legs a bit after being a mom - we will enter in the Spring and hopefully she can get her CFC Championship - after that we will work on a few other things. There is life after puppies ...

The International

This weekend Leeloo and I attended a different kind of dog show. It was Leeloo's first show in 2 and a half years and she was a little baffled but game to be fed treats just the same. Her attitude toward showing hasn't changed an ounce, "This is stupid but if you feed me I'll take your bribes and put up with this nonsense". The show is put on by the Canine Association of Nova Scotia which is held under the purview of the Canine Federation of Canada. The CFC (or FCC as it is largely a Francophone organization started in Quebec) is held using the rules and regulations of the FCI -  Federal Cynologique International - whose standards are what most of the world uses. It is the original purebred dog standard classification system.

The shows are quite a bit different than shows in North America, the two biggest differences being that there are 10 groups instead of 7 and the judges are required to write critiques for each of the dogs. They are expected to be able to justify, verbally and in writing, why they did or did not choose your dog. They may use a lot of detail or very little, but they must provide you with a copy of their thoughts for your records. The judges are almost always international - no Canadian judges and only certain American ones.

I'll keep it brief but in order to obtain a Championship a dog must acquire 3 Excellent ratings from 3 different judges in order to be considered a Champion. An interesting thing to note is that you don't have to beat any other dogs to get another 'leg' toward your championship, you just have to be awarded an Excellent - it is entirely up to the judge whether they think your dog is worthy of a potential Championship status, it is not dependent on the quality of the other dogs in the ring. Different, no? This means that if there are 4 dogs and all are awarded Excellent they all move one step closer to their Championship - however, only Excellents can compete for Best of Breed and then move onto the group level. If a dog in the breed is not awarded an Excellent they are done for the day - at the Saturday afternoon show not one of the 5 German Shepherd Dogs was awarded an Excellent and therefore no Best of Breed given or allowed to compete in group (at a CKC or AKC show there would be anarchy if that happened). The ratings are Excellent, Very Good, Good and Sufficient. There are other levels of Championships but for our purposes I'll leave it at what Leeloo and I intended to do this weekend.

Our judges on the first day were from Norway and Belgium. I didn't have a lot of hope for Leeloo because in Europe they prefer a darker dog, less leg and a lot less white. The first judge was so torn with Leeloo, I think he really wanted to give her an Excellent and moved her 5 times around the ring but in the end he settled for a Very Good. He did check the standard and I think he was looking up the white ... well, we've certainly had that happen before! The judge in the afternoon also gave Leeloo a Very Good but made a point of saying loud enough for me to hear as she dictated in her Dutch accent to the ring steward, that this bitch is right on the very maximum of acceptable white. She repeated it just so we were all clear. This is the critique from the first judge - I agree with several points, all things I already knew about her - except the movement in the rear and stiffness in shoulder, Leeloo has a lovely open gait. He wanted more fill and depth in the muzzle and I'm not sure what he meant by 'young' - she's 4 and certainly not going to fill out any more!

It's interesting to see the differences between the judges from yesterday and today and so very helpful in getting an idea of what they were looking at and for. This judge used the word excellent to refer to her movement - which one is correct? Since I know she is a free and clean mover I'll stick with this one! It also depends on what the judge considers 'close' or 'clean' or even what they mean by good. Even a written critique can't get you into the judge's head. The judges today were from Columbia and Brazil, not only different countries but a different continent from yesterday. I can see that for Leeloo I will have to look for the South American judges to award her the final Excellent needed for her CFC Championship. Leeloo also won the Scent Hound Group under the judge who wrote this critique but since the Best in Show judge was the one from Norway I knew we didn't have a hope!

And this is what the cards look like. They are simple little index card sized certificates and to be able to say you have a CFC Champion you have to give three of these to the Show Sectretary who will print off a larger certificate, much like the one the CKC or the AKC will send you in the mail - except you get it right at the show. Our next CFC show is not scheduled until the Spring so I'll certainly be taking Leeloo to that to finish her second championship. Then we start work on her and Cora's American Championships. Cora won't be entered in a CFC show until she is a little more mature, probably next Fall. Added to which it would get very expensive if I was showing Leeloo, Cora and Esme all at once!

A very nice lady with the Beagle took some photos of Leeloo so hopefully she can send me the photos of Leeloo's 'not best movement' and 'excellent type and movement' and you can be the judge of who is more correct!

You Sexy Thing

I can't remember now how many collars the dogs have been through but I do know it's a lot. Even though they've had several collars I still try to keep with a theme for each dog based on their personality and sometimes what they've been from birth. Raimi was Blue Boy, or Mr Blue, when he was born and therefore his collar has always been some shade of blue. Here he is 3.5 weeks old and tackling a cow hoof. I'll let you take a moment to recover from his adorable-ness.

He's had about 3 or 4 collars, about one just over every year since he's not too hard on them. He had one collar for at least 2 years and I actually still have it stowed in the truck as an emergency collar. It's a sort of nylon but much softer than a lot of versions on the shelf and I loved the chain on it, he was accustomed to a choke collar so when he heard the chain on this collar he smartened right up. It is a fairly utilitarian martingale chain collar because he is a fairly utilitarian kind of Boy.  Hard to imagine the puppy above turned into this hunk of burnin' love ...

He currently has a very serviceable collar I got for him almost two Christmases ago and it's still in quite good shape. It's completely made of fabric, except the hardware of course, and since he is not Leeloo he hasn't beaten the hell out of it. I wanted a masculine, but attractive collar for him and I think this one hit the right note. It certainly suits him and at the moment there is nothing wrong with it.

I didn't realise, or rather, it didn't occur to me before we moved here that when we went to the beach the salt in the water would cause the chains to rust. All of the collars I had at the time had chains and they all rusted. So we went to all fabric collars which don't rust but do get unimaginably dirty. Especially when worn by a Leeloo. She never had a collar color at birth because her white feet made her pretty easy to pick out of a crowd, so I randomly chose a sort of pink theme for her. I would have been better off choosing a collar the color of dirt. She started with a smaller version of this collar, taken when she was about 9 months old and not yet familiar with the joys of rolling in things that make Mommy gag on the drive home and pull out the hose in the backyard.

 

She graduated to a really nice red silk fabric collar and it took her just over a year to almost completely kill its spirit. I didn't realize, because her previous collar was a simple nylon, that she was so hard on collars. I mean, all they do is wear them around their necks. How much damage can they do? As it turns out ... a lot. Leeloo has ground so much dirt into her last two collars you sometimes can't tell what the pattern is and so worn the fabric so that the threads in the middle of the collar start peeling away.

 

 

The pretty red silk one got replaced late last year when the threads along the edges could no longer cope with Leeloo's mad dashes through the woods and rolls in unmentionable substances on the forest floors. I chose a nice patterned pink one thinking the swirly flowers might hide the dirt but no, it just became a sad gray version of its former self.

 

 

Cora is and will forever be Miss Purple. She was the last puppy born and was graced with the color purple. Since she was born on the heels of her Uncle Zero winning Best of Breed at Westminster in New York, I decided her 'set' would be purple and gold for the Westminster colors.  Don't her eyes just slay you? And those ears ... swoon.

 

 

I found a lovely collar for her online which was pretty much exactly what I was looking for and she's had it for the last year, ever since she could fit into it. I really like the collar, it's a nice dark purple with subtle gold pattern and she's been fairly good to it. Of late she's been following her mother to The Dark Side of collar wear since they now have a squirrel to harass and frogs to torture together. Fighting the trail of dirt into my house is a constant battle and the collars are not immune.

 

 

So where is this all going? A while back I started seeing some of my peeps on Facebook liking and eventually buying collars from someone called Sexy Beast Dog Collars. I didn't think I needed collars any time soon so I just browsed and thought they were yet another person online selling dog collars. If you've looked for a special dog collar you know most collar patterns repeat and to get something truly original you have to spend a lot and look really hard. However, a spot of loose threads on Leeloo's current collar caused me to look closer at SBDC on Facebook. I was hooked. I contacted the owner and asked about some colors and the price of what I wanted. In particular I was interested in the leather collars. What could be better for Leeloo? I was pleasantly surprised at the cost of the collars and promptly ordered one each for the two girls - The Boy's collar doesn't need replacing really and I'm not seeing colors or patterns that speak to me yet. The girl's collars came today and I tell you I was not disappointed in the least. I saw this product shot of my custom collars on SBDC's FB page today, thankfully after I got them in the mail (only a week in the post!), so the surprise wasn't spoiled, and boy, am I impressed.

 

(Photo Credit Sexy Beast Dog Collars)

 

From a person who has seen her fair share of collars in 36 years in purebred dogs, I can tell you these are some of the best. I'm curious how they will hold up to Leeloo since she is the queen of wrecking things that cannot be wrecked, but at first blush the girls are definitely sexy beasts on a mission in these collars. Little creek frogs and naughty squirrels beware.

 

 

Leeloo's is her obligatory pink with a nice lime green accent which she shows off very well. The leather needs to be worked a bit but I'm sure Leeloo will take care of that in no time. They are not, I repeat ... NOT, wearing these collars in the boarding kennel while I am in Barbados, but there is a faint hope they will survive at least a year or more of Doodlebug wear and tear.

 

 

The Baby Booble still has her Westminster theme and she is rockin' it. I always go with the 1.5" collars on my dogs and I think it makes a huge difference to how it makes their neck appear. Both Leeloo and Cora have long elegant necks and to put a heavy 2" collar on it would shorten them and appear bulky. For The Boy, because his neck is already bulky, I go with the 1.5" to make it appear more slender. Same collar, different effect. You gotta know how to dress, right?

 

 

The Boy will get his collar soon - after seeing these gorgeous designs and knowing the chains aren't going anywhere near the ocean anytime soon, I will be sure to order him one as soon as I get back from my trip. And Cora, she is always sexy but with this collar, she is unstoppable.