The Blog of the Frog

Elton’s tooth finally came out on Friday night! His ears were much improved by Saturday and you wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss with them.

We didn’t get in the ring for hours and when we did Elton was horrendous 😆 When I’d taken him round the ring before judging started he was really well behaved and I thought maybe we’d cracked it – nuh uh, he was worse than ever when it was his turn to show 😆 I don’t think she could really assess his movement, possibly a couple of steps here and there. Never the less she must have liked him, cos he was still 3rd out of 7+ dogs! I hope he learns to move a bit better soon, because he’s going to start getting placed lower down the line than he would have done purely because movement couldn’t be assessed! Though S said he would have been a bit small for this judge, too – story of his life! It’s getting frustrating now – he’s still well within standard, only 6 months old and he *is* growing! So cut him a bit of slack 😆

On Sunday we went to a companion show – I wanted to get the pups out and give Elton some more much needed practice in a “real” show enviroment. Elton was 4th in Puppy – judge said he liked him and he moved well but he was a bit small and needed a touch more body – Darwin was 3rd in Toy/Utility – he wouldn’t stand properly on the table which he’s never done before, and then decided the bait of the lady next door was far more interesting than mine and wouldn’t stand properly at the end(!) – and I decided to bring Solei out for a bit of fun 🙂 and he was 4th in Open!! Vale was then 3rd in Veteran. Very pleased with Solei & Darwin in particular, who were both in enormous classes.

In the novelties I entered Eeny in Puppy, which ended up being judged exactly like a pedigree class so that was super – exactly the experience I wanted for her! (She’s not quite 6 months so couldn’t do the pedigree class) – and she was 2nd 🙂 Vale won Waggiest Tail and Elton won Dog the Judge Would Like to Take Home 😆 He almost did, as well! (Take him home). There was a lovely Christmas atmosphere and it was an enjoyable day. Oh and Elton was so well behaved in his Puppy class!! (Damn dog…:lol:)

Took Elton to ringcraft on Tuesday, for some more much needed practice….the problem is he’s fine after he’s done about 5 triangles 😆 but you only get one attempt in the ring! I’ve also been trying to take him outside most days this week to practice, but it’s rather futile…he’s fine until you get him on 1) Mats and 2) In a class of other dogs! But I can only do what I can do.

He’s entered for LKA on Sunday, which is why I’m working so hard with him…it’s a big championship show (his first) and his one and only chance to qualify for Crufts 2010. He’ll be in a class of about 20…and he’s got to get in the first 3. At 6 months. (and a very immature looking 6 months) Yeah 😛  Almost certainly not gonna happen but I want to give it our best shot and not come out feeling “if only he/I/we had done ____”.

His ears have been sitting perfectly for nearly a week….I discovered yesterday his other top canine was hanging on by a thread (at the 90 degrees against the roof of his mouth stage :lol:) and I was surprised because it has had no effect on his ears what so ever…

Of course this morning the tooth has come out and now it’s out his ears are awful!! *headdesk* So they’d better be right again for Sunday…it’s more worrying because I can’t think “oh well, they’ll be fine when the tooth comes out”, cos now there’s no tooth *to* come out! Fingers crossed…

I still haven’t come down to earth 😆 😀

I took Elton down to the vets the day after my last post….Vale was going anyway, to have an injection to help with her stiffness, so he came too cos I was worried about him! Vet had a look at him and thought it was probably teething. Poor boy was quite poorly for a few days 🙁 He’s just in the process of getting his canines through, so that’s probably why…big teeth to push through little gums! I didn’t think he’d be going to the Pap Club but he suddenly picked up on Friday and seemed fine on Saturday, so he was bathed ready for Sunday!

We went off with a carful – some of S&Ts dogs, a dog I was taking up for a friend and my own two (Solei not showing). Six dogs in total! The other catch with Phalenes is when they’re teething their ears can go all over the place….and Eltons had been all over the place all week. By Sunday although not really, badly wrong it still wasn’t right (not sure how obvious it was to the onlooker – not too much so I don’t think!) but not bad enough to keep him out of the ring. He was in the first class, there were 10 entered (9 present) and he was 5th 🙂 Bit of a bump back down to earth after the previous week, but not unexpected! In the line up the judge said he was very nice, very sound and something else complimentary (that I can’t remember) but needs to grow, which is what I expected – I suspected he would be a bit small for her. Pippin (his brother) was 4th, so that wasn’t bad! He was spectacularly 4th out of 4 in the Phalene class 😆 but as I say his ears weren’t right, and all the others in the class (his brothers Pippin & Brodie and an older dog) were correct, so as it was a Phalene class that was probably right, even though Brodie decided not to keep his tail up 😆 though doesn’t do anything for your confidence when you’re beaten by a dog with their tail down!

When I got home on Sunday night I happened to look at Elton’s teeth, and his top left canine is very, very loose – so that explains a lot! In particular why his ears were worse on Sunday – It was fairly solid when I checked on Friday or Saturday, so had happened very quickly. I thought it would be out in no time but he’s still hanging on to it! It’s now sitting at a 90 degree angle against the roof of his mouth(!), hanging on by a thread but refusing to come out!

His ears are still all over the place – they’re changing hour by hour! I look at him and they’re correct, then the next time they’re very wrong, then they’re slightly off but not bad….etc! He’s showing again this weekend so I’m really hoping that that wretched canine will come out and once it does his ears will settle again – and quickly! Until the next time, anyway – after this one comes out he’ll still have two canines left. Aragh, teeth! Can’t get away from them, can I 😆

Other than that, things have been fairly non-eventful. I’ve got Elton’s transfer of ownership back from the Kennel Club 🙂 so he’s officially in my name now!