Wow….just, wow 😆 Didn’t want to mix this in with the last post, and then more happened.

On 18th July I went to the Joint Papillon Clubs Championship Show with Elton and Darwin. Under an American judge, so didn’t really know what to expect. It was Darwin’s first time at a champ show for almost a year, he was so excited to be there! Showed pretty well and came out with a 5th in Post Grad Dog, which was a good result (I was hoping to qualify him for Crufts – 1st-3rd – but never mind, still good to be placed!)

Elton was an absolute star…he was 2nd in Yearling Dog (12-24mths, so at just 14 months he was one of the younger), behind a dog who was at the top end of the age spectrum. He then went back in for Graduate Dog, which he won!! Finally also being declared Best Phalene Dog. So proud of my little rocket man!

Then it got even more incredible! Last Saturday we went to a companion obedience show and Elton was entered in the baby class – his very first obedience show. It was a very basic round (heel on lead, recall on lead, 30 second sit stay on lead) but my little boy only went and won it!! During the heelwork the judge was walking behind us saying things like “wow, that is lovely” – whilst judging!! – so I think she was impressed 😆 All he lost was a ½ on heelwork and a ½ on recall. He won a (non-perpetual) trophy!

The next day was the South of England Papillon Club Championship Show. Elton won two of his three classes (I was kicking myself because I’d put him in Yearling instead of Junior, I knew I’d made a mistake a couple of weeks after I’d entered but it was too late to change it by then) and Best Phalene Dog. He then went up against the Best Phalene Bitch – who is a Champion with 5 CCs and had in turn beaten an Int Ch – and my little boy was declared Best Phalene in Show!!!

Finally, on Wednesday we went to an all breed championship show (never a dull moment at this time of year 😉 ) where Elton was entered in two breed classes. In to the first one we went, and he absolutely showed his socks off! At the Pap Club in his first two breed classes (one straight after the other) he didn’t feel right, and although halfway through I had a pretty good idea why – he needed to go out – but I couldn’t do a lot about it! I’d taken him out to pee before I groomed him up, but evidently he’d also needed to poo and hadn’t. Took him outside straight after his class and sure enough he did.

As I was grooming him up on Wednesday I thought he didn’t seem quite right…stopped grooming and took him out, he went – and thankfully kept his trousers clean this time! – I’d already taken him out before I started grooming him and I really didn’t have the time to take him out again, so I’d have been in trouble if he’d needed major grooming after! From this we’ve learnt I seem to be able to read my puppy quite well 😆 which is nice.

Anyway, then it was a bit of a rush to finish grooming him up and get him into the ring on time, but I managed it; and as I say he showed SO well. I was a bit concerned because he used to be a bit dodgy on the table (would go all rocking horse and then lie down) and watching some of the earlier judging I didn’t think he would like the way this judge was handling them, but he surprised me and was actually a lot better than I thought he’d be. He really took to the judge actually – when she came down the line he started wagging his tail, and by the time she took her last look at the end he was wagging so hard his whole body was moving! He used to be like that as a puppy, but he appeared to have outgrown it, and I don’t remember him ever doing it that enthusiastically! Elton won the class!

My day just got better and better, as we then went back in for his second class and he won that one as well! He couldn’t quite contain himself at the end of that class – until that point he’d been keeping his stand and just wagging, at the end he started off wagging and then got up and stood balanced on his hind legs. Vicious ugly creature 😉

So in the last three weeks Elton has (obedience excepted) won 6 classes, a Best Phalene Dog, a Best Phalene in Show and got 9 Junior Warrant* points!

*Junior Warrant = between the ages of 6-18 months if you win a breed class with 3 or more dogs in you get 1 (open show) or 3 (champ show) points. You need 25 of these points (inc. at least 3 champ pts and at least 3 open pts) and then you can put the letters JW after your dogs name. Elton now has 14pts and 3 months left to get the other 11….sounds easy, but all depends on if the judges are good or not! If he doesn’t get it he’s been incredibly unlucky; he’s won so many variety classes (don’t count) or breed classes with just 2 dogs in, and got so many 2nds in classes that would have given him points. He has until the 14th November, so please keep your fingers crossed that we can get the remaining 11 points!

(and Solei has totally lost it again, but not going into details here because this is a nice HAPPY post about Elton 😛 )