The Blog of the Frog

Well that was interesting – the show I mentioned we were going to in my last post, and the judge decided to judge like they do abroad – at the end of the class they move you up or down the line to the position they think they’ll place you in, and then move again. Elton was on the end of the line, and this judge pulled out almost the first five dogs in the class (most of the nice ones were at the front lol), got to Elton and then I think wasn’t quite sure what to do….so he pulled him out anyway, but then he was unplaced as there were only five places and now six dogs.

It’s the only class he pulled 6 dogs out (5 in all the others), so I don’t know if he forgot Elton and then when he got to him remembered and felt he ought to pull him out but then wasn’t sure what to do with him or what, but it was interesting! I can count the number of times Elton has been unplaced on one hand (that was his fourth time), and the others were (ironically) his first three championship shows – in December, January & April. Hey, proves he’s getting better with maturity!!

That was just a minor blip in proceedings, for a week last Friday we went to Richmond champ show. This was one I wasn’t going to go to, and then Elton started winning big! It was pure luck we ended up going – entries closed about a week before Paignton, but on the closing date they decided to extend it to midday on what happened to be the day we were showing at Paignton. At Paignton Elton won his Junior class, followed by his Yearling class – and I thought “oh..”!! So I borrowed S’s iphone, and entered via iphone at the show about an hour before entries closed 😆

It was this judge’s first CC appointment, so I didn’t know what to expect as to his views on Phalenes or what his judging would be like. Elton was in the same classes he had been at Paignton – Junior Dog and Yearling Dog – and once again he won them both!! He’s doing me proud at the moment <3 And six more Junior Warrant points! Two to go…

Yesterday we went to an open show where once again he won both his classes (only this time it wasn’t hard as he was the only one in them….) and then got Reserve Best of Breed.

Onwards and upwards!

Well, Elton finished an absolutely incredible month (29 days, to be pedantic :lol:) by also going on to win his Junior Dog class at Bournemouth Championship Show on 15th August! So he needs 8 points now…so near yet so far.

That Friday we went up to Welsh Kennel Club, where he was 3rd in Junior Dog. It’s a sad state of affairs – it was a good class, and he did very well to get 3rd….but when all you want is points it makes you very ungrateful 😆 I suppose it’s worse now I feel under quite a big time pressure. Though I was less than amused – the judge shortlisted the five dogs she was going to place, and then sent us all round together once before making her decision. Elton was the last dog to be seen, thus the last dog she got to and so the last to be pulled out. Because of where everyone was standing when she gestured to send them round he ended up at the front, and the person behind insisted on going up his backside! He’s not one to be phased by something like that, but Elton being Elton that was an invitation to play….so most of the way round the ring he was spinning circles and trying to get to the dog behind, rather than moving nicely. Then when I stopped at the end she stopped too close and so Elton was still trying to play rather than stand. I eventually got his attention, but I’m actually not so sure that didn’t cost him the class, which is rather frustrating – especially given the circumstances!

A week last Monday I took Solei to obedience, for the first time since that diasterous first week in July. He wasn’t bad, but he’s certainly not the same dog he was….I honestly don’t think he ever will be. I already knew he hasn’t been the same, but I’d hoped he would just slot back in to somewhere familiar he’d always liked 🙁

Then of course there was the excitement of the show last week….the less said about that the better!! I’m pretending I didn’t go 😛 Got there, to discover the judge had cancelled last minute….so we had a replacement. Problem with that was the previous judge is knowledgable about Papillons, but that was the only toy breed she was doing….other than that she was doing a different group. So the show society went and got this judge of the other group that was qualified to judge Paps in that they “could”, but I don’t think they knew anything about them, nor were interested…only something they had to do before the “real” stuff. Needless to say they wouldn’t have known a Phalene if it had bitten them on the nose (and the thought was tempting…)

To add to that, the table was in the wrong place for me so I had to get the steward to move it, by which time the judge was standing waiting….steward managed to move the table on to rough ground so it rocked like the titanic as soon as I put Elton on (which I didn’t realise until he was on), judge didn’t give me time to actually stand him or settle him (like I would’ve been able to anyway on a table that was moving that much)

Elton went so, so well as well <3 He felt and looked amazing….actually felt better than he has the last couple shows. Figures he’d pull extra stops out when there’s a judge that isn’t gonna look twice at him.

At the weekend I was judging a fun show, at a fun day. What a super, super day! There was have a go agility which all three of my boys had a go at – Solei is a bit rusty but still remembers a lot of what he was taught – especially the command “tunnel”! Was very funny when I put him over a sequence and we were going slowly and rather rustily over the jumps (trying to remember that you go over them not round them :D) then from a few metres away I pointed and said to him “tunnel!” and he rocketed off and shot through the tunnel 😆 now to get the rest of the course like that 😉

Elton and Darwin have never seen an agility course in their lives, so that was interesting. Darwin totally freaked the first time, but then after watching a couple of other dogs had another go and had the time of his life! Elton took to it straight away, and I think has potential 🙂

The fun show was rather nerve wracking, but in the end (I think!) a fun experience. I had a good entry of 59, and I think everybody enjoyed themselves!

Elton’s next show is Friday, so fingers crossed that goes better! No thanks to me – I messed up the classes and he’s only in Junior, he should’ve been in Junior and Graduate.