I can’t believe it was only a week ago (or it was when I started writing this post on Friday!) that we went to Richmond Dog Show at Loseley Park. It seems like so much longer!

It was quite a day. We left just after 4:30am allowing almost 3 hours for what I thought was a 2 1/2hr trip but mum thought it may take longer so we left a bit of extra time. We arrived at the show just after 7am which was a tad premature as we were aiming for 7:30! (which was when it opened). We arrived before the others so sat in the car and waited for them, they arrived and we all went in.

First thing I did when we got there was check the catalogue to see if there were any Phalenes other than our lot (and specifically checking for a certain one). Solei was actually the only Phalene dog there – there were two other bitches (one being Solei’s daughter) plus the bitches we’d brought (who were actually two of his cousins and his half-sister…we could’ve had quite a family party :lol:) but no other dogs. Of course whilst I was looking I couldn’t help seeing the class sizes and immediately wished I hadn’t! Our first champ show (and my first time showing at one) and of course we ended up in the biggest class of the day – 21! 21! Nothing like breaking me in gently 😆

The grass was very wet (dew) when we arrived and the sun wouldn’t come out so after waiting a couple of hours hoping it would dry off we ended up having to take the dogs out to pee in the wet grass and they got absolutely soaking. Nothing more depressing than spending the day before bathing and grooming dogs so they look fantastic then before they’ve even been in the ring having to let them get all wet and muddy!

Of course only about half an hour later it had started to dry off and by the second class of the day the sun had come out, grass had more or less dried and it was starting to get very hot.

My friends have a 17mth old tri Pap, Mac, who’s always been very fond of me. I’ve shown him once before at a club open show (details of that in the May archives I think) and we just clicked.

In his last three or four shows he’s been badly spooked (just really bad luck – it’ll be when he’s on the table that someone drops a bench nearby, for example) and he’s now very jumpy and looking for something scary to happen.

As he’s got such a good relationship with me they thought if he would show well for anyone it would be me, and a change of handler might help too. So just before the first class started they sprung this on me and asked if I’d like to show him! I was more than a little shocked – I never dreamt I’d be handling their dogs at champ show level and to be asked because they thought I could do better with him than they could was such an honour.

They were halfway through the 1st class by this point. Mac’s was the 3rd class (Junior Dog) and Solei’s was the 4th (Post Grad Dog) so I didn’t have long to get myself sorted. Changed into my jacket and then had to groom Solei cos I now had back to back classes and couldn’t do him later. Finished him, grabbed Mac and went into the ring! He was a bit funny on the table which wasn’t really surprising as a lot of his frights have been up there. Then, standing him at the end, there were a couple of people moving just outside the ring (his latest fright was a Japanese guy wearing a scary hat leaning over the ring taking photos!) which he was very unsure about and although he was focused on me and stood nicely he wouldn’t put his tail up. But he didn’t totally freak out at any point and other than that he was fine Nine entered and he got a 3rd!

So I then did a quick dog swap and went straight back in the ring with Solei. The sun was completely out by this time and very hot. They lined us up numerically (which was fun cos in the rush I’d forgotten to switch my numbers which confused everyone briefly :lol:) and we were about 3rd from the end so because it was such a big class by the time it was our turn he was so hot and tired. Doesn’t help himself; I try and shade him but he won’t stay in my shadow! Never the less he pulled it together and showed beautifully until I had to stand him at the end where he was too hot and tired and although stood really nicely wouldn’t keep his tail up for longer than a second. I was doing an interesting dance trying to keep him moving so it would be up when the judge was looking at him and feeling like a right prat!
Didn’t place there but it was a big class and being the only Phalene maybe not the judge’s cup of tea. Judging by the dogs he placed I don’t think he was giving movement much weight either.

3rd in Mac’s class is a Crufts qualifier; I said I was going to qualify for Crufts and I did it – just a pity I qualified the wrong dog!

It was a fantastic day 🙂

After that Exeter the next weekend was a doddle. Didn’t have to be up until after six! We left just before 7am because we had to pick up some dogs first. We have two bitches currently expecting (one was due the day of the show, 15th, and the other the 19th) and so T was staying at home with her and S was going to come along to the show later. But they had two bitches who’s breeder was picking them up at the show and if the bitch went into labour S wasn’t going to come. So, just incase, we took the two girls down, as well as Mac (going for as much show experience as possible) and obviously Solei.

It was great fun having the extra dogs and kept me busy most of the morning. When we got there they all had to go outside, then I wanted to take Solei, Mac and one of the bitches round the ring before the judging started. By the time I’d done all that S rang to say she was just leaving. She arrived about three quarters of an hour later with the two dogs she was showing, by which time it was time to start grooming! So I did most of Solei’s grooming, got changed and then went back to finish him off. Only 1 dog turned up in the Yearling class which almost made me late cos Graduate, where Solei was entered, was after that and I hadn’t finished!

There were 9 dogs entered in Graduate but only 6 turned up. Four Papillons, then S had a Phalene bitch and I had Solei. They were placing 1st-4th at this show. The 4 Papillons got placed, the two Phalenes got chucked! Bit transparent that he either didn’t like the Phalenes or didn’t know what he was looking for in a Phalene so wouldn’t place them 😆 Ah well, unfortunately it happens. I almost put Solei in the Graduate Stakes at this show and I was so glad I didn’t because it would have been the same judge!

The bitch due on the 15th still hasn’t whelped. However, our girl due on the 19th had two lovely puppies on Sunday! Both B/W, one dog and one bitch. Both doing well so far.