Wow…just…wow!

I meant to give an update last week but got a bit side tracked in the end. So, I spent all week in turmoil over whether I was doing the right thing having Elton….I never changed my mind enough to say anything to S&T about not having him, but one minute I’d be sure I was doing the right thing and then the next full of doubt again!

Last Tuesday he didn’t particularly do anything for me at ringcraft (in terms of “that” feeling) and I found myself looking at the other pups there (most from different litters) and preferring them…which could well just be because they’re not mine, and I’d feel the same about them if they were. After all, as I said last time he’d made me feel incredible at the ringcraft match 😆 which was just before they offered him to me, so I’m inclined to think a lot of it is that I’m looking on him differently now he’s mine (or going to be). If they’d offered him to me weeks ago I’m sure I would have taken him without a second thought.

I have a little Pap at the moment who was a nervous wreck – never, ever thought she’d see the inside of a show ring. She came from a disabled lady who has been rather ill and so they were four months old and never been anywhere, not lead trained..etc. I’ve had her (and her brother) for just over a month now and omg you wouldn’t believe the transformation. This is a dog that peed everytime you went to pick her up, wouldn’t let you catch her, wouldn’t walk on a lead, put her on a table and she’d lie down as far back as possible shaking and I couldn’t take her anywhere (even in my arms) without her just lying there quivering. I’ve worked so hard with her over the last month and last Tuesday she actually went to ringcraft, trotted round her triangle like she owned the place and more or less accepted being gone over on the table Heart I wouldn’t have her but I felt like I had something special on the end of the lead, y’know? The way she moved and she stood beautifully…felt it more so than Elton. One of the stupid things bugging me atm is that his tail never stops wagging (obviously that’s not bugging me :lol:) and he’s one of those that wags it down, rather than right over the back, if that makes sense? Solei’s the same – unless he’s so wound up he looks like he’s on drugs 😆 – he has to put his tail down if he wags it. He’s got a lovely tail carriage so I wish he’d show it off properly 😆 I’m obsessed with tails thanks to Sol.

When I rang the breeder for my pupdate on Monday there was more good news – as you know we started off with 5 potential pups, then went down to 4 and now although there are still 4 one of them injured their tail to the extent they had to have 2/3rds amputated, so now we only have 3 potential show pups left.

So all in all a super start to my week! And then….well, as I say – wow, just…wow!

On Friday night I bathed Elton, ready for his show debut on Saturday. He didn’t come up too badly 🙂 He always looks like he’s been dragged through a hedge backwards (it’s the ears) after 5 minutes playing with the other pups! So I did him last thing so he could go straight to bed. The next morning we arrived at the show early and I took him round the ring, which was interesting! He didn’t go too badly.

He wasn’t in a breed class, just in AV Toy Puppy which had 15 entries! Oh great, I think 😆 Eventually we get into the ring and he didn’t go brilliantly, but I’m told it felt worse than it looked. Didn’t help that it was also the last class bar AV Toy Veteran so there had been lots of dogs already in the ring and there were lots of interesting smells, especially on the mat which was part of his triangle and then his up and down. On the whole ringcraft went out of the window! He stood ok – though like his daddy he doesn’t usually stretch out properly atm, but I’m sure that’ll come 🙂 – and movement was ok in patches! Just a bit pulling here there and everywhere and breaking into a gallop, which he hadn’t been doing at ringcraft – excitement of a show and all the smells and sounds I think – and his tablework went out of the window but I think that was me! Anyway, to my surprise….Elton won the class!! Which – even though he hadn’t been in a breed class – enabled him to go forward to the toy puppy group, because he was still an unbeaten puppy. Each pup was moved again and then we all stood our dogs at the end…..and the judge pointed to Elton!! He WON the Puppy Group!! I really can’t explain how I felt at that point. Even now I keep squealing out loud when I’m thinking about it cos I just can’t contain myself 😆 It was a large and very good puppy group so to come out with Puppy Group 1 with a 6 month old Phalene at his very first show….oh wow! (and he beat the Best Puppy In Breed Pap so he would’ve been BPIB if he’d been entered)

He didn’t do anything in BPIS, but he looked very raw – he didn’t move terribly well and he’s still very immature (I think all the others were 10 or 11 months and there’s he at 6 months at his very first show!) but his little tail wagged all day and he had a good time which is all that really matters at this age 🙂 As I went through the hall with him on my lap he was trying to stick his nose in the face of every other dog that was remotely close – even a Great Dane! – with tail wagging 😆

They were doing eye testing there as well, so I had Solei done – all normal 🙂 big relief! So good results all round, in more ways than one!

We finally completed Elton’s paperwork today so he’s now officially mine 🙂 He’s a bit snuffly today actually, so I hope he’s ok…he would be wouldn’t he, I’ve had him back two weeks and he’s been fine until he officially becomes mine 😆 I’ve booked him in for some puppy classes at the obedience club I go to with Solei so he starts those in January. Oh, and I started my Christmas shopping! I’ve never been this organised, ever.