The Blog of the Frog

So, the day finally arrived! I was up far too early after dozing on and off throughout the night. We got to Exeter without getting lost (I should hope so seeing as it’s straight down the motorway and we’ve been there hundreds of times before!) and actually found the Livestock Centre without getting lost either, though that was more by luck than judgement as we realised afterwards we’d actually taken a wrong turning but all it did was add an extra loop to the journey. The motorway was horrendous for 7:30 in the morning – heading towards Devon on a bank holiday weekend isn’t a good idea!

Entries weren’t that large by our standards, there were 8 in Solei’s class. And he showed *beautifully* I couldn’t have asked for better. Stood perfectly on the table and didn’t try to snatch the food from my hand (thus ruining his stand) which he never does at home but likes trying to do at ringcraft, and kept his tail up by himself the whole time whilst he was on the table! Moved well as always and then kept his tail up when he was standing on the floor as well 🙂 It wasn’t brilliant but he was standing for a very long time and everytime I saw it start to drop I just moved him slightly and it went back up, which it would never have done before without moving him halfway across the ring! And he got fourth 🙂 It was a strong class and the other thing about Phalenes is even the judges that will place a Phalene don’t like to over do it and Tara (phalene bitch) had won the class before Solei’s, so there was no way he’d have given it to another Phalene. Shouldn’t be like that but it is 😉 Afterwards someone told me they thought if he’d been in before Tara he’d have quite possibly won it which was encouraging. I certainly couldn’t have asked for more from Solei so I was happy enough anyway! And I was so glad I wasn’t 5th – they were only placing 1st-4th but the judge obviously wasn’t aware of that and kept pulling 5 dogs out anyway which meant one person thought they’d been placed then had to leave without anything! Not being placed is one thing but to think you have and then get it, in effect, taken away would’ve been awful.

Though I was nervous already, not helped by the fact the only way I could groom him was with my back to the ring so I couldn’t see what was going on and I hadn’t quite finished when the other class ended. So I finished him in a bit of a panic and dashed across to the ring, got into the line and realised I’d forgotten my food! So, highly embarrassed I had to rush out of the ring, grab it and run back – luckily judge was still drinking his coffee 😆

So there was my first experience of showing Solei in a “proper” show!

Then, last Thursday, we had our second show. This time we went up to Monmouth, it was an agricultural show so there was lots going on besides the dog show. I was so glad I’d entered this one because I was so nervous at his first show after I had to finish grooming him in a rush thus forgetting my bait and had to dash out of the ring to grab it and after that I was just really flustered and unsettled! After that I needed a good experience before tackling the terror of Richmond.

First was his breed class and he got 2nd 🙂 There was just the one Papillon class there and 1st/BOB was a bitch so he actually technically got BOS as well but they weren’t recognising it at this particular show. Shame 😉 Then, after a long wait I took him back in for Graduate Any Variety Toy and he got Reserve there! Despite being a little brat – he wouldn’t stand because he wanted to play with the other dogs, put him on the table and he wouldn’t stay stacked because there was an interesting smell on the carpet he was standing on. Put him down to do his triangle and kept having to yank his head up because of there were so many interesting smells down there as well! So yes, he was hard work 😆 I actually wonder if someone had had an in season bitch in there because he’s not usually that bad But when I came out of the ring I was stopped by a man who complimented me on my handling which made my day 🙂

Tomorrow is the big one – Richmond! Up at 4am and hopefully Solei will be on his best behaviour and show his socks off! Going to bath him ready in about an hour. Fingers crossed….

Where does the time go! Although little progress has been made with the moving in bit Solei and I are much more settled now, I’ve adapted to having him around and I’m now less paranoid and consequently enjoying him more!

The weekend (5th) after my last entry I took him to another companion show, as I mentioned I was going to. Again I put him in AV Non-Sporting and Most Handsome Dog. I thought about Best Condition but it was an incredibly hot day so I thought just the two would be enough.

When we arrived…well, it was on a field which obviously hasn’t been cut in weeks. It was so long you couldn’t actually see his legs and he kept having to hop over particularly big clumps! And the rings were no better.

I was grooming him over in the shade of the car because there was no shade on the field at all; no trees or anything. So I couldn’t see the rings, when mum comes running up and tells me to hurry up because they’re on the class before and there aren’t many in it. So I panic and finish grooming him in a rush, run over dropping everything in my haste…..only to find they’re only on puppy and they’ve still got the whole of sporting to do before non-sporting…at least it gave me time to calm down 🙄

Still, eventually it *is* our class, there are about 10-15 dogs in it. And my little star only went and won it! I’ve never been more proud in my life, especially considering the ground conditions were so bad for little dogs (his movement is his best aspect too!) and it was so hot. He still wouldn’t keep his tail up but you can’t have everything 😉 We’re working on it!
Then we had to go back in and challenge for BIS, but nothing there.

Meanwhile they’d decided to halt the novelty classes until the pedigree had finished because the next two were most handsome dog and prettiest bitch and some of the dogs were entered in both (both a pedigree and a novelty I mean, not both the dog and bitch classes….) and so it wouldn’t be fair to them.

So Solei and I come out of the ring after BIS to go straight into the other one for Most Handsome Dog. There were 24 in the class and he got 2nd!

Oh and did I mention his breeders were there watching? No pressure then 😉 I think that’s why I almost messed up his first class – I forgot to put him on the table whilst the dog in front was moving so then I had to do it when the judge was ready and thus didn’t have time to set him up and it was a minor disaster! Something else happened too but I can’t remember what, evidently I’ve blanked it from my memory already 😆 It was the first time they’ve seen me handling him too (in any context, never mind a proper show)

There was a little fun agility course there (weave poles, a few jumps, tunnel, one of those tiny baby/toddler’s slides (which he climbed up – eventually – and then slid down :lol:) and a hoop that was only about an inch off the ground) so we did that before we came home and he was really good 🙂 I want to try agility with him anyway and based on that he definitely has potential!

So yes; came home with a fun rosette for the agility, a 1st, a 2nd and two goody bags! I was absolutely floating for days 🙂

I took him to ringcraft the Tuesday after my last entry (2nd) and except for the age old problem of his tail he was good 🙂 It was nice to be able to show him off! He hasn’t been since but he’ll go again this Tuesday because I want to get some practice in before our first open show next Saturday. But I’ve still been going and it’s been great fun because we’ve had all the puppies out! The two babies (5 months on 21st August) have been a few times now and they’re both doing really well. All being well their first show will be on 22nd September when they’ll be 6mths 1 day (you can’t show before 6 months) so that’ll be an experience for them! Mickey has also been coming, he’s about 6 months and I’ve been able to handle him. Fauna came one week (think she’s about 8 months) and we’ve also had Tara (almost 15mths) and the week before last Mac (nearly 17mths now) came as well so it’s been…interesting. Usually involves swapping dogs between the three of us frequently which is fun to confuse everyone else!

Other than that the Monday just gone was Bournemouth Championship Show. Way back in about March I was going to go, but then I got Solei and the entries had already closed so I wouldn’t have been able to take him with me unless I wanted to leave him in the unentered dogs tent and there’s no way I’d do that all day (especially as he currently has some separation issues we’re working on) so I wasn’t going to go. However then some friends offered me a spare pass so that I could bring him and so we ended up going after all!

After spending the night not sleeping I was up at five and we’d left the house before 5:30am. The journey was wonderful – nothing beats travelling through the New Forest at 7am. There were so few cars about and we saw the ponies and even some highland cattle! We only got lost once, when we went into the centre of Ringwood by mistake, and it only cost us about 5 minutes so very impressive for us – we usually end up getting hopelessly lost 😆 We were aiming for about 7:30am because that’s when the show opened and we eventually arrived at about 7:35am (would’ve been perfect timing if we hadn’t had that minor detour ;)) to find the others had not long arrived too and were standing in the car park! So we all went in together, claimed our spot by the Papillon ring and set up camp 🙂 After everything was set up and we’d all had some breakfast and recovered from the journey the dogs came out to take them round the ring before the judging started (which wasn’t until ten). So I took Solei round and let him have a sniff, then we did a mock round – I put him on the table, did a triangle, down and back and then took him back to the end of the “line”. He was *fantastic*. Kept his tail up the whole time and I’ve never seen him go better – I was SO pleased with him 😀 I think if he’d been entered and shown like that he would’ve held his own.

However I don’t think it was even 9am by this point and although he’s never kept his tail up as well as he did there he is usually better in the mornings – as the day goes on he gets tireder and thus lazier. So after the judging had finished I took him round again. It was probably about 3-4pm and it wasn’t quite as good as the morning but his tail was still upish, just not quite as good as it should be. Still a great improvement on how he usually holds it!

So, as I mentioned we have our first proper show together next weekend. I’m not sure how he’ll react – it’s been years since he’s been in an enclosed area with loads of different breeds around him – but hopefully we’ll be okay 🙂 I’m excited about it as well as terrified!

Oh and my wardrobe is now built but the small one needs attaching to the big one and the shelves need to be put in so I *still* can’t use it *lol*

Well it’s “only” been three weeks since my last entry but it feels like a life time.

Everything went as planned and so I moved in on the afternoon of Friday 13th 🙂 It’s incredible, though I have found it hard. I didn’t anticipate how separate this would feel from the rest of the house. It really doesn’t feel attached and it is like my own bungalow! Which is great, but I found it meant I just wanted to be left alone to do everything by myself which I just can’t manage. I’ve found it very difficult to get used to people coming in and out multiple times a day!

I have some incredible news which I didn’t want to mention in my last entry because at that point it wasn’t confirmed. When I was first looking for a Papillon I said I wasn’t bothered what age they were; I was open to a slightly older dog as well as a puppy. Initially we were looking at puppies but with that idea at the back of their minds. I love both the Papillons and the Phalenes and would have been happy with either, but I was going to have a Papillon because I would do better and then look at getting a Phalene down the line.

There was a 14mth old Papillon they bred (actually the grandson of Trudi, the dog I was looking after) who they thought may be coming back to them, then I was going to have him. However in the end he didn’t come back, which was a shame cos he would’ve been perfect. But then they offered me a choice of their two Phalene boys. One is a red sable and white, about 18 months and an import from Holland. The other is about 3 years, black and white and bred by them.

I’d met them both in the past, the B/W boy I’ve only met once and didn’t really get to interact with him, the R/S/W I’ve met a few times and had a cuddle, but that was in about March. I hadn’t seen either since mid-May.

Just after my last post, on the 8th July, I went round to see them. They’re both very different and although both gorgeous the R/S/W would do open shows but probably not champ show material, and I’d like to do those. The B/W hasn’t really been shown much; he comes out maybe 5 or 6 times a year at the most, and just for the club shows. But he’s good enough for more than that.

Then that Tuesday, the 10th, T brought them both to ringcraft for me to try. I knew I wasn’t interested in the red sable at this point but I wanted to try him out of interest. He was ok, but the B/W was wonderful. He didn’t pull out to the side, didn’t get under my wheels and really strides out, even I have trouble keeping up with him! So I decided I’d have him 😀

They could have brought him round the next day, but there was a champ show on Thursday and it wouldn’t have been fair to get him Wednesday and then leave him all day Thursday, so they brought him round on Friday. I had some reservations about it being Friday 13th but seeing as I’d decided to move that day too…

That was actually the main reason I rushed it through, I really wanted to before I got him – and I was, by 2 hours! 😆

so with that I’d like to introduce you to Solei (pronounced to rhyme with holly)….

Solei (click for picture)

He was 3yrs old on 16th July so I even got to celebrate his birthday! I’ve had him 2 weeks now and I can’t imagine life without him. He’s my pride and joy, my soul mate and means everything to me. He’s totally changed my life in every way.

I haven’t taken him to ringcraft yet because we’re trying to keep contact with his breeders to a minimum, but I’m taking him for the first time this Tuesday because they’re going to see Starlight Express! For the last 2 weeks I’ve still been going but leaving Solei at home and handling one of their puppies. Good experience 🙂 I think I’m going to leave him at home again the week after when they’re back but we’ll see.

The first few nights I had him I crated him at night because he woke me up in the night to go out the first couple of nights and I didn’t want him peeing in the house, also I wasn’t sure if he’d mark if I wasn’t keeping an eye on him. Because I’d left him crated whilst I was at ringcraft I decided to let him have the run of the room for the first time that night. Even with the door open he still preferred to sleep in his crate, though also spent some time on the chair. He didn’t seem very interested in my bed. Then on Friday he spent quite a lot of time on my bed during the day and then chose to sleep there that night 🙂 Ever since then he’s slept on my bed at night! Except if I get up at 2am…any other time is fine but if it’s 2am he jumps off the bed, goes into his crate and spends the rest of the night there. Strange dog 😆 I’m really happy because I wanted him to be a bed dog but I wanted it to be his choice – I didn’t want to remove the crate and the chair so he didn’t have a choice – and now he is and it was 😀

It was the fun day on 21st July. We all had reservations about whether it was a good idea for him to see his breeders again after I’d only had him a week, but he seemed to have settled well and I wouldn’t have been able to go if I couldn’t take him so we decided it was worth the risk because he’d probably be okay. They had novelty classes and so I took him in Most Handsome Dog and then Under 20s Handling. Nothing in Most Handsome Dog and 4th in the Handling which I was delighted with! It was my first time showing him and he was really good, except for the fact he puts his tail down when he’s standing. But considering I’d only met him properly for the first time two weeks before and only had him a week, and he hadn’t shown on grass for at least a year (quite probably nearer 2) and only 3 or 4 times in his whole life he was super! Quite a few people asked me how long I’d had him and none of them could believe it when I said a week. He’s really bonding to me and I think and hope we’ve got the beginning of something special here 🙂

I’m keen to get as much practice for both of us as I can, especially as ringcraft is patchy at the moment, so I’m trying to find companion shows for us every weekend. Obviously I’m practicing with him at home but it’s nothing like a show, or even a ringcraft class! So yesterday I took him to his first (and I believe first ever) companion show. We got hopelessly lost and eventually found the show a couple of minutes before 1pm – show started at one! I was ever so slightly stressed and panicked by that point 😉 But luckily we were just in time, only unfortunate bit was I didn’t have time to take him round the ring beforehand.

It actually wasn’t raining for once and the ground wasn’t too muddy at all. The rings were lovely and big which was nice because Solei needs a big ring to show his movement off properly. I entered him in AV Non-Sporting (Not in the American sense; companion shows usually just have Sporting and Non-Sporting – Sporting is Hounds, Gundogs and Terriers. Non-Sporting is Utility, Pastoral, Working and Toy) and Most Handsome Dog. Non Sporting was the 4th class so there had already been quite a few dogs in the ring by that point. They put the small (table) dogs first and then the big dogs last, because I need more room to move I’d put myself right at the end of the line which wasn’t much good because Solei needs the table. So I ended up finding myself at the beginning of the line, first to go! He stood quite nicely at the beginning, except for the age old problem of putting his tail down. Then I had to table him. I’ve taught him to jump up onto my lap, then I lift him up onto the table 🙂 And I was *so* impressed with him. I’ve been struggling with standing him nicely on the table and he always puts his tail down, but I don’t mind that so much because when he’s on the table I can hold it up – it’s the floor that’s the problem! So I put him on the table and moved his legs, he stood absolutely beautifully and even held his tail up! I was so proud of him. Then we did our triangle, he pulled out to the side a bit but he kept his head up most of the time – he did try a few times but his nose wasn’t glued to the floor or anything – and moved nicely. It was a big class so we then had to wait ages whilst everyone else went. I’m not bothered what the dog does during that bit because the judge isn’t looking, so he spent some of the time on my lap and most of it being very distracted at what was happening around him and also sniffing the grass! When it came to standing him at the end we had to move round and as luck would have it I happened to be in front (as in she was directly behind me just outside the ring) of a lady with a rather overweight shaved cavalier. I was having enough trouble keeping Solei’s concentration as it is but of course he decided he liked the look of this Cav and wanted to get to it. So I was trying to get his concentration back and get him to stand nicely and this woman was standing there with this dog saying things like “aww look isn’t it cute he wants to get to you” or words to that effect. I wouldn’t have minded if it had been when we were waiting whilst all the other dogs went but I object at a crucial moment like that! I was so annoyed because it was so inconsiderate. She could see what was happening and just stood there thinking it was funny and making comments when she could (and should) have just moved slightly so the dog wasn’t directly behind Solei. I did get him standing nicely (except for tail) in the end but I don’t think the judge was looking at us whilst he was! We didn’t place but it was a large class of just under 20 dogs. Actually it occurred to me after that she didn’t ask me what he was nor did she say so I wonder if she actually knew what she was judging….:lol: Nothing in Most Handsome Dog either, but that was an even larger class of 24! But overall it was a good day. I was (still am) ecstatic with his tabling in av non-sporting and it was good practice for both of us. He wasn’t nervous but the way he acted showed that he’s only ever done two all breed shows in his life, at 9 and 12 months old, so isn’t used to being with non-papillons and isn’t used to showing on grass.

The advantage we had at the fun day was because it was dodgy weather all the classes were inside except for the senior and young handling. So we moved outside, there was no ring marked out and there hadn’t been lots of dogs in there before so it wasn’t so interesting.

So being a glutton for punishment we’re doing another companion show next weekend 😉 Our first “proper” (open) show is 25th August and our first major heart attack inducing show (championship) is 7th September.

As far as my bungalow goes my hob was installed on Friday so I can cook to some extent now! My wardrobe arrived on Wednesday but being flat pack it’s taking a while to put together. It should be finished today so hopefully later I’ll be able to start unpacking, at last! Although I’ve been here just over 2 weeks now I still feel far from moved in. I need to get all these boxes unpacked and my stuff up on the walls and then it’ll feel like home!

And there we have it…I think. Sorry it’s so long!

Well, the end of another week came…and went. They’d hoped to be finished by Friday the 29th but in the end it just couldn’t be completed in time. Then Monday was definitely going to be the last day….then Tuesday 😆 But it finally got finished on Wednesday, the 4th July!

It looks very empty in there now. I’d got so used to seeing the floor littered with brushes, vacuum cleaners, paint tins and all manner of other things. Tis very echoy too because it’s now just a big empty room!

The blind man (as in a man who sells blinds, not a man who can’t see…) came on Wednesday afternoon to measure up and discuss blind colours. Coincidently I’ve ended up with blue everywhere! I wanted blue in the bathroom because I’m planning to have it painted blue eventually. Because it’ll be painted a light blue I wanted dark, so I’m having dark blue in there.

Then in the main room I couldn’t have anything too light because of the shadows coming through, so that ruled out half the colours. I didn’t want any of the reddy colours or purple. Which left a green that was too dark (it’s a blackout one), a grey that would have looked awful in a house (more an office colour) and light blue, mid blue or dark blue (again a blackout). So after holding them up to the light I went for the mid blue on the window next to the door and the window at the far end of the room, dark blue on the kitchen window and the blind on the door has to be a special slatted attached one so that’s going to be white. I’m not having curtains in the kitchen and because of where it is (has a wall of big trees and hedges not far away) I don’t think the glare will be that much of a problem, so it was ok to go for something so dark it can’t really be fully closed in the day.

The people were meant to come to fit the hoist on Thursday (yesterday) and Friday (today) but because the extension had been built with full provision it was really easy to fit, so they actually did it in a day. Today is the first day there hasn’t been a single worker in the house! Though the builder is meant to turn up later to finish off a couple of little bits. It’s very strange but I suppose it’s going to take some getting used to, except for holidays and weekends it’s been every day for more than three months!

This morning we rang up medequip to arrange for them to come and move my bed. It’s electric and we were told when we wanted it moved to just give them a ring, so we did. And they said that we can’t just ring up and ask them, it has to come through an Occupational Therapist or they don’t get paid! My OT only works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but we managed to get in touch with one of the others who will put the order in and let us know what’s happening on Monday.

We’re going to start moving my things in either tonight or tomorrow and get everything I want moved at the moment in over the weekend. Then, once most of it is in and I can see more what I need I’d like to do a bit of furniture shopping on Monday or Wednesday. The blinds and curtain rails are being fitted on Friday morning, and as long as the referral has gone through okay the bed will be moved on Friday afternoon, we’ll also be moving any remaining furniture then as well.

So my proper moving date is Friday 13th…uh oh 😆

It’s been a few weeks, I’m sorry 😉
Though to be honest the only thing I didn’t manage to get photographs of and wish I had was when they knocked through into the house, other than that it’s mainly been wiring, finishing off the plasterboarding and that sort of thing.

Plus it’s reached the point of extreme stress. Things keep going wrong, had a horrendous day on Thursday (21st) where everything seemed to go wrong. I was just so upset and wished we’d never started the damn thing!

We’re nearly there now, it’s a strange sensation. It was meant to be finished by the end of this week so I could be in by my birthday but things have got delayed (don’t they always when it comes to building work :roll:). Hopefully it should be finished some time next week though!

After three weeks I can’t wait for the builders to be gone and to have the house back to ourselves. It’s worse for me because my toilet was where they knocked through and so for weeks I’ve had to ask them and then either kick them outside so I can go to the loo! But they do also become almost part of the family so I’ll miss them as well.

And with that onto pictures. I haven’t taken any since the last post but this morning I went out and got some to show where we stand now!

This is standing in my old toilet, now a tiny utility room. Looking through the hole they knocked through 😉

Open the front door and you end up here….

My new bathroom/hall. Not the best picture but it’s a very difficult room to get a decent angle on. The toilet is going to go where the pipe is, the door we’ve just come through is to the right of that. The washbasin is opposite the toilet and then next to the washbasin is the door into my main room…

Then this is looking down to the far end of the room

And then back up the other way – the door on the far left is the bathroom/hall. And then a french door out onto the patio 🙂

And then on the other side of the bathroom/hall door is the kitchen! Or beginnings of one 😉

You can see how close we are now!

And Trudi is most offended no-one has commented on my last post 😉

You may remember in my long post about a week and a half ago I mentioned that they were going caravanning and I was having one of their dogs to look after whilst they were gone.

We hadn’t actually discussed when she was coming, so when I went to ringcraft on Tuesday evening I was greeted by S saying I was taking her home that night. We’d sort of assumed it would be Wednesday or Thursday so I was taken by surprise! Much as I would have loved to have taken her then it wasn’t really convenient so we agreed T would drop her round the next day.

So I took delivery on Wednesday 6th 🙂 And I’d like to introduce you to Trudi…

She’s a Phalene, but one of her ears is slightly twisted which often makes it stick out at a funny angle 😉

Trudi has a few different positions she likes to sleep in. From the more conventional to the slightly less….

And she’ll stay like that for hours!

Though when an irritating person keeps taking photos of you it’s a bit tricky to sleep.

So then, rudely awoken from her sleep, like all dogs she’s very helpful and so likes to assist in the photo taking.

She’s settling in and she really is absolutely gorgeous. During the day she sleeps on either my bed or one of the chairs in my room. At night she sleeps with me on my bed 🙂

Sunday was my ringcraft club’s companion dog show, Trudi has never shown before and isn’t the most confident dog, especially as she’s only known me a few days, so it wasn’t fair to take her in any of the pedigree classes. But we decided to do a couple of the novelty classes where I could keep her on my lap throughout!

It was *such* a hot day, the show started at noon so we got the worst of the heat too. It was nice for the people but too hot for the dogs, I felt particularly sorry for a big black newfie that was there!

Originally I was going to take Vale as well, but I’d taken her into a companion show the previous week and she was a pain! So I decided to leave her with dad as he wanted the company as well. As it happens I wished I’d taken her too as the judge liked labs but still! I decided to enter Trudi in Prettiest Bitch and Most Appealing Eyes. I was going to do Dog The Judge Would Most Like to Take Home too but when I took her in Prettiest Bitch the judge told me she wasn’t a little dog person so I decided to abandon that. Plus it was the last class of the day and by the time it got later she was so hot and tired I just wanted to get her home.

So anyway! They were both good size classes and she got 2nd in Prettiest Bitch and VHC (Very Highly Commended – otherwise known as 5th) in Most Appealing Eyes! I was so proud of her, especially as the judge admitted to not being a little dog person. Incidently the dog that won Prettiest Bitch was entered in the pedigree classes also and went on to win Best in Show there. So beaten by the best!

Showing off her rosettes 🙂

I rang S that evening because I wanted to check when she was meant to come into season – the previous day I’d seen what I thought was some blood on her undercarriage but her fur gets stained from licking so I thought I must be imagining it. But then when we were at the show I had her off my lap for a bit so she could lie on the cool grass and there was a spot of blood on my trousers. She wasn’t due in until July/August – it was meant to be after they got back home and then they were going to mate her! – but evidently the move had triggered it off – and she was excited and very proud of her too!

Dogs, don’t ya just love ’em 🙄 😆