Fall Updates

Well it seems like forever since I sat and blogged. Today seems like a good day to get started again. Looking out my window, winter is trying once again to arrive. Snowflakes are falling and I wonder if the ground will be covered once again, only to melt and create muddy paws tomorrow.....will just have to wait.

I would have to say that part of my absence was due in part to whelping and raising two litters of tervs this spring. Wrangler and Angel welcomed seven puppies April 16, and Brenner and Adzuki welcomed seven puppies on May 5....so fourteen puppies I think is a good excuse to not have any extra time.... I still had to deal with everyday life of being a mom of two boys, being a wife, grooming part time and teaching obedience classes....

Obviously all the puppies have went on to their new homes....except ZoomZoom which stayed here. She is out of Brenner and Adzuki. For those of you wondering about the name, our last two dogs, have been named after some cartoon. Ethan named them both with no help. Maggie, our ECS was named from Maggie and the Ferocious Beast and ZoomZoom from the show Bolt....the girl says, ZOOMZOOM Bolt.....I guess having kids we get different names....it could have been Lady, Princess, or Thunder, as they were in the running....so it's fare to say, I was thrilled went Ethan can up with ZoomZoom.

This is Zoom at four months.....I hope to have some updated photos soon, as we are off to our first show next weekend at Red Deer.

As I am jumping around a bit in the happenings around here, at the beginning of October, I hosted a Monique Anstee Dog Trainers Seminar for Dog Aggressive Dogs. If you ever have a chance to go to one of Monique's seminar GO! It was awesome. I had her here for a five day, Monday to Friday about seven hours a day.....this is the way to go to seminars. I am planning to have her back again in 2010.

Doing down restraints with all dog aggressive dogs....nose to bum!

It was a fantastic seminar geared to teaching trainers how to teach a growl class to re-habilite dog aggressive dogs. The seminar flowed so wonderful without any issues and we all saw HUGE differences in the dog.....thanks Monique. For those who do not know Monique check out her website : http://www.naughtydoggie.com/ . Monique has one of my Belgians, Basil. I have to brag a bit for her too.....Monique and Basil are going to Cruft in Spring 2010 to represent Canada in obedience......I am so thrilled.....it's the first North American, Canadian Belgian to go over and represent Canada in England....but Monique and Basil have a few other firsts, like being the first Canadian Bred Terv to get a SchIII ....keep a eye on this duo!

Ethan and Basil doing some heeling!!

Will keep you a bit better posted in the future!!

Feeling the Need!!

Wow, I can't believe I went this long with not bloggin....really, how does my world exist! I guess once again life and the excitement that goes along with it were driving factors.

I was at the AKC dog show in Calgary the first weekend in February. I took Wrangler and Maggie, who was making her debut at the show, for the weekend. I stopping in at Stony Plain on the way to pick up my friend, Cindy Bazin. She was showing her boy Trip, a Czech import, that we co-own together for the show. It was a rather uneventful road trip, didn't get lost ....really nothing...and for those that have been on road trip with me, there is usually something.

We had a great weekend, Trip can home a new Champion, in only his second show. He was BOB on Friday, and then went BOS. BP on Sunday at our Booster......what a way to finish! I will post his photos here, or on my site, once I get them....
Wrangler, was BOB on Saturday and got his butt kick the other two days by Trip.....and I had no problems with that....can't win everyday....hmm, guess that doesn't apply here as I did....between him and Tripp we kicked BUTT!!!

Not only that a Jivin son, who happens to be a malinois, was WD on Saturday! His owner and breeder were in tears. I was so glad to be there to see it, it made my weekend. Sometimes after years of showing, you forget the firsts. But I got to remember the feelings of the first wins, the first points....I couldn't be happier for Tanya and Teri....way to go!

And well then there was WEE Maggie. Literally!! Maggie looked like the anorexic cocker spaniel in the ring. All my breeder friends with herding dogs and working dogs thought she looked excellent and in great weight and muscle....boy were we in shock! Apparently, they like them fat and poly in the show ring.....Maggie is in her glory....she was just given the ticket to eat more!!! For her this is like winning the lottery....cockers live to eat and eat to live and live to eat and eat to live and live to eat....well you get the picture. Since the show I have put a few more pounds on her and she is looking rounder....
Even thought we took RWF all three days to her litter sister Coco, she did beat the other class bitch, so I was happy. The judges commented about how hard it was to pick between her and her sister...but Coco was in better and more full coat and well, she was packin' and it wasn't no six pack...sorry Coco, just couldn't resist!

It's funny how time passes so quick. Writing about that show which was only a few weeks earlier, it seems like a few months have passed.

Last weekend, was spend at the 'Sled Invasion'......we had a big snow mobile rally in town, as well as some extreme snow machine show with riders doing back flips and such. As I am a director for our Ag, Society, and the event was being hosted there, we were all volunteering for the weekend. There was set up from Thursday to Sunday, as well as clean up each day. Dean and I were bar tending Friday night for the VIP meet and greet/thank you party after the show. We had a great time. If you every get to go, it's worth the show. As I know there are few people who read this that live in year round tropical climates, I"m sure standing outdoors watch a show at -20oC is pure craziness.....but for us Canadians living in no-where land Northern Alberta, it's just a normal thing!

Hmm, I wonder just how long we had till the white stuff leaves. Here in January we had +10oc temps and spring looked just around the corner...I was feeling spring fever. And now , well, lets just say I was setting myself up for disappointment.....

All I can say is bring on spring.....I almost look forward to muddy paws....almost!

It's been a crazy winter. We woke to -33oC this morning. This after only days before being 10oC and the hope of spring in the air. I have to say for me, I can't wait for some green grass!

Usually, I am a winter person, but now with kids ( although my one some Ethan would like to have snow all the time so he could ride his snow mobile ), I am finding my favorite seasons are summer and fall. At this point, spring is looking and sounding great!

Last night I was in my grooming room getting Maggie ready for the show next weekend. It's been 15 years I think since I 'show' groomed a cocker spaniel and never before have I done a English Cocker. I have to tell you, that their grooming and maintenance is 1/2 of a American cocker.....but then Nothing like a Belgian.

Wrangler is entered, but I won't groom him till next Wednesday morning. I plan to leave at noon on Thursday and head to Calgary. I have to make a small detour to pick up my friend for the show. She has a Belgian ( groenendael ) that we co-own together.....Trip and Cindy were up for a visit and grooming this past Tuesday....

Cindy brought Trip and Splash up for the visit and those two with my three had a good time playing together. I said to Cindy I should get the camera....but then it was all talk, no action.

I did manage to get a few photos of my 'kids' this morning. I plan to do only a few shows and focus on rally, obedience and agility....the fun stuff this year. We will see where that takes me as I have been saying that for a long time and do the training, but never compete.....one day, maybe this spring!!!

Good-Bye Bella

.......good-bye my friend. My life was so much better because you spent yours with me..Wi all love and miss you so very much....

Can.Ch. Atim's clos du val d'Alsace, HIC

July 1996-January 2009