I'm Back!

A Sunday posting to make up for a couple of missed days.  Guess I just had Writer's Block.  Sometimes I sit down knowing what I'll write, while other days I sit down and the words "just happen".  Neither worked last week!

New Resolution - fewer commas.  I reread some old posts and noticed that I often use far more commas than are needed!

Entries are in for the Amana shows and we have majors!  There's actually five shows, but Jess & I are staying for only two days, three shows, including both Specialties.  That's plenty of dog shows, and I'd like to be back to attend friends' 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration.  Judging panel is not very good, and we don't have anyone who really needs to be shown.  Gemma (Cruise/Penny) and Argus will be in only at the Specialties, and Eddie (co-owned Argus son) is in at all three shows.  He's got five points and we need to decide if we want to put the money into finishing him.  This will be Gemma's first show weekend, but we'll concentrate on her next year.

Good news from Colorado that Ellsworth (Cruise/Penny son) finished with a 5-point Specialty win, the third Champion from that litter, all with Specialty wins and still only 12 1/2 months old.  Definitely a good combination.  Now Jess & Laurie have to decide if they want to repeat that breeding, or try something different with Penny next time.

Have to admit that I am suffering Dog Show Burnout, despite a really successful show year.  Part of it is because the judging panels are so bad,  Many of the good judges have aged out or passed away, and the current crop is pretty uninspiring for the most part.  Many of them aren't even "real dog people" but rather people who have bought their way into the sport and are not very knowledgeable.  Not breeders, but part of the It's-All-About-Winning generation.  Sad state of affairs.

The other thing that really bothers me is that (at least) one of the Dal Specials is winning with a fixed tail.  How sad that some owners and a lot of professional handlers have no ethics whatsoever, and it's all about winning.  This dog was shown for three years with a "natural" high curly tail.  Not a bad dog, but definitely a bad tail, as well as a bad attitude.  Owners sent him out with a handler who has done the "tail thing" in the past, and suddenly the dog has perfect tail carriage - except when it hot or he's tired and the end starts to droop.   So glad I am not campaigning a dog this year.  I'd probably lose my AKC privileges by speaking out in the ring.

Dog shows were originally about judging breeding stock and some of us still feel that way, but nowadays it's often just about winning, no matter how you have to do it.  How sad.  It's crap like this that keeps me home.

That's Fern pictured above, Paisley Fabulous Fern.  She looks good at 10 weeks, though seems to trip over her feet when she trots right now.  Lots of nice angles, but not always able to manage it yet.  Am pleased with her so far.  Very dark eyes, great feet, a lovely disposition, and a good tail, things that are important to me along with correct structure and breed type.

Her brother Murray has been "camping" this past week, so Fern has been an only puppy and has done really well with her house training and crate manners.  Murray will be back tonight for a photo session and perhaps a video, then go off to stay with another friend until we decide where he will finally end up.