Flagstaff Show #2

Angus was 4th again today. 8-( In Cardis, Gypsy picked up another point and now needs just one to finish her championship. (Gypsy is Fudge X Panda and litter-sister to Taija's Kennedy.) Skye was third, and Cassidy didn't make BOS today. Same bitch special won, She got a Group 4 yesterday, so we had a Pem =and= a Cardi in the Group placements, which doesn't usually happen. I was tired and sunburned and did not stay for the Herding Group today. (Breaking down an EZ-Up canopy by yourself is particularly "fun" when your back keeps cramping! And there is nothing whatsoever "easy" about EZ-Ups!)

Flagstaff Show #1

Well, the best Angus-the-Lab could muster up was 4th, but at least he was in the ribbons. Different story in Cardigans. Gypsy, whom I bred but belongs to the friend who bred Angus, was WB/BOW, and Cassidy was BOS to the blue girl Bill Shelton's been showing, though he handed her off because he took BOB in Pems immediately prior to Cardis. Skye, whom I showed, was RWB. So I have no complaints!

Nor did Bill Shelton, who took BIS with his Pem. 8-)

Local Shows

Dog shows this weekend here in Flagstaff. For the first time in quite a while, there is no conflict with Labs and Cardigans, so I'll get to show both without having to race back and forth between rings, or having someone else take a dog in for me.

So it's my goofy Angus in Open Black, and a class bitch and a special in Cardigans. Crossing my fingers that someone does well!

Owie!

Took a visiting bitch to my vet today for an AI. Usually I do this at home, but the prior two AIs she'd just gone nuts on me, and I wanted to cover all bases. At any rate, while there I ran into a guy from my handling class whose Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon had just had puppies two days ago. They were in for dewclaws--and tails. I watched as the vet docked the tails. There was such a sad little lineup of seven discarded tails. 8-( Taking dews off doesn't bother me in the least when I've watched because they're so small and unnecessary, but I didn't like seeing the tails cut off. I'm glad both my breeds-Cardigans and Labs--get to keep the tails they were born with!

WHEEEEE!!!

This is Kennedy, the puppy I sent to Finland last summer, taking flight. He leads such a hard life . . .

Those Babies

Well, I have now seen photos of the Cassidy X Eowyn litter. Three black girls, two blue girls. They're not quite two weeks, so of course it will be awhile before quality can be assessed. When I've got puppies and look at them everyday, I can see a few things now and then--length of neck, etc.--but it's impossible to do from photos of "hamsters." One black girl may be a mismark. I'm told she has color that just barely-barely touches the outer corner of one eye. At any rate, Lynn Griner, co-owner of Eowyn, gets pick, and I follow up with #2. I haven't had a baby to keep for two years, as all of Panda's last year went to other homes, so I'm psyched. 8-)

Anyone else adding to their menagerie?

Those Terms

AI. It means different things to different people. And it's amusing to see how people react based on their own "genre."

To all my fantasy/science fiction friends, it means "artificial intelligence."

To all my dog show friends, it means "artificial insemination."

And there's a third one, but my mind has blanked on it, dang it. At any rate, it is amusing to see the reaction of my f/sf friends when I toss in a statement about AIing a dog. They may think I mean to give my dog artificial intelligence.

And of course "black bitch" can get you into trouble if you're in a restaurant. And to puppy buyers who bring their kids along, I try to remember to call a bitch a "female."

Then there's "dog" meaning male; and "dog" meaning species.

I've always been interested in linguistics, and I believe a study could be done on the culture of serious exhibitors, pro and amateur. 8-)