Inko's second show

Inko had a very good day at her second show today. It was the Maidenhead and District Canine Society open show in Reading. We weren't sure what time the AVNSC Pastoral classes would start so made a rough guess based on the numbers in earlier classes but we ended up having quite a long wait before we had our turn. While waiting we didn't bother setting up her crate and just let Inko watch what was going on. She seemed really calm right from the start and just watched people and dogs go by without showing much interest at all. It was a great socialisation opportunity for her to spend such a long time with so much going on around her.


To keep her focus while waiting I did some training with her such as sits, downs and stands, and also some of her other tricks that she enjoys doing, like spin, wave and high five. This way she was very much focused on me (or on the liver muffin at least!) this time, rather than on everything else. I think it helped not having sand all over the floor like her first show - much less interesting to be in a sports hall!!


We were entered into the Junior AVNSC Pastoral class. She was up against just one other dog, an Australian Shepherd. She stood pretty well for the judge and then did a fairly good walk round the ring, mostly focusing on me and not trying to jump up at all this time which was a fantastic improvement on last time so I was really pleased. I was over the moon when the judge picked her to take first place!! So another rosette to add to the second place the other week...this time a lovely red one!! When the judge was making the notes about Inko she commented that she show good potential, but also said that I should work on training Inko so that she knows that the ring is for being very still and calm and not for playing at all so that she stands rock solid and walks perfectly.


After winning that first place Inko was then able to go into the ring again for the AVNSC pastoral best of breed selection. As the last remaining puppy, she got awarded best puppy in breed (AVNSC) here so rosette number two!!


Having got this, we were then able to stay around for the Pastoral Group judging where all the winners from each of the Pastoral breeds came together to be judged for best in Pastoral. We were eligible to be judged in the Pastoral Puppy Group. The same judge who we'd had for the AVNSC judged this group. As she had already 'seen' us we waited at the side with three others in the same position while six other dogs got checked over by the judge. Then we got to do another walk round the ring so that the judge could see Inko moving again. She walked her best this time and I was very pleased that she was still being focused after so much hanging around. However, she did 'find her voice' during this session of judging and was somewhat vocal!! She stood very nicely (though loudly!!) while the judge did her final look over of everyone and then I was really pleased to be shortlisted with three other dogs. We ended up being placed 3rd!! Rosette number three!!


Brilliant day!! Very tiring as we were there nearly four hours or so, but well worth it!! Here is Inko with her three rosettes!!

She is now having a well deserved snooze!!

When we got home we checked the post and found out that we won second place in the competition we entered at Pets at Home back in December where Inko had her photo taken by the Dog Portrait Company!! We won a £20 voucher to spend either towards a copy of the winning photo or to go towards a photo at another session when it is next run at Pets at Home.

So all in all a very good day for the Inky Dink!!

SFLS Hankley Common Walk

Nothing tires a Lapphund out like a walk with other Lapphunds...


Today was the second monthly SFLS walk of the year, hosted by Liz Mowatt (of Tabanyaruu fame). The location is a "little used" army training area, although as we were to find out a sunny, but snowy Sunday in February is an ideal time for the Army to use it! About five minutes into the walk we were greeted by the sound of gun-fire in the distance! We came across a group of "soldiers" on their training, I say soldiers in inverted commas as they barely looked old enough to take their GCSEs!! Although that didn't stop some of the ladies amongst us getting a little hot under the collar!!! Luckily they don't use live rounds in that area so we were able to continue on our way. Think the soldiers were a little surprised to see so many people and so many dogs interrupting their exercise!!


As always Inko had a fantastic time with the other Lappies and on this occasion x1 Akita Inu, x3 German Spitz Kleins and x1 Lappie x German Spitz Klein.

After a great walk across the common, which still had plenty of snow, we were all invited back to Liz and Rory's new house for tea and cakes, followed by a lovely short walk through their woods :)

A very nice way to spend a Sunday...and means we've had a very nice and sleepy Inko all evening!

Adam

Inko's first show

Inko went to her first show today! She was a bit wary of what was happening when we first got there with all the people, dogs and smells everywhere but she seemed to settle down pretty quickly.

First the good performance...

Our first go in the ring was AVNSC puppy - Inko went up against a PMD and a Sammy. She came second, with the PMD in first and the Sammy in third. Was pretty pleased with that...nice to get her first rosette!!Not bad for her first attempt - she was pretty good when being handled by the judge and stood very nicely. She was a bit 'wobbly' on her first run round the ring so the judge suggested we go round again and she was much better that time, and then she stood nicely when the judge looked at them all again. But that wasn't to continue!

And then the not so good (also known as terrible!) performance...

We then went straight into AV puppy stakes being judged by Toni. It would appear that Inko had used up all her 'calm' and 'goodbehaviour' or had left it in the other ring because Toni definitely didn't see her at her best!! I really struggled to get her attentionin the ring this time, even with liver cake a plenty! I think she was more distracted this time as there were lots more dogs in the ring with her, and I think she was also getting tired by this point. Being a novice myself didn't really help as I wasn't too sure what I was doing either so didn't know any tricks to try and get her focused again!! She wiggled all over the place while Toni tried to check her over and then looked like a complete nutter while I did my best to try and get her to do a triangle round the ring - she jumped up trying to chew at my coat the whole way...not exactly a controlled performance by any stretch of thge imagination...not a chance in hell of Toni being able to make any sort of judgement about her gait etc!! Needless to say there was not another rosette won in this class!!

So one good result, and our first rosette...and also lots of stuff to work on for next time so that I don't have to look like I have NO control over my dog again!! LOL

Now have two weeks to prepare for the next one we've entered!

Snow!

We. like most of the south east, had lots of snow when we woke up this morning!! Inko had great fun out in it and is only now reluctantly lying inside because I had to bring her in to have her breakfast! Once her breakfast has gone down she can go out again!!

She was in her element out in the snow - you can tell it's where lappies are meant to be!! She seemed to be genetically programmed to like snow!!

Managed to get a few pics of her having fun playing!!

I'm sure my biscuit is around here somewhere!

Yay! I've found my monkey toy!!

I seem to have snow on my dog tag and bell!!

I've found my biscuit!!!!

I've lost monkey again - I'm sure he's somewhere close!

Flower pots are fun when they have frozen mud in them!!

You've gotta run to keep warm in this weather don't you know!

I'm sure my sand pit is under here somewhere!!

First bath

Inko had her first bath last weekend!! Thought we'd best take some before, during and after picks to mark the occasion!!


She wasn't too sure what to make of it I don't think!! She decided it was probably safest to sit the whole time whilst in this weird white bowl thing and she whined most of the time too!! She didn't seem too worried about it though and enjoyed it when I let her drink the water out of the shower hose!!

Before the bath - nice and dirty after a walk in the woods!

Straight after the bath - 'punk lapphund!'

And now nice, clean, and fluffy again!!