Sorry for no posts for ages - Showing update

Sorry, I haven't posted for ages, but with shows and decorating time just seems to be flying.

Inko went to her first championship show at Builth Wells in April. We had a ridiculously early start, having to leave home at 5.30am so that we could get to mid Wales for 9.00am! It turned out that this was very much worth it, as Inko managed to get first place in the Junior Finnish Lapphund Class and then got Best Puppy in Breed. She didn't place in the puppy group, but just getting to take part in the puppy group was an excellent experience...even if it meant we had to be at the show ground all day, till gone 5pm! At shows, in a bid to get Inko used to all the sights, smells and sounds of the show, I like to keep her out of her crate as much as possible. At Builth, she decided that she was going to steal Adam's chair and watch the world go by in comfort! I decided at this show to keep her bark collar on the whole time while she wasn't in the ring to try and prevent her getting into the habit of barking and it seemed to work really well. Although I had to remove it when we went into the ring, she behaved really well and her usual vocal approach to showing was absent...much to my relief as I could then concentrate on the business of getting her to walk nicely without having to fight against her barking! It obviously worked for us to get the result we did - this means she qualified for crufts at her first attempt! Her brother Tarkka also qualified for crufts, getting 2nd in junior, and reserve best dog!!

Inko and her rosettes

Inko - sat in Adam's chair watching the world go by

Why sit like a dog, when you can try and sit like a person!!

Starting to feel rather pooped towards the end of the day

Because Builth is so far, we really didn't want to do the return journey in the same day so booked into a local campsite and stayed with fellow lappy owners Steve & Shelley (with Apina and Kippis) and Jo (with Tarkka). They were staying in a caravan and we were in a tent alongside - Inko was very good in the tent - this is where having a happily crate trained dog is really helpful! We had a lovely evening in the lovely Wales countryside next to a very pretty river having a yummy take away and natter in the caravan!

Beautiful scene by our campsite

A very sleepy Inko when we finally got back home....didn't hear a peep out of her for ages!!

We have also recently been to the WELKS (West of England Ladies Kennel Society) championship show where Inko got to catch up with a brother (Rauhan) she hasn't seen for a very long time (since they were about 3 months old), her half brother (Taito) who she may have met once I think, but doesn't see often, plus her mum and dad (and her breeders Jennifer and Jay). The weather was stunning and it was our first outdoor show...I even got a bit sunburnt, which was rather a surprise for April! I was a little concerned about how Inko might behave when being shown on grass as she just wanted to run and play like she is normally allowed to do on grass. She was definitely more distracted here than at Builth, and ended up coming second of 2 in the puppy class against her brother.

...and then there was quiet!

After the success we had with the citronella collar that we hired, we have now bought our own (Dynavet Masterplus Pro) - not the cheapest purchase in the world but SO worth it. Since we've had it we have a lovely quiet Inko who still seems very happy pottering, playing etc...but she does it quietly!!

I took it with me to ringcraft this week to see if I could use it to start to break her habit of barking in the ring. It was brilliant! She didn't bark once while being walked up, down around, being felt over etc!! Obviously I can't actually take it into the real show ring but if I can get rid of the habit of barking and keep it on till the last minute at shows till the habit is well and truly broken it might just work!! The other people at the class were amazed at the difference it made, and I think were rather pleased for the peace and quiet after weeks of lappy yapping!! Now I just need to work on Inko's occasional biting of the lead while in the show ring - muich easier to focus on that when there is no barking to try and control too!!

We were supposed to be at Tunbridge Wells and District open show at the weekend but Adam was poorly and I was still getting over a cold so we decided to give it a miss and I just did some show training practice with the Dink in the back garden, and did some more tricks training. I'm trying to start some work on back end awareness with Inko because I'd like to try teaching her some more tricks such as walking backwards round my legs, just for something new. Nik in Australia has been helping give me some tips based on her experience with Jedi and Ahsoka and the videos on her blog are very helpful! I think it might take a bit of practice for me to get to grips with what I'm supposed to be doing!!

barking, showing, and chasing

Attention barking

Inko's attention barking had been getting a little out of hand at home! She's usually ok during the day if we're in (as far as we can tell she is always asleep when we are out), but it is the evenings when things can get noisy - and it's worst when we are both in with her. After trying to consistently pop her in her naughty crate when she barked (which gets a bit annoying to constantly be getting up, putting her in, letting her out, every few minutes) we decided we needed to try something else.

We had realised very early on after getting her that Pet Corrector does nothing with the Dink, who just looks at it as if it is nothing! We also found the stones or coins in a jar shaken at her had much the same effect! Water in a spray she actually really likes and it tends to make her bark even more!! So we needed something new. After chatting with a few people who we knew already used them, we decided to try a citronella collar for her. We knew that our old trainer hired these out and so we decided to start with that option. Given Inko's past responses to things that make a noise as a distraction, we knew that things often don't work with her as they should due to her total lack of fear or concern about loud noises etc! Another reason for wanting to try it out on hire first was that we weren't sure whether it might freak her out slightly, and we really didn't want anything that might worry her or frighten her.

We picked up the collar about 2 weeks ago and were amazed that it actually worked!! We needn't have worried about it stressing her...as with everything she comes across she just took it on board and was completely relaxed!! She happily pottered round with the collar on, eating, playing and sleeping, and didn't seemed bothered at all. It is remote controlled so we press a button when we want to release the spray, rather than it being bark activated. We wanted that control so that we could control the attention barking, but can still allow to have a small bit of a bark as passers by, just so that we retain a certain amount of guarding, as that is a benefit of having a dog. This also means that we can use the collar to distract her from other unwanted behaviour if needed (e.g. her chewing at my arm, or if she refuses to drop something she shouldn't have). It was magic - when she started barking and we pressed the remote control to release the spray of citronella, she stopped what she was doing, and actually gave us enough time to reward her for being quiet!!! It was brilliant because it stopped us spending the whole of evenings telling her off for being noisy - much more peaceful for us and her!!

Based on her response to it we decided to buy one for ourselves and we now have to hope that it continues to work as well as it has so far!!

Latest show

Shame she can't wear it in the show ring!! Inko had her latest show yesterday at the Bristol and District show in Weston Super Mare. We could tell from early on that she clearly wasn't in the mood to be on best behaviour, and it wasn't really helped by the fact that we were on fairly early, in quite cramped hall, so that didn't give us long to have Inko out of her crate and doing some training to try and get her focused on working and used to all the goings on in the hall. We had really hoped she'd be well behaved at this one as this would be the first time she was going to be up against other lappies, as there was an actual lappy class this time, rather than her being in AVNSC. No such luck! From the moment we got into the ring she was on fine vocal form and barked all the way round!! She stood fairly still when being checked over which was nice as she had been bad at that before (and I've been working quite hard on that), I just need to really work on the walking around bit now as that was less good, mainly because her barking makes her legs jump as she walks, making it a little messy!! She ended up getting 3rd of 3 in the puppy class!!

Lappy walk

Today Inko had a fantastic time on the SFLS monthly walk, this one being down in the lovely sunny New Forest. Inko had a great time running round with her half sis' Keksi!! They were chasing each other everywhere and having so much fun. Inko spotted a few new forest ponies at one point and started running off barking, presumably in full on herding mode!! We were actually very impressed that she about-turned and came running back when called!! Very nice to see this as her recall can be a little variable!! She managed to get completely covered in mud after wading through puddles all through the walk, and even sitting down in quite a large puddle!! Luckily Karen let us go back to her house after the walk to hose her down before we headed home!! It was a reall lovely day...and means we now have a lovely and quiet lappy...and she's not even wearing her collar tonight!!

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!!