Wow, what a week.

So - last Wednesday was Ria's open show debut. She was in Any Variety Not Separately Classified (AVNSC) Graduate. I was expecting a large class so didn't have too many expectations. Elton was entered too, in the Papillon Open class.

Not impressed with the Papillon judging. It had been so hot and dry the ground was very spiky, and a lot of the little dogs wouldn't walk properly on it. Elton went REALLY well - he moved well, and stood beautifully. There were only two others in the class and neither of them moved as well, one of them went completely on strike, decided he didn't like the grass, didn't like the heat and put his tail down whilst looking thoroughly miserably and fed up. The judge placed Elton last. I'm used to Elton being placed lower than he should because a Phalene and open shows generally aren't a good combination...but that really took the biscuit. I was incensed.

Ria was in a class of six which was a lot smaller than I was expecting, and she was actually the only puppy. When we entered the ring four of the other dogs didn't turn up, so it ended as a class of two - which she won :-D and Best Puppy. She was beaten for Best AVNSC by a mature Chesapeake, that went on to Group 2.

I was feeling too rough for agility the next day, but mum went and picked up a tunnel and two jumps for me that they said I could borrow over August :-) so looking forward to getting those out!

The weekend was a two day obedience show. On Saturday I'd entered the boys in the Special Pre-Beginner Stakes, and Ria in the Special ABC class.

Solei never actually worked (long story), Elton did a lovely round except for deciding he'd flatten himself to the ground a couple of paces into heelwork. I called him back to heel and he then did some beautiful heelwork, silly dog :-P I thought he'd done badly so went home, it turned out he was actually in a run off for 5th/6th - so he got 6th by default, as we weren't there to run off. He was faultless on everything else.

Ria...wow, what can I say about Ria. I'd only put her in the Special ABC (Anything But a Collie) class as I thought it would be a fantastic experience for her first show - there were no stays, and you could reward after every exercise. Her heelwork was lovely, we had a slight blip on the recall where she tried to come with me (fine after I put her right - because she's not used to doing a full obedience round and is lacking in experience when I put her in a sit at heel position and then started off she thought we were doing more heelwork...so I left her in the down, no problem!) and the recall over jump was more of a recall around jump :-) but her trick went well - I decided to send her around me.

Having thought I hadn't had the best day there, I decided to go on to a companion show. Ria had a 2nd in AV Puppy (after a very tough decision by the judge, who couldn't decide whether to give 1st to her or a Beauceron!) and then we did the obedience.

Ria & Elton both worked the lowest class and actually managed to tie for 4th/5th position. I opted not to run off as they were both my dogs, so not quite sure who got what! lol

Solei & Elton both worked the second class - Solei went completely to pieces and decided he wouldn't come on the recall then went down in the sit stay (he has NEVER broken a stay in his life until then!), Elton did his flattening again (rolls eyes...why he's started this I don't know! He even did it outside the ring when he knew I had food) followed by lovely heelwork and came 2nd :-)

Solei also worked the top class, but just lost the plot entirely (this was before he worked the second class, I think if I'd done them the other way round I may have got a decent performance out of him in the easier class). It was also very hot, which probably didn't help.

On Sunday we were back at the obedience show. This time Ria, Elton & Solei entered in YKC Starters, and Solei doing the YKC Elementary class too.

By the time I'd been there five minutes three people had come over and said I had a rosette! This resulted in me being very confused as they were talking about different classes - it eventually transpired that Elton had got a 6th in the Pre-Beginner Stakes, but Ria had come 6th in the ABC class!! Thus the confusion - they were both sixth places.

That win qualifies Ria for the ABC finals! At the grand old age of 6 months 4 days! And the rosette is enormous :-)

Ria did a respectable round in the Starters class - heelwork was a little loose in places, but it was respectable. Elton - as seems to be usual these days - started off his heelwork by flattening, then was ok. Recall was superb, I'd taken the new chair and he's developed a new technique - he comes and puts his front paws on the foot plates! He is close, straight and his bum is on the floor so they can't really mark him for it (no-one has yet, and he did it for every recall all weekend!) and it is very cute. Solei did the best heelwork of the three of them, then blew it in the recall - he wouldn't! I was calling, and calling, and calling and he would NOT move from the spot. That's what Solei does when he gets himself in a state, he seems to worry about coming cos it might not be safe!

Ria won the class, Elton was 2nd and Solei 3rd. Both Ria & Elton were in qualifying marks but only 1st can qualify, so Ria has now qualified for the YKC Starters Obedience at Crufts 2012!

Solei managed a 3rd in the Elementary class, his recall was better. So that was the weekend - what a weekend!

Monday was meant to be the last run through for Ria's Bronze Good Citizen award, but I was unable to make it having done obedience both days at the weekend and with a champ show coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday - so fingers crossed Ria is ok when it comes to the test!

Today I have been at Paignton with Ria, her very first championship show. I was very nervous as it was the first time Kooiker people had seen her since she was four months old and my first time in the ring with them! Thankfully Ria's class (Junior Dog or Bitch) only had three dogs in, one being owned by her breeder, so wasn't as scary as it could've been!

The judge was very heavy handed at her first show and when he got to her back end whatever he did made her go "oh sh!t" and she was quite unhappy, very very frustrating as she's always been SO good about being gone over - I was a bit concerned as a baby cos she would stand like a rock, it was too good for her age! lol

Apparently it has left a lasting impression - she wasn't atrocious, but not as solid as she had been. However, as she was so good prior to Wednesday hopefully she'll soon recover. She's still fine with people! The other exhibitors commented on how friendly and well socialized she was, which was lovely to hear.

She was rather lacking in maturity compared to the others (there is her at 6 months 7 days, the others were 12 months (only in puppy by the "first day of show" rule) and nearly 14 months!) but got a 2nd, and Best Puppy in Breed :-D Sooo pleased with her, she behaved really well except for the slight uncertainty about being gone over.

So by 6 months 7 days Ria has done her first show, won her class and BPAVNSC, qualified for the ABC finals, qualified for the obedience at Crufts, qualified for breed at Crufts and got BPIB at her first champ show! WOW.

Back again tomorrow - Elton's turn, and Solei in the obedience. Hoping there won't be a repeat of Solei in the obedience at Paignton last year, but after the weekend....arrrgh