Hmmm! Champ show with Ria on Sunday, mum was only just okish to drive so only just got there. I was hopeful, as we'd finally got away from the other older litter so it was Ria versus her sister.

She managed to lose to her sister - on maturity! Had to laugh really :-P Yes my baby is raw, but she's 7 months old...she's allowed to be! Or so you'd think - apparently not! Her sister wouldn't even let the judge go over her, they had to clear the steward's table so she could be put up there.

However, all was forgiven when she went in the ProPlan Pup of the Year Puppy Bitch Stakes (64 entered) and came 3rd and I am now £7 and a 3kg bag of food richer!

Ria was jumpier than I've seen her, but apparently it wasn't obvious to anyone except me and she recovered every time - it was the things she's always been sensitive to, like dogs barking in a more "menacing" way, or crates crashing.

Went to obedience for the first time in a few weeks on Monday. I now have no use for the Beginner class (the one Ria was in, now she has her Bronze at the level she is at it has nothing really to offer) and most of the next class up are taking their Silver on Saturday, which I can't do - so I didn't see the point of going to that, given they would be doing a last practise! So given the top class is outside and I much prefer the polo field to the hall, I decided to take both Solei and Elton up there. I did a bit with both of them, playing to their strengths as at the moment they both just need confidence building! You all know about my Solei Saga (and he hasn't been to club for over a year) and Elton has barely been ever, and never been to a class on the field. So all this meant they did one retrieve each (Elton didn't....Solei forgot what he was meant to be doing and then did :-P), Elton did some heelwork (bit unsettled, it was the first thing) and distant control (nice, though struggling with one transition - can't remember which), Solei did some send aways (nice) and stop the dog (he didn't!).

Afterwards I was going to let Ria off for a run, but they ended up all getting to join in! Before long I couldn't really see them lol (too dark) so decided that was the time to call it a night! If I've got the energy to go next week, I am so taking Ria - she is probably already more capable than either of the boys haha

This has been an interesting weekend - another championship show, only an hour from my mother's aunt and uncle (Chichester) whom we haven't seen for a long time, so we took the opportunity to combine! Which meant leaving early Friday morning, going to the show and showing Elton, going to Chichester afterwards (which ended up being later than intended as the judging took a long time! Think we arrived about 6pm.) Spending Saturday with them, then leaving on Sunday morning to go back to the show for Ria! Then home. I missed agility on Thursday cos of the preparation :-(

Friday was interesting - we got 10 minutes from home and mum thought she'd forgotten something, so that was a delay! Then we ended up in the wrong place, at which point I realised I'd put the wrong postcode in my directions (oops!) and it was just one thing after another. It was rather muddy, but the main part of the ground seemed to have more or less escaped. Ria and Solei stayed at Solei & Elton's breeders motorhome with mum, whilst I went into the show with Elton. Judging was interesting, and I think I may have said before that Limit Dog is really not the place you want to be at the moment...though today was smaller than it has been; "only" 12 entered. Elton had a 5th, which was perfectly respectable.

When we arrived at Chichester chaos ensued! Eventually we got organised and the three dogs had the most wonderful time charging round the garden. Ria enjoyed a pigs ear whilst we ate which was rather a talking point....I wasn't quite sure what to say when they asked what it was! I even managed a short training session for Ria's tea ;-)

Friday night was restless - for us rather than the dogs! Though Elton did ask to go out in the night; his tummy is very easily upset. On Saturday morning there was more of the same, charging round the garden! The ground was soaking, so I ended up with two very wet dogs, and a very wet muddy one that's meant to be showing the next day! Oh puppies :-)

I'm lying here typing this on Saturday evening. Ria is lying beside me fast asleep, and the boys are both asleep in their crates. They've all been for a walk, and just before lunch we had an incident in the garden which means I now have a puppy who is wet, muddy and covered in chicken fat! Yeah :-P Dogs were all out running around, sniffing and in the boys case peeing up stuff....when I noticed I'd "lost" Solei. He was standing in one part of the garden growling at anyone who dared to come near! My great aunt had cooked a roast dinner, and it turned out that without thinking, she had poured the chicken fat on to the garden. It must have gone on the plants too, which of course they had brushed past...and Ria (probably being bigger) of course had more on her than any of them! Not what you need the day before a show, given I'd bathed her before we came because I knew I wouldn't have the facilities (mud tends to dry and then just brush out) and of course grease is a pain to remove.

So, shortly I need to try and get Ria in show condition, and then hope for a better nights sleep! I dread to think what condition the ground will be in tomorrow, as it's now had two days and some more water to get churned up!