A year ago today, a certain little Kooiker puppy was born - and life was never the same again!

I picked her up on 18th March, having absolutely no idea what was in store! I had a choice of 2 puppies, still not sure if I chose the right one lol


The past year has been full of highs and lows....challenges and achievements, struggles that seemed never ending and other things that just seemed to fall into place! But I am so glad I waited for the breed I really wanted, and didn't give up and go elsewhere.

In her first year of life, she has competed at 5 obedience shows - 4 at 6 months and the 5th at 7 months 2 days - and achieved a 1st, a 4th, two 6ths, qualification for Crufts 2012 and qualification for the ABC Obedience Finals.

In conformation, at matches she's had 2 Best Puppy, 3 Reserve Best Puppy & 1 Best Baby Puppy (under 6m), 3 Best Puppy in Breed at champ shows and 9 Best Puppy AVNSC, 2 Best Puppy in Breed, 2 Best AVNSC, 1 Reserve Best AVNSC, 1 Best of Breed and a Puppy Group 2 at open shows. She's slower maturing, which hasn't helped her any. As regular readers will know, we've had so many judges say she needs to mature, and at her last show the judge placed her behind her sister, made some comment about Ria being younger and then couldn't believe it when we said they were sisters lol But she'll get there eventually :-)

I am really excited about seeing what she can do in agility. She's been coming on in leaps and bounds over the last few weeks, showing great promise. I was going to enter her for her first show today (not for 4 months) but when I went to register her it was major fail in that whilst she could be an "Arctic Fox Cross", "Brooklyn Carchaser" or "Terrier Thing" she could not be a Kooikerhondje! So I'm waiting for a reply back about that, hopefully they can sort it - or else she is going to be a Brooklyn Carchaser :-P

8 weeks

6 months

12 months (yes, we had a very muddy walk this morning!)

Can't believe she was ever that small and fluffy! And it wasn't that long ago.

Happy 1st Birthday Ria! Here's to the future :-)