Well that was a summer of massive fail, as far as updates go! I'll try and do better now that things are starting to hibernate, it's been quite a summer...highs and lows, some fantastic results and some "if onlys" so here is a run down of highlights since my last post at the end of April -

Elton won Group 1 and Reserve Best in Show at Yeovil Limit in June
Group 3 at Okehampton Open in September
and won a heat of the Special Pre-Beginner Obedience Stakes qualifying for the Semi-Finals again, gutted that we can't get transport to the semis this year :(
Ria won Reserve Best Bitch at the Kooikerhondje Club Show in June
and Best Bitch at Paignton Champ in August
Sadie has won a couple of champ show classes
been placed in two heats of the Pro Plan Pup of the Year Stakes
won the Puppy Group at Blackwood Open in August
has also had a Puppy Group 2 & a Puppy Group 3

So what have we been up to apart from that...well I am obviously thrilled with Elton, he's excelled in both showing and obedience this year, and I do believe we are slowly winning the confidence battle. I took him to an obedience class in a village hall (as a one off, it was a Wednesday there was no agility on and a friend invited me; as we don't go to a club I thought it would be beneficial) and he PLAYED WITH HIS TOY! Such a massive deal, there were dogs he didn't know and it was in public...and he played :) It's still not really happening outdoors, but I am sometimes getting him playing in his agility classes now so slowly slowly catchy monkey...

Solei had his ninth birthday in July. We had the most amazing victory in August - we went to see the chiropractor, and SOLEI DID NOT NEED TREATMENT! This is the most incredible deal, he has always been "broken" in the past - doesn't matter if it's weeks or months, his pelvic..etc is always out...only it wasn't! I had accepted that because his injury was so old when she first started seeing him, it would always be management and he would always need work...but maybe we have cracked it! I bought him a Back on Track coat in July, so whether that has helped I don't know. He hasn't really been entered in shows, just two open shows in AV Veteran, plus he had a couple of agility runs at a couple of shows in June...and he has done the Pre-Beginner Stakes at two obedience shows. That's all! I think I have decided to retire him from obedience now, though if I can teach him any kind of left turn we might have a crack at Rally next year. He is still attending a weekly agility class which he enjoys, and I hope to try a couple more agility shows over the winter....after this summer I have decided he is not a summer agility show sort of dog! Mostly because he found them too big and busy.

Ria is still proving a challenge! She's been doing really well in the show ring, which is great. I have temporarily pulled her from agility classes (mostly for financial reasons), she usually gets 5 or 10 minutes on lead work during Elton's class...though that said, last week she went off lead and was much improved :) Didn't run right off once. We were doing weaves which helped, she is usually so much better with weaves because she understands what's expected...too many options with jumps! I don't think I will ever do obedience with her, I don't feel it's fair to put her in a stay ring. If I can wean her back from the treats and still get her focus I think she'd be great at rally, so hopefully an option for next year...or the year after!

Sadie is now 11 months old and is lovely, sooo full of character and when I look at the incredibly outgoing, happy little dog I have now that throws herself at everyone, I struggle to process the scared little puppy I had when she first arrived, who was terrified of almost everything, spent most of the time when we were out hiding under my chair and wouldn't go near people! I am pleased with how she is developing, but unfortunately her tail is still holding her back and I don't think she is ever going to make quite the show dog we hoped for. It also doesn't look as if she will be with me long long term, so I made the decision to not pursue other avenues with her so I could concentrate on Elton and Ria. She will probably be mated next year, and fingers crossed she produces well.

Think that's pretty much it! For now...