The first year I went out west to Black Sheep Gathering it was truly only for the sheep. Last year I took sheep AND four dogs out west, switched out three and brought two home. This year I'm planning on bringing out 3 (hopefully 4) and coming home with two! The great dog switcher-oo of 2012.
So updates on the dogs:
Due to my limited income (due to trying to play catch up with the bills and try and get ahead) I am not planning on many dogs shows this summer.
The Higgins x Ell puppies won't be ready to show until Lake Elmo Herding Specialty in August. I've got my girl I'm keeping, Denley, and then Ditty is also here (her home decided not to take her 2 days before being picked up). I'm liking a lot about her and if she continues to grow on as nicely as she is, she will for sure wait for a show home. I have 2 males still available. Dago (who I wouldn't mind keeping anyway! lol) and Dinham. I've had interest in Dinham but nothing solid. These pups have amazing rears and their side gate is incredible. Some of the boys are wide, but I was told that is a growth thing. We'll see how they mature. No rush. you know me, Mr. Patient :P
Campbell is out of coat and in the tubey teenage stage. She's also starting to challenge the older bitches (her mom Daisy was a hard bitch too). She needs a boot camp at someone's house for a few weeks. it would help as she's never been away from me without another dog with her, so I think she still needs it.
Bolin is out of coat too and looks leggier and more tubey than I think she really looks. Bolin is the sweetest bitch who just wants to snuggle and doesn't want to fight ever. We'll see how her and Campbell's coats look and might show them in Lake Elmo in August, but probably nothing else.
Ballantyne needs 4 singles to finish her Grand Champion. She's been shown 5 times as a special and has earned 5 GCH majors! I'm hoping one day in Fargo she'll get another GCH major to finish her title with all majors. After that she is going to Boot Camp out west for a few months. I don't have any intention of specialing her until she's more mature,but might take her out for specialties and such. She did well at the National and had lots of compliments.
Ava needs 3 singles to finish her Grand Champion. She has 6 GCH majors and would be nice to finish her with another major, maybe in Fargo?! After that she will be special-ed on a limited basis and I am hoping to breed her this fall. And depending on how that goes, take her out next year to more local shows. She did well at the national too, and had a few people offer to take her to special her in their neck of the woods. I was flattered but they couldn't have been serious?!
Ell is going out west to learn to be an AKC and ASCA herding dog. I'm hoping to get a few legs on her between now and the National and hope to have her competing at the National next year for AKC legs. its something Ell really loves to do and she's good at it. I figured we should try and be professional at some point! Ell will be spayed at some point. Her contribution to the Cardigan world is pretty good in her two litters and there is no reason to breed her a third time. She was more miserable the second time and had difficult time breathing the last two weeks so for her to pop out 11 pups freely, was a sign to me that she wanted to be done :) Plus her daughters are improvements on her, in my opinion and I can't wait to do some herding with her. Once she's back in October, I'll try and get her out to agility class because she also excels in that and try and get some agility titles on her in the next year. Maybe also at the national?
Sadie Princess. Ah yes. SG. (Sadie Girl). She also loves to herd but isn't as confident with the ewes who try and challenge her (she's afraid they'll bash her bad hip) Ever since the accident Sadie knows which side is her 'vulnerable' side and tries to keep the sheep away from it. I'm thinking if she and i took a herding clinic nearby with sheep who were more trained and more obedient that might help her confidence. I also want to do more agility training. We haven't been to class since the rules changed two years ago so would need to learn the new rules. Sadie also needs to lose a few pounds and i'm not sure how to do it, as she seems to gain weight on air and water. Suggestions? She's eating barely anything as it is.
Mitcham is trimmed down. his coat is still a nightmare, and his ears never fully came up. Even though he has his 3 majors for his Grand Champion title, I don't think he'll ever get his title. he will not ever be in a 'specials' coat while he lives here with me, and he is extremely active and always wanting to be with me. He loves to herd but he needs massive obedience and again, when funds are short, the show dogs win. Since I don't have a lot to show this summer, I'm hoping we can change that.
Margot is getting a lovely coat in. Her coat is no where near as bad as Mitcham's and can be groomed weekly or every two weeks if I am gone or busy. She's very much a puppy yet, but extremely smart and I hope to be able to show her in Lake Elmo where there should be points, and then Saint Paul. I'm in no rush to show her. Apparently black is hard to finish in Briards. And so are natural eared ones. So she is both and her breeder told me to let her coat get some length before she would be shown so she could be competitive with the cropped eared dogs.
While out in OR I will be helping to evaluate Minnie's litter (Ava's litter sister). If there is something wonderful there, they will come home with me, but only if I can find homes for these brindle pups that are available here. So if you know of someone looking for a brindle boy (or a show girl!) let me know!
Shows I plan on attending: Fargo, Jordan, Lake Elmo, Northwest Cardigan Fanciers Regional Specialty in September.
Shows I might attend: Western Reserve and Duluth. I always enjoy Duluth and they have their health tests there so will get a few of the dogs done there if I go.
Hope to see everyone out somewhere!
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