Thursday was agility and Celine and Chatter worked really well, they hadn't forgotten much despite not having been training for a few months now. Bristle is really growing up now and is a keen enthusiast on the sidelines yodelling his mate Scout on. Vogue didn't seem too impressed and found a crisp packet far more interesting--I think maybe she would enjoy obedience more. Vogue, Udall and Basil had a very good weekend of socialisation up at Newark with a breed show on Saturday and an Obedience show Sunday. I met up with a lot of friends and the puppies had a good time and were exhausted by the time we got home.Monday night is ringcraft and all three will be going to meet up with Udalls' sister Scarlet for some training. They have had a wander round the halls after the shows were over so they should only have to get used to all the dogs tomorrow night. It is a good venue as its really noisy which should stand them in good stead for the indoor Champ shows. They have a ringcraft training as well as a matchnight on the same evening once a month and it is much bigger than our local ringcraft on a Wednesday. The weather has been lovely this weekend and I am hoping it will be fine for the BSDA club show next weekend too.

It was Edwinstowe evening show today which was a nice change midweek. Udall had 4th in AVNSC puppy and Psyche 1st in Open. It was good experience for Udall as Newark is really noisy but he took it all in his stride as usual. He spent most of his time watching dogs moving round the ring next to us and generally bouncing about having a good time. It certainly wore him out and he came home, had his dinner and went straight to bed.

It was good to catch up with lots of friends and see lots of puppies out for their first time. No other Belgians there though. I like the Open shows and we have lots at Newark throughout the winter months, they are great for socialising youngsters in a more relaxed atmosphere than Champ shows. I am going up to watch the Obedience at the weekend and will no doubt catch up with people I haven't seen for ages. I would really like to start competing again so I'd better brush up on my training--when I can decide who would like to have a go!

Driffield Champ show Sunday and an early start as Groenendael were first in the ring at 9am. Brittany was really poorly so sadly couldn't come and she had been so looking forward to it. Scarlet qualified for Crufts so that cheered her up when Carol phoned to tell her. Udall also qualified, as did their mother Psyche, with a 3rd in OB. Bruine won SYD and PGD and Brizo, naked as a jaybird, managed a 2nd in OB AVNSC. Udall was also pulled out in the last 7 in the Puppy Stakes and, although he wasn't placed,this was a good achievement for him at only his second show. The weather was at last sunny and dry and it made a change not to be slodging through mud.
Today the weather was back to normal but I did manage a fairly dry walk with Remy and Bunny before the rain set in. They had great fun up on the stubble fields racing around and I managed to get a few shots of them. Remy is at last growing a coat so, hopefully, will be back in the ring again soon.

It has been a very productive week with a digger and dumper and loads of concrete. Every year we try and get a project done, last year it was the new kennel block in the yard, this year was to finish the concrete round the back kennels and get the concrete ready for the runs on the main kennel block. Martin and Steve volunteered to come and help-and play on the machines-and there has been a lot of earth moving experiences.Gerry and I managed to avoid getting too involved and just supplied tea at regular intervals. We also went off and had a morning out with Carol and her Dad. There was no shortage of volunteers to help including Garth on the dumper and Zinka on the digger. The pop-holes and brickwork will have to wait until next year now but at least the concrete is down (even if some Malinois had a quick dash over it on their way in from the field-oops! ). Gerry and Steve went home Thursday night and I won't see them now until LKA when Teazle has her first Champ show outing.

We went to puppy agility with Solo and Vogue and they had a good time. They met some Border Collies and had a good game and Bristle was pleased to see them. On to ringcraft with Udall. This was there first time and they were really wel behaved and made lots of new friends.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse we went to Darlington. The mud was horrific and even worse than Richmond! I ended up carying dogs to the ringside, which was a futile gesture really as, by the time we went into our class the dogs were plastered in mud again. Udall was 2nd PD,but behaved really well for his first show. Bruine was 2nd in PGDog. Brizo was 2nd in OB Laekenois. Lexi was BB,Ciel was BV and RBB, and Cougar was BD and BOB with Sam RBD. Bruine had VHC in the Open Dog Stakes and Lexi was 2nd in the Open Bitch Stakes.

It was great to see Carol out at a show again and Brittany had Udalls' sister Scarlet at her first show too. Scarlet was 2nd PB. Jane had brought Jazz, the dog I gave the CC to at LKA last year and he got his 2ndCC and BOB with Carol handling him. They went on to an amazing 3rd in the Pastoral Group!!!

Sunday dawned sunny and dry! Gerry and Steve had arrived Saturday night so we went out to a local Companion show two minutes down the road. I took Udall, Bruine and Psyche and Carol and Brittany joined us with Scarlet, Breazle and Basil. We took the Laekenois pups too,; Vogue, Antar and Teazle and Sue and Pete met us there with Frizzle to socialise. They went in the Brace class, Sue and Steve took two each--that was entertaining. Bruine won his class and went on to BIShow! and we won a silver tray and a lovely rosette. The show was to raise money for the Greyhound Trust and they had a super raffle--we all won at least two prizes. It was nice to have a day out relaxing with the dogs in the sunshine.

I heard from Marianne and John tonight that Cougar is a dad again, this time to Rio, Goldmali Believe, and she has had ten puppies !!!!! 6 dogs and 4 bitches. Congratulations!!!
Tomorrow Lisa and I are taking Vogue, Solo and Udall to puppy agility class and then on to ringcraft.

We must be all quite crazy you know. Richmond was the muddiest show I have ever been to I think--what a shame for the organisers but the show went on which is the main thing. Last year we were complaining about the heat this year about the rain.

With Malinois in a separate ring to the other varieties and the gangways full of very large crates and dogs it was not going to be easy getting back and forth. There was only one CC on offer for Malinois. BD and RCC was Capi, Bonvivant Limoge with his brother Chino, B.Lumiere RBD. BB and CC was B. Arc en Ciel with B.Ophelia RBB. BPuppy was B.Thierry (Roco). This was Ciels' first CC at the age of 11.5yrs, she has had so many wins before but has only had RCCs before. It was lovely in the Group when people remarked on how well she went and how young she looks.

We won the Breeders Stakes on Saturday and I made the decision to return for the Finals on the Sunday despite the 3hr drive. Grace,David and Candice kindly agreed to meet me there with Rusty. I was about 1.5hrs into my journey when I got a call from David to say that their van had died and he was waiting for the AA--however Grace then went in her car to the rescue and we met up, straight down to the ringside where we were being called. The dogs were plastered in mud again, despite our efforts with towels, and the people filming by the ring wanted to take some pics of them. I later found out that they are doing filming for Animal Planet so maybe they will be famous ! There were only us and the Min Pin team and we came 2nd--but at least we were there--you have to be in it to win it and I felt we had to give it a try as there are not many qualifiers left this year. It will be interesting to see how many people enter the new classes next year when the breeders will be a scheduled breed class.

The dogs all needed a good rest today, as did I, and Ciel had a new bed as a special treat for being so clever--I just hope she doesn't undo the stitching on this one--she thinks they should be bigger so she can stretch out !

Darlington at the end of the week and it is to be hoped that the weather stays dry for a few days to give the ground a chance to dry out. Gerry and Steve are coming to stay next week and I am really looking forward to that. Martin is coming up too and we are hiring a digger to do some ground clearing and some concreting. Funny how everyone wants to play on the digger :))