Saturday dawned cold, wet and windy and the journey to Birmingham was very slow as the van kept being blown sideways. The car park was running with muddy water and we were thoroughly soaked by the time we got in the halls. I had only just got the puppies in when, due to a lot of absentees in the other AVNSC classes the Pastoral Group was called. Panic was setting in as I was also showing Tervueren in another 3---well that didn't happen! I missed Bruines' class and I didn't get back over to handle Jazz--sorry Jane and Brian :((

In Puppy Dog there were 6 entries five of which were Bonvivant pups--4 Laekenois and 1 Malinois. Christines' Soli won the class with Wendys' Bristle 2nd, Angies' Mali Cruso 3rd and Martins' Antar 5th. JD Bristle 3rd , Antar 4th. PB Vogue was 3rd, JB 3rd. Brizo was 3rd in Open Bitch. All the puppies did really well and weren't phased by the noise and crowds. We had a photo shoot by the Christmas trees with Carol Ann Johnson ---you will have to make do with a pic on my camera until we get the real ones. It was a very tiring day and Bristle and Vogue chilled out while I packed the trolley. The journey home was no less eventful as it was snowing from Grantham.

I have included a picture of a frosty morning last week with Udall and Basil playing in the paddock.

Ciel is feeling a lot better and I took a pic today to show the extent of her stitches. She hates the plastic collar so I sent off for a Buster collar. Brilliant! Except that Ciel wiggled her head until she turned it round so that the shorter neck piece was under her chin and she could reach her stitches. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth--it would sizzle and spit!! That's the price you pay for having an intelligent breed. So now she is back to not speaking to me as she has to have the awful bucket on her head which she uses to ramraid her way out of her crate ! She is feeling Much better!!!!

Ciel is home after a 2 hour operation and has had a strip down one side and a lump removed from her side. She seems much brighter than the last time she had an anaesthetic and is asleep by the fire. The good news is that she had cysts under her teats not tumours so, hopefully, she is on the mend. She ate some chicken for her dinner with her usual gusto but was not impressed when I put her Bucket on and refused to lie down so I shall keep an eye on her overnight as she tried to have a tug at one of her stitches. Stitches out in 10 days time so fingers crossed she will keep them in as she looks like a patchwork quilt underneath and has shaved bits too.

Thanks to everyone who has phoned or sent messages to see how she is doing.

I didn't want to go home just incase the vets rang me so I met Wendy and went back to see Bristle and have a cup of coffee. Celine and Chatter had a great time "helping" to move agility equipment (well they raced through tunnels as we were moving them and kept nipping over jumps and through tyres for the fun of it). They have missed their lessons so hopefully we will get some more in after Christmas. Celine can go just to do a few low jumps and weaves until nearer her whelping date as she needs to keep toned up. Thanks Wendy it was good to take my mind off Ciel for a few hours until I could go and collect her.

Bristle comes to stay tomorrow ready for LKA on Saturday . Christine emailed to say that Soli has passed his GoodCits Bronze too!! Well Done!!

Dana, Bonvivant Sorciere, won the Christmas Match at her club in Stafford. Brilliant stuff.

Well we didn't get our Sky installed after all today :(( some technical problem and the job didn't get scheduled. I had got up really early and, against my better judgement, put the house dogs up the paddocks. When I finally found out it wasn't going to happen I retrieved four chocolate dogs, and had to hose Brizo down, which she didn't appreciate. The other three were plastered and I decided to let them dry off-surely the mud would fall out? No.

Nicked this pic of Jos' mob off her blog :)) spot the odd one out.

I gave Ciel a good blast as she is moulting badly and she was leaping around like a spring chicken belying her almost 12yrs. Just to make me feel guilty, I reckon, about taking her for her op tomorrow. She thinks she is ready for a show and wanted to get in the van so I wouldn't forget her. I had to force her to go to bed tonight as she was waiting in her run all ready to go.

Trying not to worry too much but going to have a mug of Horlicks and try and get some sleep.

Jo and Natalie arrived today to choose their puppies. Natalie has a Malinois type dog , Kiros, who is Grade 6 agility. Jo, of course, owns Ronny, the father of the pups, who excells in agility and Flyball. We had a lovely day and took hundreds of photos of the six puppies. The first pic is of Reno, Natalies' choice and the single pup photos are of Zippy, Jos' choice (or did they just choose their new owners anyway?) . Zippy decided to get his ears up today in honour of the occasion. His female "twin" was chosen by Richard on Saturday and, as yet, hasn't been named by him. They are going to have lots of fun and were keen to show how they liked to play tuggy with the new toys Natalie had brought them. Three pups still to find ideal active homes. This is the "W" litter so we are having fun choosing fast names! Hard to believe they will be ready to leave home in a couple of weeks although Reno will be staying until after Christmas now.

Hopefully we have a Sky box arriving tomorrow so we won't miss any of Olympia agility this year and any dog show and Discover Dogs coverage on the Horse and Country channel !!

The weather has degenerated to rain again and the mud is mostly on the dogs and in the house yet again--I preferred the hard frosts !

I don't know where this last week has gone but it has been very busy. Cello had his last obedience lesson before Christmas which was combined with some lovely cakes and savouries which we both enjoyed. Audrey was very pleased with Cellos' progress and I must admit to being very proud of how he has learn't so much in 6 weeks. The good news is we have a couple of classes after Christmas too and have booked on some Training Days next year too. I was all set for Vogue to try her paws at the GCits Bronze on Thursday but went shopping with Mum in the afternoon and somehow managed to drop my purse in a very dark Asda car park. I then had to cancel my cards and cheque book and report my drivers license missing too by which time we were late. Then, amazingly, I got a call to say someone had found it! so then had to drive half an hour towards Skegness to pick it up. What a relief, but of course all my cards are now cancelled so that has made things rather awkward. We never did make it to training class :((

News from Guernsey that Venus has passed her puppy course and is booked into her GCits course soon.

Ciel took a trip to the vets on Friday as she has a mammary tumour which I think is starting to bother her.Because of her reaction to the anaesthetics when she was spayed earlier this year(pyometria just starting) my vet has been very reluctant to remove it before now--but it is a bit bigger. This is really the last chance to remove it or it will kill her anyway so we have not much choice either way. I decided we shall risk it so Wednesday will be her op day (please send her as many healing thoughts as you can spare).

The weather has been wet, cold, wetter and colder which makes the regular kennel chores take even longer. Webbed feet are now not just an optional extra and all visitors must come suitably attired in wellies. Saturday we had visitors to see the puppies so, after Chatter and Celine had mugged them, we went over to Lisa and Chris' house and the pups had a great time charging about practising their agility over my legs and trying to remove toes, keys and trousers. Jo and Natalie arrive tomorrow to choose their pups so I shall get armed with my camera. They are 6 weeks old now, where has the time gone? Such a shame the weather has been so awful as I like to get them out in the fresh air. Blame Chamonix for being 2 months late coming in season !! We still have 3 available pups which seems unbelievable as we originally had at least 10 bookings for this combination, but the credit crunch has affected so many people.

I am hoping all will be ok for Saturday, I have a Ciel sitter lined up ready, as it is LKA and we have 7 of Brizos' litter entered in AVNSC Pastoral along with Brizo--bit much to hope that they may all qualify but we'll give it a shot :))