Meet Paraiba Frothy Coffee via Bryelis

LILAH

A wee change for me at the weekend when I handled Lilah on Saturday where she won 1st Chinese Crested open class and Best of Breed. She then came to stay overnight with me and the Papillons so I could show her at the show on the Sunday as well, where she again won 1st Chinese Crested open class and Best of Breed then added Group 3 to the list. I have handled Lilah a few times in the past but this weekend we just seemed to click and she went like a dream. Looking forward to our next time.

Indy and Marnie were at the shows at the weekend, both were placed in there classes. Betsy went with us on the Saturday for a wee bit of socialising and done really well, even managed to accept some food and cuddles from people who were kind enough to stop and spend time with her. Ayla and the others (including Jim) at home wondered what had arrived when Lilah came in the door, and I must admit I was a wee bit wary as to how everyone would get on, but they were fine said hello and just all got on with there own business. Really surprising how warm Lilah was to the touch. I thought like a human with no clothes on her skin would be cold to the touch, but there you go learned something new this weekend. An absolute delight to have her here and would certainly have her to stay again.

Obedient Betsy!!!!!

Took her to a local puppy class tonight. Oh wow was she given a rude awakening. Typical pet obedience class with dogs and handlers/owners of all ages and abilities, some like Betsy there for the first time others returning for top up training and others who had been going for quite a few weeks. I met an old friend called Simba and his owners as soon as I walked in the door and it just felt like I had never been away, though everyone was at least 5 years older. Spent my time walking Betsy round the hall letting her get used to the couple of dogs there while we waited for the trainer to arrive. Once the class started I got to have a go with Simba doing his heel work and boy don't the old ways come back so quickly, he knew instinctively when to walk, sit, turn and all this was because his close heel work is so good , and his mum thought he would have forgotten it all. Betsy on the other hand was totally over awed by it all, her heel work was really good for a dog trying to hide under the chairs round the walls of the hall. (LOL shorter lead next week) She wasn't to sure of the dog sat in the corner with it's back to the class because it is a barker, Simba wanted to play but due to his sheer size this just wasn't possible, though they did get to sniff noses. We met Mac a wee WHWT who was there for his first time as well and a right cutie he was too. Was a little surprised when we were called up with the rest of the class to do a 1 minute sit stay!!!!!!!! I personally thought it a bit long for puppies there for the first time but when in Rome etc etc. I chose not to leave Betsy's side and spent the minute breaking it into 10 second stays for Betsy which I thought was more than adequate. She has only just heard the sit and stay command for the first time last night and if I had put her in a sit and walked back for even three paces I knew she wouldn't have been able to do it. Why rush? And all this I managed without having to raise my voice above a normal speaking level once. We are going to have our work cut out for us training, here at home the others just jump all over the two of us and poor Betsy looks to say why do they get to bounce around and she has to sit, wee soul we will find a nice playing field to go and work in and I'm sure all the one to one will more than compensate for not being able to bounce like a kangaroo around the house with the others.

When we go back next week I will try and get a picture of Simba with Betsy and you will see what I mean about his size.

A little bit of tidying

Felt the blog was getting a bit untidy looking with random pictures and websites popping up in the side panel. So for ease I have reverted back to "Less is More".

If you would like to have a link to your website or blog email me joan@abbeyton.com and I will oblige if the site relevant.

Just to say

Betsy and Ayla did have there day out, Betsy went on Saturday to Larkhall and was not very impressed at all, if anything meeting the Greyhounds and a woman she just didn't want to meet or like has made her more clingy than ever. I can't go anywhere in the house without her at my side, the only respite has been the snow, as Betsy is a lover of the outdoors this suits her sense of fun and adventure.

Ayla on the other hand went to Dumfries and though she had her moments of "what the hell is that" she did really well, loving everyone and everything that is except Freddie the Havanese who made the first move toward her. LOL she got him back by pouncing on his madly wagging tail when he had sat down with his back to her. LOL he loved every minute of it. She met a Labrador pup called Boggey (yep that was his name), originally called Brogue but now prefers his new name LOL. Anyway Ayla wasn't very sure at first but after a few moments there was a few tentative touching of noses and then both had to be restrained as they both went chest down and bums up with tails wagging for a game but the size difference just didn't make it possible.

Today everyone has been in the garden playing fetch with snowballs and running with tails streaming (like Tam O'Shanters grey mare Meg) round and round the garden till we get dizzy watching and call them indoors, Betsy without fail is always the last one through the door for as much as she clings to me she loves the snow more.

Driving snow

and snow driving.

Went to Larkhall limit show on Saturday with Indy who won 1st in Papillon open and Best of Breed. Anna was there with Meme and had her wee shop as well. Jean also travelled with us with her Maltese pup Flo who won best puppy in group. Anna's we shop is a great place for meeting people in all breeds. Her bedding, leather work and embroidery are in great demand at the shows and she always goes home with less stock and more orders to fill. Anyway back to the snow etc, on the way to Larkhall there were a couple of times when we thought to turn back home as we were going through some really heavy snow falls. Takes more than a wee flurry of snow to stop us. We were set up next to a stall for Greyhound Awareness who work effortlessly on behalf of Greyhounds and Lurchers. My only concern being next to them at a dog show was that some of the Greyhounds there were rescues that had issues with small furry things (yes someone described our beautiful Papillons as this) and therefore the dogs had to spend more time in there boxes with a cover over them to keep prying Greyhounds on long leads out. Shocked me more when one person asked if maybe they should put a muzzle on the dog. Glad to say that all the hounds were muzzled so we felt a bit safer with the dogs out of there boxes. Anyway back to the snow (such a rare occurrence here) by the time we headed for home the snow was gone and it was getting chilly. On the Sunday I picked up Anna and we headed for the Annandale canine clubs show at DG1 in Dumfries. Anna had Ruben and Carter with her and I took Indy and Marnie. The drive down was so nice and enjoyable I decided we could take in a wee bit of sight seeing and went on a further 25 miles to Gretna Green (LOL I missed the turning off the motor way) got to the venue with plenty of time to spare. Anna was first in with Carter and he was placed a very respectable 4th in a class of 12 pups. In the Papillon graduate Indy got 3rd behind Abbyeton Here We Go Again, and Bankshill ???????? or JD to his friends, well done Sue. In the open class Marnie was 2nd and Wills her litter brother was 3rd. Estelle Kirk sent a text while we were there to let us know that Lou lou (Abbeyton Runnin Wild at Kirkchase) won Best of Breed at Darlington open show, and Maddie won best puppy in breed. Well done everyone.

This is where the snow really comes into the story, I had offered to run the judge home as she lives in Ayrshire as well, so we had to wait till the end of the show as she was judging Best In Show. While we waited we kept going outside to keep our eye on the weather as it had begun to snow and within a short time it had gone from a flake or two to a full blown coat the ground in white flurry. When we did leave the main roads were quite clear, but as we went up the country it was starting to land and not go melt. Dropped Anna in Darvel and then had a run to Dunlop to drop off Ann the judge, by the time we got to Dunlop not even the main roads were clear. Saw Ann into her house ok then headed home, but the snow was really falling by now and other than heading for the A77 then onto the M77 as the other road I knew was closed. I phoned Jim and I must say the brilliant thing about having a tracker in the car is he can live track the car and tell me the best routes to go. Within a few Mins I had turned the car and going back the way I had come headed for the nearest main road home through some pretty thick snow without a problem. You just gotta love technology sometimes.

Indy at Paisley open show

And so life goes on...

Went with Anna to Caledonian Canine Society open show Saturday 31st Jan at the Lowland Halls in Ingleston, not a very pleasant place but it does the job I suppose, though at £4.90 per entry for the dogs you would expect more than a wee piece of card to remember your day. Only rosettes in the rings during class judging were for Best of Breed and Best Puppy in Breed. Took Marnie and Indy to show and Ayla and Betsy to experience the whole thing. And what an experience it was, being handled by total strangers and taken for walks among what must have appeared as giants to them, ie Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds and possibly anything else that measured over 12 inches. LOL

Anyway Indy got a 4th in Post Graduate and Marnie left the Open class with not a thing, such is the world of dogs. Anna won with Ruben and his two sons both did well, one winning best of breed and his half brother winning best puppy in breed. Well done everyone.

On Sunday it was back along the A71 to Wishaw for the Paisley and District open show. Same trolley full of dogs again, this time without Anna and her dogs as she was travelling with her daughter today. Both Indy and Marnie were placed 3rd out of classes with 3 in them. Ayla and Betsy got to go out and walk around and meet other people, again it was Ayla who took with it in her stride, where Betsy was the one cleaning the floor with her belly. That was until she met Bob the Labrador man who had a bait bag full of garlic sausage and boy didn't she take a shine to him, think if I had let her she might even have considered going home with him. LOL think I had said to Anna five minutes earlier that if the right home came along I may let her go, maybe we'll see how it goes for a while yet. Never have been a great fan of running on siblings, get to reliant on each other. But there we go another day another challenge and that's what keeps us going back to the beginning and starting over with a new pup every time.