And The Winner Is....

Our good friends Jennie & Bamse have been busy in the show ring this summer. A couple of weeks ago Bamse won big, as he became the best male, BOS and took his first C.A.C. I was there to witness it all and it was fabulous! A year ago at the same show, James won his class and took his first C.A.C. :)

Vår kära vänner Jennie & Bamse har åkt på en hel del utställningar under sommaren. För några veckor sedan vann Bamse stort på SKK's nationella utställning i Askersund. Han blev nämligen bästa hane med CK, BIM och tog sitt första CERT. Det var jättekul att få vara där och bevittna det hela. För bara ett år sedan, på samma utställning, tog James sitt första CERT. Askersund är numera ett favoritställe för både mig och Jennie. :)

FYI - the above 2 pics were taken with my cell phone.

Amstaff Specialty Show

Above: Jay's gorgeous half brother Ior competed.

The Swedish Amstaff Club hosted a specialty show in July with lots of beautiful Amstaffs. James did not participate as Mr. L and I decided in the beginning of the year to take a year of absence in order to let Jay fill out and mature. I think he's starting to get ready again though. ;) The male judge (in the gray suit) came from Italy and the female judge (in the pink suit) came from the States. The guy in the middle is a Swedish celebrity who was given the honor to open the show. He's a proud owner of a Pit Bull and he goes under the name of Dogge Doggelito. :) It was great fun to be at the show and to see all the beautiful dogs!

FYI: The pics were taken with my cell phone.

Den svenska amstaff klubben anordnade en utställning i samband med den internationella SKK utställningen i Köping i juli. Det var väldigt många fina amstaffar med så det var jättekul att vara där och se alla. James var inte med då Mr. L och jag tog beslutet i början på året att låta James "vila" det här året för att ge honom mer tid till att växa och fylla ut. Men jag tror han börjar bli redo för ringen igen. ;) Den manlige domaren kom från Italien (grå kostym) och den kvinnliga domaren kom från USA. Ser ni vem det är som står i mitten mellan de två domarna? Japp, det är självaste Dogge Doggelito. :) Han fick nämligen äran att "sparka igång" utställningen.

ps. bilderna kommer från min mobiltelefon.

Sweden's National Day

Ha en trevlig National Dag!!!

Dessutom, ett stort GRATTIS till Jennie & Bamse som gjorde kanon ifrån sig på Golden Specialen utanför Örebro idag. :)

What a Dog Weekend!

My weekend turned out great. I ended up going to the Dog Show both days, so no Weight Pull competition but next time though. On Saturday I checked out the Amstaffs and Bamse (i.e. the Golden Retrievers). James' brother Atlas won his age class. There was no win for Jennie & Bamse this day, but it will go better next time. That’s just how it goes …

On Sunday it was time for the Rottweilers and I saw a few really nice ones. Got a chance to check out some other breeds too before heading back home. Well, not straight back home because I went to the Obedience Club first to see if I would get a chance to see this Rottie I know (Just Ask Nixon) do his mental test for working dogs. Too bad I missed him, but he'd passed with flying colors. That was it- a real Doggie Weekend for sure. :)
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Helgen svischade förbi i full fart, det blev Västerås och hundutställning både lördag och söndag. På lördagen var det Amstaffar och Golden Retrievers som var av intresse. STORT GRATTIS till Jenny & Dundra som tog sitt 3:e Cert och blev BIM. Tyvärr är ju inte Dundra 2 år fyllda ännu, så ingen champion titel riktigt än men snart, snart! ;) Också ett STORT GRATTIS till James vackra bror, Atlas! Han vann sin klass och tog sitt första CK!!!! Yeeeeesssss!!! För Jennie & Bamse gick det inte lika bra denna gång, men så är spelets regler tyvärr… ibland går det hem, ibland inte.

På söndagen tittade jag på rottisar, hann även med några andra raser innan jag styrde kosan tillbaks mot Örebro. Gasen i bott och raka vägen ut till brukshundsklubben där det var MT test. Hade hoppats på att få se Just Ask Nixon (en rottis jag känner) göra sitt MT test men missade det precis. Han gjorde dock jättebra ifrån sig och går nu under namnet KORAD Just Ask Nixon! ;) Gick med på nästa runda istället, och då var det en collie som faktiskt var riktigt rolig. Det var inget som var otäckt enligt honom – otäcka människor, otäcka ljud – inget skrämde honom. Supercool kille, verkligen. Men efter detta var det hem som gällde. En lyckad hundhelg! :)

Too Fast

I’m not sure about your weekend, but mine went by way too fast.

It was Drag weight- and Weight Pull training on Saturday, which was followed by a meeting. Jay did really well, he was definitely in the mood to work. But as always, we began with a drag weight walk and due to the meeting being scheduled immediately after training, a whole bunch of people showed up so that was great fun!

On Sunday, it was time to check out a Dog Show in a nearby city. Alih and James were left at home, I went all by my-little-self and it was fabulous. ;) I met up with Gabbi at the show grounds and we began by checking out the Amstaffs (winning BOB was Jaffa, a dog from Kennel Needful Thing’s). When the Amstaffs were done it was time to head to another ring to check out the Rottweilers, the Dobermanns, the Dogo Bordeauxs and the Cane Corsos. Fabulous dogs!

When they were done, it was time to move yet again as it was time for the Golden Retrievers in another ring. We cheered on Jennie & Bamse and apparently our cheering worked, ‘cause Bamse won and became BOB. CONGRATULATIONS!

That was pretty much my weekend. I cannot believe it’s Monday already. :(
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Jag vet inte hur er helg var, men min passerade alldeles för fort.

På lördagen var det dags för drag weight- och weight pull träning som följdes av ett möte. Träningen gick jättebra för James, han var ”på hugget” och jag tyckte han drog vagnen riktig bra. Men innan vagnsträningen gick vi som alltid på en drag weight promenad och tack vare mötet så dök de flesta klubbmedlemmarna upp, så vi var ett helt gäng med folk och hundar. Det är alltid roligt!

På söndagen var jag på hundutställning i närliggande stad. Alih och James fick vara hemma och det var jätteskönt att få vara helt solo. ;) Gabbi och jag hade bestämt att träffas på parkeringen och vi lyckades rulla in samtidigt, så snacka om timing. ;) Vi började med att kolla på amstaffarna som höll till i ring 3. BIR blev Jaffa som ägs av Kennel Needful Thing’s – så stort GRATTIS till Marina & fodervärden. Efter detta var det dags att förflytta sig till ring 1 där vi kollade på rottweiler, dobermann, dogo bordeaux och cane corso. En massa puddingar! :) BIR Rottis blev en tik som är nära vän till Jennie & Bamse – GRATTIS!

Efter detta var det återigen dags att flytta på sig, för då var det tid för golden retriever att göra entré i en annan ring. Med andra ord, det var Jennie & Bamses tur att visa vad de går för och vårt hejande & hurrande funkade tydligen, för Bamse blev BIR!!!! Stort GRATTIS!!!

Ja, det var i stort sätt min helg. Kan inte fatta att det redan är måndag. :(

South of the border?

We sang Happy Birthday to my grandpa yesterday and in return we were fed cake and all kinds of delicious cookies. Today, it was time to head south, well within the Swedish border. My parents and I went to a big Rottweiler Show; checked out a bunch of beautiful Rotties, did some sightseeing and cruised through some stores. Now, I’m back home with my boys again. Lovely. :)

Igår sjöng vi Ja må han leva till morfar och som “belöning” fick vi smörgåstårta, jordgubbstårta, kakor, bullar, you name it. Idag bar det av söderöver, inom landets gränser dock. Jag och mina föräldrar var nämligen på en stor rottweiler utställning (svenska rottweilerklubbens årsmötesutställning). Vi såg en massa snygga rottisar och hann även med en tur in till stan där vi bland annat kollade in lite affärer. Men nu är jag återförenad med mina älskade pojkar, som för tillfället sussar å snarkar för fullt. :)

The Winner at Westminister 2009

10-yeard old Stump, a Sussex spaniel won Best in Show at the 133rd Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City on Tuesday night – the oldest dog ever to receive the title.

Sunday's Dog Show

I ended up staying at the Dog Show all day yesterday. My feet were barking when I finally made it home in the evening.

Everybody did super! Gabbi's dog Vilma became Best of Opposite Sex with HP (=Honor Prize), Gabbi's Dad with his dog Affe became Best of Breed so he continued on to the Group Final at the end of the day. And guess who won the group final? Yup, Affe... :) What a great day for both of them, huh?! By the way, Vilma and Affe are Kerry Blue Terriers.

Ior (Jay's half brother) did great too. He became the best AmStaff puppy so he was in the Group Final for puppies. No luck there, but the baby looked amazing.

Jag lyckades bli kvar på hundutställningen hela dagen igår. Jag hade grymt ont i fötterna och var jättetrött när jag äntligen kom hem på kvällen. Det är jobbigt att trängas med en massa nervösa och spända människor. ;)

Det gick jättebra för "alla de mina", så gårdagens utställning var lyckad. Gabriellas hund Vilma blev BIM (m. HP) och Gabbis pappa som också var där och ställde sin hund, Affe, blev BIR (m. HP). Eftersom Affe blev BIR, gick han vidare till grupp finalen. Samtliga finaler hålls alltid på eftermiddagen, så lyckas man gå vidare till en final, ja då blir det automatiskt en heldag med långa väntetider. Gissa vem som vann gruppfinalen då? - Japp, det var Affe. Hihi... Snacka om en kanondag för dem båda två, eller hur?! Både Vilma och Affe är förresten Kerry Blue Terriers.

Det gick mycket bra även för James vackra halvbror, Ior. Han blev den bästa Amstaffvalpen (BIR) och gick därmed vidare till gruppfinalen för valpar. Där blev han oplacerad men han var sååå otroligt snygg i ringen så jag tror domaren var blind. ;)

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU GUYS!


Above: Gabbi's Dad with Affe (BOB) and Gabbi with Vilma (BOS).


Above: Affe at the Winner's Podium after having won the Group Final, Vilma to the right. Both are GORGEOUS ...


Above: The Super Cute and Gorgeous Ior - The Best of Breed Puppy.

HUND 2008

The Stockholm Dog Show was held today. We decided in the last minute to leave 30 min earlier than originally planned (so we left at 6 A.M.)... which meant that at 4:50 A.M. my alarm clock went off. Wakey, wakey - Rise and Shine...:)

I never finished my school paper yesterday (what a surprise!!!) so I had to finish it tonight once we got home. I sent it in about 20 min ago, with about 40 min to spare before the deadline. hihi.. Typical!

Anyhow, so the show today was a disappointment for reasons I don't care to discuss on the blog. However, Gabbi and Vilma did great. They won their group and received an HP prize. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

James received a red ribbon (quality 1) but he came 5th in the competition (the reserve spot). James was not completely focused in the ring, but that's not why I am unhappy ... but oh well. Shit happens!

I still had fun though, I met my "old" friend Jennie and her daughter at the show. They were there showing their Golden Retriever Bamse - and Bamse did great. Congratulations!!! I also met the owner of Jay's brother Lucas. Lucas should have been shown today but ended up getting sick in the last minute... too bad! We also got to meet Atlas (Jay's other bro) and his family .. and we obviously got to spend some quality time with Gabbi too. Oh and we met Jenny, Ewa and Dundra ... Dundra did great (1kv, 3kk with CK I think). Congrats!!!!
So we met lots of nice people!!!!!

Several people came up to James while we were waiting to enter the ring, they thought he was so pretty, they wanted to say hi to him and take pics of him. So even though the judge didn't particularly care for him, other people did. My Blue Thunder ... hihi...

Here's James critic (in Swedish):
Maskulin hanhund, huvud med bra proportioner. Något knapp underkäke, välformade ögon, välansatta men något stora öron. Stark hals, (tror det står) kort överlinje, bra ansatt svans, goda vinklar bak, knappa fram, goda rörelser från sidan.

In English:
Masculine male dog, head/skull with good proportions. Somewhat short under jaw, Well-shaped eyes, Well-placed but somewhat big ears, strong neck, (I think it says) short top line, Well-carried tail, Good angles back, narrow in the front, good movements from the side.

The judge was Patrik Cederlöf.


Above: Here's James and I.



Above: The first pic is of Atlas (Jay's bro) and the 2nd pic is of Jennie's dog Bamse. Sooo cute!


Above: Gabbi and Vilma at the "Winner's Podium" on pic one. :)

Best of Opposite Sex

- That’s what James became today at the unofficial Dog Show we went to. :)

That means, for anyone who wouldn’t know, that he became the Best Male Amstaff. He was, however, beaten by the Best Female Amstaff thus his title “Best of Opposite Sex”. I am extremely happy and proud of my baby, considering he’s still just a junior and yet became the best male.

The reason for going to an unofficial show was really for me to practice on showing James. James has the show experience but I don’t, so I needed to train more before the big Dog Show in Stockholm (Hund 08) in December. And hopefully gain some confidence ... :)

Here’s James critic (first in Swedish):
Välutvecklad junior hane. Maskulint huvud med korrekt bett. Välburna öron. Välutvecklat förbröst och bröstkorg. Bra benstomme. Rör sig bra runt om. Välvisad.

The critic in English:
Well-developed junior male, Masculine head with correct bite. Well-carried ears. Well-developed chest and thorax. Good bone-structure. Moves well all around. Well shown.

That last part “well shown” means the most to me from today, considering I have been doubting my handler skills for so long. Obviously, I know I have learned a lot considering I have taken a handler class… but still, this felt fabulous to hear!

To sum up the results in Swedish: 1HP, BH1, BIM

Yesterday, it was James' first time at the WP training with his new harness. I was worried the harness would be slightly too big but I think it worked (& fitted him) great after all. :) James is such a good “working dog”… We began by going for a longer walk with the dogs pulling chains. I wasn't sure if the newly purchased chain would be too heavy for him on these longer walks but no problem at all. He just kept going and going like it was nothing. He barley breathes heavy... I swear! He’s such a good baby and an excellent athlete. After the walk, it was time for the cart and he did great here too. My baby may be wild, but he sure has a work ethic like few others. :)

By the way, the judge today said when touching James: “This guy sure gets lots of exercise. He’s rock hard”...and that he is. My little baby has always been a bad eater, but muscles he's still managed to get. :)

My Old Baby is back from the country, so I'm gonna walk over to my mom and dad's apartment and pick him up. My old yummy Stinky Baby... :)

Holy Moly

James has been entered into Hund 2008 (held in Stockholm in the beginning of December)... it's a really BIG Dog Show... And I will have to show him myself... SCARED!!! Pardon my French, but I will crap my pants... lol. Gabbi & I will go together since Vilma (her doggie) has been entered as well. I will be super nervous but it will be lots of fun too! James brother Atlas will be shown and Jay's breeder is coming with a couple of her dogs... so it will be fun, fun! It's also the first time James is being shown in the Intermediate class (unghundsklassen).

Thank God the judge who held the handler class last weekend, will have another training day in the beginning of November. Guess who's going.... :)

Results from Strängnäs

1a Kv, 3a Kk

Jay did alright at the Dog Show today. He came 3rd with HP (Honor Prize). The reason why I'm not super happy with the show today is because he did not behave in the ring. However, he was not the only dog who wasn't feeling it. I think it could be because it got too crowded inside, dogs and people everywhere in an area that was just too small... It was hard for James to relax, and unfortunately he did not show his best side. But for some reason I didn't think he looked that good no matter what..hmm, he looked small (as in skinny) compared to the other dogs. I think he will need a little break and time to develop more. He still eats poorly, so if he only could eat like a normal dog he would put on some needed weight.

Someone who did great and looked fabulous today though, was James brother Atlas. He was sooooo pretty. His 2nd place finish with HP was well deserved. Congratulations, Sofia & Atlas (and family)!!!!!

We had a Finish judge by the name of Pirjo Hjelm and the show was put on by Östsvenska Terrierklubben in Strängnäs.

Here's James' critic (in Swedish):
En junior hane som behöver mera tid. Trevligt huvud, bra bett, tendens till tunga öron. Hals ok samt överlinje. Bröstkorgen behöver utvecklas, benstomme ok, tillräckligt utvecklad bak, rör sig ok.

The critic in English:
A junior male who needs more time. Nice head, good bite, inclined to have heavy ears. Neck ok and top line. The chest needs to develop, bone structure ok, enough developed behind, moves ok.

As always - a big THANK YOU to Marina who showed James.

Big Win!!!!!!!!

Today was an amazing day for James (well it is after midnight so it was actually yesterday - Sunday). He WON the junior class (out of 8 juniors) and received a CK (=Champion Quality) which sent him on to the Best Male final. Here he came 3rd after 2 champions... and he brought home the C.A.C. (på svenska CERT)!!!! Holy Moly ... that’s some big shit! In order to become a Swedish Champion he needs a total of 3 C.A.C's, however he has to get one after the age of 2. But my gorgeous baby is on his way...... BIG FUXXING SMILE ON MY FACE! We brought home 5 ribbons today (see above pic). :)

Marina showed James in the junior class, but one of her dogs (from the open class) - Matrix, was sent on to the Best Male class too, which meant she could not show James. Fortunately for me (or I would have had to show James myself) our breeder was at the show today, so she was kind enough to show James for us. What would we do without Marina or Madeleine??!!! :) Cannot THANK YOU ladies enough!!!

The judge was Anne Rode, and here’s James critic (I'll write it in Swedish first & then I'll translate it to English):

Tilltalande helhet. Vackert välskuret huvud. Bra bett, ögon & öron. God hals & rygg. Bra kropp. Goda vinklar fram och bak. Utmärkt kondition. Fria sunda rörelser.

In English it sounds like this:
Appealing overall , Beautiful and well-shaped head. Good bite, eyes & ears. Good neck and back. Good body. Good angles both front and back. Excellent condition. Free, healthy movements.

James & Marina in the Junior Class

The judge is checking the Gorgous Blue :)

The Baby is doing his regular strutting... Damn Super-Cute Baby! :)

This is the Best Male Class (Madeleine is showing James).

Matrix & Marina to the far left, and the 2 Champions who eventually beat James to the right.

The judge takes an exta look at James... she sure liked him. No doubt about it.

And this is how it looks when getting home. Man o man, it is exhausting being pretty! :)

I am so happy this happened today, in Askersund - it was sort of on our hometurf and James' breeder was there to be a part of it as well. A Perfect Day, in other words!!

Great Day in Ransäter

It went really well at the Dog Show. :) As all Swedes know, we’ve had a serious heat wave hitting the entire country which didn’t make it easy for all our 4-legged friends today, or for the 2-legged either for that matter. I swear, it was hot as an oven. But Jamie was for the most part covered up under a soaked towel. However, the heat did a number on him ‘cause he’s mostly been sleeping since we came home. :)

Since I for some reason never got a Show Catalog, I do not recall how many dogs were in the Junior class with James, but it was a whole bunch. This time Mr. Jay received a “1” score in the quality judging part, and we were on to the competition part. Yeahhhhaaaaaaa!!!!!! In the competition part the baby came 3rd and we could not have been more proud of the Baby Blue as the dogs he competed against were all very good-looking. As always, I am extremely grateful to the wonderful Marina who keeps showing James. She’s a true pro!

I had no camera today, so no pics were taken. Forgot to charge my freakn camera, and had no charger with me to the country.

The judge today was Cristian Vantu (from some East Block country :)). And the critic he gave James was:
Good proportions, Good front and ribcage, Medium angles, Excellent movements.

Results in Swedish: 1a Kv, 3a Kk.

No Luck at the Dog Show

We managed to beat the rain. :) Shortly after we were done the rain came, but at that time we were ready to pack up and leave. I guess that was about all the luck we had for the day. :(

Unfortunately, Jay did not do that well today, but I guess shit like that happens. He received a # 2 score (2:a kv) in the quality judging session, which meant the day was over for him. :( Scoring a "2" means "very good" but he needs "excellent" in order to go on to the competition part. It sort of came as a shocker considering how well he has done before. But everybody goes through set-backs, I guess. All judges have different tastes... so it’s not much one can do about that. We will have time to "lick our wounds” until next Sunday when it is time for a new Dog Show. It is in Ransäter, Värmland. A different judge and a new place. Let’s cross our fingers & toes things will go better this time!

The judge was Jovanovic Nemanja from Serbia, and the critic sounds like this:

Correct type, correct head, should have stronger under-jaw, head is a bit wide in the cheeks, a little big but correct position of the ears, enough long neck, excellent chest, enough strong topline, a bit narrow behind in movement, correct tail.

Jay’s dad was at the show too, and he did great. So Congratulations to the gorgeous Papa (Chief). :) And a big THANK YOU to Marina who keeps showing James for us. James looked perfect in the ring, ....he just didn't meet the judge’s "excellent" criteria, apparently.

My Jamie in the Show Ring

Gorgeous Daddy-O :)

Chief in the Show Ring

Half sister Tequila was at the show too (same Dad). She is so damn pretty, this young lady.

James is a busy bee...

James has been entered into 3 more Dog Shows, 2 in July and 1 in August so far.

July 20 – Köping. The judge is Nemanja Jovanovic from Serbia
July 27 - Ransäter. The judge is Cristian Vantu from Rumania (I think this is the judge from the last show we went to, who judged the junior final).
August 10 - Askersund. The judge is Ann Rode from Sweden.

They are all International shows put on by the SKK (SKK=The Swedish Kennel Club).

More & better pics from the Dog Show

Here are some pics taken by a much better photographer than me, from last weekend's Dog Show. I need to add though, she had a very fancy zoom on her camera. =)

Anyhow, check how the baby is strutting, like he's never done anything else in his life. hihi...

PUPPYYYYYYYY!!!!! I want to eat him, he's so damn yummy!!!!! =)

How fancy and fabulous are we. Look at his head posture. Proud as can be. I just wanna smack that ass.... =)

The Best Junior Amstaff

You are looking at the Best Junior Amstaff. =)

(In Swedish) Resultat: 1a Kv, 1a Kk, HP

The show yesterday went great to say the least. When no longer competing in the puppy class, all dogs are first judged after their quality. Receiving a number 1 score (red ribbon) is the best they can get. All the dogs that receive a “1” will continue to the competition part where they will compete against each other. James’ show results ended like this: Quality – 1st prize, Competition – 1st prize and an HP prize which is short for Honour Prize. He became the Best Junior Amstaff which meant we had to stay until the end of the day for the finals. In the final he got a chance to compete against all the other Terriers who had won and who had become the best junior in their respective breed groups (this was an all Terrier Show). We were about 20 juniors in the final and they only keep 5, unfortunately we were not one of the lucky 5. Oh well, we had done so fabulously well already...so no sad faces over here.

The Amstaff judge was Anne Klaas from Estonia (Estland på svenska). And here are the comments she gave James:

Good type and size. Strong head with strong muzzle. Bite OK. A bit loose lips. Strong neck and topline. Good bones. Good angulation. Excellent coat and color. Moves with temperament, a bit loose in front. Needs time.

Once again, it was our fabulous handler Marina who showed James. It is thanks to her Jay keeps scoring as well as he does, for sure. THANK YOU, Marina! You’re the best!

Marina & James in the Show Ring

Jay strutting his stuff


Jay in front of the red winner's podium.


Moi, showing James in the final as our handler already had left... Ain't that a sight or what!!!!hehehehe....


This is James' very beautiful half sister, Tequila. They have the same gorgeous father so no wonder they turned out the way they did. =) Tequila did excellent at the show too, winning her group and receving a CK (=Champion quality).

Dog Show

We had a rather good show weekend; however a very bright and early one as we got up at 4:30 A.M. on Saturday and at 5:20 A.M. on Sunday... it sure is rough when the alarm goes off but once up, it’s alright. After a shower I was all awake and ready to rumble. =)

Saturday:
The ring judge was Senor Alberto Valesco and the Amstaffs were set to begin, which meant that James was first up. As we were “warming up” our handler said James ran well with me and that it would be better if I showed him myself. First I was like: “hell no”... but after a few seconds I felt like: “well, I have to have my first time at some point”... so I decided to do it. I felt alright as James and I entered the ring but the “OK feeling” was pretty much gone once it was our “alone time” with the judge. I did a horrible job stacking James. I mean, I am not claiming to be good at it at any time, but I sure can do it better when not nervous. It is called Lack of Experience, people!!! Ahhhh, I could feel myself not doing what I should have done, or what I would have done at home, and of course it effected James. Since I did not stack him properly his top line was off thus the comment (see further down). Had I not messed up, my Gorgeous Baby Blue would have won (I believe). But oh well... what to do. It does feel good that I have one show under my belt (it can only get better from here=)). We finished 2nd with the following comments:

“excellent head, good moving, can have better topline”

Sunday:
In the last minute the show program had changed and the Amstaff puppies were to be in another ring (than the rest of the Amstaffs) but they were not due until after all the Bedlington Terriers and all the Staffordshire Bull Terriers had been shown which meant that 56 dogs were ahead of us. This translated to a long waiting time for us, as we still came to the show early considering it is excellent training for James. Upon arrival we set up at ring 3 where the other Amstaffs were going to be shown. Our handler had 2 other dogs to show in this ring so we watched them, and both did well. Congratulations!

Since the ring had changed for us, it also meant we got a different judge than originally planned. We got a Finish judge by the name of Tuire Okkola. My God was this woman meticulous and thorough; she had the measuring tape out and took her sweet old time with every single dog. Sure, it is good she takes her time (unlike the Spanish judge yesterday who rushed through every dog in no time) but come on... I am sitting here waiting... =) Well by around 1 P.M. it was finally James’ turn to enter the ring. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our handler (Marina) did an EXCELLENT job with James. For a while he looked a bit timid as he was stacked in front of the judge's table, but Marina took her time with Jay so he could relax and she got him stacked perfectly. He looked so good, my perfect little baby! =) James came 1st (well I have to be honest, he was alone in his age group today which kind of sucked but it sure sounds good saying he won!!!) LOL. The judge really liked James but felt he was a bit too high (he measured 51 cm). Some judges are really picky with the height, but comparing James with other Amstaff puppies he’s shorter than most (he’s our little low-rider). But oh well. All judges are different and look for different things. As the judge spoke Swedish we got our critic in Swedish so first comes the comments in Swedish, with a translation in English underneath:

“Välutvecklad 8 månaders hanvalp som redan nu är över idealmåttet. Välutvecklad kropp. Huvud i bra balans med kroppen. Stora öron, fint bett. Fin blå, djupblå färg. Fina tassar. Rör sig utmärkt för åldern. Välvisad. Bra benstomme”.

And in English it sounds like this:
“Well-developed 8 month old male puppy who is already now over the ideal height. Well-developed body. Head in good balance with the body. Big ears, nice bite. Nice deep-blue color. Nice paws. Moves excellent for his age. Well Shown. Good bone-structure”.

I would like to give our handler, Marina, a big THANK YOU for being so nice and for showing James the best possible way. He looked fabulous in the ring! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

A very dear friend of mine came to the show today as well... she came to see us and to show us her little puppy. A little 4 months old Kerry Blue Terrier by the name of Vilma. She was so adorable and so tough. James liked her but considering Jay is quite rough with his play, we were careful that he would not scare her. Not that I believe he could have, as tough as that little lady was! =) It will be fun for James to play with her as she gets older. We are looking forward to that, and thank you Gabbi for coming today. Hope to see you soon again!

I have not had time to go over any pics yet, if there are any good ones from the show I will post them tomorrow. That’s it for today, folks! I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend, wherever in the world you may be. Take care... Ciao!