CH Stormy Storm and BISS CH Khanathaniel!!

OK, so a lot has happened and so very fast. Basically both my babies have championed and Khan achieved BISS!!! That stands for Best in Specialty Show. I'm so so so so excited!!!!!!! It is all slowly sinking in. YAY!!! WOO HOO!!! I'll have pictures posted soon. I hope they turned out. I wanted to use them for advertising in the GSP Journal. WOO HOO!!!

OK, Here's Khan, Raven and Me:

Here's Stormy with her 4 Point Major win, making her AKC Champion!

Khan is CHAMPION!!!

OK, so it's really been a long while again. I have some photos to upload. Khan is AKC Champion, next Stormy!

It's been so long!

Hey, sorry I haven't blogged. I've been super busy. Went camping with the pups and BLitz, took them all the Dixon, didn't win anything but had a great time meeting everyone in Cali. Extended my vacation to 2 weeks and camped along the coast and went to see Crater Lake. Very beautiful. I highly recommend going!

Khan is currently at 10 points with his first Major. He only needs 2 singles and one more Major to be an AKC Champion. Stormy will catch up and then, we hit Canada. :) After December I will try and only show during the weekends in order to have at least a week for the Florida Nationals. From the looks of things I might have to fly there.

Dixon, CA

It's been a long while but I'll tell you all about it later.

Oregon Specialty

Well, we didn't do too bad but nothing great either. Khan and Stormy both won first place in their class all three days but nothing more. They only technically beat 1 - 3 dogs in their class so nothing spectacular. :( Oh well.

Andrew and Katrina did much better. Andrew is the new champion finishing in grand style. He took home Best of Breed Sunday for this Championship, beating probably about 9 adult champions on top of all the other dogs and bitches in the show. Great job Sarah and Andrew! That's a spectacular win!!

Soon the Washington Specialty. Perhaps Khan will finish next!!

Dixon, CA

Well, my entries might not make it in time. If I enter online, I could get double charged. I can't afford that. Seems to me there are plenty of signs saying not to go. Besides, I asked a virtual online 8 ball and it kept telling me not to go, consistently. Well, if my entries make it I'll be there. If not then it's just me and my pups camping the Oregon Coast and Crater Lake. That is still a Win, Win for me. :)

***UPDATE**
My entries made it in after all. Dixon, here we come!

Another Point!

Just got back from the Shelton shows. Khan won another point. YAY! 6 Points and 1 Major. Almost halfway to champion! I really, really want and need another Major. I can't wait to win again!!

Pics from the Shelton weekend will be up soon. I'm beat. I left around 2pm and just got to the house after 5pm. I just now walked in the door and I am plum tuckered out. It was slowwww going on I-5 for a couple of hours. I wanted to take naps between the stops in traffic. Seriously, it was that bad. Glad I didnt' fall asleep. Glad to be home.

Pups are happy and fed. Nadia, my cat is purring in my arms while I type on the lap top. I think she's happy we are all home. It's a perfect time for a power nap but knowing me, it will just throw off my schedule. Ehh, oh well. I'm super tired. I'm gonna sleep and unload the car later.

Mt Vernon Wins

First day with Judge Judy A. Harrington.Finally we win something. It's been a while. I hope we keep on winning. In this show Khan was very excited. He got to see Seven and Blitz and it's been so long since he's seen them. He was just so excited. Stormy was just being a total flirt to Blitz. Just shameless, I tell ya. She was a cutie patutie pie. They all did really well and Khan took the prize for Winner's dog and also Best of Opposite to the Best of Breed. Woo hoo!

The odd thing was Destiny didn't get the breed and she was the only special. (The only CH). Winner's Bitch got the Best of Breed. That was a shock. That bitch that won doesn't even have any points yet. She could have been started late but still. Stormy has her beat with a Major and it frustrates me that she loses to that dog. I should probably look at the dog more closely. I don't even know if it's a nice dog. Must be since she keeps winning over Stormy. Ok, it's happened like 4 times but still. I can't wait to beat bitches with Stormy. I think Stormy is pretty awesome in her elegant way and she moves sooo nice.


Second day with Judge Walter Pinsker.On this day we showed by ourselves. I was nervous because I didn't have a second handler in case Stormy and Khan both went up for Best of Winners. Luckily, Randy Shepherd was there and he was nice enough to have one of his kids or assistants on hand in case I needed help. That was really awesome. He's such an nice guy. If I ever want a pro handler for any of my dogs, there's no question I would chose him. He's the nicest guy and his daughter the top junior handler and I think he has a son and they all do so well.

Someday I actually do hope I will need to have him handle one or more of my dogs, for a Major Crazy Special Show or something. :) For now, I'm really excited about doing it all on my own, learning the ropes. It sooo helps I have some of the best dogs in the country too.

So for this show, I really enjoyed the judge. I'm not sure where he is from but he had an accent and a certain flair and style. I liked him. He was fun. I'm really glad he chose Khan for Best of Winners for the point and for the picture. I think he is pretty cool.

Can you identify these puppies?

I see Stormy in the Mix. There seems to be 7 pups in this pile. I believe Khan and Seven are out of the pen, so they are not in this pic. Can you identify each pup?

Puzzle Toys Update

Angela is right. Once these guys get their mind set on something, they are pretty determined. My pups, only at 7 months, has managed to damage half of the seemingly indestructible puzzle toys I've been using, and it's only been about a week. The ones that have survived without much complaint has been the Kongs. I'll just stick with those for now and do toy destructibility testing just once in a while. :)

I've mixed peanut butter and senior kibble inside the Kongs for the pups. Hank gets his treats and puzzles with the less indestructible toys. ;)

Speaking of puzzle toys and trying to keep the pups busy, I'm having a hard time finding raw hide type chews that are made in the US at an affordable price. I mean, they are not crazy expensive but compared to the ones made outside of the country they are double to triple to higher on the price. How does that work? I mean it's made here and it's excess parts but it's more spendy???

Sarah pointed out that treats from Costco are usually from other countries so I checked and dang it, she's right. After the whole meat issue with other countries I'm now also a bit hesitant in buying treats outside of the country. I'm sure it's ok but it set me on a search and I'm really surprised US made raw hide is not as easy to find and once you do find it, they aren't cheap. Where does all that stuff go? I mean, isn't it excess? Does it really cost that much more to make money of off excess meat parts? I know US eats a large share of meats, so where are the inexpensive yet safe US raw hide chews?

There's a vendor that will be at the Sequim show that carries US made hard chew type treats. I'll have to get a few from her. Actually, the hard chews from her store are from cows that are naturally raised or something. I'll have to get details. I don't think it was organic or anything but there was something good about it. I really enjoy her store too. She has the most toys and lots of interesting ones. Nice leads too. Wish I wasn't so broke. :/

To Dixon or Not To Dixon...

That is the question. It's spendy, a little risky, scary.. well, also exciting and new and a challenge. I wouldn't say the competition is completely easy. I mean, you just never really know what the outcome will be. Hmm... but I still think I should go for it. I mean, the more I show the pups the more chances they have to take points home. It will also help me gain more confidence for upcoming shows whether we win in Dixon or not. I think they might even have a best in show puppy competition that weekend too.

This show will most likely be a Major. They both need to win another Major in order to be titled champions. I know there are plenty of major shows coming up but I only have until November 17th for them to make champion in order to qualify for Eukanuba next year. Hmm... well, let's see.. there's the Portland shows, the Enumclaw shows, and there's a set in Idaho in October that I have to rearrange my schedule for but then that's it for all the chances to win a major. Argh...I thought they also had Ridgefield but that's on Dec 5th, way after their 1st birthday. That show will be too late to qualify them for Eukanuba. AHHH!!! That means I really should go. I need all the chances I can get and I believe my pups really have a good chance to take the points! God, I hope my car does ok for this long trip.

First we do the Sequim show and visit Lake Crescent in the Olympic Peninsula. After that weekend we head down to the Oregon Coast Monday and spend a couple of nights camping in Cape Lookout State Park. We have the option to stay till Friday or head down to Crater Lake and camp there a night or two. Then, Friday we head for Dixon. I'd like to stay in a hotel Friday, Saturday and Sunday then travel back Monday. It's a 12 hour drive so it's probably best to have the whole day traveling. Sounds like a nice trip, now to find the funds for it. YAY! TO DIXON!

Jackson 5

Micheal is just absolutely amazing. That man was really always something special. He's awesome.
Jackson 5

Some old Khan flicks

These are some of my favorite vids of Khan:
Khan and the Turkey


Hank and Khan playing tug of war.


Hank and Khan


Hank and Khan with rawhide

July 4th 2009

On-call for work so I'm at home. I swear this is the second year in a row I'm doing on-call on 4th of July. I'm not doing this again next year. I'm actually also on the phone with Don too. Ha ha, he's in Madison, Wisconsin.

It's pretty loud and fun to hear people celebrating outside. All the pets are doing good. The pups aren't freaked out at all. I'm glad about that.

I made pork adobo and cooked up some Quinoa instead of rice. I'm trying to be healthy. :) I actually really like quinoa. It's like having nuttier brown rice. I cooked it in chicken broth so it's extra good.

I'm starting to water the back yard heavily since it's been super dry and hot lately. I filmed Stormy playing in the sprinkler. She's so cute. I had to supervise though so that she wouldn't get carried away and chew the system. The yard looks terrible because it's been so hot and dry but come fall I'd really like to get it green again. I really want to work on it. I think it would be fun so long as it wasn't too expensive. I don't own the house or anything. :)

Here is Stormy playing with the sprinkler. Yes, she's super cute. Also, look how really nice she is when she moves. She has an awesome smooth gait and that steady top line, excellent front. She is really something. I want the judges to see how really great she is. Watch her at play.
Stormy and the Sprinkler

I want to WIN!

I think my dogs really have what it takes to champion by 12 months. I think I have the right amount of determination to do it too, even though I'm such a novice in the ring. We all are, me the pups.. but I really, really, really want to do it. I at least want to try. I'm not rich, I just really want to do it.

I've been trying to study the different judges but it's not like it would stop me from showing. I have to get the confidence anyway and loosing really teaches you something. I try to visualize each step of the way in order to calm my nerves. Arriving early at the shows and running through the routine with the pups has really helped calm me down. Actually, being able to set up with two high energy pups has given me a real boost in confidence.

Shelton is the next show. I reserved camping so that I could be with-in 15 miles of the show ring instead of driving 110 miles from my house each way. At first it was going to be fine, 2 dogs, hair in a bun. Well, I cut my hair and now require a blow dryer and straightener. Hmm.. what am I to do? Also, my housemate is out of town so I have to bring Hank. Hmm.. why does the universe hate me so much?

Well, at least I can get Hank his microchip. They have a vet that can microchip dogs. If I can bring all of my dogs, set them up and do well, or at least get through the show, I will gain a lot of confidence. I think this might be a good thing. It also helps me prepare for California shows since I'm seriously considering camping for them. I even researched the weather from last year to visualize my time there.

What do I do about my hair? Hmm... I should try putting it in curlers and see if that looks cute in a pony. Bleah, I don't want to do a pony tail. I want to look like my hair is nice and prepared.

God I love puzzle toys..

I love watching the pups keep busy with puzzle toys and stuffed chew toys. I'm going to have to get good at that keeping them filled with interesting stuff. I just really hate seeing them bored.

I got 3 of those busy buddies and added the extra enticement of freeze dried liver with the kibble. I also found a small Orbie and a Kong and stuffed them with creamy peanut butter. I read about coating the inside walls with a little honey too, in order to make the kibble stick. I'll have to switch it up and find recipies to keep things interesting for me and the pups. I want keep them busy while I'm gone all day.

It's in the dogs' natural instinct to search and work for food so this new program is something I'm going to really keep up. Instead of just feeding them, I'll make them work to find their food. I'll have to monitor their food intake. This will keep them and me busy!

Puzzle Toy Fun!



Some helpful online articles:
Making the most of Chew Toys.
Kong Stuffing 101

Dixon, CA

I am gearing up to go. Remember the Canby show? Stormy got Reserve Winner's Bitch with the judge that Saturday and he so happens to be judging the Saturday show in Dixon, CA. Now, that makes it my biggest drive to go. I had the inkling to go for a while for the experience. You know, I mean, if I can head down and show my pups in as far as California then I feel like I can show anywhere. We may or may not win but the experience will make me feel confident. That's almost 1000 miles away from my house!

Anyway, I was eying Dixon because I happen to be on vacation that week and have camping reservation on the Oregon Coast. I'm already a third of the way down. For my vacation I was considering going to Crater lake which, if I do, will make me halfway to Dixon. I mean, c'mon, I really should do it. I think the stars are aligning here. :) Ha ha ha.. well, ok, I wanted to go anyway. I should just do it.

I could technically pack all the dogs, 3 crates, my folding bike, the cart, camping gear including my cot, show clothes, shoes, cleaning supplies, towels, blankets, dog bed.... all in my LEXUS 1995 SC400, SMYLEXS: It'(s-my-Lexus) Ha ha, that's her vanity plate. She is freakin' awesome.

But, eventhough I could technically pack all the dogs, I don't think I should. Hank is much older now and this trip is probably be way too cramp for him. :( I don't want to put him through that. The pups will do fine. They are like play dough. Hank will do much better at home. Don, my housemate, says he will watch him for me and he does a nice job with Hank. Hank is the easy one of the bunch.

YAY! Dixon.. here we come!! I want Stormy to win that MAJOR!! RWAAARRRR!!!! ;)

Stormy Storm

Woo Hoo!!! She hasn't had an accident in her new large kennel since I placed her blanked in it. :) YAY. Soon, once I wash the bedding, she will have a thick fluffy Costco bed like her brothers and maybe I'll just keep her blanket in there too. :) She's my Stormy Storm..... it's a Stormy Storm... it's a Stormy Stormy Storm.. my Stormy Storm..(I'm singing her song).

The little bitch

ARGH... the little bitch is driving me batty. She tore into her bed today. That very same one in the picture below. Now I'm not sure if she can have a bed. I don't understand it. She's never done that when I left her with Khan in Khan's kennel. That is so frustrating. I try to be nice and get her a ginormous kennel with a nice bed and she ends up tearing into it. So annoying. If she does that again she will not get anymore beds.

Then, we go to the store for like an hour and I left them all with puzzle toys. Well, she decided to pee in the kennel. They have been outside for hours before I put them back in. Man, she's really not doing well in the larger kennel. I'll give her time. It's just so frustrating right now.

OK, so I returned the blanket I was using as a bed in her smaller crate. Maybe small changes. Maybe she needs time to get used to the larger crate. When things settle then I'll let her sleep in a dog bed. For now, we will just use her blanket. I hope she relaxes.

Stormy's Bedroom

Aww!! Look at her having fun in her kennel! Finally she has a place as large as Khan's. She deserves it, she's my pretty princess. I have to get more of those puzzle toys too. They all really enjoy playing with that thing.

Khan loves his XXL Kennel. :)

There they are, eating side by side in their ginormous Kennels. I love those things.

Hank says hi. He doesn't get a Kennel. I can trust him. ;)

Best of Winners and Best Opposite!

YAY!! Another point!! Khan is doing really well! He now has 5 points with a Major!! WOO HOOO!!!! I was wearing the same suit that I wore when we won his Major a month ago. I will have to stick with suits like those. They have been my winning suits!!

Stormy got first in puppy but she was the only pup. She didn't take Winner's bitch and not even Reserve. :/ I still think she's awesome.

Best of Opposite to Best of Breed

Yay! Khan won a point today! Now he has 4 points with one Major. First he won over Seven then won Winner's Dog over Blitz. They were the only males that showed. ;) Then, for the Best of Winners, the Winner's Bitch won the Breed so Khan got Best of Opposite to Best of Breed. :) The Winner's Bitch won over Destiny, a Champion that is being campaigned. That was a surprise. I can't wait to get the photo with the judge!! I had my peach suit on today. That's the second time I've won with my peach suit. :)

Oregon Specialty entries sent!

My entries for the Oregon Specialty and Portland shows are sent!

Hmm.. can you tell I hardly ever send mail with all the stamps on these letters? I'm trying to use the old ones up first. I ended up buying so many because I always forget where the stamps are and now I have a regular use for them, ENTRIES! I've gathered up the ones I could find and I'm starting to use the older ones first. :) I think it looks sorta neat.

Fun at Sarah's

OK, Here's how to read the ribbons on the picture above. They are placed in the order it was received. First day in Canby, Friday, Stormy and I did the sweepstakes show and won 4th place in the puppy bitch class. We won $8 (paid $5 entry fee).

The next day Khan got 3rd to Hugo and Seven, both his brothers. Hugo being first place then ultimately won Winners Dog then, I believe, also taking Best of Winners for his 4 point Major. Hugo was the ninth born, #1 rated puppy of the litter. So, anyway, Khan got third place that day. Stormy won first place, beating a very scared puppy bitch in her class. I forget who won Winner's bitch but Stormy took Reserve. I'm happy about the reserves for now. They are a good sign for better things to come. :)

The next day they didn't do so well. Khan took second to Hugo and Stormy won first over the scared bitch but didn't even make it for reserve. I believe the judge didn't care too much about puppies in general. That's ok, we had a really great time and maybe the next time we see the judge, me and my pups will be a better team!


Wee Hee!! They look like bunnies!

The pups love Sarah's place.

Stormy's cute butt.

Umm...I think Hank is having way too much fun with Andrew back there.

Pics from the Hunt Test

Aww... Check out all my pups on the chain gang. SO cute. They almost look like hunting dogs. :) And there's my lovely car.

Khan is shackled. I think he's taking it well.

He's so handsome.

Gad dang, he's beautiful.

My Stormy Storm.

Nice pair of dogs.

Hank is just soaking it all in.

My old man.

Everyone ready for bed time.

I think she's sneezing in my tent!

Next morning arrives early. This is the pretty hay field used for the Hunt Test. If you look close there are horses in the far right.


Food. Oh I was so hungry. I was soooo happy they had coffee and it was pretty good too. I had a lot of cups of coffee.

and more food.

Yummy strawberries and muffins.

So much food.

We celebrated this horse's 27th birthday. He looked really great for 27, I think.


I had a really great time at the Hunt Test. I got volunteered to help out so I met a lot of people. I really want to get into the hunting side of the dogs. I think they will do great. I'm not expecting spectacular phenomenal or anything.. just decent, really great. We are going to have a great time learning!

All nails cut!

Ugh.. finally I got everyone's nails cut. I meant to do it before last weekend's show but never got to it. I'm glad it's done because it was really bugging me. Stormy did really well this time around. She was relaxed and hardly complained. Khan did well too. Hank, not so well but not bad. He was the worse one but he wasn't too bad. We was just not relaxed like the pups were. Poor Hanky. I'm not sure why he tenses up so much. I've cut him one time and that was 4 years ago when I didn't know what I was doing too well. Geeze Hank, let it go.

They are doing really nicely. I tried to practice free stacks. Stormy actually does better with a toy than treats. She's more picky and timid. Khan is the opposite. He's all over it no matter what you have. He still hunches over on free stacks but oh well. I'm not really sure how to teach them how to free stack but I'll just keep doing what I do and get advise from everyone around me that shows their dogs.

I really need to get pics up here and out of my camera. Hold on.. I'll upload some.

My Sweet Dogs

You will never believe it but I have a witness to it! I had just bought a new bag of puppy food and had placed it in the food bin. Well, I forgot to close the lid and it was full to the rim. I forgot about it and let the dogs in. The pups kept running into the room and would take a while to come back when called. Finally I walked over there and saw Khan sitting next to the food bin hoping I would say it was ok to eat. Neither one touched the food!! I was completely amazed.

I'm sure it is due to the way I feed them. They always have to wait until I say it's ok to start eating. Sometimes I even have them stay in one corner of the room and wait for me to call each dog one at a time. They have to listen to their name and know who I'm calling. Once called they have to sit with the food in front of them, wait for all the other dogs to arrive and sit with food in front of them.

Once I see the drooling I say different words to see if they are really listening. They are only supposed to start eating when I say the word "ok". It's a game we play but I think it teaches listening skills and respect for me and the food I own. The training obviously worked as the food bin full of food was not touched by the pups. :)

More Show Pics

WOO HOO!! Stormy and I won her major! This was in Idaho, my 5th time showing. I was so happy!! Stormy beat all the girls and the best boy (her own brother). It was awesome too. The judge had us in the middle of the ring while the specialty dogs (Champions) compete for Best in Breed. That was a sweet view to watch all of the dogs together, showing off their movement.


For being best puppy that day, she competed against the top puppies in the Sporting breed and got third place! Sarah showed her and there I am changed into something more comfy. Great pic! She is my perfect little bitch.

This is a closer look to the ribbon above. They had a special competition for the top puppies and Sarah, the breeder, showed her to get this win. They did a great job together!

Show Pics and Pedigree

His parents and grandparents and on are all Champions. In fact, his grand-dam on his dad's side is in the GSP Hall of fame. I think his great grand-dam is also in the GSP hall of fame. Stormy has the same pedigree of course but I'll still order a copy of her papers. :) I would put up his papers here but I just read the advise to not do that due to some puppy mills stealing his info. ARGH! PUPPY MILLS ARE SOOO EVIL!

Stormy in her first ever show and she won reserve over adult females. :) This picture was the second time I did a show. Stormy got Reserve Winner's dog and I think that's pretty cool. She beat an adult that had a major. :) YAY!

I was sooo tired. I was oncall and worked overnight. I did not have any sleep. I'm glad Raven drove that day. I actually fell asleep on the way back. That's the first time I've slept in a moving vehicle. I was that tired.

A couple of weeks later we went to Spokane and Khan got his first Reserve win! This was my third time showing dogs. The judge was super nice and loved puppies. I really like her. She was even wearing my color. I was still a bit frantic in the show ring. There's video of this show in this blog if you look in the month of.. I think may 2009. More often than not, Khan gets reserve winner's dog. That means a lot of judges really like him.



And here we are again, with a MAJOR! This was my 6th time in the show ring. I put all the things I've learned in that whole showing weekend. Khan did so well. We were a great team. I was so happy for his win. The judge asked if I was ok and to keep breathing. :) It was pretty exciting to get a major for my pup. :) I had just gotten a major with Stormy the day before. :)

BISS CH West Star Cherokee Maiden Magpie

Magnificent Maggie Magpie
This is Khan and Stormy's mom. She is a really wonderful dog and will always be remembered as such. She had a great send off today and we are all glad she left peacefully and happy.

Bike Ride from the house.

Biking straight from the house is not the greatest but I suppose somewhat convenient. There is a bike shoulder but it's still so dangerously close to cars on the road. I really like the Burke Gilman but I have to drive to it which makes it not very appealing or convenient for everyday use. Pack the dogs, drive there, unfold the bike, ride, fold the bike, drive back. The driving to and from makes it lame but the ride itself is super nice.

I guess one thing that could make it worth the drive is swimming. I need to expose the pups to swimming anyway. A ride from the most northern point of the lake, on the trail, to the kayaking center at Sand Point is about 6 miles, one way. The reward would be swimming at the Seattle Raft and Kayak location with the pups. I think that would be pretty awesome.

I would just have to put on the packs for the bike to carry water and a towel, maybe even a change of clothes. It could work really well for the summer. :) I should give it a try. We don't go fast. It's really an easy jaunt for the pups. I'm sure they will be fine and it would build muscle, stamina and balance. I will start us off at 2-3 miles each way with a swimming session in the middle to make it even more fun.

:( Poor Hank has to stay home so much. If only I could haul him in a cart. I can't fit the cart in my car. :( I'll just have to keep walking him.. it will be our one on one time. :) The pups can rest and we can have a nice evening walk. :)

The pups and I rode from the house to the park and back. I'll google it and see how many miles. OK, 1.3 miles one way so 2.6 total and actually, we did a little loop-ty-loop around a couple of culdesacs so I'm gonna call it 3 miles. Not bad and they're still wrestling on the deck. I think they can do many more miles with the bike.

Puyallup Show 2009, Sunday

Same results. Khan got Reserve Winner's Dog. He definitely has something to offer. :) Stormy did even better today! But still didn't even get reserve winner's bitch. Ehh.. I think a bike work out and a good soak in Epsom Salt will really help all of us. I'll have to work out the pups and myself! :) I really can't wait to win something again. I'm hoping for another set of majors in 2 weeks at the Canby show!!!!

Hey, I started checking out shows in ID, and Cali and after looking at breed counts from the previous year, I'm actually considering a Dixon, California show for August 1st and 2nd. I would need 4 nights of hotel stay to travel about 6 hours a day. Motel 6 is only about $55 a night. That's how I like to roll. Something to think about. :)

I liked the ring we were in today. It was a lot bigger, more room to show off the pups' movement. I thought both pups did really excellent today. A lady that was watching the show even stopped us to say that she really thought both puppies were going to be chosen for Winners. I thanked her and I agreed. I think they are spectacular specimens of the breed and will CH soon. After championing we will shoot for the highest ranking in the country.

Merckx's family should have video up soon of the Sunday show. Wee Hee! Can't wait to see everyone in the vids! Everyone is excited to see Merckx!

Puyallup Show 2009, Saturday.

This show was my first time going at it alone. Well, not totally. Sarah's sister, Rosie was there. You know, she's the reason I even got the courage to approach Sarah about getting a pup. I was dead set that they were all spoken for. And now look at me.. I'm showing two puppies! Merckx was also there with Cynthia. Merckx is puppy number 5. Funny, that was actually his number today. :)

You'll never guess what I did. I got to the show, parked the car then realized I left my suits at home. I was ready to cry. Luckily I was there an hour and a half early and my housemate was kind enough to run them down. He was planning on going to the show but thought it was an early show. He didn't realize our show was 12:45 today. :) YAY, so I was saved. It's about an hour drive from Bothell to Puyallup. Thank God. I was seriously ready to cry on the phone, begging.

Argh, but no wins again. :/ Ehh, at least Khan got Reserve Winner's Dog. That's still something in my book. Just enough to keep me from feeling totally bummed. I don't get it though. I thought Stormy did really well today too as far as behavior in the ring goes. She didn't break gait.. well just once, maybe twice. :) And to be fair I wasn't the best handler for her either. I should have had her stacked way, way faster. I just get so flustered. I swear I will do much better tomorrow.

Oh well. There's no getting better without getting my self out there showing so keep going we must and keep getting better we all will. I hope we win something again soon. I'm excited for Canby, OR. It's 4 point major Saturday and 3 point major Sunday. I really have to get my game on. You just never know how it will go. Perhaps they will win again like in Idaho. God, I hope so.

I know judges think both Stormy and Khan are really nice in the ring. They both get reserve winners a lot. Khan is getting them more lately than Stormy. It used to be the other way around. For a beginner like me, reserve means something. I'm sure it is hard for most judges to place pups as winners. I hope someday they constantly take breed like Gunnar and Destiny.

For now, we celebrate the day with excellent dessert wine and key lime cheesecake courtesy of Costco. Mmmm.... this is truly how it's done.
I guess something good did come out of Yakima.. great wine!

Here are some vids from today's show:
Puyallup Show 2009
Khan and I come in about middle of the vid for Winner's Dog. We got Reserve Winner's Dog instead. Not too shabby.

Puyallup Show 2009
Next is Stormy in the Puppy 6-9 Months class. First Place! HA ha ha she was the only one there. :)

Puyallup Show 2009
Here she is again to try for Winner's Bitch. :( We didn't even get Reserve. I will strive to do even better!

Here they are lounging around at the house. I think Stormy is really feeling at home. She's Super GSP Girl!! So super cute.

1/W/BW/BPY/G3

It's official! The Little Bitch is mine!

1 = 1st place. Puppy class
W = Winner's Bitch. Winner of all Bitches in every class
BW = Best of Winners. Winner between Winner's Dog and Winner Bitch.
BPY = Best Puppy. In German Shorthair Pointer breed
G3 = Group 3. Meaning 3rd placement in Groups (Sporting Group) against other top puppies with in the different sporting breeds.

That win in Idaho gave her a 3 point major. :) Sarah handled her for puppy groups and got her 3rd place. :)

1/W/BW/BPY/G3 WEST STAR'S PERFECT STORM. SR537178/04. 11/17/2008. BREEDER: Sarah Kreilich. By Ch Minado's Oxton Greif's Encore-Ch West Star's Cherokee Maiden Magpie. OWNER: Sarah Kreilich & Zarah McIntosh.

WOO HOO!

He he, little bitch is the nickname Sarah gave her since she was born. :) She's my perfect little bitch. I'm taking her as far as I can, as well as Khan. I love my pups! I know I can't win them all, especially when their siblings are in the ring but I will do my best, every time.

Sarah will definitely still be a HUGE part of Stormy's life. She will basically be in charge of Stormy's breeding future. There are only 4, at the most, chances for Stormy to breed with the right Sire and produce phenomenal pups. Sarah's experience and knowledge is invaluable, priceless. She will make the best choice for Stormy's litters and we hope to produce more top GSPs.

Khan did well too on the following day, winning Winner's Dog, beating 7 other males for his first major! I was ecstatic. Both my pups have their first major and I handled them for it! They are truly awesome examples of this breed. I couldn't have won without that to begin with. This is a really great litter with awesome pups. I have two of the best. Actually, Sarah's first suggestion was #2, Andrew. He now has 7 points with his first major after only being shown that weekend in Spokane and Idaho. Andrew was the curious one but when I came down to meet and finally take a pup home, Khan blew me away with his impressive size. He was a TANK. I absolutely loved him.

I remember trying to choose just the right pup that would be the best in shows. The hours I poured over angles and ratios, trying at the same time to learn everything. I kept my mind open to Sarah's suggestions and advise for choosing the best pup. She has over two decades of breeding experience and her pups win in the ring every time I've come to watch a show. I would be a fool to challenge or question her knowledge and gut instinct.

There's never a guarantee in knowing how they will ultimately turn out as well as what the judges will like. That's why a big part of choosing is knowing that the pup you take home is home with you forever. It shouldn't just strictly be a show choice, the pup will be a family member choice too. Choose the pup you will love forever. Khan was definitely my pup. He was absolutely impressive and his personality is just awesome. Stormy I got attached to later. She's my little princess, a real cutie patutie. She is the perfect addition to my pack. With the both of them, they keep my Hankaroo, my Hankapoodle-doo quite busy. I HAVE THE BEST DOGS!

Thank you, Mankind, for wine!

http://www.sleepingdogwines.com/about.html

Oh thank the Gods for wine! I couldn't find a clean wine or regular glass so I figured it's just as good in a tiny french press carafe. I would like to apologize now for this blasphemous act but stress that I really needed some wine today. I thank all the Gods for bringing the humans wine.

We went wine tasting in Yakima and visited Sleeping Dog winemaker, Larry Oates. Super nice guy and really nice wines. After coming home (you will see in the previous blog) today, I'm glad to have a glass of good wine (maybe more than one glass). He only has 9 cases left of this particular one as production is limited to 72 cases. I'm tempted to buy a case but our hotel bill really scared me off. I might still find the funds, maybe. Right now I'm having a hard time justifying the hotel stay dog shows. I'm gonna give camping a shot :). Oh, dear wine, take this stress away.

Crap, no wins..

OK, so Yakima didn't go as well for us. That's how it is in showing. It all just depends on what the judge is looking for. You just never know who's going to make the win. First day the judge was really liking how Blitz looked and the next day the judge really liked Seven the best. Just hard to say which way it's all going to go that's why it's best to show as much and as well as possible for all shows to get the most wins.



The other bad thing is that the pups can get stressed or catch something. I don't think I want to do Yakima next year unless everyone is coming together for a major (doubtful, Yakima is a sucky place for dog owners and dogs!) It's just too hot for the dogs and totally not dog friendly.

Happy dogs:



I'm glad they are so happy again!