"Welcome to The Big Show"

Another "Proud Mom" moment today. Hawk won Best of Breed at the Eukanuba National Championship dog show in Long Beach, California. Sherri Hurst handles Hawk, and she shows him so well. Thanks to Susan Line for getting Hawk started in the breed ring while Sherri finished showing her Cattle Dog! Hawk loves Miss Susan.

Tonight, we went to cheer for Hawk in the group competition. These photos are about as good as I was gonna get from the stands in the dark arena. But here are a few shots from Hawk's debut in the Herding Group at the Eukanuba National Championship. The group competition will air on Animal Planet sometime in January.

If you squint, the photos may not seem so blurry. ;-)
First, Hawk had Miss Sherri and Miss Lauren do the final touches getting his coat just right.

Then the show was on...

And tonight, the big super star is totally sacked out on MY pillow at the hotel, snoring. He's so sophisticated!

The Big Yellow Envelope

I finally made it home, and my neighbor brought me all my mail. I haven't even sorted through it all yet, but I did find a big yellow envelope in the stack. It's another first for Hawk. Last year, it was his first invite to Eukanuba. I remember how exciting that was and even getting the invite this year for Eukanuba was a thrill. And this year, currently ranked as the #1 Swedish Vallhund, Hawk earned his first invitation to Westminster. While I did show him some this year, and together we earned about 1/8th of his total breed points, I have to give credit where credit is due.

First, Hawk is a handsome dude (not that I'm biased), and of course his outstanding breed type, balanced structure, his exuberance, and his showy attitude have taken him a long way this year. However, this has been a very hectic year for me with my job, and there was no way I could travel to dog shows the way I did last year. So, for small blocks of time throughout this year, Sherri Hurst has been Hawk's handler, groomer, and best friend. She has been a very good sport about having Hawk sporadically, and every time she takes him in the ring, she is dedicated to my dog. Hawk adores Sherri, and I know that he's very happy when he is with her. I can tell, because when I have the chance to catch up with my dog at a show, he is happy to see me, but he is definitely more interested in Sherri. I try to tell myself it's because she's got a pocket full of liver. Ha! I know that Hawk would never be so devoted and loyal to Sherri if he did not love being with her. He is buddies with all of her dogs, and Lauren tells me that Hawk thinks *all* the other dogs at Sherri's are *HIS* dogs. :-) That doesn't surprise me a bit and I'm pretty sure that Pearl the Pembroke is sweet on Hawk.

So, thank you to Sherri, Lauren (Hawk might love Lauren even a bit more than he loves Sherri), Susan (who showed him perfectly in the Herding Group several times), and David (for putting up with the little yapper and showing him to one of his group placements) for your team effort in showing Hawk for part of 2008. And to our friend Don, who showed Hawk to his very first group placement in January, and who has shown Hawk on several occasions right from the start, we are also grateful. Whether or not Hawk gets to go to Westminster in February, I'm proud to say the "Tailed Vallhund" is mine.

Count Frankula

If you're a dog, and you live at my house, well, there's just no escaping it....

Frankie's First Howl-O-Ween.

He is a good sport for a not-quite four month old puppy.

It's Too Bad

It's too bad Grandma doesn't allow dogs on the furniture...

Hawk on Animal Planet- Dog Championship

I woke up this morning and had several emails about the Animal Planet Dog Championship series on TV last night. Yes, that was Hawk, and it was the July show in Houston, the Reliant Cluster.

I don't have cable, so I haven't even seen it yet, but I did check with Animal Planet's schedule, and the Houston show will be aired again Oct. 9 at 7pm EST, and again at 11pm EST. Then on Oct. 11, the show will air again at 2pm EST.

A True Temperament Test

Frankie says, "Hey dad, watcha doin?"

Hawk says, "Uh, why are you looking at my food like that? You already had your supper."

"Hey, little dude. This is MY chicken."

"You know I'm bigger than you, and I can hold onto this chicken longer than you can."

"I have to hide to eat my own food! Darn puppies!"

Hawk and Frankie met the day before, and this was the first time they were together around food. With a raw chicken back at stake, Hawk never even bristled when the pup came over and started investigating the chicken back. When Frankie reached up and grabbed the food in his father's mouth, Hawk just held on, never growling or reacting in the slightest. Once the puppy let go, Hawk just ran over and hid behind a palm tree to eat his chicken! What a good boy, and what a real example of a sound temperament.

The RUFF Life in Florida

Hi from Florida! Dis here's Hawk. My mom sorta took over my blog, and I'm takin' it back, at least for today!

Life here in Florida is pretty ruff. You can see in the pikture (dat's me on the right!) wiff da Resident Dogs that we have no fun in this back yard. There are only a few thousand lizards to hunt in the bushes, and we only have about 10 squirrels to chase around the yard at any time of day. sigh. Oh, the pool? You see the pool? Well, those stoopit Sporting Dogs, they just get right in that water. Are they crazy??? I almost drownded the other day when my mom MADE me get in that pool. That's enough for me, no way, no how. NOT going in that pool. So, these other dogs in the pikture, that's Sally on the left. She's a Weimaraner. I like her, cuz she's like the other gray dogs I know. I wag and follow her around, but she won't look at me in the eye. I think she's scared of me, becuz mom sez Sally had a bad life before she got 'dopted. And the fuzzy white dog? That's Candy, and she's pretty cool. She races out of the house to chase something, and I just run to follow. I don't really know what we are chasing, but it's fun to tag along.

Candy isn't really good at sharing, though. I don't normally play wiff toys, but my Gramma showed me a big dog toy, and I tried to pway wiff it. Candy stoled it, and took it away. But I'm not a fighter, so I just looked at her and watched her take away my toy. She took it and put ALL her toys on her bed so I couldn't play wiff them.

So today, we had another BIG adventure. Did you know they have dog shows in Florida??? Well, they do. We went to Dee-Land today to set up for the dog show. I got to see Miss Susan (Susan Line) cuz she was all the way in Florida for her Weimaraner specialty. I luv Miss Susan, she showed me in the group when Miss Sherri took Powell the Cardigan in. She's really nice and she luvs me too!

The best thing of all today is that I got to see Miss Cheryl and Bitsy, and... MY BABY! Frankie is so cute, and we played and pounced, and I can't wait to play with him some more! Here's a couple of piktures of him. Isn't he cute???

Pool Safety-"I'm a Sinker, Not a Swimmer!"

OK, so we have now established the fact that Hawk will *not* be aspiring to become an Olympic swimmer. Mom and dad have a big back yard, lots of grass and plenty of lizard-hunting opportunities in the azaleas and other natural areas. They also have a pool.

Hawk has a real aversion to water. He won't walk out in the wet grass, he hates to swim, although he's gotten better about tolerating all the bathing that comes with being a show dog. When we went to Eukanuba last year, Lori took Hawk out into the ocean at the Long Beach dog beach, and Hawk was not nearly as amused as I was!

So, because Hawk and the residents Candy and Sally (both rescues, a Brittany and Weim) love to race around the yard and run like banshees, I wanted to be sure Hawk could find his way to the steps of the pool if he were to fall in. He would never get in on purpose, but you never know. I put Hawk in at the steps, and he did OK on the second step, climbing up to the first step and then out of the pool. Then I put him in at the side of the pool, about 6 feet from the steps. I set him in the pool in the "dog paddle" position, topline level with the surface of the water. He swam like a good dog, right over to the steps.

The third attempt, since he was soaking wet and I didn't want to be soaking wet, I carried him with my hands under his front legs, and set him in the water back feet first, then front feet. He started paddling before I let go of him, and then, well, then he sank... EEEK. Yes, he sank, straight down, like his tushy was full of lead. For a split second, I figured he'd level out and swim, and almost in slow motion, his little head just disappeared even as I was reaching to grab him. Poor little guy! I didn't want to pull him out of the pool until he realized he could swim to the steps, so I just reached under and helped his back end get up to the level of his front end. Then he swam right to the steps without any issues.

And after that, he stayed far, far away from me in the back yard! I think he's forgiven me, and I guess if nothing else, he will be even more aware of the pool. I don't leave him out unattended, but you just never know. I know I've heard stories about kids and dogs that drown even while people are standing nearby.

I think Hawk has enjoyed the lizard-hunting, and I know he thinks it is great fun to zoom around with the resident Brittany. Candy has energy to burn, and Hawk just feeds off of that kind of stuff. Tonight, we get to go for a walk around the neighborhood. :-)

Half Way There...

Oh-Oh, Livin' On a Prayer... oops, sorry, high school flashback to Bon Jovi there.

Well, we're in Memphis, y'all. Hawk and I left Kansas City bound for Orlando this afternoon. I made my reservations for the end of September, since the weather would be cooler. Uh, Kansas City is having record highs, and I watched the forecast for 83 degrees. eeek. Two more degrees and Hawk would likely NOT be flying. Even at 83, it is a concern. But thankfully, Don and Jacque have about everything anyone could think of to make travel with dogs easier. So, this morning I unloaded 5 of my dogs at their house in exchange for an Ice Bed.

Man, that thing is handy. 8 pounds of ice, waterproof material. The QuikTrip let me fill the ice bed from the fountain ice dispenser rather than try to pour a bag of ice into a floppy ice bed. Squeeze the air out, put on the cap, and wrap in a towel. I would venture a guess that Hawk is much cooler than I am at this point!

I want to also say that I'm very happy with NorthWest and the way they have handled Hawk so far. Our first plane was Pinnacle, a Northwest Airlink. I got on board, and asked the attendant if the dog was on board. She says, "Oh, are you Hawk's mom?" OK, since she knew his name, I guess he made it. She wanted to know all about him, and I always cringe when people ask what kind of dog he is. Uh, he's a Swedish Vallhund. Try explaining that in the 2 seconds as you move along down the narrow aisle of an airplane!

So, I arrive in Memphis, and I see the NWA Priority Pet Van picking him up. I got to the next gate, and VOILA! He's in the van, waiting to get on the next plane. Glad to see the little Doodle.

On to Orlando!

Just SIX Days Left...

...until I get to squeeze this little cutie in person! And after I received these pictures by email today, it's going to be a LONNNNGGGGG six days. It's such a shame that Cheryl makes that puppy work so hard, isn't it??

Perhaps a future in modeling?

What a ham! Baby Frankie, 8 weeks old, with the casual over-the-shoulder glance. ha. Cheryl was kind enough to send me new photos, since I'm anxious to see the little man. And thanks to Marie for taking some *really* cute shots like this one!





We are gearing up for our trip to Florida at the end of September. Hawk is going with me, and I'm hopeful to catch some sort of Family Portrait of Hawk, Bitsy, and their Boy. I know, good luck with that!!





Hawk would rather be about anywhere else right now, it's damp, raining constantly, and he is pretty sure he is going to melt. I think having spent his first 10 months in New Mexico, he does not have the appreciation for wet grass that my other dogs have. They love to charge through the grass, spraying water everywhere. Hawk, well, let's just say that my scooping duties include the concrete patio when it's raining in Missouri! Frankie apparently inherited his love for water from his mom Bitsy. He did NOT get it from Hawk, that's for sure. Cheryl says that Franklin goes to the water bowl, walks in with all four feet, and then sits. What a nut!

Baby Frankie, 6 weeks old

Look at baby Frankie! He really is starting to look like a "real, live Vallhund" now. :-) What a cutie. His face markings are starting to show, and he has such a handsome face. I'm sure I'm biased, but I think he's pretty cute. Just another few weeks before I get to see him in person. If I weren't sick, I'd be seeing him today, but unfortunately, I'm too sick to make the scheduled trip to North Carolina for the dog show, so I have to stay at home and wait until my September trip to Florida to be able to see the little man.

Hawk's Group 4 photo, San Antonio

The photo finally arrived. It's strange to look and see him such a light color, it's amazing how much darker he is when he's in full coat!

And here's a fun newspaper clipping that Michelle sent me from the San Antonio paper the weekend of the River City Cluster shows. Thanks Michelle!

Hawkadoodle's Homecoming

My Hawkadoodle is home! It was a long six weeks without a Vallhund in the house. I know he had a great time with Sherri, and I entered him one day in Topeka so I could finally be an observer, and watch my dog show with his new best friend. Hawk went Best of Breed over another Vallhund that day, and I showed him in the Group.

I have to admit that when I finally approached my dog, he first sniffed casually at my legs (I had not said anything), then looked around to see where they were going next. Then he quickly snapped his nose back and gave my legs and feet another good sniff for about a second before he realized it was his momma. After that, he was happy to see me, tail wagging, front paws up on my leg. It was so good to see him and give him a big hug. :-)

Unfortunately, I only got Hawk back on Thursday and Sunday afternoon I had to fly to Montana for a week of work, so Doodle and the rest of the gang are visiting Jacque for the week. Poor dog, he's just back to sleeping in his own bed, and I send him off again!

This weekend I'll get to show Hawk a couple of days to support our local dog show in Kansas City, and I'm sure we'll have fun. Some time off will be nice for everyone!

No Longer The Dog With No Name

Finally! The baby puppy has a name. :-) He's "Frankie" now, because it took a lot of "Franklins" to get him into the world safe and sound...

He had his first outside adventure last week, and Cheryl captured him one ear up, one down. Such a cutie, I can't wait to meet him in person.

He's a Real Dog Now

The little man at three weeks old. He's looking more like a real dog, and less like a speed bump! It's amazing how fast he is growing, when I don't see him every day, and rely on photos every now and then to see the little bugger.

The good news is that I've already got my plane ticket to Florida in September, and the little man (STILL without a call name) will be coming home to Kansas City with me. At least for a while. :-)

Eyes Wide Open!

For your "Awww"ing pleasure... may I introduce Beidelyn's One For The Money. Call name to be determined, suggestions welcomed! He's two weeks old today, and his eyes have been open for a few days now. He looks so different, it's amazing to me how the color changes in this breed. They are born dark, then get super light, then darken back up as they mature.

I've been waiting for photos that show the little pupster looking like a real dog!

And here, a sweet moment with his momma...

Hawk and Sherri - A Great Team!

News from Houston and the 3-day Reliant Cluster. Hawk and Sherri went BOB all three days. That makes 11 show in Texas for Hawk, and 11 BOB wins and 1 Group 4. Not bad, little Doodle, not bad!

Hawk will stay with Sherri a few more weeks and pick up a couple more shows, and then I will get to see him in Topeka. I can't wait to see my little man again, it seems like he's been gone forever. I know that he adores Sherri and Lauren, and I do have a nagging fear that when he gets to Topeka, he won't be happy to see his momma. Maybe I'll take Syd with me, as he can't resist a wrestling match with Syd, I can use her as a lure! :-)

9 Days Old, and Growing

Can someone PLEASE teach this puppy to relax??? He just looks so stressed out ! 9 days old, and he's looking like a pretty healthy little guy.
If you click and view full size, note his little mouth open, too...

Just Hanging Out...

Cheryl sent this last night, five days old. She went to retrieve the puppy to weigh him, and found him "just chillin' out" laying up on the rails of the whelping box, one stubby little leg hanging down (click on photo to see full size). I guess he inherited his relaxation genes from his dad. :-)

Evidently he got himself up there, with no assistance from anyone else!

Oh, how he's grown!

WOW, look how much the little pupster has grown! The photo in the previous post was taken on July 11, just a few hours after he was born. This new photo was taken yesterday, July 14, three days later.

It looks like the little guy is doing well, and growing like a healthy Vallhund puppy! Those ears still just crack me up!

Another Group Placement-San Antonio!

No photo yet, but yesterday, Hawk got another Group 4 at the big San Antonio "River City Cluster." Sadly, I wasn't there to see it, but I'm sure he showed like a superstar.

Hawk is spending a bit of time with Sherri Hurst, since his mom can't be in Texas for all the big summer shows. Sherri does a great job with Hawk, and he absolutely adores her. Almost as much as he adores Sherri's assistant Lauren. :-) Hawk LOVES Miss Sherri and Miss Lauren.

Hawk went BOB all three days in Dallas, and all 5 days in San Antonio. He was pulled in the group Friday, and a Group 4 on Saturday. WOW!

I'm so proud of Hawk, he loves to show, and I think he represents the breed very well. And I'm so thankful to Sherri for showing my boy so well and getting the best performance possible from him.

Hawk is a DADDY!!!!

Hawk and Bitsy were expecting, and Friday at 12:00 noon, Hawk became a daddy to a new son. Just one baby, but he's alive and well. Bitsy's mom Cheryl says that the new baby looks like Hawk, and he has a full tail! YAY for the tailed Vallhunds.

Look at his ears (if you click on the photo, you can see it full size), I thought it was strange that his little ears are already sticking out to the side. I guess I thought all puppy ears were folded and flat to the head. I think he looks a bit like Eddy Munster with those ears sticking out!