Hawk the Swedish Vallhund

Matilda and Rylee, 4 Months

2012-01-06T19:51:00.003-06:00

Rylee (left) and Matilda (right) are growing into lovely little ladies. At four months old, it's becoming clear to me that Hawk continues to produce beautiful puppies with correct fronts, proper substance, and outstanding breed type. I think it was a nice combination between Darby and Hawk, they complement each other well, and the girls have some of the best qualities from each. Trying on coats at Jen's house. The pups did not object the way I thought they would!

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And now for the baby showdog photos.

RYLEE

MATILDA

Really loving these girls. A Lot.

Vallpups Outside

2011-10-16T20:12:00.005-05:00

Some photos of the 6 week old Vallbabies enjoying the beautiful fall weather on Saturday. They are getting cuter and sassier every day. They even like to chase after the cardipups. :-)

Vallbabies

2011-09-30T20:42:00.002-05:00

Vallbabies are here. :-) I'm a bad blogger, and slow to post here, but Hawk and Darby are proud parents of puppies born August 30. The puppies are so cute, and they are becoming active little buggers at 4 weeks old. Fun with real food, toys, wrestling, and wagging are the favorite activies these days.

Some photos from tonight, after a belly full of goat milk puppy food.

Hawk's Herding Lesson!

2011-07-10T18:03:00.002-05:00

Hawk had his first herding lesson today, aside from about 3 minutes in thick mud once this spring, he hasn't been in with sheep since just after I got him back in 2005. I had a great time seeing him light up and get to work. He did bite his tongue (it was already almost 90 degrees at 9am, so the tongue was flapping all over!), but he's fine. :-)

Hey There Baby Hawklet!

2011-02-07T20:32:00.003-06:00

I just love this photo of Jazz. He looks so comfortable, with such a great smile, I'm sure he thinks standing up is so over-rated. :-) Love Jazzy!

I am so thankful for Brad and Sharon, and of course, Jazz's Dandie brother Sherman for making Jazzy the happiest Vallhund in the world. Love that smile!

The Many Faces of Darby

2010-12-22T14:04:00.003-06:00

All photos of the same Darby, all taken within 20 seconds of the first photo. What a nut. She loves the top of the A-frame, so I lied to her and asked if she wanted a COOKIE (all in the spirit of getting a cute photo or two).

She starts out sweet.

"Why yes, I'd love to have a cookie, I'm so cute, and so sweet."

Then she starts having trouble concentrating on "pretending" to be cute and sweet...
By now, she's nearly in a panick to maintain the facade of cute and sweet.

Uh-oh, she's beginning to lose it!

Wait for it, wait for it...

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And there it is.

GIMME the BLASTED COOKIE, and I. MEAN. NOW... That's my girl!

More Family Photos

2010-08-25T13:48:00.004-05:00

We ventured west to Greeley, CO for shows last weekend, and lo and behold, we got to meet boy #4 of 5 from the Hawk x Mele litter, Mr. Rugby!

What a handsome fella! It was great to meet him and his family.

Left: Hawk waiting patiently for his ring time. Above: Rugby goofing off and being a hambone!

All three boys together, L-R, Rugby, Hawk, Jazz.

And Jazz waiting not so patiently for his ring time!

What is SHE doing here?

2010-07-19T18:37:00.004-05:00

Look, it's Olive on the Vallhund blog! Hi Olive!!!

Olive gets to visit the Vallhund blog because she's now part of the Vallhund extended family. On Saturday, we drove to Indiana to meet with Loki and his mom and dad, Liz and Anthony. Olive decided she liked it there, and she's joined their family. Here she is, giving a guided tour of her new back yard to Hawk, Jazz, and Brecon, with Loki following up behind the tour. And here's a sweet photo Liz sent from yesterday, Loki and Olive spending some time together on the sofa.

I have lots of photos to share of the double event, the reunion of Hawk, Loki, and Jazz, and the transition for Olive to her new family. Stay tuned for the photos, I'll share them as soon as I get them uploaded.

I already miss Olive terribly, but somehow, I don't think that she misses me. :-)

Hawkdaddy-His Yearlings

2010-07-12T15:49:00.006-05:00

I am so happy to be connected to many of the Hawk puppy families. Since I'm just the "sire owner" it has been lovely to get to know and meet so many of the people and their Vallhund kids.

Now that the Hawk x Mele pups are a year old, I thought I'd post the most recent photos I have to share.

First up is Acorn, Hawk's daughter. I haven't gotten lots of photos of her this year, but Linda was kind enough to share some from Acorn's first/second shows in late May. Hello, beautiful! I see Hawk in that sweet face and expression.
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Next, we had a reunion of sorts in Flagstaff, although Jazz and Kash are the only two of the bunch who have ever met each other before. :-P

I'm pretty sure the scene went something like, "Hi Doreen, lovely to meet you, can you please hold a dog, or two, or three?" Here is Doreen with (L-R) Kash, Hawk, and Jazz. I'm wondering if it would ever be possible that they all three look the same direction? Probably not! It was great to meet Kash in person. He was completely out of coat, but there was no mistaking his sound and pretty structure without hair to hide anything. :-)
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I really enjoyed meeting Stephanie and Doreen also (photos taken by Stephanie). It had nothing to do with Stephanie's opinion that Hawk was the most beautiful Vallhund. Really. I'm so glad Kash found a home with such capable ladies as Stephanie and Doreen to drive his RV around to the destinations of his choosing. Thanks ladies, I'm so glad you could motor up to Flagstaff so we could attempt the family portrait!.
Oh dear, snort alert! Kash (AKA Destroyer of Toys) was NOT happy about the whole birthday hat idea. And sadly, I totally see his daddy's eyes in this photo! Kash, you still look so handsome, even while you pout!

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Not to be outdone by his brother, here's Loki. What a happy (he's probably thankful nobody stuck a hat on him!), and handsome, boy he is too! I'm very excited that I get to meet Loki, his humans, his Pembroke, and his kitties this weekend! Can't wait, and will have much more to report about that later.. In this photo, Loki could nearly be a mirror image of Hawk.

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Oh, and then there's this squinty character, you might have heard a thing or two about Jasper, AKA Jazz. He and Syd are currently perfecting their Synchronized Aframe routine, soon to be seen on Syd's blog sometime this week ...

In the next post, I will have updates from the younger litter, the Hawk x Nikita puppies who are growing along nicely at just over 8 months old.

Overall, I'm so pleased with what Hawk is producing with puppies from three very different bitches (can't forget Frankie the singleton!). The pups appear to be very consistent, with beautiful fronts, lovely bone and substance, and IMO, lovely breed type. And of course, I love to see so much of Hawk in their heads and expressions. I can't wait to see how these kids continue to grow on and mature.

Birthday Wrestling

2010-06-25T10:04:00.002-05:00

Jazz and Darby enjoying a wrestling match on Jazz's birthday. Except that Jazz forgot to get Darby's consent before the wrestling began. . .

Smile

2010-06-17T21:39:00.002-05:00

Hawk has a great smile, and he has a lot to smile about!

Official Champion

2010-06-16T13:35:00.001-05:00

It's official, Mr. Jazz is now a Champion. And I guess he earned a Gr CH major his first day as a move-up. Because as you all know, I refuse to learn the point system for Gr CH! haa.

CH Caval Outrun The Sun At Hurrikane - DN25330202

Conformation - Awards Processed Through 30-MAY-2010

CH
Number of Points 15
Number Major Wins 3
Number Major Judges 3
Total Number Judges 6

GCH
Number of Points 3
Number Major Wins 1
Number Major Judges 1
Total Number Judges 1

A Good Trip to Flagstaff!

2010-06-14T15:44:00.005-05:00

We had a great (although very quick) trip to Flagstaff, AZ for the Swedish Vallhund Club of America National Specialty.

Because Jazz finished in Bloomington, IL a few weeks ago, I opted to move him up to BOB and not keep him in the classes for the specialty. I was torn about it, because at 11 months, I felt it wasn't exactly fair to ask him to compete with the specials. But I moved him up, and it turned out pretty well!

The results for Team Hurrikane were pretty good!

Hawk won BEST OF BREED, and BEST STUD DOG (thanks to son Jazz and daughter Fancy).

Jazz won SELECT DOG and he also won BEST PUPPY IN SWEEPS (under judge Earl Karas).

Our judge was breed specialist judge Mr. Christopher Millard from the UK. After the judging was over, and I was thanking Mr. Millard for the thousandth time, he said he had a hard time choosing between the two boys for Best of Breed. I told him they were father and son, and he said that was good, and made him feel better about his judging consistency!

I hope to have some pictures soon, and I hope above all hopes that Hawk *might* have taken his first good show photo ever for this big win. sigh.....

Darby was, um, let's see, how did Mr. Millard put it? "Totally devoid of coat" is how he put it, and he was absolutely right. Poor Darbs, not even an illusion of hair was possible, no fringe on her pants, no neck fur. The nice thing is that the judge said not to worry about it, he was so happy to see the dogs, and he understood about bitches being out of coat. She got an Excellent rating, just as the two boys did. He was very complimentary in his critique (will be able to post judge comments once they are transcribed), and explained to the judges ed gallery that the coat should not be penalized, but that the dog just doesn't have that same sparkle and polish without hair!

Missing from the photos is the big rosette for Best Stud Dog. I have no idea where that went, because it's not in my stack of rosettes, and it is not in the van anywhere. I'm hoping if I left it in the photo area or meeting room that someone picked it up for me.

And a special thanks to Jennifer Roberson for helping show Jazz, and showing him to Select Dog!

Stolen Vallhund Friends

2010-06-09T09:20:00.002-05:00

I wish it weren't true, but five of our Vallhund friends are missing (and two of their beagle friends). The humans had them loaded in the van, ready to continue on their trip to the Swedish Vallhund national specialty in Flagstaff. Just a couple of minutes away from the van, Richard Hooper came back to find the van gone, with all the dogs inside.

Click HERE to read the news story.

I know many of you have already heard this story, and I'm really encouraged to see how many times this has been forwarded to me via different lists and friends who have other breeds, so people are definitely spreading the word around the dog community. Please share this with others, whether they are "dog people" or not, and we just hope for the safe return of the dogs.

And the winner is...

2010-06-08T11:43:00.003-05:00

Generated via Random.org.......

#10 AMANDA!!!

Mami2jcn

Claudia

Janet

Red Dog Mom

Ashley

susitravl

SolDucky

coopercreek

Pixie

Amanda

Melisse

Lybertygirl

Lybertygirl

Jinnie

Liam’s Mommy

Debbie

Cindy

Thanks everyone for your comments, I will be getting some ideas together for some summer projects, since I am taking most of the summer off from all things dog show related.

And please keep an eye on the other Hurrikane blogs, as there will be additional giveaways there later today and tomorrow!!!!

Time's Up!-It's GIVEAWAY Time!!!!

2010-06-04T09:56:00.010-05:00

Winner will be announced later today, and watch for two NEW giveaways to be posted to the Hurrikane Chronicles and Hurrikane Puppy blogs (links on the right sidebar).

It's not specifically Vallhund related (although you can buy something for your Vallhund if you win!), but here comes the first of the $40 CSN Stores giveaway blog posts.
You'll have to keep up with the other Hurrikane blogs, as two of our other blogs will feature giveaways as well. You can use your gift card at any of the over 200 CSN stores.

Since Janet did her blog giveaway, I have been poking around at all the CSN online stores, in hopes that maybe this year, I can get serious about giving my little house a makeover, one room at a time.

So, first things first, my living room has always bothered me, because there is NO lighting. It's a small room, it never gets much natural light, and there are no fixtures. I'm thinking that perhaps the way to go in my living room, to save space and create more uniform lighting, might be Track Lighting. What do you all think? Looking around at the website, I am leaning toward one of the Track Lighting Kits, so that I know I have all the pieces and parts that I need. I think the pendant globe lights above are ultra cool, but they probably wouldn't be right for my living room. It has low celings, and I'm a pretty tall person.
:-P

I should probably stick with something a bit more traditional, not too flashy, clean lines.

Now on to the important part: HOW TO WIN!!!

First, since I'm completely indecisive about important things like what to eat for lunch on any given day, I can't possibly be trusted to pick out something important like permanent lighting for my living room. So, you'll have to go to the CSN store for Track Lighting and leave me a comment telling me which Track Lighting KIT (there's a link specifically to narrow down to kits) I should consider for a small room, low ceilings.

Or, you can just leave me a comment telling me you don't care about track lighting, and put a link to this post on YOUR blog (you have to let me know you did it!).

Second, hold your tongue to the left, blink three times while hopping around on one foot, chanting, "I want to win the giveaway" 800 times.

See, it's pretty easy, and I'll leave the giveaway open through the weekend, and we'll close it out on Monday, at 10 PM CENTRAL time! The winner can use their gift certificate at any of the over 200 CSN stores, including pet supplies.

For Swedish Vallhund content, Darby would like to suggest that the winner use their gift card toward a purchase of this fit-for-a-princess chaise lounge, and have it shipped directly to her!

For those who liked the little white ex-pens I used for my puppy pens, well, those came from CSN.

Good luck, the winner will be chosen at random, and announced by Tuesday morning!

*Also, please remember you may have shipping charges, or if the winner is from Canada, international fees.

New CHampion, Hawklet

2010-05-31T13:23:00.003-05:00

Jazz and I went to Bloomington, IL this weekend, and the little guy picked up his third major and his championship the first day of the cluster. He also picked up BOW over his baby 1/2 sister, Triskit, who was WB/BOS for her first major! It was a fun day for the Hawk kids. Saturday I moved Jazz up and he was Select Dog for his first Gr CH points. Saturday afternoon, we packed it up and drove home. It was a very good trip to Illinois. :-)

Jazz At The Show

2010-05-18T20:58:00.003-05:00

Jazz baby showing in Perry, Georgia last weekend, shown by Cheryl Rolfe. He's a good boy. :-)

Vall Crowd

2010-05-17T11:18:00.002-05:00

There were a bunch o' Vallhunds at the Perry, GA shows this past weekend (photo by Laura). I won't try to remember the names of all the dogs, but people (L to R), Kathie, Sarah, Louise, Cheryl, Rebekah, Debbie, Sharon. Four days of dog and bitch majors, so eight majors available. It was nice that of the eight majors, five different dogs all picked up a major. A couple of dogs picked up two majors, Jasper (The Hawklet) included.

We weren't there long, but it was fun to see everyone and all the Vallhunds. After a quick SV get-together lunch at Cheryl's RV on Saturday, Laura and I hit the road and headed back to the midwest. Much more about our adventures, and lots of pix in later posts!

Who's Your Daddy?

2010-05-06T15:28:00.006-05:00

Hawk's their daddy, and he's quite proud. Here are some pupdate photos of a few of Hawk's puppies...

From the Hawk x Mele litter

Kash-AKA "Destroyer of Toys" (Arizona)Acorn (Canada)

Loki (Indiana)

the Hawklet, uh, Jasper (nomad)

Rugby (Colorado)

And from the younger litter of Hawk x Nikita,

Fancy (New Mexico)

Triskit (Wisconsin)

Ashley (Minnesota)

I'm hopeful to track down some pix of the rest of the puppies, but I'm so proud of these pups, I wanted to share.

Smug

2010-05-06T11:21:00.002-05:00

Hawkadoodle. Love. Even dead out of coat nekkid.

Stay tuned, coming soon, some pupdates and pictures from Hawk babies and their families. The overwhelming report from families is that their puppies (Jazz included) are as sweet as can be, so above all else, I'm ecstatic to know that his sweet personality and special Vallhund smile are coming through in his progeny.

Four Against One

2010-03-22T22:23:00.004-05:00

The puppies persuaded Darby to play a quick game of "Storm the Castle," which is basically a game where Darby is on the sofa, and the puppies all try to jump up on the sofa and overwhelmed Darby tries to keep them OFF her sofa. Oddly enough, they all really enjoy this, so who am I to ruin their fun? And even at four against one, Darby needs no assistance. She's quick, and she's coordinated!

I'm easily amused, and thankfully, so are the puppies!

2010 Auction, Spectacular Artwork of YOUR Dog!

2010-03-21T20:32:00.003-05:00

This is an auction to help raise money for SVCA's 2010 Specialty. This is our first independent specialty, and the show committee is raising money to help make this a fantastic specialty for all who attend.
Take a peek at these sample sketches, Jette is very talented, and she can draw ANY breed. I love that she captures expression so well. :-) See below for details on bidding!

A drawing, donated by Jette Holmes, of the winning bidder's dog!

Drawing details:

1. Pencil sketch on good drawing paper.
2. Size will be 8 ½ x 11 inches.
3. The winner is sole owner of the sketch so they can copy it and do with the sketch as they see fit!
4. A disc with the sketch picture on it can also be included (the winner could make stationery, letterhead with matching envelopes, cards, or use the picture on their business cards and able to choose their own paper!! The winner could also make mugs and T-shirts)

From the time the artist receives the photo, two weeks are needed to complete the sketch. When sending the photo, please send on a CD (jpg) or a hard copy photo (3x5, 4x6 or 5x7). Contact details will be given to the winner privately.

Whole body pictures can be cropped with the head only sketched if wanted by the winner.

The bidding started at $100, contact Bonnie bkc1946@gmail.com to place your bid!

**At last check, the current bid is $245. ** Bidding ends Wednesday, March 24.

Jazz

2010-03-18T09:33:00.004-05:00

First, my apologies for no Vallhund blogging recently. As you might know from Syd's Blog , we've been up to our eyeballs in puppy stuff for the last few months. And since the Princess Darby finished her championship so quickly as a baby, and Hawk enjoyed taking 2009 off from the dog shows, we didn't have much exciting Vallhund news. But that's about to change! Darby has just started her agility class, and I'm afraid, very afraid of her level of intelligence.

And, The Hawklet is back on the blog, and he's getting ready to hit the show scene... Here's our handsome boy. And guess what? He actually has a name. No longer "The Hawklet," although I still call him that all the time, baby boy is now known as

Caval Outrun the Sun at Hurrikane or he'll affectionately be known as Jasper or Jazz.

Jasper is currently on "spring break" in Florida with our friend, and Darby's co-owner, Cheryl. It was a last minute change of plans literally less than 24 hours before his travel, but everything worked out, even though I'm missing seeing the little guy in person. Cheryl says he's really sweet, he's not barky, and he's still super smart. Of course, I have no doubt he is smart, after his early inclinations toward genius when he lived with me. :-) This photo was taken the first day after his arrival, and Cheryl said it took just a few minutes to teach Jasper to free stack like a real show dog.

The little man sure reminds me of his daddy, and I can't wait to see him again. . .

Diversity Training

2010-01-08T11:58:00.006-06:00

Here at the Hurrikane Headquarters, we value diversity. We like to instill a strong sense of diversity in our children. We value multi-cultural interaction and sharing. We want our kids to grow up understanding and valuing those with a different heritage than their own...

All the youngsters gather around for their first Swedish lesson.

One on one tutoring in the fine art of Scandinavian face and ear cleaning is also very important...

I have, however, put a strict gag-order on any sharing from Team Sweden to Team Wales about tails. I have told Hawk that if I *ever* hear him trying to give the Cardigan puppies a lesson in how to hold your tail up and curl it, that'll be the end of diversity training, immediately. ;-P

Now that Darby is over a year old, she's certified as a diversity interaction associate. When all else fails, and you can't break the Welsh-Swedish language barrier...

just sit on the Welsh girl.

Hmm, this seems like the right thing to do.

YIPE! She just bit me!

Darby- One Year Old 12/10

2009-12-23T15:52:00.004-06:00

My baby Vallhund, she's looking so grown up! And what a good sport Darby has been, especially since I've been so busy with Syd and Breezy's puppies recently. She didn't complain {much} when she did not get a big birthday celebration for her first birthday. She did get some new toys, and she did have to have a little fit of dramatic facial expressions. I expect nothing less from Baby Show Dog. Hmm, well, that's OK, she'll always be Baby Show Dog to me!

"Hello? Is anyone going to come out and play with me on my birthday?"

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"What's that? You are telling me there is no party for my birthday? Stoopid puppies."

"No, no, that's OK, I'll survive. Really, it's not that big of a deal."

"Excuse me? I'm sorry, did you say presents, and COOKIES??? Oh, that's much better!"

"Look at me, I just finished Baby Show Dog obedience classes, I can lay down and look Super Cute to wait for my cookies!"

Happy Belated Barkday, Baby Show Dog!

Indignant (Darby)

2009-11-19T18:31:00.004-06:00

Darby says -cuz some people thought maybe it was Hawk (who would never dream of acting so dramatic or demanding). sorry for the confusion!

How. Dare. You... Lock. Me. Out.
Ignore. Me.

Tell. Me. To. Be. Quiet.

I. ..Demand... A... Lawyer

signed, I can bark louder than you can

Hawk-Daddy

2009-11-11T07:56:00.005-06:00

Hawk is a proud dad again! This time he has some red and some stub-tailed babies. A first for the Hawk Man, as Bitsy's pup Frankie was grey and had a full tail, and all of Mele's pups were grey, full tailed babies.

11, count 'em. Nikita (CH Bodatorp Nikita) free-whelped a total of 12 puppies last night. I was talking to her owner, Lori, on the phone last night when there were a total of nine puppies. Then Lori said that she thought Nikita was having another, and out came #10, a boy. Another 20 minutes, and Lori said another was here, but sadly it was stillborn. Five minutes later, #11, another girl, arrived, alive and healthy. Whew, that's a lot of puppies. I finally got off the phone with Lori, and she called me about an hour later and said, "You know how I said I wouldn't call unless there was another puppy?" Well, Nikita had ANOTHER puppy. TWELVE total delivered, ELEVEN living. The breakdown on tail types and colors are as follows:

7 tailed girls (5 red, 2 grey), 2 stub girls (1 red, 1 grey) (the stillborn was a tailed girl)

1 tailed boy (red), 1 stub boy (grey)

Lori was able to take a few pictures last night. Look at that pile o'puppies! What gets me is how happy and refreshed Nikita looks. Shouldn't she be exhausted?

Rotating the puppies so everyone can nurse without competition last night.

Maybe Nikita is just happy she doesn't look like this anymore!

Photographing Wrestling Vall-Pups

2009-11-02T13:21:00.004-06:00

When Vall-pups are playing and wrestling, it's serious business. But first, before getting to the photography portion of our program, doesn't The Hawklet look so grown up in this photo? He hardly looks like a puppy, maybe it's the demonic wrestling side of his ownself taking over!

OK, so the Vall-pup wrestling is serious stuff. They get so wound up, and they always end up jumping into these oval dog beds (thank you Costco!). Whoever makes the first leap into the bed ends up at a total disadvantage, as you can see. Darby didn't stand a chance against The Hawklet. So, I pick up the camera, hoping to get a few shots of them playing but maybe looking at me.

Me: "Puppies, Darby, baby-dog, hello, look at me." (infer high-pitched voice)

Me: "Hey, Darby, look, I have the camera. Hawklet, puppy, here pups."

Me: "Come on you guys, I just want ONE picture, puppy-puppy-puppy"

Me: "OK, then, I guess nobody wants a COOKIE!"

I wish I could express the instant Vallhund reaction where Darby literally flung herself up and tossed The Hawklet off of her and out of the dog bed! And it's a real shame that I was so busy laughing about how quickly Darby was all smiles (and I think The Hawklet is learning the smile too!), the photo is out of focus!

Hi there, handsome...

2009-10-25T15:55:00.003-05:00

Summer and Michelle helped me get pix of The Hawklet (4 mos) today at a puppy match. Little guy got a Group 3 and he actually walked on a leash and tried his best to behave. My standard disclaimer is that YES, I know I'm biased, but I think the little dude is getting more and more handsome. It appears we do need to do some work with that inside back leg, it seems to be doing its own thing in a couple of the photos!

New Hawk Litter On The Way!

2009-10-24T12:11:00.002-05:00

There will be a new brood of Hawk-babies arriving shortly! We are excited to see the new babies, and will post pix as soon as we get the good news. I'm very pleased with the way Frankie grew up, and the new litter with mom Mele is a very handsome group of babies.

Anotha Brotha, Loki

2009-10-16T06:27:00.004-05:00

Look, we've heard from Liz and have located The Hawklet's Brother #3! His name is Loki, and he lives in Indiana with Liz and family.

According to Liz, Loki's teeth have a fondness for footwear! Oops, naughty Loki.Loki has a 14 year old Pem sister, and well, you Pem people won't be surprised to hear that sister Maddy is none too fond of the Loki pup! Imagine that!

The first thing I noticed about Loki in this photo is his super fat foot. I love that fat foot. To steal a phrase from my good friend Jacque, I could just eat it with a spoon! Love the fat feet. haa. So thanks Liz for sharing photos of Loki, I hope I'll keep getting more and more photos of ALL the other puppies. Now I just have to track down one more brother and one more sister to have the family all accounted for!

It might just be me, but I'm getting the impression that Loki is one spoiled little guy. I think the cat is trying to tell me something, but if she was blinking an SOS in Morse Code, that doesn't translate well in photos. But I can just imagine him beckoning a human to hurry up and sit down, because he needs a lap for a nap!

Who's behind the door?

2009-10-09T10:31:00.003-05:00

You know, in studies of monkeys, The Hawklet probably wouldn't be rated beyond a Baboon for the "self recognition" test!!!

All in the Family- Kash and Seti and Acorn

2009-10-07T11:29:00.014-05:00

Fun stuff today! We have made contact with some of the other Hawklets! Two of the baby brothers are on opposite sides of the country, and both are absolute cutie pies! And sister Acorn lives in Canada.

First, we have Kash (Caval's Loose Change). He lives in Arizona, and he lives with another Vallhund big sister, 12 1/2 year old Sage.Isn't he a doll??? He has started some clicker training, and his mom hopes he may be a good service dog with training. He really likes his older sister Sage, and follows right behind her on their walks. We are hopeful that Kash will have a family reunion with us in Flagstaff next June when the Vallhunds head to Arizona!

The next brother is Seti, short for Forseti (Norse god of justice). He lives in New Hampshire. His mom says that right now he's learning that the cats, pigs, and chickens would like him more if he didn't play too rough! He really loves playing outside exploring the woods. We think Seti is also a handsome, handsome little dude!

And then there's sister Acorn! Acorn lives in Canada, eh? She's pretty cute, and keeps her mom hopping! Hey, is she sticking her tongue out at us???

How'd You Get So Handsome?

2009-09-19T13:59:00.009-05:00

The Hawklet's mom and dad. On the left, Caval's Mele. We think she's a pretty girl. And on the right, a familiar character, The Hawk-a-doodle.

So I ask, how can this little munchkin NOT be a cutie?

He's a Genius!

2009-09-18T19:10:00.004-05:00

So The Hawklet has no name, but he's a genius already, at 12 weeks old. Tonight I decided it was time to start some training. Since I skipped the dog shows with Syd, this is kind of like a "free weekend" and I thought it would be good to see what kind of brain the little guy has!

I did about 10 click/treat to help him understand that the click means good things. Then I put a treat in the clicker hand, and c/t when he touched my hand. That was it, then we were off for the real test.

Here is the first video, of the first time we practiced TOUCH. Notice the moment the Light Bulb goes off and he figures out how to get the cookie (which is really a piece of kibble). :-)

Now in the second video, 30 seconds later, it's clear that the puppy is a genius, and he is training for Speed Touch competition.

No Fear

2009-09-13T12:20:00.003-05:00

The Princess and her new prey! Darby is sleeping well at night, that's for sure! She's always in demand, either to play with one of her Cardigan sisters, or to keep the Hawklet occupied! Hawklet loves big sis Darby. But shouldn't he have at least a little bit of fear or hesitation before he launches himself up the Aframe???

I guess he does have a good role model.

I think Darby might not be so pleased about Hawklet learning her special trick so quickly.

And now, just to give the Princess her due time, I present Baby Show Dog herownself, now 9 months old and loving retirement ...

"Have I ever told you how pretty I am?" (said in a Southern drawl, name that movie)

Perched in her favorite place on top of the Aframe.

Livewire!

2009-09-10T22:35:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's blurry, if that's any indication of the speed of Vallhund Puppy Play. In a word, Darby is "EXHAUSTED!"

Baby Hawklet walked right in the door and acts like he's lived here forever. Above all, I'm so pleased to see Hawk's stellar temperament shine through in this puppy. Baby Frankie was the same way, and I was hoping it wasn't just a fluke! The puppy is already trying to wrestle with the cat, he's in love with Big Nick (what a puppy magnet the big dog is!), and he's gathered up all the toys in the house. Oh boy, I think Darby may have met her match! I hope he wants to sleep tonight!

News From The Road

2009-09-09T07:01:00.002-05:00

From Kathy last night:
"Mr. Puppy is a three ring circus. He's curious about his surroundings, doesn't display any exaggerated startle response. He found his reflection in the floor length mirror on the outside of the bathroom door. He seemed to think that puppy in the glass was quite interesting - oh and he found his tail. Molly has tried to herd him or something. She follows him around the room like she needs to make sure he doesn't do something wrong. He nearly toppled the bathroom trash can, put his front paws up on the edge of the bathtub, grabbed a rawhide chewie that Margaret's Badger had left out and drug it halfway across the room. He got some attention from a couple of Millie's clients who came to pick up their dogs this afternoon. Hesitant to come out of the crate, but once out excited and happy with his surroundings.
That's tonight's update....have to get to bed so we can leave in the morning. More from wherever we stop for the night.
Kathy
PS He's so darn cute."

And a short note this morning, titled "A Climber Too:"

"I had my back turned to pack some things a few minutes ago and when I turned back Mr. Puppy was nearly on top of his own crate!
At The Picnic, each dog was given a goody bag with lots of toys, treats, bandanas, etc. So, I pulled out a couple of the smaller toys and puppy is having a ball with a little vinyl sheep, a yellow plush snail and another toy-canvas on one side, fleece on the other.
Pictures tonight.
Kathy"

He's getting closer...

2009-09-08T15:11:00.006-05:00

Hawk Junior has changed hands, and is one step closer to Kansas City. His breeder handed him off to Kathy this morning, and she'll be playing with him today. His itenerary includes a very special visit to "Kallista" Pembrokes, where he will have a fun time in a big puppy yard while Kathy visits with Millie and crew.

Tomorrow, it's Wagons West for the crew, heading back toward Missouri. I believe the puppy will arrive on Thursday.

Kathy's report is that he came right out of his crate wagging and giving kisses, with no apparent fear of his new surroundings. whew! That was great news to start off the morning.

And I think I could just squeeze that fat back leg sticking out to the side in the first picture, it's so cute .

I can't wait to meet the little guy. I might be imagining, but for some reason, he reminds me a bit of his dad in these photos. I'm sure Darby will have lots of information to share with him while she shows him the ropes around the house! Kathy snapped a few candid shots of Baby Boy Vallhund this morning at the hotel (accompanied by the lovely Molly).

A Special Hawklet

2009-08-29T13:54:00.005-05:00

is heading this way. Kathy (Corgi Committee Diaries- http://corgisandme.blogspot.com/) is on another road trip adventure with her Pems, Rhys and Molly. She'll be providing expert transport for a special delivery.

This is how it's done.

2009-08-24T14:26:00.005-05:00

Sydney, are you watching? That yellow part is not for leaping over, it's like the caution zone, and you are 'sposed to slow it down, sister! I'm just a baby, and I already know how to do it better than Syd.

First, you hafta look both ways. This is very important, you need to be sure no flying Cardigans are going to get in your path.Second, you stop and look up so your mom can get a really cute smiley picture of you. You wait right there til mom says you can go.
The last part is the running off. I like that part, even if Sydney runs right into me sometimes.

My mom got a video of me with my new A-frame ball game. But she was silly, and put it on the Cardigan blog. http://hurrikanecardis.blogspot.com/2009/08/self-trained-contacts.html

Camera Hams

2009-08-18T19:05:00.003-05:00

Darby met a new friend at the SVCA Specialty last week. Teddy came to Topeka from Indiana with his mom Amanda, and we shared a room at the host hotel. We had a really large suite, and the dogs had lots of room to play and run. Teddy is about a year old, so he and Darby are right on the same wavelength when it comes to Vallhund play. Notice the exact moment when each of these little hams discovered I had a camera!

Office Help

2009-08-18T15:07:00.007-05:00

After a long 5 days of dog shows, the last day the Vallhunds showed early in the morning. My office is sort of in between my house and the Topeka show site. So, after we showed, I drove right to the office. It was an unusual 67 degrees and overcast yesterday, so the dogs were fine snoozing in the van with windows and hatch popped. Later in the afternoon, the sun began to peek through the clouds, and I thought it was going to get too warm in the van. I brought the dogs in for an office visit, thinking I would let them visit, then leave and work the rest of the afternoon from home. The dogs were a big hit, and our office is full of Hawk and Darby followers, so the Vallhunds had great fun catching up with all their fans. Once I got back to my desk, both dogs were so good, they just plopped down and didn't make any noise, so I opted to just keep working the rest of the day, and the dogs behaved perfectly!
.
Hawk was a good boy, and he was virtually unnoticeable sleeping under my desk.

Darby, on the other hand, was content to lay down and snooze, but she needed to be right in the aisle, so that she didn't run the risk of missing out on any potential fun activity!

No More Counting-She's a Champion!

2009-08-17T10:50:00.002-05:00

This morning, leaving the house at dark-thirty, driving through buckets of rain in the dark, I really questioned why I was even bothering driving out to Topeka to show. Well, now I'm glad I did. Darby was able to pull off a Winners Bitch today and finish her championship. There were no class dogs, so no Best of Winners available.

So, pending AKC confirmation, Baby Show Dog is now CH Corval Bless Yer Cot'n Socks.

She's 8 months, 7 days old. Not so bad for a puppy in just 3 weekends (3 weekends with other SVs for competition). Orlando, San Antonio, and Topeka.

Good girl, Darby.

Darby- 14 and Counting

2009-08-14T23:44:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Darby pulled off a nice Reserve Winners Bitch win at our National Specialty! I was really proud of her, even though she was tired after winning her class in puppy sweeps, and then she also had to show in Stud Dog with her sister and dad. She was not her usual happy, peppy self, for sure.

But the big news is that Darby was a real Baby Show Dog today, and she had a good time in the ring. She won Winners Bitch. We were thrilled. Then we went in for Best of Breed, and since this is the specialty weekend, we had to wait and wait and wait for the first group of specials, then the second, then finally we all came back in, with 23 Vallhunds entered today.. Darby did great, considering we were hiding from Hawk most of the time. How bad is it when Hawk is in line as the first Special, and Darby is WB? The first time around the ring and here's Hawk behind us. woops.

SO, Darby did great, and when the judge (Jacqueline Stacy) had WD and WB do their down and back and around, she asked the WD to go to the back of the dog line, she said she wanted all the dogs with the other dogs, and the bitch with the other bitches. So I was going to head to the end of the line of the bitch Specials. The judge motioned and said "Bring the puppy and put her at the front of the bitches." I was sure I was not hearing her correctly. But that's what she wanted, and the way it ended up, Darby was not only WB, she went BOW, and BOS over the bitch specials, and ended up winning a 4 point major today! So, now, at the age of 8 months and 5 days old, Darby has 14 points and 3 majors. Oh, that last point, I hope we don't have to chase it around!

I'm sure Darby and Hawk will sleep for a week once we get back home. They've been very busy supervising all of my show chair duties, like goodie bag stuffing and organizing boxes. It's tough work being the show chair's dog!!!

Progression of a Baby Show Dog

2009-07-31T23:56:00.006-05:00

First Attempt: First Time in the ring, less than 24 hours after First Time being stuffed in a sherpa bag and First Time flying. First Time waiting for the 800 collies ahead of us to finish showing in a building that felt like it was 100 degrees so we could get a photo. First Time trying to get Baby Show Dog just to stand on all fours, let alone look like she wants to be there. sigh.

Laura and Janet can attest to the twenty minutes (or so it seemed) that it took to get Darby to stand up and stand still. The photographer was very patient, and I finally told her to just take any photo, and when I asked if Darby looked half way decent, the photographer said, "Not Really, but" and then tossed the toy to get Darby's attention and snapped the photo. I think that photo experience was more stressful than the travel to get to Florida!

Second Attempt: Oh, so much better. This time around, Darby was already best friends with the other Vallhunds showing, and Cheryl, Kevin, and Lisa (with puppy Rogue) were all around to help set the stage! Everything is better when you have friends around to help! I wish I had remembered to flip her tail up, though.
Third Attempt: After four long days in Texas, we only had to wait for about 200 Pems to show before this photo opportunity. By now, Darby was ready to get out of her show clothes and get back home. I was not keen on a table photo, because the table is not Darby's favorite place to be. However, the photographer was convinced it had to be a table photo (someone told me once that Cardigans look better on the floor, and I really believe it-with Vallhunds too), so I said OK. In true Vallhund fashion, Darby felt it necessary to post, lean back, and look thoroughly unhappy about the entire situation. ;-) But we won't complain, it could have been worse, and we could have lost and not gotten the points at all!

Just looking at the photos, the first two were Darby at 6 months 9 days old, and 6 months 11 days old. The photo from Texas is Darby at 7 months 2 days old. Oh what a difference a month makes. She looked like such a sweet baby in the photos from Florida. In the last photo, I am starting to see a glimmer of naughty in her eye, and that scares me! :-) Oh, and Michelle, seriously, what was up with my hair in the Texas photo?? Did you think to tell me it was going in about a thousand different directions? Or were you just too anxious to get the heck outta Texas?

Reality Hits! Further Confirmation

2009-07-31T13:41:00.004-05:00

And now the photo proof that all the "Show Stuff" is in fact, packed up and ready to go to Topeka, here it is blocking the stairs leading to the attic. I spent the weekend stuffing bags, packing and labeling, organizing and gathering things to take out to the host hotel sometime this week. I have printed, cut, tied with ribbon, and sewn more in the last few weeks than I have in years! It's been fun in a stressful, how am I going to get this all done in time kind of way. :-)

************************************************************************************

Oh dear, it's not just a dream (or nightmare, depending on the day)! In just 12 short days, the Swedish Vallhund National Specialty will begin. And as I told Summer (co-chairing with me), we are driving this boat, so whether it sinks or is smooth sailing, it'll be on us! I don't know what comes over me on those rare days when I think it'll be fun to volunteer to put on a specialty...

But Wednesday, entries closed, and today, the numbers are officially posted. We are, in fact, having a specialty! And yes, that's actually a pretty high number for a Vallhund specialty. I think 35 is about the largest specialty to date, but don't quote me on it!

38 SWEDISH VALL 8-7- 10-6
8 SWEEPSTAKES
8 VETERANS SWEEPSTAKES
5 VETERAN DOGS
2 VETERAN BITCHES
3 STUD DOG
3 BROOD BITCH

So now it's there in black and white, there really will be a specialty in just a couple of weeks. I've been quite crafty the last week, trying to pay attention to small details and make sure all of our exhibitors feel welcome.

Now then, who is going to drop in next week sometime and help me get those exhibitor goodie bags stuffed with all our freebies??? And then could you drop it all off at the host hotel for me? Don't all volunteer at once. :-)

I think I need the sweatshirt on obedience friend has, it says, "Somebody stop me before I volunteer again!"

It will be fun, it will be fun, it will be fun, it will be fun...

Bring It

2009-07-24T22:56:00.006-05:00

I'm baaaaaa-aaack. If you stupid puppies think you are going to take over my space on this blog, you've got another think comin'.

And now... It's ON! OK, Darby, get limber, shake it out, loosen up.

Get ready, get set,

And BOING! Tah-dah!

I can bounce off the humans,

And Up, Up, Up,

and a full twist in mid-air.

Oh yea, take THAT, stupid puppies... Don't even try to top THIS English Muffin.

Oops, Sorry Darby!

2009-07-23T19:18:00.001-05:00

The puppies return!

The babies are 4 weeks old and obviously up and running. :-)

Whatever...

2009-07-22T18:22:00.003-05:00

I mean, whatever, I guess puppies are cute, but can we please bring this back to me? I'm calling the shots around here. I know this is Hawk's blog, but if you ask him, I'm sure he'll be the first to admit that the day I moved in, I took over as the Vallhund in Charge. So, if we can keep the topics to Me, Me, and Me, that'll be perfect.
Thanks,
Darby

The Hawklets! The Hawklets!

2009-07-16T21:38:00.002-05:00

NO words necessary, they are 3 weeks old in these photos, and I'm completely in love!

Did I Do Good, Mom?

2009-07-14T14:18:00.004-05:00

Corval's Bless Yer Cot'n Socks - "Darby" smiling after someone told her she's now got 10 points and both majors. Yes, Darby, you did good! Even with the Skyla slobber spiking the fur on your neck, you acted like a real Baby Show Dog, and you did your best. Thanks for behaving on the road to Texas, at the show, riding in the tow truck, hanging out at the car dealership, and then trying your best to behave on the long trek back home. That was a lot to ask of a puppy who just turned 7 months old while we were visiting San Antonio.

The many faces of Darby while waiting on our van at the Lone Star Chrysler dealership in Cleburne, Texas.

1. Cricket Hunter. It was very important work to rid the showroom of a wayward cricket. Darby took this job very seriously. I thought it was ironic when the pest control company arrived an hour later to spray chemicals. I thought their timing was bad, Darby had already done their job for them.
2. Good Sleeper. After hunting crickets and terrorizing the purple lobster for a while, a nap is a good idea for a Baby Show Dog. Darby was very dramatic about laying down frog-dog, then flipping to her side, then stretching all her legs and neck with a groan, and then flopping into sleep. Life would be boring without Darby's antics.
3. Papillon Socializer. We had been waiting at the dealership for almost two hours to hear the verdict on the van. I was starting to get restless, thinking about how many hours I still had to drive to get home, and Darby had used up almost every ounce of good behavior she had in her. Then a lady came in with her Pap puppy (the little blur in the photo!), and it was a much-needed distraction. I made Darby lay down so she didn't smush the little dog, and then the Pap was just dashing around and in front, smacking with her little paws trying to get Darby to play. It was so much fun to watch the pups together and it made everything OK.

San Antonio, The Good and the Bad News

2009-07-12T22:04:00.004-05:00

The trip to San Antonio was great fun... Until today.

Michelle and Skyla, Hawk, Darby and I all loaded in the van and drove late Thursday night toward San Antonio. We stayed the first night in Waco, and then drove into San Antonio late Friday morning. Vallhunds showed at 3pm, and only Hawk and Darby were entered. They showed well, and Hawk was Best of Breed, and he showed really nice in the group.

Saturday, we had another late ring time. Michelle and I ventured over to the Mercado Mexican Market in the morning, and we strolled down the stone market streets, got a fresh flatbread sandwich from a street vendor, and enjoyed the sounds of street musicians.Oh, and we also promptly bought sombreros for the dogs! Hawk was much more cooperative than Darby for the sombrero modelling.

When the Vallhunds finally showed at 3pm on Saturday, Darby went Winners Bitch for another 2 points. The major broke on Saturday, so no major available. She showed well, and Hawk showed well for me also. He won Best of Breed, and again showed nicely in the group.

Saturday night, Michelle and I walked down to the Riverwalk and ate at The Original Mexican restaurant on the river. It was really nice to experience the city a bit, even though it's stifling hot in Texas!

This morning, Vallhunds showed early, and the bitch major held! So, Darby strutted her stuff, and she won the 3 pt major, and also went BOW. Hawk was Best of Breed again, although we were a circus in the ring. Because Darby likes to race and chase Hawk during BOB (those who saw her in Vermillion and Sedalia know the scene!), today I stayed showing Darby, and I sent Hawk in with Sherri, since he knows her so well and shows great for her. Well, Hawk was looking for me, Darby was looking for Hawk, I was trying to hide from Hawk and keep Darby from looking for Hawk, and Sherri was trying to keep Hawk's yap shut. How we managed to eek out the BOW for Darby and BOB for Hawk, I may never know, but thankfully Hawk got it together to show for Sherri with all his family in the ring with him.

The good news for Darby is that she's got 10 points and both majors, all at the age of 7 months, 1 day old. I'm so proud of how she's adapted to life at our house, and going to dog shows. Hawk is really rusty not having been shown at all this year (other than Westminster), and I haven't shown him in forever, so I was thrilled to win the breed with him the first two days, and I was happy to see him loving being back with Sherri for showing today.

Michelle and I left San Antonio around 1:30 pm and headed back toward Kansas City. Traffic was awful, two lanes of stop/go, stop/go, and then five minutes of normal speeds, then traffic again. We drove for almost 4 hours and still were only about 150 miles north of San Antonio when the car began to have trouble. Thankfully we were right at an exit, and a 7-eleven right at the end of the ramp. Tow service dropped us in a town called Cleburne, Texas, with a Chrysler dealership right down the street. We are settled in at the Days Inn, and I'll have the van looked at first thing in the morning. With 104 degree heat, even the tow driver said it was too dangerous to chance driving farther, because if the van started acting up again, we might be miles from an exit, and things could be worse.

So, think good automotive thoughts for tomorrow, and I'll make a note to self: no more Texas dog shows for me! Two years ago, I had trouble with the old van while driving to the Lubbock shows. ugh.

Off to bed, and will be hoping for good van news in the morning. And another note is that Michelle is such a good sport, and while I'm sorry she's stuck in Texas another day, I'm glad she has been here to help me this weekend, and she definitely is calm in a crisis, something I'm definitely NOT!

Vallhunds in Vermillion

2009-06-30T19:43:00.004-05:00

Say that 10 times fast!

Just some snapshots from my cell phone camera during the weekend in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Darby certainly didn't act like this was just her second dog show outing! She looked like an old pro waiting her turn outside the ring, sitting on her cool mat like a good girl.

Saturday was pretty warm under the tent. We were ringside early because we wanted to see Mitcham strut his stuff, and we had to wait quite a while in the afternoon heat. You know it was hot and Hawk was tired, because he never lays down at a dog show! Silly Vallhunds, it was hot under the tent, but both dogs had to be laying on me or against me.

When it was time for Darby to show, Hawk had to wait outside the ring. Anyone who knows Hawk knows he is VERY vocal when he thinks he's missing out on something. The only way to keep him quiet is to pick him up, because he's humiliated that someone is holding him. We enlisted Garrett to hold Hawk on Saturday, and it's easy to see that Hawk is NOT amused with the whole thing!

Baby Frankie, All Growed Up

2009-06-29T15:40:00.003-05:00

ahh, baby Frankie, how he's grown. I can't believe he's almost a year old. It seems like just yesterday that he was a baby, and Syd was busy keeping him out of HER pool. We are so pleased about how Frankie is turning out. He's such a handsome little guy, lots of substance, beautiful bone and correct front. Such a little hunk, and lovely to see Hawk in this pretty pup. Now comes the waiting and waiting to see the new Hawk babies, and see how they grow. It will be nice to have more than one puppy to see, and a couple of girls as well!

Hawk's a Dad Again!

2009-06-23T11:52:00.003-05:00

News just came in that Mele had her puppies today. Hawk is now the proud papa of 8 new babies, 6 boys and 2 girls. In Vallhund world, that's a pretty big litter!

- Disclaimer: Since the puppies are not at my house, and history shows that the breeder who has the litter is not a shutterbug like I am, I don't know when I might get any photos of the babies. :-( However, in a couple of weeks, Hawk's breeder Bonnie will be visiting, and she promises to take loads of photos of the puppies when she goes. In the meantime, we'll all have to get our daily dose of puppy cute from Jeri and her Cardigan litter!

And, on a sad note, one of the baby boys was euthanized because he was less than 1/3rd the size of his siblings, and it was determined he has a cleft palate. So, the vet thought it best and most humane for the little baby... we won't forget you, little man.

So the count of happy, healthy, nursing babies is 7. 5 boys, 2 girls.

Recap of Darby's Show Weekend...

2009-06-21T20:35:00.003-05:00

From left to right... WB/BOS on Friday for 2 points. RWB to the major on Saturday. Best Puppy in Match on Friday. WB/BOW/BOS on Sunday for a 3 point major.

And for OC, yes, that's dog show shorthand that means Little Miss Muffin Darby is doing well.

:-) And now, Darby is going to take a well-deserved nap! (photo by Janet Suber)...

Darby's First Show

2009-06-19T21:14:00.003-05:00

Whew, this dog show stuff is hard work! Darby was in her first-ever dog show today. She was a little nervous before we went into the ring, but she settled down and showed like a superstar. And at 6 months and 8 days old, baby Darby went WB/BOS for her first 2 points! Our judge was Helen Lee James, and she was really wonderful with the youngsters. She walked up quietly and just scratched the puppies under the chest and talked to them. Another puppy showing today was just 6 months and 18 days old, so I was appreciative of the gentle demeanor for Darby's first outing. I'm really proud of Darby for being such a good sport.

Then we stayed to watch and cheer for the lovely Scout and our Val-friend Bo in the group. After Best in Show, the Southern Swedish Vallhund Club held a match, and guess who won Best Puppy in Match? Yep, the little Muffin Darby came away the winner once again!

Tomorrow and Sunday are majors in Vallhunds, so we'll just see how it goes. I want Darby to enjoy showing and have a great experience, win, lose, or draw.

In other news, I have permission from Garrett to blog that so far this weekend Justice has a WD and a RWD, Ell has a WB (and maybe BOW too?), and the big news is that Mitcham has won WD and BOW for TWO majors so far! Good job baby Mitcham!

Chillin' in Florida with some Tenny-See friends!

2009-06-18T13:47:00.004-05:00

Well, I made it to Florida on the airplane. And guess what? It's raining here just like it rains back in Missouri. sigh.

Mom said I was a rockstar in my sherpa bag. I napped and was a good girl, which is more than I can say for all the small children on our plane. :-)

So now I'm relaxing in Florida, hanging out by the pool, and... wait! Who's that by my pool??? Well, lookie there, it's Miss Janet and Miss Laura, visiting with Spencer and Magic. What a nice surprise to have some doggie friends to play with this weekend.

Excuse Me???

2009-06-12T20:32:00.005-05:00

Hi! It's me, Darby! I am really excited, because mom says that next week I get to go visit Florida again. The last time I was there, it was winter, and I lived with my brothers and sister. Mom told me this time we are going to go in an airplane, and we will be in Florida after a really short nap. I think that's good, cuz the last trip was really, really long. So mom, what's this funny looking suitcase for? For me? Huh? What do you mean I have to squeeze in there?

OK, so mom says I just have to duck my head a little, like this, and then I will fit really good. So then what? You are going to carry me like a sack of potatoes? And then I have to ride WHERE in the plane? Won't it be dark? And stinky by everyone's feet?

Umm, I think I'm feeling a little sick. I know you said it's a direct flight, and it's only a couple of hours, but still, I think I'm feeling woozy. So remember, those chewies you promise me for the trip had better be REALLY good.

OK, I guess I can take a deep breath and think about this logically. Direct flight, only a couple of hours on the plane, good chewies to occupy me...

On second thought, I'm six months old, so logic isn't in my puppy vocabulary, and I think we have to repeat this whole airplane thing to get back home later. I'm outta here, find yourself some other sucker to stick in this bag!

Bye Bye Winter Coat

2009-06-07T10:31:00.003-05:00

Hi there, handsome. Finally you get to be a post on your own blog again. I missed you last week-you would have loved Montana. But what's going on with your coat? Hmm, usually when I see the first sign of shedding, we start bathing and brushing right away to turn the coat quick. I guess when I'm gone for a week and you decide to blow coat, this is what happens?

Really, I came home from Montana and I noticed Hawk was dropping a lot of hair when he was jumping all over me, bouncing around, barking for my attention. I admit, all the dogs were in need of a bath when I took them over to Jacque's. But I had just put Frontline on, and didn't want to bathe them, and, since they LOVE being "country dogs" out at Jacque's, I knew they would find ways to get as dirty as possible in their big dog yard. So, yesterday was bath day. Eight baths, eight power dries. Oh, my aching back!!!

I did procrastinate Hawk's power dry, though. When I bathed him, nothing seemed too bad. But then I let him shake in the tub, and he instantly became grey and fuzzy. His undercoat seemed to be all on the OUTside! ugh. I knew this was going to be a project. I let him air dry out in the back yard, and then later last night, we went to the front yard for the clean-up.
Hey, this side looks pretty good now. Slightly naked, but pretty, shiny, and sleek! Time to flip around and switch sides...

Yuk. It's funny in these pix you can almost see the dark black line down the center of Hawk's back where the hair is gone from me working on the other side. What a difference! Thankfully, he's almost 6 weeks out from the national specialty, so we have some time to work on new coat!

The Darby Report-With New Photos

2009-06-03T13:53:00.003-05:00

While I'm visiting the great state of Montana for work, Darby is on a sleepover with her Cardigan friend Skyla. Skyla's mother Michelle volunteered (ha ha) to supervise the party. Here's what's happening in Darby's world, as transcribed by Michelle:

"Hey there…not sure if you have access to e-mails or not but wanted to update you on your little girl. She is doing great..she slept almost all night. Got me up at 3:45 this morning to go potty…Skyla used to do the same thing at that age… She is eating well and we have only had one potty accident, which I think is pretty good… She is using her litter box during the day and no messes other wise.

Darby and Skyla are having a great time together running around the yard and knocking each other over. I think Darby is almost wearing Skyla out, which is no small feat…

I am going to try and get the camera out tonight to see if I can get a good picture of the two of them. That should be interesting…"

I have to laugh because if Darby was NOT eating well, I'd ask Michelle to take her to the vet ASAP! Darby does NOT skip food of any kind. And I loved reading that they love to knock each other over. Cheap entertainment for the dogs, I guess. :-)

But, I think I should refer Michelle to my "Photographing Darby" post so she can be prepared for her planned photo session of the two girls!

OK, I stand corrected. Michelle actually caught a couple of photos of the girls today! Of course, the second photo is the blur of Darby-tushy that I know and love. :-) It looks like Skyla is a great playdate and slumber party hostess, and the girls are having fun. I can't wait to get home and hug my dogs.

Photographing Darby

2009-05-07T08:45:00.003-05:00

In our small back yard, with a very fast puppy, I thought I'd share some of the "outtakes" of photographs of Darby. Of course I only usually post the cute photos, but for every photo that actually captures the puppy, there are at least three that don't!

Sometimes we get the "blur" Darby, as she's flying by faster than I can blink.

Then there's the ever-embarrassing "no dog" shot, where the puppy has dashed through and I didn't even catch her at all.

And finally, I capture her. But she's far too busy pestering Hawk to pay any attention to me. Darby has lots of important things to tell the other dogs, so she's quite busy flitting around from dog to dog, telling secrets, grabbing their elbows and ham hocks as they try to flee from her, and just causing general buzz around the yard!

Who's Walking Who?

2009-05-02T13:38:00.004-05:00

I took Mele (visiting Vallhund) and Darby on a walk yesterday during one of our *brief* moments of sunshine. Mele is wearing the blue/green leash, and Darby is in the black/white leash. Not two minutes into the walk, Darby must have felt that I was doing a poor job of walking Mele, so she had to take over that responsibility. Thank goodness Mele is such a sweet girl and a good sport. I'm sure Mele will be glad to get home next week and away from Darby, her constant, annoying shadow!

Honest Scrap Award

2009-04-25T22:12:00.003-05:00

Um, thanks Garrett. Darby was tagged with the Honest Scrap Award. She has to tell 10 truths. This should be good for a 4 month old puppy. And here's Darby...

1. I'm cute and I know it. I like being the center of attention.

2. I think I could beat anydog in an eating contest.

3. I really like my Cardigan brothers and sisters, but my Uncle Nick belongs to me. I own him, and he loves it.

4. Sometimes, just because I'm little, I still have to wake mom up in the night. But usually by the time I wake her up, I have to 'pologize cuz I couldn't wait.

5. I am the undefeated, blue-corgi wrestling champion of the world.

6. I like to pretend I'm a cat, and walk around and through mom's feet, and stop right in front of her to hear her curse and see her dance around. She says she's trying not to squash me, but I think it's funny.

7. I love to drag things around the house. The bigger the better. My favorite is trying to pull a big square dog bed through the cat door of the baby gate. So far, I haven't made it happen, but I'm determined.

8. I didn't used to like meeting new people because I was scared. But now I just can't help myself from running up to people and jumping up to get their attention. I like the new me!

9. At night, I'm kind of a 'fraidy dog when mom takes me on a walk. Last night I jumped straight in the air when a big stick jumped out of the dark in the front yard. I tried to pretend I knew it was just a stick so nobody would laugh at me.

10. The tenth truth I'm here to tell you today, well, it's absolutely, positively the honest truth. You know that sleeping bag that mom hung out on the line to dry? Well, I had NOTHIN' to do with it. I'm telling you I absolutely did NOT pull it off the line, drag it around the yard in the dirt, and then methodically pull all the stuffing out. No. I. Did. Not. It must have been one of the dumb corgis. I keep telling mom that I was trying to HELP, and put the stuffing back IN the sleeping bag. THE END

Darby It Is...

2009-03-31T10:21:00.003-05:00

Hey, it's me, Darby. Did you hear that??? I have a name! It's about time, I gotta tell you how awful it is to be "Hey You," or "Puppy." However, mom still calls me The Muffin a lot, so I'm thinking I'll still be hearing that for a while!

Working Like a Dog

2009-03-20T20:33:00.001-05:00

She may not have a name yet, but she's still got to earn her keep.

Meet Baby Who???

2009-03-03T22:07:00.005-06:00

Umm, well, hold it. I know I introduced the puppy as Elliott/Ellie, but it seems there may be a change in store. It's not so bad, considering I haven't really used the name much yet, and the puppy is completely clueless about who she is. But when there are multiple people involved, things can change, so until further notice, the baby is back to being called "Puppy puppy." sigh.
OK, so I'm late in official introductions, but this is ??????? Well, she'll be known as ????? most days, unless she's in trouble and warrants a three syllable name . She arrived from Florida with the kind help of Allen, who was travelling through on his way to Canada with his Beagle "Xena" and his cat. It seemed meant to be when Allen mentioned to Cheryl that he was driving to Canada, not even knowing that a puppy needed a lift to Kansas City. He was such a good sport and agreed to travel about 1,200 miles with an 11 week old puppy who had never been on a road trip before. Thanks Allen!
So far, ???? is a good puppy, and since the poor thing moved here from Florida and had to endure our 5 inches of snow right off the bat, I'm very glad that she picked up on the dog litter box instantly, without a single accident in her pen. I love smart puppies, but it does worry me to think about yet another smarty pants puppy in the house!

5 Inches of Snow

2009-03-01T08:28:00.004-06:00

Yay... another snow storm. The dogs love it, but all I can think about is the inevitable mud when the temps hit 70 next week.

"Look at ME, Uncle Kane. I can run fast too!"

"Is there something on my nose? I can't see it but I know something's there!"
"Wait for me!"

Here Comes Trouble...

2009-02-24T21:45:00.001-06:00

Green Acres Is the Place for Me

2009-02-12T15:19:00.006-06:00

Hawk sez:

New York is where I'd rather stay.

I get allergic smelling hay. I just adore a penthouse view.

Momma I love you but give me Park Avenue.

You are my Mom. Good bye, city life.

Green Acres, we are there.

Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan Skyline (pronounced MenHATTen by the locals!) from the Miss Ellis Island, pitching back and forth in the chop. bleck

We are finally safely back in the Midwest, safe and sound. I'm pretty sure New York survived us! My friend Lori went with me, and we had a fantastic time. We buzzed around the city on the subway, becoming quite expert at making transfers and moving up a car at a time to make it into the smaller subway stops. We took the bus, and we also walked. And we walked, and we walked. And we took the train. A LOT!

Hawk thought the city was great. The first time we walked out of the Affinia and turned onto 7th Avenue headed toward the Hotel Pennsylvania, he was pretty sure he had found his place in the world. His head was up, ears alert, tail wagging, pulling to the end of his leash and never looking back! I think he would move there without hesitation if he could!

The weather in New York held up for us, and we had lots of sunshine the first couple of days. Even when it was overcast, it was great for sightseeing. The wind was pretty bad on Sunday, but it cleared off, and Lori and I did not let it stop us. Much more later, after I figure out the best way to sort the hundreds of photos I took over the course of our 5 day trip. I keep scrolling through the photo folder, but have not figured out where to even start with the sorting! I think I'll sort at least into dog show folder and city sights folder. But beyond that, it's a cluster!

I really enjoyed almost every minute of the trip, once all the chaos of arrival was behind us. We did not get off to such a great start. When we arrived at the airport in NY, I watched Hawk unloaded from the plane. The luggage handler had his hand on top of Hawk's crate steadying it as it came slowly down the conveyor belt. I watched almost in slow motion through the window of the plane as the crate got to the end of the conveyor belt, and the handler just let the crate fall door first, SMACK onto the tarmac. I screamed, and I was telling Sherri that everyone else on the plane shrieked too. Lori piped up and said, "I think that was just you!" OK, so I shrieked loud enough for everyone on the plane. I was MOST unhappy about seeing my dog dropped off the belt onto the concrete. When we got to baggage claim, it seemed to take forever for Hawk to arrive, and thankfully he was just fine. His crate had a big scuff where the initial impact hit, but the dog was healthy and happy to get out of the box. Our luggage did not make our flight. This was a direct flight, no stops, and our luggage did not arrrive. ARGH. By this point, I was ready to hop the next flight back to KC! Our luggage did get delivered to our hotel later that night, and things got much better after our initial arrival fiasco.

All in all, I'd go back to NYC any time, for a visit. I really enjoyed the city and the people. Everyone we encountered was very nice, and people went out of their way to help explain the subway and train maps the first day. The city was always busy, and we ate some great food, learned some interesting information about the city on our bus tour (I highly recommend this!), and the energy level was always up. I don't know that I would be well-suited to live there, though, because it is exhausting to always be in that high-energy atmosphere!

More from the show later, when I get a chance to go through the pix. I was able to get photos of CWC and SV judging, so have to figure out the best way to share. :-)

Start Spreadin' The News...

2009-02-04T13:48:00.009-06:00

Start spreading the news (doesn't everyone already know we're going to Westminster?),
We're leaving today. (um, Friday really, but it's a really early flight)
I want to be a part of it - New York, New York.
These vagabond shoes (New Balance 766 with shock Abzorb soles, and sparkly Skechers for the show)
Are longing to stray (stray? Hawk's not a stray, and we're not strayin' anywhere outside of our bus map)
And step around the heart of it
New York, New York.
I want to wake up in a city,
That doesn't sleep, (well, Secaucus New Jersey, actually)
To find I'm king of the hill- ah-Top of the heap. (hmm, I'm afraid of heights)
My little town blues
Are melting away (not me, I'm sure I'll be happy to get back to the Midwest)
I'm gonna make a brand new start of it
In old New York.
If I can make it there, I'd make it anywhere (maybe not anywhere, but if Lori and I can get around NYC with our full-color flip maps, we'll know if we could be contenders on Amazing Race!)
It's up to you,New York, New York. (just us girls and the dog, and our double-decker bus tour pass!)

For OC's Mom and her Granddaughters

2009-02-01T18:48:00.004-06:00

Hawk wanted to try from far away to do something small to help during a very sad time for the little girls. So, he's letting his brother Kane, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi,borrow his blog to share this... We hope maybe this will bring a smile, even just for a moment.

Dear Daddy Hawk...

2009-01-31T23:10:00.001-06:00

I found this email in my inbox this afternoon, with the subject "Dear Daddy Hawk."

a preface from Cheryl-
Sarah,
Frankie doesn't know the show was last month. He thinks it will be live. Just go along with it.

Dear Daddy Hawk,

Mom said I can stay up late tonite to watch you on TV...I tolt eberyone in da naborhood to watch you too. Mom says you won't be able to hear me, but I will be cheering for you to win..My dad is a movie star.

Luv, Frankie

MY A-Frame

2009-01-18T15:45:00.006-06:00

So, yesterday my mom left in the middle of the afternoon, and she didn't say where she was going. Then she and Mr. Don drove up with this trailer-thing, and a big blue and yellow thingy on the trailer. All us dogs started barking, cuz we were mad that we got stuck in the house while the humans were clanking around in our backyard.

Pretty soon, Mr. Don drove away with the trailer and mom let all of us out in the yard.

WOWEE! I didn't know what that blue thingy was when it was sideways on the trailer, but now I know it's my very own A-Frame! I know, Mom says it's for me *and* for Syd, but I think it's really just for me. So, I climb to the top, and then I can look around and see lots more stuff than I could see from the ground. So, I kind of like to hog the A-Frame. But then, when the Big Man climbs up and sits at the top, well, it's time for me to go! Mom lets the chains out almost all the way so it's not very steep. She said she doesn't want anyone to get hurt, and then she reminded me that Miss Sherri would kill her if I hurt myself before I get back to work with Miss Sherri in February! So, we will just keep this secret and maybe not mention it to her.
I can't wait til I get to go back to agility classes, mom took me last weekend, and I remembered everything. I was really excited to go have fun. Now I just have to wait for March to get back to a real class, when Sydney moves up to the next class, I can get back to it! There's no photo opportunity with Syd on the A-Frame, because she's up and over and racing through the yard in the blink of the eye.

Making Up for the Elvis Photo

2009-01-02T21:16:00.003-06:00

OK, so I'm trying to make it up to Hawk for the Elvis photo. My friend Lori takes direction well when I manuever the dog. First thing I ask her, sooo sweetly, is, "Um, would you be interested at ALL in getting down on his level in the wet, muddy grass to get a better angle?" Or, "Hey, that rock looks good, could you climb over to the other side so the light will be better?" Well, that one didn't go over so well, but she's a good friend and when I called her this morning and asked her to bring her camera to work with her, she obliged. :-)

We have a lovely trail behind our office building, with three ponds, two waterfalls, and a nice asphalt path that makes about a 1/2 mile circle. This time of year, we also have lots of geese that rest in one of the big fields in the middle of the trail circle. Unfortunately, that means they leave lots of, uh, stuff behind. Hawk had a serious refresher course in "LEAVE IT" this afternoon.

And well, just because I am who I am...

Thank ya, Thank ya very much

2009-01-02T12:27:00.003-06:00

OK, so I'm a terrrible mother. I just gush over how pretty and special my Hawkadoodle is, and how he's done great out showing, and is a handsome, sophisticated guy. And then, well, then I go and ruin everything by posting this...
Complete with sideburns and chest hair, I think perhaps Hawk misunderstood when I called him The King of the house. I have to say, the dog is a great sport! Mel brought that for the dogs last weekend, and Hawk's the only doggie who can barely squeeze into the Elvis Suit.

2008 - A Good Year for the Hawk Man

2009-01-01T09:47:00.002-06:00

2008 was a great year for Hawk. I never would have expected my first Swedish Vallhund to be so successful in the show ring, so wonderful with the rest of the dogs in my home, and basically the perfect dog for the family. I still remember the first time I saw him, I just couldn't stop looking at him. And I didn't even know he was available! Then my nervousness when I decided to take him, WHAT was I doing??? Now I laugh, because Hawk walked in the front door that cold November day in 2005, and he acted like he'd lived here forever. Thanks to Bonnie for letting him come home with me, even if I do live in Missouri. ;-P

Hawk finishes 2008 ranked as the #1 Swedish Vallhund. He finished the year with a Best of Breed win at Eukanuba, and the photo came in the mail this week. It is always thrilling to see Hawk in the ring with Sherri. She just brings out his best, and it looks like Hawk just tries so hard to make Sherri proud of him. What more can I ask for? They made quite a team in 2008, and I know Hawk will be excited to see Sherri again in February.

I also finally got one of Hawk's 2008 Group Placement photos scanned in. I'm just a little behind in getting these things done! I'm pretty sure this was from sometime in October.
Hawk also sired his first "litter," even though Bitsy sadly resorbed all but one puppy. The one puppy had enough personality for an entire Litter, and we are so happy that Frankie arrived safely, and he's growing up so well. He's beautiful, sweet, busy, and happy, all at the same time.

2009 is going to be much quieter for Hawk, and he's going to be at home supervising all Corgi play. It's a very important job, and he was sorely missed during the months he lived with Sherri in Texas!

"Welcome to The Big Show"

2008-12-15T00:55:00.005-06:00

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

2008-11-22T15:14:00.005-06:00

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

2008-10-31T08:39:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-15T13:17:00.003-05:00

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

Hawk on Animal Planet- Dog Championship

2008-10-05T11:43:00.002-05:00

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

2008-09-30T21:00:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-26T18:02:00.007-05:00

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!"

2008-09-24T17:58:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-09-23T19:00:00.002-05:00

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...

2008-09-19T19:58:00.002-05:00

...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?

2008-09-11T17:23:00.004-05:00

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

2008-08-29T10:48:00.003-05:00

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

2008-08-22T10:28:00.005-05:00

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

2008-08-21T22:10:00.002-05:00

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

2008-08-21T22:01:00.003-05:00

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

2008-07-31T10:44:00.008-05:00

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!

2008-07-25T13:27:00.010-05:00

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!

2008-07-23T09:25:00.002-05:00

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

2008-07-21T12:37:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-07-17T07:30:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-07-15T16:46:00.003-05:00

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!