Spooky Good Dogs

So, there I was with two bitches in heat and a show next week. I wish I was joking but this year nothing is a joke. While always a possibility there is a pro/con relationship with your bitches all syncing up. Since we have no say it isn't worth much fuss though. But on Monday after our Barn hunt trial both girls went into heat (and that explains that insanity too).

Thursday after work we picked up the van, packed everything up, and Emily met us at the office with the bonus bun so we could go off on an adventure!

It was our first time taking a large van to a show versus a mini van or one of our own cars because we knew we would have four adolescent/full grown Tamaskans to transport along with all their gear to an outdoor show with the possibility of 2-3 of them being in heat. I can not tell you how happy I am to have made this choice and it will likely be our standard until I settle on a dog van/truck of our own that is literally set up and customized for our furry beasties.

First thing first we set up the van, picked up Loki and hit the road around 9 pm Thursday night. I personally prefer to drive at night as there are less people on the roads, it is cooler for the dogs, and we then have more time on Friday at the show location to familiarize ourselves, do any grooming/touch ups, stop as needed on our way, etc. Loki started out a bit unsettled. He wanted to play with his girls and hang out (which was a huge no go while in the car without very easy access and 100% supervision), but he settled down really well after we got out of the city and hit a consistent pace on the road. We also left both Clara and Sass in the "cage" area loose together but crated Cere just in case anyone was moody or unsettled with all the travel or each other since all three of them are intact and it was entirely possible Cere could go into heat or be in a silent heat (this is when there are no outward signs, but the bitch is capable of becoming pregnant and still may be subject to some symptoms/behaviors related to a heat cycle).

The show was not in King, NC this time, but it was still in North Caroline (near Biltmore/Charlotte. It was still quite the trip for us but I was thrilled that it was a bit shorter of a drive, even if only an hour or so. We got to the area and did a quick stop at the show grounds to look around, run he dogs, let them stretch their legs and so that I could know the drive time from the grounds to our hotel. After that we got everyone unladed at our hotel and settled in. At that point Emily kindly watched the pack (who was on a strict crate/play/potty rotation not only for their safety and comfort, but to be respectful of our fellow hotel guests. I went down to the van and made some quick modifications to make showing a bit easier over the weekend from the van v moving into a venue space.

This was our first Covid show with IABCA but it was my second show/trial during Covid, so I have a bit of an idea of how I wanted things arranged and what the rules were for IABCA. I can't say enough how happy I was with how the safety and comfort of handlers was taken into consideration while still being functional. I think they did have a tough time with this show (a lot of things in play that weren't all in their control) but everyone was very kind, very respectful, and very helpful. We were all adapting as best we could but it was nice to attend an event where so many people were being friendly, kind and helpful, but still respecting the safety and health of others. I wish that wasn't so impressive to me, but we all know I'm pretty blunt and honest and it made me happy. Now on to the dogs!

I'm going to start off with the youngest then move to Cere, and finally Clara. As they grow and after this show I'll likely switch up the order, but for now this is the order they show in, so it is the order I'm going to use:

I'm going to start off with the youngest then move to Cere, and finally Clara. As they grow and after this show I'll likely switch up the order, but for now this is the order they show in, so it is the order I'm going to use:

Kiba:
Bonus puppy! Kiba met up with us at the show so I'm going to give him a quick rundown as well. Amber brought him to the show and entered him in all of the classes with our group. It was so great to see them all again and to see Kiba mostly grown up. He is the same size/form as Loki which is also nice to see in person that they are so similar. With this breed especially I feel it can be hard to tell how big they really are until you have a few together. He was very excited to see everyone and the poor guy had to hang out by the girls all weekend. He was distracted, but that is very normal and they were all troopers and worked through it over the weekend and minded all their manners. These guys (the three PT boat litter pups) were all entered in the Senior Puppy class (9-12 months old) as they are just a little shy of a year old. The boys always run first so Kiba was first to run in our breed over the weekend. This can be very difficult especially for young does so I was very proud of how he did. Amber was great and since this was their second show I'm very happy to see them coming out and giving it all the effort, they have. It will take them a bit of time to be comfortable and get the hang of everything but they were great together and I'm happy to see them working so well together and developing as a team. On the first day Kiba got his G1 in Class #1 and his Express. You will see it seems like something was in the water for Class #2 but he did not receive an applicable card for that class but he was still a very good pup and tried his hardest. This is not at all uncommon with puppies or green dogs and I honestly expected at this show (due to age, Covid, lack of shows and events for practice, etc.) that every puppy would be scratched or not receive G1 cards in at least one of the classes. The second day he came back full force and took best in breed puppy and took third in working group! He also did wonderfully in Class #4 and finished out the day with all the required cards for his Senior Puppy National and International Champion titles. It was sad to see them go, but after that Kiba and his wonderful family had a long drive home that night so they headed out.

Loki:
This boy is my spoiled little goober and I'm not ashamed to say it. he is so goofy and silly. He has no idea how big he is and he was so very happy to see all of us. normally I would have stolen him pretty regularly after he went to his wonderful family. I mean part of the point of looking for that perfect local family was so he could be with the girls and try sports and activities regularly. Sadly, with Covid I actually hadn't seen him since our last show. I really wanted to stay safe and keep his family safe so we didn't play dog vaca until this show presented itself. That means that he had zero prep or practice since Feb when he was around 3 months old and had been living with me practically his entire life. Now he was 6 months older, bigger, and had two silly girls in heat around him. Well, that didn't even phase him. He was alert, happy, and in great form. He ran through his Saturday classes and his express run with ease and joy to be the first of our pups to earn his Senior Puppy National Champion title. While I love watching my little girl kick some puppy butts I am so happy that Loki has his own strengths and excels so well in the ring. He took puppy and bred-by puppy in our breed and also placed second in puppy for working group in the first class and third in bred-by puppy working group for the second class. After all the regular classes he also won Reserve Best in Show for Bred-By for Class #1. He had a rough showing that time in the ring. Was super obsessed with some gum(?) and a rock in the ring so the stack was not consistent - hello puppy attention span. But if I would have had half a brain I would have used the rock as bait (next time, next time). he recovered well though and was really a blast to work. Sunday was more of the same for my goofy rock star. He got G1 in both of his classes and received best bred by puppy in breed for the first class and took third in Bred-By puppy working group. He also took best in bred puppy and bred-by in class #4. That gave him all the cards needed to close out his weekend as IABCA HnrSr Sundog Hatches with the addition of his International and Honors senior puppy titles - making him our highest conformation titled puppy with 6 titles at a little under a year old. Check out "my" bestest of boys!! After the regular classes were completed he was not done and he won me our first Best in Show in Bred-By Exhibitor placement! he took Reserve! And he didn't stop there, yet again he went in the ring with me and took Reserve for Rare Breed Puppy too. Especially considering Covid and all that did we only had two chances at the Bred-By Exhibitor puppy and I really didn't think it would be something we would take or have a chance at with a rare breed and judges that had never seen Tamaskans at all, much less puppies. So I truly was ecstatic and humbled to have Loki place in bred-by and even rare breed (for the same reasons). You may ask why that would be so odd, but the fact of the matter is that it isn't fair to put up newer dogs/breeds unless they are very obviously not only to standard but exemplary models of the breed. This is already difficult with puppies because of growth and phases in development, but even with adults the judges need to be confidant and happy with their placements. All breeds can run in bred-by as long as the exhibitor is the breeder and all breeds considered rare can run in rare breed. For context this can even be a multi-colored poodle as it generally encompasses any breed that is not AKC recognized in the rare breed umbrella. So we aren't just going against 1-2 dogs or even uncommon breeds in a similar position to us. So Since this was the first show we have ever seen a judge a second time with our own dogs and only the second show were a judge had already seen a Tamaskan I don't typically expect our dog to place in these categories, especially not against consistent lines that are multiple generations in and that commonly show and win in the AKC ring. So it really does mean a lot to add these ribbons to my little rack.

Sassenach:
Oh my little sassy girl. I am not exaggerating when i say that I expected her to be scratched from half of her classes. She attended this show purely for the exposure Not only was her coat still a puppy coat v the other Tams all having nice adult coats at this point, but she was in heat. That means she was extra clingy, less than entertained with groping, and in no mood to make millions of new friends. For anyone going ok then why bring her or shouldn’t she just be ok with being examined? isn't that something you need in a show dog or a breeding prospect, etc. Here is the quick version. We are showing to compare to breed standard. Our breed standard says aloof but friendly. This means that they aren't fearful but will be stand off-ish with strangers or be that quiet lurker, waiting to decide if you are worth their time and attention, but that with their people/group they are friendly and kind. You can check out videos of Sass and even see her expression in photos on youtube and instagram, but she is a ham -baked to perfection, golden brown, and decked out for a holiday. But... with her people and complete strangers are not her people. She will sit and look at "you" like "excuse me, is there something you need?" if you cross the polite approach. In all honestly this is exactly what the standard calls for and it has been a fun flip to see it in her when I didn't expect it to be so prominent in a G1 Tamaskan v miss never met a stranger, 3 years of training to avoid getting touched/getting over joyed with attention Clara who I thought would be more like this (for the record Loki is like Clara in this). So With the lack of time in public with strangers due to Covid and the complexities of having her first heat cycle it is an understatement to say I didn't expect much - I expected nothing with a big fat N. That said she did really well. Her form was wonderful and she was beautiful in the ring. She looks smaller than she is because of her coloring as opposed to the lighter, red boys, so she just wasn't as majestic/impressive. But man, does she move with a different level of grace than all of our other dogs. I would have killed for her to win but having friends and strangers say how well she moved and how well she was put together filled my heart so much. She also did so well in Express. We had already seen this judge in Feb at the last show so it was a great surprise for us all for her to be able to see the puppies again at a different stage. I really hope that we will be lucky enough for her to see them all sometime before 2 and again around 4-8. So much so that I will be making a point to try to get to shows where she is in those ages so someone can have seen them at all these different development points and give us some feedback on them in that context. She loved Sass and Sass remembered her and was wonderful for the exam which alleviated those little voices that I get with her as I try to balance her natural temperament with exposure and work to compensate for anything I can as we continue on our journey. In normal sassy fashion for Class #2 she was having none of it but I can't blame her. There was a concert event setting up on property and within seconds of entering the ring they started doing sound checks in addition to vehicles and other things going on (even banging on the metal roof). She didn't spook or stir, but she was highly entertained and occupied with the world around her with no inclination to stand for her exam. I chose to scratch her and the judge was kind enough to still let her go through the motions of the class so that she would have to work through the distractions but also remain happy, confidant, and comfortable. On Sunday. She was back in full form. She was excellent for her exams and was handled by multiple people in and out of the ring (I can't handle more than one dog in the ring at a time and Loki and Sass often go up against each other. She received all of her cards to complete her Senior Puppy National and International titles and made a few new friends - I couldn't have asked for more.

Cere:
This is a great milestone for Cere the wonderful bonus bun! She is no longer entered in the puppy groups... she is a big girl now and gets to run in adult. Yay! this is only Emily and Cere's second show so I can't even express how proud I am of them. Cere was definitely still in puppy mode but after some work over the weekend, building focus, being better working and waiting at a distance, etc. she really grew a lot over the weekend. She is very excitable in the ring but Emily got some great advice and had some wonderful practice. The judges were amazing and the first judge was especially helpful for them - a great start off for the weekend. Cere had a similar struggle to Sass in Class #2 as she ran immediately following us. and Emily similarly chose to scratch Cere but give her a fun run in the ring. She also did impeccably in express with the judge she already knew and Cere and Emily were ore confidant and comfortable with someone they knew what to expect and how they wanted them to run (Each judge has their own style of judging and examining, this can be extremely difficult and stressful for a new handler and a new dog. While it is part of the sport and the experience it really makes a world of difference when you are working through things, have silly puppies, or are just having a rough day.). On Sunday Cere was back in form and they were both more comfortable. We had some time to work with her and Loki on distraction and handler focus before we had to go into the ring so they both could be comfortable with different handlers and seeing each other run past, stop, etc. nearby to make them roe at ease in and out of the ring. It really made a world of difference for them even though it was only about 30 minutes of training. I say this because if you have time to practice and look at what your dog needs even only a few repetitions or a little extra work can really make a huge difference for you, your dogs, and your fellow competitors when it comes to everyone being more at ease. Cere the wonder bonus bun ended the weekend with four V1 cards and a great attitude. Emily chose to use one of her cards to polish off her existing baby puppy honors title and the remaining three cards were put to her National Champion adult title. This makes her the first NTC registered Tamaskan to finish off that (or any) set of puppy titles and the first to earn an adult title. I'm so proud of how far Emily and Cere have come in under a year of being together and can't wait to see them working on their next adult title at a show soon.

Clara:
Clara my patient, sweet girl. This show was not one we planned on attending and was pretty last minute. Because of that and her typical heat cycle shenanigans Clara is a bit pudge pudge at the moment (by my standards). Y'all may notice I typically keep my dogs in very good shape, but something that has happened to Clara every year to date is that she looses 10-15+ lbs when she goes into standing heat. It just drops off of her. Because of this I often put weight on her as we get within 3 months or so of her cycle then she drops the weight in cycle and we go about our lives. But since she only started her heat that week she hasn't dropped the weight yet - oops. So I expected her to do well, but I was also 100% prepared for some pudge comments. Class #1 and we got it. No one can say I'm not prepared, right? Anyway. She still did wonderfully and this is a very happy/sad show for me. As the puppies grow up Clara remains in the adult group. This is the first show Cere moved to adult but also the last show the puppies will not be in direct competition with her in best in breed and any best in show options. So this was her last shot at those if I did my job as a breeder barring any random anomalies. So I wanted her to have a ton of fun and for us to possibly get her some placements on her last hurrah! You may also be like well Cere was in adult! why are you so cocky about Clara beating her?!?! And the fact is that Cere still looks and acts like a puppy right now compared to a fully realized adult in proper coat meeting the breed standard Clara is also a very nice example of a G3 in our breed. Cere is an amazing dog I am blessed to know and be able to work with along with her handler. But she is a G1 with an outcross sire that makes her appear more like a Belgian in many, many ways, especially at this age where she was literally only days over a year old with only a single show under her very fluffy belt. Anyway.....back to the show. Clara took best in breed adult for all four classes over the weekend, sailed right through her express. She also took veteran in breed and working group for each class and reserve in all four best in show events. I can't even stress how much easier she is to show than the puppies (for very obvious reasons) and how relaxing it is to run her after handling them. She also gets to run in Gold Cup (reserved for dogs that receive a V1 that weekend and are titles as honors or higher) and she took Bronze in that class. There were some stunning dogs including a friends Rottie and I was thrilled that she would have even placed. Lastly Clara ran in family with Loki and Sass. They were wonderful and took Champion with a nice run around the ring. So my wonderful girl closed out the weekend with her fourth and final Honors level title as IABCA HnrCH-G (Honors Champion Gold) White Elk Isabella Bird at Sundog. She has two additional V1 cards left from the weekend and will hopefully complete her next title before the end of the year if we can manage anther show this year.

It was a full and long weekend, but it was a lot of fun. Everyone was very well behaved, happy with all the adjustments and rotations to keep everyone happy and healthy. When we got home they even had a full day to play because we left late Sunday night and got back to New Orleans around noon on Monday. So while I cleaned out and emptied the van we let everyone have some play time and stretch their legs together. It was so nice to give them that and have them running around with each other and saying hello at the office. Loki even got to play with Mouse at the house a bit before he headed home that evening.

Stay tuned for ore crazy adventures with the Sundog Pack - you never know what they will be doing next as I don't seem to know myself lately, but there is no doubt it will be entertaining at the very least!