Hi all,

Well, even though we have established that we will not be having one of Geoff's litter mates, I am still sulking over the fact :-)

Geoff has come from a very good litter and Ruby our 16 month old, even though in our eyes she is beautiful, hasn't even had a second glance at the four open shows we have competed in so far.

We have well and truly got the showing bug now and would like to continue, and show Geoff when he is old enough.

Will just have to be patient now and hopefully next year there will be some equally good litters around. :-(

I'm not very good at being patient though.......

Nicki xx

Take the time and enjoy the window shopping....

I am UTTERLY smitten by TT's now.. and window shopping for my next which will be a while as with five dogs here already and Errol isnt quite 8 months yet, it would be a nightmare!!!

I plan to have a hoarde of them, all hairy and laughing and whizzing about and being generally devious little mountain goats! (My OH may kill me...).

He he theemx I am chuckling at that.....

I know it would be stupid to have another just now, mine are 3 years four months, 16 months and 13 weeks, I just love having a houseful of dogs, I'm a glutton for punishment as it is already a mad house! :-)

My heart completely runs away with my head and I loose all sense of what is sensible, practical and normal ha ha!

Good job my OH is sensible, although at the time that I want something it irritates me to hell! :-)

Nicki xx

> mine are 3 years four months, 16 months and 13 weeks,

Lol you are already one ahead of where is sensible if your aim is to stick to just five.  You need to wait about five years now.

Brainless - Lol, I know, when we get to five though that will be it, regardless of their ages, until they slowly start to pass, which I am well aware is going to be a long time (or at least I hope it is!).

I know some people think I'm bonkers for wanting another right now. To be honest had the breeder that we got Geoff from had sold all of them now we wouldn't be looking for another right now, its just because I know that they are there.......:-)

Nicki xx

Being serious now, as I have seen it often.

People get up to numbers in five or so years.

if showing/trialing etc they soon end up with no dogs to show/work as they have nothing but veterans, they then stop going to shows  loose touch with the breed/activity and then have the heartache and expense of a houseful of oldies which they loose close together.

Far better to have a good spread of ages so at any time when up to your maximum, you have the young up and coming, the one in it's prime the one just getting into veteran and a wise old owl.

With the ages and life stages spread out you can enjoy each aspect of the dogs life with one at a time.

Good point, taken.

I do take my responsibilities as a dog owner seriously though can I just say that.

Thanks Brainless.

Nicki xx

> I do take my responsibilities as a dog owner seriously though can I just say that.
>
>

Oh I never doubted it, it is just hard to imagine what it may be like in 12 years time, especially if you have never been through the entire circle of life in your adult dog ownership.

>Geoff has come from a very good litter and Ruby our 16 month old, even though in our eyes she is beautiful, >hasn't even had a second glance at the four open shows we have competed in so far.

I wouldn't worry about this too much ;)  Just get as much practise in as you can with your youngster, you will be learning as much as the pup :)  little and often is best and don't practise her so much she gets bored ;)  5 minutes a day - max!   and not every day ;)   she may be better than you realise or she may not, but if you are still a learner then best to learn with her than hold back a fab pup because of inexperience ;)

My Champion girl was ignored in open shows until she was 3 years old and on 2 CCs    She qualified for Crufts at her first Ch show and gained her first CC at the second one

Remember, showing should be fun for you and the dog :-D

I know Brainless, your right, you have made some very good points, things that I wouldn't have even considered, I think I am just in overdrive since I left home three and a bit years ago as we wasn't allowed dogs! Lol.

Dill - Thanks for the encouragement, everyone keeps telling us not to give up with her, we practice little and often, and we have started ringcraft. We'll just have to see how it goes. If anything like you have said at least we are getting the practice in for Geoffrey when he is old enough to compete in November.

Thanks again guys.

Nicki xx

Nicki,

Don't worry about placings at this time if you are still learning, i know with my 1st boy who is just over 2 now and was my first show dog did ok at shows and was placed but i was still learning(still am at every show) and he didn't look all that great as he was so gangly and had no substance to him.
He is now looking so much better and is still doing ok, well better than he did previously, and we managed our first 1st placing at a champ show this year, so well chuffed with that.
I have my pup who is coming out this month to shows, he is looking ok when training, but we'll see what happens at shows, which i am nervous about.
I think Brainless has given some very sound advice on here about the age gap and its something i am well aware of for the future for my next dog, just trying to deliberate is it going to be another Berner or something different to add to the mix, keep changing my mind on that.

Just realised that your young bitch is the same age as my youngest :)  I am 'resting' her from showing at the moment and will start back up again possibly in the autumn.   She started with a bang and got BPIS at the breed Ch show at 6 months 2 days and followed that with BPIS at the Terrier club of S.Wales open show.  Since then she's been placed at all but one show, but now she's looking like a toast rack and all gangly - she needs to put some body on and grow some furnishings.  She also needs to grow up a bit as she's very silly at the moment ;)   No point in showing her as I wouldn't pick her out in a line-up at the moment ;)     Her lines mature late so there's plenty of time :)

Just remember YOU always take the best one home :-D

Hi Dill,

I know, if she never comes anywhere in a show ever to me and my OH she is still by far the best dog there :-)

I do wonder if we should take her out of the scene for a while, to train her and ourselves up a bit more, I am aware that Setters mature very slowly too so maybe she will come into her own in a year or so, I have been told by lots of people at shows not to give up on her, but when I see some of the others, even our pup, there is no comparison. I don't know whether we should just accept that Ruby is just a pet.

Nicki xx

> Geoff has come from a very good litter and Ruby our 16 month old, even though in our eyes she is beautiful, hasn't even had a second glance at the four open shows we have competed in so far.
>

I too wouldnt worry about that.  I had been showing Cher, who finished her Championship quickly, hardly ever not placing.  Then I started to handle her brother Sonny, who I believe is the better dog between the two, and showed him for well over a year, only gaining one point towards his Championship (Beating his CH sister, Cher).  I think Sonny deserves his Championship, very much so.  People keep saying its his colour that is holding him back (a Black and Rust, in a ring full of Reds - its always harder to finish a black and rust, they arent seen often) but it would be nice if judges would look past a colour that is completely acceptable within the breed, and look at the dog as a whole.  Actually had one judge at ringside say to the stewart "I hate blacks".  But if you read the Min Pin standard, Sonny is it by far!!! 

Hi guys,

Just a small update on the puppy sulk situation......

The OH gave in and said I can have one of Geoff's litter mates, but I'm not going to have one.......still brooding though, it's driving me mad! :-)

Nicki x