Bella

 

This is Bella.

Bella is a GSD mix.

Around 4.5 years ago Bella was dumped on me on Christmas eve by a 'friend' who couldn't be bothered with a puppy any more. She was just 10 weeks old.

I rehomed Bella fairly quickly to a lovely family and she settled in brilliantly.

She is a fantastic family dog and has lived with cats, other dogs and children. Her favourite pastime is lying in the hallway on her back with her legs in the air. She's also a real water baby and loves swimming.

Unfortunately the lady who has Bella has become bedbound and has been in denial about it for quite some time, hoping she would get better. She has now decided that she needs to do what is best for Bella and so she is once more available for rehoming.

Bella will need bringing into exercise and some gentle retraining - she hasn't been for a walk in quite some time.

Bella is a typical GSD and isn't trustworthy around livestock. There has never been any incident but she would chase if she was given the chance. She can go off lead, but not on Dartmoor. 

I am looking for a lovely lifetime home for Bella, with someone who can offer her a daily walk and is prepared to invest some time in some training classes with her to refine what she already knows. Bella loves to learn and her full brother from a previous litter is a mountain rescue dog so she has lots of potential.

Yet More Shows!

This weekend was another fun packed one, as we attended Paignton and District Championship Dog Show on Sunday which is a show managed by our wonderful friend Chris Briggs from Briggsy's Grooming Salon in Barnstaple, North Devon.

This show is hands down my favourite of the season. It is held just an hour from home, in Exeter and is always run very professionally whilst maintaining a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Peggy and I had a fantastic day and we did incredibly well. Pegs worked so hard for me and was such a good girlie.

We placed 2nd in Postgraduate Bitch (the largest class in breed) and 3rd in Open Bitch.

This means we have now qualified for Crufts 3 times over!

We also saw some of our friends at the show- Jade who placed 1st in her class with Inca and Emily who has done ridiculously well with her poodles in their agility classes and qualified them for the finals!

Well done Rufus and Heidi!

At the end of the show Peggy got to have a little run around the exercise area, which of course she loved. It is so nice to go to a show that has a designated area in which dogs can be exercised safely. At home and in our regular life Peggy is rarely on a lead, so having the ability to let her off for some fun was very much appreciated. 

We really did have a fantastic day! I'm only sad that I have to wait a whole year for the next one!

Massive thanks again to Chris Briggs, Mark Elliott and the rest of the committee for putting on this event. Your hard work is so very appreciated! 

A Pupdate

I have had some lovely photos of our past pups sent across to me recently so I thought I'd share them below.

I am very grateful for having such wonderful puppy families who stay in regular contact. I do so love to hear how they are getting on.

Above is Otto who is looking out of a stable door and saying 'Hi friends!'

And here is Vincent on his snuggly Scottish holidays.

 

Floyd at the groomers.

Otis relaxing on his cool matt.

Blu enjoying a sunny walk.

Hugo aka the great moustachio in his garden.

 Bea (formally Thumbelina) at the groomers.

Jackson enjoying a day out at Dean Castle, Scotland. Love the collar, very swish! 

Sawa and Pola enjoying a wander in the woods.

Rex, horsing around.

Winnie on a sunset wander.

And Eddison, with his fantastic hair!

More Shows!

 

Well, the Marcasite team continues to have showing success.

Young Floyd and Leigh-Anne recently went to Leeds Championship Show and the Northumbrian Poodle Club shows.

At Leeds Floyd placed 1st in Puppy Dog and VHC in puppy Stakes.

At the Poodle Club Floyd placed 1st in Puppy dog and also got Best of Opposite Sex.

Floyd also had a lovely critique from the Judge at Leeds

 'Black puppy who was very collected on the move and really enjoyed his day. Masculine head with a good body, all round very well presented. Just needs time as young male standards do.' 

 What an amazing critique! Both Leigh-Anne, Jade (Floyd's groomer) and I are thrilled to bits with this critique. We'll even forgive the judge for not realising he is blue.

Meanwhile, Peggy and I did some local shows (please forgive her wonky hair. It rained. A lot!)

On Saturday we placed 3rd in Graduate Bitch at Wiveliscombe and District Open Show. 

And then yesterday we went to East Cornwall Hunt Pony Club Dog Show. Peggy got 1st in Best Pedigree, 3rd for Best Condition and Special for Best Groomed. We then went on to win Reserve Best in show!

All in all I am very much enjoying showing this seson. I still find it nerve wracking at times but I am learning so much and meeting some really lovely people. I spent my day at Wiveliscombe chatting to a lady with Hungarian Pulis and learning about how to groom the corded coat. Fascinating!

Rex and Imi

How incredible is this?

13 year old Imi and 9 month old Rex doing some training together.

What a fantastic team they make!

Dog Show Season

Apologies for the radio silence, things have been a little busy here at Marcasite Poodles HQ.

Firstly shows have begun again, so we have done a fair bit of travel recently.

Young Floyd is also being shown this season so I have been helping his owner who has never shown a dog before. Although honestly, I am still very much a beginner myself!

Our first show was Cheshire Agricultural. Peggy placed 3rd in Graduate class and then won her special beginners stakes class, against 22 other dogs which was a real buzz.

Floyd placed 2nd in Puppy class - a very respectable place for his first ever show. What an excellent start for him!

The dog's favourite part of the day was of course when they got to have an off lead run together.

Our next show was Southern Counties Championship show in Berkshire.

Peggy placed VHC (very highly commended) in Graduate Bitch, which was a very strong class and 3rd in Special Beginners.

Floyd placed Reserve in his class. Clever boy!

My lovely friends Shelley and Chris from Izzandi poodles were also at this show with their two dogs - Margo who is Edna's half sister (half aunt to Peggy and Floyd) and Jolene, their white girl.

Margo placed 1st in Veteran Bitch and qualified for Crufts!

Jolene placed VHC.

All in all a very good day.

I didn't take many photos at this show but here's a picture of Peggy's certificates and a video of her and Floyd having a run afterwards.

We then went to East of England Open and East of England Championship shows in Peterborough. 

At the open show Peggy took a 3rd in AVNSC graduate and a 2nd in AVNSC open. 

Floyd took a 3rd in AVNSC puppy.

The Championship show went even better. Floyd took a 1st, winning the Minor Puppy Dog class and qualifying for Crufts!

Peggy then took a 2nd in Postgraduate Bitch and also qualified for Crufts. We placed behind our friend Shelley's Jolene which also means that she qualified too!

Peggy also took a 2nd in Special Beginners, with our friend Jade handling her. Poor Jade couldn't show her dog Inca that weekend as she was in season.

So Crufts 2022 is going to be a real family affair, with two of Edna's babies competing alongside half sister Margo and Jolene. We only need Jade to qualify Inca now and we will have a lovely group of Poodle mamas able to bench and prepare our dogs together.

I am honestly so excited!

We do have a couple more shows coming up in the near future too, which I am looking forward to.

Massive congratulations to Leigh-Anne and Floyd, Shelley Margo and Jolene. Crufts 2022 here we come!

*Thank you to Sian, Leigh-Anne and Shelley for some of these photographs.