Modelling



A few weeks ago the dogs and I were asked to model for some budding photographers at a training day held by Nicky Woods Photography.

I still don't have the words to sum the day up! It was just perfect. 

I took all 5 of the dogs along and despite having two rowdy youngsters who had zero modelling experience, they all worked incredibly hard for me.

The sun was out, despite the forecast and it was a real pleasure spending time with other dog crazy people!

We all had a picnic lunch, plenty of tea breaks and chance to chat. It was fascinating watching some of the dogs acting in their working capacity whilst being photographed too.

I don't have all of the images back yet, so may need to update this post again in future but here are some of my favourites.

Lovaton Horse and Dog Show

 

It was a real privilege to be asked to judge the dog show at Lovaton this year.

I have supported Lovaton Show on many occasions over the years, both with the horses and the dogs.

I love the ethos of the show and the atmosphere that Trish; the event manager and her team tries so hard to create - a relaxed fun show in a supportive family environment. 

That was most certainly the case this year. 

My excellent stewards and I saw a lovely array of dogs; from dashing dobermans, to sensational spaniels and everything in between. It was a joy to judge them all. They were all impeccably behaved and a real credit to their owners.

The children's handling class was particularly fantastic and all of the children showed such sportsmanship. It was lovely hearing them encouraging each other whilst they each waited their turn - everything the show is about!

It is no secret that the sausage munching class was the one I had looked forward to the most, and it did not disapoint! I had expected chaos, but again the dogs behaved impeccably and we had so much fun.

Judging the Best in Show was incredibly difficult. We found it so so tough choosing our favourites. 

But in the end there could only be one winner - Bruce the American Bully, who was just 15 weeks old and had never entered a show before. I am the first to admit that these dogs aren't usually my 'type' but he took everything in his stride today and was such a calm gentle little guy. I am sure he has the brightest of futures ahead of him.

Reserve was Masie our lovely lab. Another gentle, kind soul who was handled amazingly well in the children's class and was very much 'with' her young handler.

I'd like to thank everyone who entered the show today for coming along. You all made it what it was. And it really was a superb day!

I'd also like to thank my fantastic stewards - Adam and Jade. They both worked really hard and to have such brilliant photographs of the day is the icing on the cake.

We look forward to supporting the show again in future. Thank you to the Lovaton team for having us! 

Perfect Pasha at Premier Groom

Just wanted to share a proud breeder moment! 

Yesterday, young Pasha competed in his first ever grooming competition at just 8 months old!

Premier Groom is a huge competition,  held at the Kennel Club Building in Stoneleigh.

The aim of the competition is for exhibiting groomers to show transformation and skill in their grooms, so dogs attend freshly washed but haven't been trimmed for quite some time.

Exhibiting groomers are judged on their use of tools as well as the quality of the groom and the competition is timed. There are different categories of entrants, dependant on their level of experience - beginner, intermediate etc as well as breed specific classes for poodles, setters/spaniels, dogs that require hand stripping.

Pasha was groomed into the German trim, which is not an easy style to trim at all. Especially for a puppy who has not yet got an adult coat texture. Unfortunately there was no placement for Pasha on this occasion but I believe that as he matures in both body and coat this style will just get better and better.

I am incredibly proud of Pasha for competing at this event and at such a young age too! It really is testament to his wonderful temprament. I am looking forward to following his journey as a grooming competition dog.

Good boy Pasha!

Goodbye Basil

Basil was my Mum's cat and has been very much a part of our family for many years.

He was a sweet, loving boy and a typical cheeky (and permanently hungry!) Devon Rex. He was also very cuddly and great with my Nephew Jack, Mum's other two cats and the poodles.

At nearly 18 years of age he had been slowing down in recent months, but then yesterday at 3 am he had a stroke and lost the use of his legs on one side. Mum managed to get an emergency appointment at the vets right away but his prognosis wasn't good and so she made the difficult decision to let him go.

We are all very very sad, but letting him go with dignity and kindness was what our special little chap deserved.

I know that we are all going to miss him lots. The sofa at Mum's will always feel empty without him and we will be able to open the fridge without him trying to climb inside. I guess it is always the silly little things that you miss the most.

Basil has been laid to rest in his favourite spot in the garden. 

Sleep tight Basildon Bond. Thank you for all of the love ❤️ 

A Day Out With Dodger

 

Oops!

I almost forgot to share these!

A couple of weeks ago Edna and I decided to have a day out and spend some 1:1 time together. This is something I like to do with all of my dogs from time to time and it did not disapoint! 

We were invited by our friend Leanne to go with her to The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall and we had a wonderful day mooching around with our dogs. 

Leanne's beautiful boy is called Dodger - he is a boxer pup aged just 11 months and honestly, I am obsessed!

I have never really spent any time with this breed before, but wow this guy blew me away! He is kind and funny and SO human. I really enjoyed his company and the funny faces he pulls are the very best.

Boxers are real comedians and I think if I wasn't allergic to dogs I'd have one of these guys in a heartbeat. They are every bit as athletic as a poodle and are just so much fun!

Anyway, here are some photos of our day. We didn't take many as we were enjoying ourselves too much, but I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Summer Scavenger Hunt

 

Some of my puppy owners and our friends have joined us in gaining our Summer Scavenger Hunt title for our poodles.

This title was done with Do More With Your Dog and we each had to take photos or videos of our dogs doing a set variety of 15 things in order to obtain the title.

Here are some of my favourite images that we submitted.

(No bunnies were harmed for this image)

Huge Congratulations to Sarah and Otis, Helen and Pasha, Jasmine and Sully and to my three - Stan, Elsie and Nancy for gaining their titles.