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It's A Doggie, A Doggie Doggie Weekend
Managed to make it out to a dog show Saturday morning - limited hours, as the nephews were coming over to be babysat and many errands had to be run before that, but I got out there. Got some very lovely sunshine and fresh air to boot. And many, many dogs.
The weird event at the show: I was walking towards a group of dogs with photographic intent when a woman I've never met stopped me and asked if I was busy. Befuddled, I said no. Great, says she, watch my dogs - and hands me two Shiba Inus, Portia & Chico. A lot of people at dog shows don't like strangers looking at or speaking to their dogs, and she just hands off $5K worth of canine to one. It developed that she shows two different breeds (Shibas and Irish Wolfhounds, there's a combination!) and the two breeds were scheduled to show at the same time in different rings. So she handed off the two Wolfhounds to her hubby (who then shanghaied a stranger himself) and hailed me to take the two Shibas that weren't showing at that moment. Oooo-kay then.
I quickly became Portia's keeper - the poor little girl was absolutely terrified. Shaking like a leaf and the tail that should have been curled over her back was between her legs. So I found myself sitting on the ground, petting and cooing to a dog I'd just met, trying desperately to calm her down. Portia was such a wreck that her owner flagged down yet another stranger to take Chico, so I could look after Portia. In time Portia calmed down a wee bit and her owner handed me the third Shiba, Hot Rod, and took Portia into the ring, where she proceeded to have a complete meltdown. So I wound up with Portia again, trying to soothe her enough to get her back to her crate. Her owner later told me it was Portia's fourth show, and this was the best she'd been at one, which she attributed to me. Myself, I think Portia is not a show dog, and the poor girl should be left at home.
Anyhoo, did get some decent photos of some breeds (although not of Shibas or Wolfhounds!), broke down and bought a beautiful metal etching of fall leaves, and even got a touch sunburned. So a good if somewhat odd day at the fairgrounds. Then the little guys came over, and were generally better than they were a few weeks ago. We got them to watch Wallace & Gromit and stay settled long enough to sleep. Their parents changed their minds and fetched them around 11:30pm instead of leaving them overnight.
Sunday, it was a whole lotta dogtraining. CJ missed her class last week while I was at EMC, so she had a double class. Two hours of intense obedience. Meep. I was more of a mess than CJ was most of the time, and CJ excelled in the 'come' exercises, but she also nipped a store employee. Terrific. Then home, just in time to watch the Ravens implode and a whole lotta last second upsets that really did a number on my football pool. Whatta weekend.
The weird event at the show: I was walking towards a group of dogs with photographic intent when a woman I've never met stopped me and asked if I was busy. Befuddled, I said no. Great, says she, watch my dogs - and hands me two Shiba Inus, Portia & Chico. A lot of people at dog shows don't like strangers looking at or speaking to their dogs, and she just hands off $5K worth of canine to one. It developed that she shows two different breeds (Shibas and Irish Wolfhounds, there's a combination!) and the two breeds were scheduled to show at the same time in different rings. So she handed off the two Wolfhounds to her hubby (who then shanghaied a stranger himself) and hailed me to take the two Shibas that weren't showing at that moment. Oooo-kay then.
I quickly became Portia's keeper - the poor little girl was absolutely terrified. Shaking like a leaf and the tail that should have been curled over her back was between her legs. So I found myself sitting on the ground, petting and cooing to a dog I'd just met, trying desperately to calm her down. Portia was such a wreck that her owner flagged down yet another stranger to take Chico, so I could look after Portia. In time Portia calmed down a wee bit and her owner handed me the third Shiba, Hot Rod, and took Portia into the ring, where she proceeded to have a complete meltdown. So I wound up with Portia again, trying to soothe her enough to get her back to her crate. Her owner later told me it was Portia's fourth show, and this was the best she'd been at one, which she attributed to me. Myself, I think Portia is not a show dog, and the poor girl should be left at home.
Anyhoo, did get some decent photos of some breeds (although not of Shibas or Wolfhounds!), broke down and bought a beautiful metal etching of fall leaves, and even got a touch sunburned. So a good if somewhat odd day at the fairgrounds. Then the little guys came over, and were generally better than they were a few weeks ago. We got them to watch Wallace & Gromit and stay settled long enough to sleep. Their parents changed their minds and fetched them around 11:30pm instead of leaving them overnight.
Sunday, it was a whole lotta dogtraining. CJ missed her class last week while I was at EMC, so she had a double class. Two hours of intense obedience. Meep. I was more of a mess than CJ was most of the time, and CJ excelled in the 'come' exercises, but she also nipped a store employee. Terrific. Then home, just in time to watch the Ravens implode and a whole lotta last second upsets that really did a number on my football pool. Whatta weekend.