Crufts 2015

A couple of weekends ago I loaded 3 dogs into the car and made the annual pilgrimage to the Birmingham NEC for the mad day that is Crufts.

I got there just in time to get stuck in the dire traffic queuing to get in which meant that I got into the venue just in time to get the dogs brushed before judging started.  More or less. 

First up for the Infindigo gang were Ukko with me and Kuura with Jane in Postgraduate dog followed by Rauhan who placed 2nd in Limit Dog.  Luckily Mark Treasure was there with his ever-ready camera because without him I would have had no photos at all.

Ukko was such a good boy, considering he doesn't exactly go to shows regularly

Gorgeous Kuura

Rauhan standing like a little star

Next up was Talvi, VHC in Junior Bitch and then Kiittaa who placed 3rd in Postgraduate Bitch and Emmi Reserve in Limit Bitch.

Ian & Talvi

Kiittaa & Lexi looked rather shocked about something

Jane with Emmi the little pro

Finally there was Neka.  It was 2 weeks before her 11th birthday, her 10th and final Crufts.  As usual, she had an absolute blast.  Not only that, but she also qualified for her 11th Crufts by placing 3rd in Veteran Bitch.  So proud of my old girl.

My sweet Neka, the old pro

Look how happy she is!

happy birthday ...

... to the Persikka litter who are 4 years old today!

What a gorgeous bunch they are now at 4 years - and what a gorgeous bunch they were at 4 weeks.

I must confess that I raided some people's Facebook pages for some of these photos and just plain nicked them.  That's right, I'm shameless like that.  Had to be done. 

Persikka Kuura  -  aka Kuura  -  formerly known as Junior

 

Persikka Bo  -  aka Bo  -  formerly known as Budgie

Persikka Sonni  -  aka Buddy  -  formerly known as Kicker

Persikka Tippi  -  aka Tippi  -  formerly known as Honey

Persikka Marja  -  aka Marja  -  formerly known as Marilyn

Persikka Ukko  -  aka Ukko  -  formerly known as Kuusi

Persikka Kasari  -  aka Sisu  -  formerly known as Vee

happy birthday...

... to the beautiful Persikka puppies who are 3 years old today.  Here's how they looked at 3 weeks. 

If their owners are tuning in, they should feel free to send me a recent photo.  Just sayin.

Kuura - who was Elias Jr

Bo - who was Budgie

Sonni aka Buddy - who was Kicker

Tippi - who was Honey

Marja - who was Marilyn

Ukko - who was Kuusi

Kasari aka Sisu - who was Vee

puppies' first show

So Becca & I set off for the Three Counties show. It was a wonderfully warm, sunny day with a slightly blustery wind. Perfect dog show weather. Never mind that by the time we got into the ring, an enormous black cloud full of rain had swept down the Malvern hills on a ferocious wind and sent dogs, exhibitors and judges scurrying for cover in the sheds and tents with all their various stuff.

Now. Didn't I firmly vow to take the posh camera to this show and properly record Tippi & Ukko's first foray into the showring? Er, yes, I'm pretty sure I did just that very thing in my last post. Well, with no Jay on hand to mind the valuables, I thought it best to leave that particular camera at home. But surely I brought the other, good enough if not very great, camera along, right?

Er... um... enough with all the questions already! Dead battery, yadda yadda yadda. Best we concentrate on the positive. What it comes down to is that I have a few photos of Ukko that Becca took with her camera and a few truly dreadful ones that I took on my phone. Better than nothing? Hmmm, maybe.

Here they are waiting in their crates like a pair of very well behaved puppies before all the excitement of getting brushed and ready for their big debut.



"Don't I know you?"





























First up was Ukko's class and I took him in because Becca was positively green with nerves. He did his trot round the ring exceptionally well and was very good indeed about letting the judge go over him. He was even happy to show her his teeth. As for standing, well he wasn't too sure about that, but by the end of the class he was really getting the hang of that too.




Anything for a slice of sausage
























While I got Neka ready for the ring, it took surprisingly little persuasion for Becca to take Ukko into the puppy stakes class. He was so well behaved and did her proud on Becca's first ever time in the ring as well.







"Stand. No, not sit. Stand."












In the meantime, Susan was in the ring with Tippi while me and my terrible phone camera were standing further away than ever.







































Tippi was a real pro at standing, and she also trotted beautifully around with Susan. Unfortunately she was determined to get at the treats without letting the judge anywhere near her. After the judging I took her around to a few strangers for some practicing and she let them go all over her with no problem at all. It's just a matter of getting her accustomed to the new situation and I'm sure she'll be fine.

Our judge was Mrs J P (Ginty) Gill-Davis and I must say she was so nice with the puppies. Judges tend to vary rather a lot in terms of their patience with - or, in some cases, even interest in - puppies. Mrs Gill-Davis was so patient with them, and very gentle to make their first experience a good one.

So we didn't take away any big prizes from this show, for obvious reasons. The puppies, as you can see, are so very immature - what is known in dog show parlance as "raw". They are skinny, leggy and with very little in the way of coat. However, we had a lovely day and the puppies had fun and games with lots of treats, so there can be little doubt that they considered themselves big winners.

visitors & visiting

If you've dropped in on this blog more than once or twice, then you've probably seen reports about various members of our canine family staying for a visit. Keksi has been here, and Taika, Inko, Minna. Even some of the boys have had a flying visit (when Keskiyo's back was turned, that is). We love to have former puppies coming back now and then - it maintains a nice bond for us with the dogs and a nice bond between the puppies and their family members Neka and Maija. In general, Keskiyo is less interested in visiting family members unless they're girls who are, well, interesting. In a special kind of way. Y'know.

Coming back from Scotland last week, after dropping Taika & Minna off with Jerome, I made a little detour off the M5 to pick up Tippi. It was so wonderful having a puppy in the house again for a few days, and particularly just after seeing her brother Sisu and sister Bo in Scotland. She was a little overwhelmed by the Maija-Neka playing machine at first but soon got the hang of joining in - although she preferred to play with Maija alone.

Maija did teach her to jump onto the sofa as well. It wasn't me - honest! Now, don't tell Susan & Ian because I'm not sure if Tippi is allowed onto the furniture at home. However, she did take rather well to it and even liked to come up in the evening for cuddles. I ask you, who could possibly refuse?




















And no wonder - as you can see from this rough phone pic, she & Maija have a history of playing on the sofa together.

















While she was here I just had to take advantage of the fact that her brother lives only 20 minutes away in Exeter and her sister less than an hour away in Cornwall. So one chilly, damp and windy afternoon I took Tippi and Ukko to visit Marja for a puppy reunion. Getting a good photo was rather tricky. Rather.

And by the time Maria wrangled them into a stranglehold for a group shot, they were utterly covered in puppy slime.






L-R: Marja, Ukko, Tippi









What's a little puppy slime between friends and littermates? That's just the way puppies are when they get together for a play.

And if you're wondering how they got quite so bedraggled...





Marja & Tippi together











































Compared to Marja & Ukko























































Tippi may well be in charge at home and boss her big brother Tarkka around, but she's definitely a little lady dog and prefers one-on-one games. When things got too hectic with Marja & Ukko (which was more or less the whole time), then she would simply take herself off to raid Marja's toy stash.

































When Marja finally got tired, she disappeared under her pew for a... well, a pew.















And when Ukko finally got tired?

















That's right - he didn't actually get tired. Or not tired enough to give up, anyway. It was all just too exciting. But he slept very well on the way back home and I'm sure Becca had a nice quiet evening with him too.

This weekend there's a quick trip up the motorway to the Southern Counties show planned. This is the show where we always have a Finnish judge and an excellent turnout. It's also the show where Taito has always won either Best Dog or Reserve Best Dog. This year Taito won't be in attendance, regrettably, as he's away on holiday. However, we'll be having fun anyway.

And when we get back, the puppies will be 6 months old and heading for their own first shows. An interesting summer ahead. Interesting? Well, funny perhaps.