first infindigo best of breed

Oh, how proud are we today!

Yesterday at the Scottish Kennel Club show in Edinburgh, Karhu won Best of Breed, making him the first Infindigo bred dog to ever do so at a champ show. We are thrilled, thrilled, thrilled.

Neka and Keskiyo (not Infindigo bred, obviously, but of my clan nonetheless) have both won a few Reserve Best of Sex, Best Opposite Sex and Best Rare Breed. Karhu's brother Taito had Reserve Best Dog, young Tarkka has won several Reserve Best Dog, and Keksi has won Best Rare Breed. But, this Best of Breed is the very first for us, so it's a bit special.

And I get the impression Wendy is pretty proud too, according to her big grin in this lovely portrait taken after the show. And no wonder - she has worked so hard with him and I'm delighted she's won top honours with him.



















I must say, I do like the tartan rosettes and ribbons the SKC always award at their shows.

And here's the winning team strutting their stuff representing the Lapphunds in the big group ring. Knowing how nervous Wendy gets in a normal show ring, I can imagine how she felt on this stage.


Wondering what all the fuss is about, here's Karhu doing what he does best - looking adorable as he peeks out the top of his crate.

meanwhile

And here's what some Lappies have been up to lately. Many, many thanks to those who sent me updated photos & many, many thanks to those whose photos I have shamelessly stolen. If one of these belongs to you, let me know & I'll take it down ... or at least give you credit!














I love this photo of Karhu cleaning his paws.
















Tarkka thinks his funky new sun deck is great.






















Taito thinks agility is all well & good just so long as he can reach the treats.















Inko hanging with the seaweed while on holiday.

For lots more cute pics of Inko on holiday, plus some funny videos, have a look at Paula & Adam's Flickr site.

And this is one of the things frequently occurring in my house.














Keskiyo & Maija goofing around.

choosing a photo - or not

I seem to remember I had a similar problem last year. The SFLS calendar calling for cute photos and me scrambling around trying to get one or two to submit. Last year I was fortunate to have 9 adorable puppies here to pose and I did manage to get one pic chosen to appear in the 2009 calendar. However, that was very much due to the cuteness of the puppies and very much not to do with the quality of the picture.

This year I'm at a bit of a loss. I don't have the interest or skill of my many photographically minded pals and that leaves me rather short on calendar-worthy photos.

This one, maybe?

Oh well, I'm sure there will be plenty to choose from. In the meantime, here are a few shots I've blatantly stolen from my friends who kindly snapped a few at the Bournemouth champ show where Tarkka was awarded another Reserve Best Dog and Taika won her large class. Yay, team!






















Tarkka doing his 'yeah, I'm gorgeous' face.





















Rauhan getting the hang of this showing thing. You can see by the new slimline shape why Adrian panicked when he watched all that coat disappear down the plug hole after giving the fluffy boy a bath just before the show. And that's why we don't bathe show dogs just before a show. Uh huh - especially when they're moulting.


















Taika with her eye firmly on the prize.


















Inko the pro showdog.

Taito didn't make it, but Keksi was also there, but alas I have no photos and can find none to steal.

At this show, for the only the third time, I had enough Infindigo dogs present to enter the breeder competition (it requires 4). And, for only the second time, I remembered to enter. And as I entered the only breeder team, I won. Yay, team, again!

happy birthdays

On 13 June, Neka's first litter turned 2 years old. Although they all received one of Jacquie Lawson's lovely & entertaining ecards, the event hasn't yet had a mention on here. So, without any further ado, I'd like to wish a happy belated birthday to mine & Neka's firstborn pups (in order of time of birth): Koda, Taika, Karhu, Diesel, Taito, Keksi & Torvi.

In honour of the event, we travelled up to the Bath area to meet with a few of them and some of the newer generation for a walk and had a great time in the forest (and the pub afterwards, needless to say). I forgot my camera, and although a few photos were taken, I have yet to manage to prise one away from anyone. If I ever get a pic, you'll be the first to know, bien sur.

And 1 year ago today the Devon Nine were born, becoming the largest litter of Lapphunds born in the UK to date. Today is also the one-year anniversary of the start of this blog, designed to give the waiting families (and assorted other Lappy-mad and puppy-mad folks) a daily update on the puppies' progress. So, a very happy 1st birthday to them all: Jaana, Tarmo, Jaska, Maija, Rauhan, Kaija, Viivi, and the 2 surprises who arrived while I was in the shower, thinking the whole thing had finished, Tarkka & Inko.

A few of us managed to meet today in south Devon to celebrate at the un-aptly named Slapton Sands, a wide, steep beach of slippery, shoe-sucking shingle. As far as walks go, it was a bit on the short side as the humans found the terrain pretty hard going and the sky grew ever darker with rain clouds that eventually started to empty onto us as we got back to the car park. However, what the walk lacked in distance & length it more than made up for in strenuousness and quality of the company.

Happily, Jo was on hand with her camera, so watch this space. In the meantime, here are a couple I managed to snag.
















Taika lounging elegantly before the walk.


















Inko, Neka & Tarkka having a paddle.


















Inko & Tarkka on the way home.

Keskiyo's kids

Before Keskiyo became dad to Maija & her siblings, he sired a litter of puppies with Neka's sister, Suvi (Elbereth Huvi for Arianrhod) who is owned by Vikki & Trevor. Those pups will be 2 years old at the beginning of October.

Inexplicably I don't have a photo of Minna, but she looks quite a lot like her auntie, Keskiyo's sister Curly (Elbereth Suvi at Cochochr). Equally, I don't have a recent pic of the boy that Vikki & Trevor kept, Ripa, but I did manage to get a quick shot of him at Crufts in March.

This is one of the other boys from that litter, Kukko, who went to live with Jill. Many thanks to Louise & Simon at Dogs to Stay for permission to use their photo.

















Sweet boy looking so much like both his parents. I hear he has a lovely nature and is very large! I'd love to see that, considering his dad is more on the compact side. I must sometime try to make it to a walk where Jill & Kukko will be. Like so many of the UK Lapphunds, they live quite a way from me.

playtime

All the dogs in this house are playful to some extent or another. Even Anniebear will have a little (very brief) game first thing in the morning, given the right motivation. However, there comes a time when the older dogs just want to chill, and at those times what's an energetic puppy to do? Entertain herself, that's what. This is currently Maija's favorite solo game.



We find it endless entertaining to watch Maija chasing her tail and I know from past experience that she will grow out of this endearing game. So we're enjoying it while we can and I'm so glad we did manage to capture the evidence on camera.

We were quite lucky to get that little video, really, because this is what Maija usually does when the camera comes out. Just seconds before filming started she was spinning on the spot and doing zoomies all around the room. Then she jumped straight up onto the sofa.


Now, I don't mind admitting I'm a little embarrassed by the state of our carpet in the videos. We're definitely going through a twice-daily-vacuum phase at the moment. Without a doubt there is a hard, uncarpeted, easy-t0-clean floor in our future. But for now, Annie's coat is still in full blow and Maija has just started her first ever moult. Aw, I'm so proud. And be-furred.

Maija will lose her puppy coat now and grow her first adult coat which will get progressively thicker and heavier over a couple of years with each moult as she matures. Like her mum, the first hint of plugs of undercoat loosening have appeared on her thighs:












The loose fur will spread upward and outward (and downward onto the floor, needless to say) and I expect she'll lose it last around her neck and shoulders. By that time it will be re-growing, with a bit of luck.

visiting Viivi & the cousins

Early in June Jay and I, together with the 4 dogs, descended upon Jay's parents in Surrey for a weekend visit. While we were in the neighbourhood, I brazenly invited us around to see Sherralee & Dave. You see, that's what happens when you have an Infindigo puppy, I keep popping up from time to time, camera in hand, to say hi.

S & D were very gracious & welcoming and offered to take us all on one of their favorite walks, a wonderful location for energetic Lappies through fields and woodland. It really is a great place and next time we'll invite all the local Lappies we can find.

On this occasion, Liz came too with her bunch. Liz bred Viivi's adopted big brother Jaska and has his sister Sisko. It was fantastic that both Viivi & Jaska were able to go for a walk with BOTH their parents and a sibling each! I can't imagine anyone else having that opportunity.

So we were quite a large, eye-catching bunch with 9 FLs, a German Spitz Klein (like a tiny Lappy) and Akita Annie (like a giant Lappy).

Here is one photo of the whole gang followed by an Infindigo family group pic. Sadly, Anniebear kept wandering out of shot. The intrepid men holding the worst wiggling offenders are Dave & Jay while we girls got busy with the cameras.

















Front-Back L-R: Zinty (German Spitz Klein), Peppi, Viivi, Tuukka (with daughter Sisko hiding behind him), Jaska, Smuu, Maija (hiding her face), Neka, Keskiyo













L-R: Viivi, Maija, Neka, Keskiyo

a few puppies

I've had a few photos keeping me up-to-date on the progess of the pups. This from Stacey & Shane of Tarmo giving a very good impression of his dad's adorable melting expression.


















And here he is with Inko when they met for a walk in a location blessed with a great deal of orange sand - Lappy heaven! At last, Tarmo has grown bigger than his sister. There was a time I was wondering whether he would ever grow into his paws, but look at him now.



















Many thanks to Paula for supplying me with fodder for the blog. For pics of Inko enjoying her electric fan during our little heatwave, you'll have to visit her blog.

A few days before meeting up with Tarmo, Inko had Tarkka to stay overnight, and it looks like they had a ball. I cannot believe how much like his dad Tarkka is beginning to look.

















Looking like they've finally tired themselves out... or, at least, taking a little break:

show updates

How behind am I? Oops!

Here's a quick run-down of what's been happening for the Infindigo gang at the summer shows:

Southern Counties
Always a fun show because we are granted a Finnish judge and also have rare breeds classes in addition to breed classes. The rare breed judge, Karina Le Mare, wasn't much of a fan of Lapphunds, apparently, and those entered got a few unremarkable places, the best of which was Rauhan's 2nd in Puppy Dog and another 2nd in Junior Dog.

Rauhan also took Best Puppy in Breed under Pekka Teini and Taito got his first Reserve Best Dog behind his dad who was also Best of Breed.

Three Counties
I missed this show, but it was a great day for Tarkka under judge Zena Thorne Andrews. He was not only Best Puppy in Breed, but also Reserve Best Dog, his second already and he's not even a year old yet!

Blackpool
Another Best Puppy for Tarkka under judge Jenny Weetch.

Windsor
And another for Tarkka under judge Stuart Mallard.

East of England
I fully intended to get to this show this year, even though it's like trying to get to the moon from here. However, events conspired against me (including, ahem, forgetting to enter...) and so I was waiting at home for the lovely news that Inko was Best Puppy. And on one of her few outings this year, Keksi was 2nd in Postgrad Bitch making her another addition to my list of Crufts qualifiers.

Go team!

garden update

As reported, we're off to Surrey for the weekend, but by the magic of pre-scheduling, I bring you a brief update of the garden for those who have been asking.

It's slightly shaming how long it has taken me to accomplish so little. C'est la vie. Luckily I'm not easily embarrassed. The fact is, I don't have bags of free time and I with my back being quite a bit on the tricky side, I can only do so much digging at once. The soil here is pure clay and is as heavy and impacted as concrete; in fact, we're less than 5 miles from China clay pits that have been mined for hundreds of years and once belonged to Wedgewood.

That explains why the clay in my garden is strong enough to withstand a pickaxe. It would be outstanding on a potter's wheel, I'm sure. In my spade, however, it's a very different story. And you have to feel sorry for the plants that try to stick their roots down into it. Over the 5 or so years we have lived in this house I must have planted more than 200 bulbs - daffodils, lilies, assorted other things. To date I have about 6 daffodils that come up each year.

So, before I could plant anything, I had to dig in loads of grit and compost to try and make it a better habitat for plants. All through the winter, this border was a pond. The water just didn't drain. It would have made an excellent teacup.

So, section by section I dug in a bunch of stuff in an effort to improve the drainage. And as I prepared each section, I planted it up with a combination of plants I rescued from my garden before the builders moved in that over-wintered in pots, plants kindly donated by Jay's mum, and new things I bought especially. I'm a fern fan and keep picking them up when I see a nice one. Has there been a plan to my planting? Of course not. I've just been pretty much sticking stuff in and see what happens.

You may remember, this is how it looked over the winter.

This much took me about a week of dedicated morning & evening work:















A little more:

















A couple of months on, it's been doing some growing.
















I haven't quite finished that stretch yet, but I'm very impressed that for the first year ever I've managed to rear all my baby fuchsias into proper grown-up flowering plants. I just need to get them into the ground now.
















And, as you can see, the other side of the patio still looks like this. So, there is still plenty to keep me occupied.


















But I do have a question. Why is it that my carefully chosen selection of clematis, all different types and colours (according to the pictures on their labels) all turned out to be pink?

bath (the dog show, that is)

Every year I say I won't enter the Bath Champ show because the weather is invariably disgusting; cold, windy and unbelievably wet & muddy. This year, however, I had to go because several of my puppies would be there, including Kaija making her debut. And, wow, were we blessed with the weather! It was sunny & blazing hot. We started out set up outside in the shade of the benching tent, but soon had to move in so that the Lappies wouldn't all melt away.

Keskiyo's lovely sister Curly (Elbereth Suvi at Cochochr) got her first Best of Breed. I'm sure it won't be her last, though, as she's a beautiful Lapphund. Taika was 3rd and Keksi 5th in the large Postgrad Bitch class. Tarkka racked up another Best Puppy in Breed and went on to represent the Lappies in the Puppy Group once again. And Kaija got best puppy bitch and has qualified for Crufts.

It was so much fun showing her, even though she was a teeny bit embarrassing, refusing to show the judge her teeth. Oops. That's always the toughest part for the pups, I think. Jane and Joe have gone off resolved to practice some more. Who knows? Once of these days perhaps Joe will have the nerve to take her in himself. Well, perhaps when she's a bit more used to the whole thing, anyway.

Here they all are in a rare still moment. Unfortunately, Daniel had to leave immediately after coming out of the ring so Keksi is missing from the group. Again, I don't have permission from any of these people to post their photo, so let me know if you object & I'll edit it straightaway.


















L-R: Paula & Inko, Jay & Maija, Jo & Tarkka, Isabelle & Taika, Emily next to Kaija with Joe (Apologies for chopping your head off, Joe!)

visit to wigan

No matter my good intentions, and no matter how much dog-related stuff I have going on, apparently 5 posts a month is my limit, since that's what I've managed for the last 5 months. Unless there are puppies in the house, of course, then there's urgent daily news which simply cannot wait.

We're off to Southern Counties show this weekend which is always fun as we have a Finnish judge and a Rare Breeds class, to boot. It usually draws a large entry and I get to see people I only see once or twice a year. This time Jay & I are trying to get a couple of extra days away at the same time to stay with Jay's parents and meet up with a puppy person or 2. We are so very grateful to Jay's parents for always welcoming us with sincerity and good grace, 4 dogs and all. And, in fact, I'm pretty sure we've turned up with 5 dogs before too.

But in the meantime, there is much to catch up on.

On the drive down from Scotland, I stopped by for a quick visit with Sandra and Jaska. I was so excited to see him as it was my first glimpse since he was a tiny puppy. As always, it was difficult to get a photo in all the excitement.

Showing off, perched on the arm of the sofa, leaning on his arm in the manner of his funny mum. He bears quite a resemblance to both Neka and his sister Maija, I think.



















Begging for treats with his big sister Kia (right). Kia and Jaska's sire Keskiyo are practically brother and sister: Their sire is Lecibsin Hapmi, and Keskiyo's dam (Elbereth Toive) is litter sister to Kia's dam, Elbereth Enkeli. So it's no wonder the two of them have such similar markings.



















Finally, here is a very handsome and smiley Jaska sitting in their palatial outdoor pen. I'm so impressed with that pen and would secretly quite like to have one. Now, where would I put it, I wonder? Do you suppose I actually need a front drive? A garage? I'm sure I could find space somewhere.

Scotland

Big thanks to Wendy, Scott and Karhu for having me, Neka & Inko to visit over the weekend. And also to Paula & Adam for parting with their Dink for a whole week so she could keep us all entertained. A fabulous time was had by all, and there are many photos (some better than others) and stories (ditto). For now, though, I'm still recovering and barely able to string a few words together, so here are Karhu, Neka and Inko happily sharing Karhu's custom-made window seat.




















And as for the show, it was a super day with lovely warm sunshine (not a word of a lie!) and great socialising. To top it off, Inko won another Best Puppy in Breed under judge Chris Chapman, with brother Tarkka placing just behind her in the Junior class. Karhu placed 3rd in Postgrad and Neka 4th in Open. Poor Neka is looking a bit like she's been dragged through a hedge at the moment, moulting in large rusty tufts, so that was definitely her last show for a long while.

Next week is Bath, and as that show is always known in the dog fraternity as mud-Bath, I've got my fingers crossed for decent weather. The last time I went, Keskiyo came 3rd in the puppy stakes in spite of being a bit on the damp, spiky side. He's going again this year with Maija, who is going for fun. And I'm hoping to meet up with lots of the Infindigo crew, including Kaija, who will having her big debut. How exciting!

and 1 makes 5

Adam delivered the Dink to me at a convenient mid-point between our homes this afternoon and I can just imagine how quiet their house is tonight without her. Unlike this house.

Getting any photos has proven a challenge, but we persevere. In the first one you can see Annie's legs as she watches from the safety of the garden. She hates to be left out, but the puppies kept knocking her off her feet. While she seemed to think that was pretty funny, I thought it best she was out of harm's way.
























L-R: Maija (top), Keskiyo (bottom), Neka (top), Inko (bottom)





















Bottom-Top: Keskiyo, Maija, Neka, Inko




















L-R: Inko, Keskiyo, Maija

And eventually they tire themselves out. What a sweet bunch!


















Clockwise from left: Keskiyo, Maija, Neka, Inko

As I'm not leaving for Scotland until Friday morning, we still have all day tomorrow to get through. It's off to the wood in the morning for a good long run. That should tire them out for, oh, about 30 minutes or so.

tarkka's big day

At the National show on Saturday, Jo and Tarkka really outdid themselves. All that work they've been doing is paying off and he looked fabulous, taking 3rd place in a big Junior Dog/Bitch class and Best Puppy in Breed.

Here's the delectable boy on his grooming table getting brushed followed by a rather grainy one of him with a big grin & Jo in the puppy group ring. No doubt, the lady showing the black dog in the right of the photo would not be thanking me! You can see why many show people wear black.







































Tarkka looked fantastic in the big ring competing in the Puppy Group. Alas, that judge didn't have the same good taste! We are philosophical about these things - Lappies placing in the groups at Champ shows are still pretty rare. There have been a very few Lappies placing in the main group at Champ shows, but Tarkka's dad Keskiyo was the first Lapphund to place in the Puppy Group at a Champ show and, as far as I'm aware, he's still the only one.

Nevertheless, Jo can be very proud of their performance, and here's the proof.



Next weekend, another show. In Edinburgh. For those of you who don't know that I live in Devon, or indeed where Devon and/or Edinburgh are, this is the journey I will be making starting Thursday morning. I've done it before; a few times, in fact, and it takes me about 8 hours in total. I simply cannot do it in one day, though, so I'm setting off on Thursday for a Saturday show. Big thanks to Wendy, Scott & Karhu in Glasgow for offering to put up me & the dogs. Do you suppose they know what they're letting themselves in for?

I'm taking Inko with me as well as a bald Keskiyo and a balding Neka. Well, I couldn't leave 4 dogs here for Jay to manage all by himself while I swan off to Scotland for the weekend with nothing but one small dog, could I?

Or could I?

poo syringe

No, that's not a typo.

A few nights ago at approximately 11pm Jay and I were discussing whether or not photographic evidence should be obtained of my activities. You may rest assured, we decided against it. You see, I was on my hands and knees on the patio in the back garden, in the dark, sucking liquid poo into a tiny syringe to transfer it into a sample bottle. It took about 50 attempts to get a couple of centimetres of fluid.

Nice.

It all started a while ago when Maija picked up a bug that gave her the squits (not to put too fine a point on it). That was no great surprise, frankly, because she does eat absolutely every disgusting thing she finds out on her walks. Ev-er-y-thing. So we did the standard first aid for any digestive upset: 24 hours of starvation. After 24 hours she was still in a bad way so she had a trip to see Jane the vet and acquired a course of anti-inflammatories. Problem solved.

For about 10 days.

Another 24 hours of going hungry followed by another necessary trip to see Jane. Another course of tablets. This time, though, Jane thought she should test to see what exactly was going on in the little one's gut, hence the necessity for obtaining a sample. I wasn't counting on liquid. Obviously.

Ah, the glamour of dog ownership.

sitting side saddle

On an earlier post about WELKS Paula commented on Inko sitting in her favorite sideways sit while Rauhan was sitting perfectly straight. I always thought it was a Neka thing, and I had monthly photos of her in exactly the same pose as she grew from puppyhood. Unfortuntately, I lost most of my old photos in a fried-computer-no-backup fiasco (Yes, I do know about backing up. Obviously.) But I do have one or two pics left of Neka in her characteristic sideways sit with head tipped on one side.

Sideways sit? you ask. It's front legs straight, back legs akimbo in some undignified way or other, as dog rests more or less on hip rather than bottom. What Mike calls, to my great amusement, sitting side saddle.

Here's Neka at 9 weeks with the first hint following by a tiny, rescued photo of her at 6 months in the real classic pose.
























And here is Jaana who inspired the 'side saddle' term. You can see why.










And Inko & Maija































So, there was Rauhan sitting perfectly straight next to Inko, and certainly Keskiyo sits very straight. I could have been forgiven for thinking it a girl thing. But now I'm certain it's a Neka thing, because look at Tarmo, followed by a young Karhu (was he ever really that small?)





































So it's certainly a Neka thing that she's passing to her offspring. Perhaps it's a Lappy thing. Some Lappies, anyway.

sad

This blog is not exactly the right place for this, but I cannot let the event pass unmarked. I found out last night that on Friday night, one of my dearest and oldest friends suffered an unspeakable tragedy. Her 20-year-old nephew, smiling joker and adored light of her life, died in a horrific accident when the car he was travelling in with 3 friends was swept away by a sudden flood. It is simply too sad.

more WELKS

I'm delighted that the other Emma & her hubby Andrew have moved down to the westcountry where we get to see them more often and where I can get my sticky fingers on Taito. Emma hasn't been able to get to very many shows as yet, but with them now living more or less between me and all the champ shows of the year, I foresee Taito appearing in the ring a great deal more often than he has done in the past.

After I had piloted Rauhan around the ring a few times, I was warmed up (and then some) and it was Taito's turn. Yet another wonderful boy, having inherited the best of both his parents - Neka's flashy markings and outstanding temperment and his father, Elbereth Kimmi's gorgeous physique. Here he is being shown not-so-expertly by yours truly.
















I was quite impressed at Crufts with Emma M's expert showing of Taito and I couldn't understand why he wouldn't stand perfectly on demand for me. Little did I know that Emma has her own intricate, not to say idiosyncratic, method of training which at no point involves the use of the word 'stand'. How was I to know the poor dog had no idea what I was on about?

At any rate, he's a very clever thing (with a conveniently motivational appetite for sausages) and by the end of it, he was getting the hang of this 'stand' business. He won his class as well, in spite of a few, er, complications. The judge looked at him and said "Why don't you move as good as you look?"

An excellent question, I thought! Because the last time I had been on the outside of the ring watching Taito move, he had the free and open gait of his mother who, in my view, has some of the best moves in the business. Normally they move like they're on wheels. So I ran with him fast, I trotted with him slowly, but no matter what I did, he was still like a sack of potatoes. What was Emma's secret? I wondered.

After the judging was done and dusted and we were taking the dogs for a walk around the showground, I got my answer. Away from all the crowds, Taito heaved a great sigh of relief and had an enormous poo. Ah, so that's why I couldn't get him to move well. Who could blame him? After that, he was back to his old self, gliding along as if on air.

I have well and truly learned my lesson. When you go to a dog show, look out for the increasingly desperate people hopefully walking their dogs in circles as the clock ticks down the minutes to the time they are due in the ring. But don't laugh.

Here is Taito concentrating hard on the sausage in my hand as we pack him and Neka into the car after the show. Neka has learned that a big grin will take her far in life.
















And so I have added Rauhan & Taito to my list of Crufts-qualified dogs this year. It's looking like we're on a bit of a roll, and now I'm looking forward to the next show in a fortnight where I get to meet up with Keksi and Tarkka, and their families, all of whom I haven't seen for ages.

WELKS

It wouldn't be WELKS without coming home with a bit of sunburn, and this year didn't disappoint. In the warm sunshine, the Lappy contingent bagged the best spot to set up on the grass outside the tents and had a great day socialising and showing.

As mentioned earlier, it was Rauhan's debut and Emma H's first ever dog show, so I was reluctantly called upon to show him myself. Did I say "reluctantly"? HA! As if! I couldn't wait to get my hands on him, and I would be more than happy to pilot the handsome little star anytime. For that matter, the same goes for any of the Infindigo bunch. I'm so proud of them all.

As I was booked to show dogs in lots of different classes, Jay was a bit busy lining them up for me and sadly missed getting any photos of the puppies actually in the ring. I'm hoping that Emma had better luck.

Like his sister before him, at his very first show, Rauhan won the puppy class with Inko coming 2nd, and then he went in and won Best Puppy in Breed in the challenge against an older puppy from a different class. I was thrilled with how well he did, showing like a little pro - Emma has done quite a job in her 3 ringcraft classes! The judge loved him, commenting on his beautiful expression, which is so like his dad's I think, and went on to say that he would like to steal him away and take him home. Well, who wouldn't?



















I think it's quite charming how much like his brother, Tarkka, Rauhan looks. To my eye, they both look like an absolute combination of their parents. But where Tarkka looks more like Neka, Rauhan looks more like Keskiyo. And with a little nod towards his stunning grandpa, Neka's sire, Pascha (Elbereth Runo in Bernavia).

And can you see the family resemblance with sister Inko? Here they are in a rare still moment after coming out of the ring.

















Inko chills in a chair while watching all the rest of the judging with interest. What do you suppose is going through her head?