devon nine turn 3

A very happy birthday to the Devon Nine, who are 3 years old today. Little did I know that quiet morning 3 years ago what a lot of hard work I had ahead of me keeping up with 9 little black puppies who all looked pretty much identical. They were the inspiration for this blog and they were pretty cute too!

Here's how they looked at 6 weeks:






L-R: Kaija, Tarkka, Jaska, Maija














L-R: Maija, Tarkka, Rauhan, Sybil, Inko









And at 5 weeks:





L-R Back: Rauhan, Inko
Front: Viivi, Tarkka, Sybil, Tarmo, Maija









Looking at these photos brings it all back - oh how it rained for the whole 8 weeks they lived here!

Buddy's visit

The one puppy from Keksi's litter that we hadn't seen since he left us was Buddy (Infindigo Persikka Sonni). A couple of weeks ago he came to visit for a few days and we had fun getting reacquainted with him. He seemed to have a pretty good time, too.







Being a good boy in the house

















Running in the woods with granny Neka (left)



















Doing a bit of fishing












I was hoping he would get to see his brother Ukko and possibly sister Marja while he was here, but the timing didn't work out that way. Here he is having a game with his uncle Taito instead, who for games is the next best thing to sibling puppies.




















In our house, with so many dogs, the play has to be slightly more restrained. But there was plenty of it.

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.

southern counties show

It was a strange show this year. Strange in the way that it felt so... relaxed, so calm, so relatively quiet. I wasn't the only one who noticed. I think the difference from previous years was down to the change we have had from Rare Breed status to Challenge Certificate qualification. Historically, Southern Counties was always one of those shows where we all dashed from breed ring to rare breed ring to stakes ring and back again. This year, the show layout was different (and better) and on top of that we no longer qualify for Rare Breed classes. So it was all very much less hectic than in the past.

Also different from past shows was the rain we managed to get caught in just after judging. But we can gloss over that bit, as it did remain more or less dry for our actual judging. What happens on the way to packing up the cars is apparently of little concern to the rain gods.

It was Keksi's first show back after her puppies. She doesn't have her full coat back just yet, but what she does have is rather plush. Here she is wondering if she will get the sausages any more quickly if she does maximum head twist & rotation. Funny girl.




















Maija was also in attendance and we got her up on the grooming table together with her sister Inko and brothers Tarkka & Rauhan for a family portrait. They are almost never in the same place at the same time, so it was a fabulous opportunity. Unfortunately my rubbish, rubbish, rubbish old camera didn't manage to capture even one of the 3 dozen shots I thought I had taken. That will teach me to leave the posh camera at home. It's in the dog bag already in preparation for next weekend's show.

The grooming tables otherwise getting full use with Rauhan (top) and Tarkka (bottom), who is looking not overly impressed at having his tail area brushed.







































For all this brushing, I must say that the Infindigo team looked rather lovely, especially considering how quickly the dogs all seem to be dropping their coats in the current spell of warm weather. Er, with the possible exception of young Usko who, at 15 months old, is at that age where he's in the throes of losing all the lovely coat he has been growing since puppyhood. All this is in preparation for his adult coat which should be coming in over the next few months.






Excellent teamwork from Ian & Usko!
Thanks to Mark Treasure for the pic.


















Tarkka looking in splendid form.













And Inko who was the star of the day, winning the Postgrad Bitch class in tough competition. And I heard with my very own ears that Paula & Adam didn't even expect her to qualify for Crufts this year. Egad, they of little faith, whatever next!



















In addition to Inko's 1st, Keksi had a 4th & a 5th, Tarkka & Rauhan a 3rd each, and Usko 2nd.

And so next weekend sees the Persikka puppies' show debut. Although Marja won't be there. And Sisu certainly won't be coming down from Scotland. Or Bo. Oh, and Daniel forgot to enter Kuura. However, if the gods see fit, then Becca & I will be there with Ukko and we're hoping to see Tippi and family too. I'm looking forward to a most entertaining day.

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.

meanwhile

While we were in Scotland there were yet more family members to meet up with. The Persikka puppies are almost 6 months old already and 2 of the littermates are yapping with a Scottish accent. After the show we all met up at the beach in Elie where Wendy & I went with Karhu during my last visit. Alas, the weather was rather different on this occasion than on that one.

But we didn't let the damp horizontal wind affect our spirits.















L-R: Siblings Sisu & Bo, uncle Karhu, granny Neka, auntie Taika & Minna
People: Kristiina, Rona & Jay

As with all photos like this one, there is plenty of chaos in trying to wrangle everyone into place.









Looks to me like Wendy might have been trying to get everyone's attention with sausages.







The brother & sister Sisu & Bo had a wonderful time racing and playing on the beach. Karhu adopted a little more dignity and simply nicked Bo's tennis ball and played by himself at the water's edge. Later, when we were back on dry land, he gave it a toss to see if there were any takers amongst the younger family members.















Later still, the humans had a well deserved drink at the Ship Inn next to the beach. Karhu was his usual well-behaved self, snoozing under the table. It was Sisu's first time at the beach, and like most unsuspecting puppies, he drank rather more sea water than he should have done and we had rather a lot of mopping up to do on the pub floor when all the water came back up. Here he is looking a bit green around the gills. Poor puppy!




















In the meantime, Karhu & Bo look smugly on.




No, she's not actually bigger than Karhu, it's just the camera angle. But just look at the size of her paws! You can see they're related.

and on the way home

After a flying Scottish visit, we took off back down the motorway, pausing along the way to visit Minna's sister Lana who we haven't seen in the fur since she left home a year ago.






















Her family had only just returned from holiday the day before, so our timing could not be better. They might have had other ideas, I suppose, considering the 8-hour coach journey they described it taking to get home. Yeesh. So perhaps not exactly perfect timing for everyone, but I'm not complaining.

There was time and (almost enough) energy for a little stroll in the rain so that the family could all get re-acquainted. Even Lana's big sister Ellie liked everyone else, although you wouldn't necessarily guess so from this photo.














L-R: Ellie, Minna, Lana, Taika, Neka






The sisters together










You can see a family resemblance, for sure, although Lana looks more like her brother Kallio and other sister Kesa. However, most of all she looks just like her dad, Lapinlumon Albmi.
















After waving farewell to Lana and family, we scooted on down south to retrieve Maija and return Taika & Minna. But we couldn't come home empty handed of visitors, so you see there are yet more stories to come.

Minna & Taika head north

Last week Jay & I packed up the car and drove the 500 miles to Scotland with 3 dogs. Neka came with us, Keskiyo was at his hotel and we swapped Maija for Taika & Minna. Somehow I don't think Maija was complaining as she gets to sleep on the bed when she visits there.









3 generations of girls heading off in the back of the car
L-R: Minna, Taika, Neka












About two-thirds of the way we stopped at Penrith in Cumbria, a town I've never visited before. A more charming and beautiful town I have never seen. It's a place that seems to try really hard and it gets everything right. For one thing, the town centre is stuffed full of lovely buildings like this one.






















And there is nary a chain store in sight. No Boots, no New Look, no McDonalds. Just lots and lots of beautifully presented independent shops, restaurants and pubs. How refreshing! And I must say they were all looking rather wonderfully prosperous too.

Needless to say, while in the neighbourhood we also had a great walk in the sunshine and the wind - after all, Cumbria is nothing if not walking country. Unfortunately there were a few too many sheep around to let the dogs off lead, but they had a nice time anyway.


































Pause for a drink in the stream












When we finally made it all the way to Glasgow we stayed with Wendy & Scott and had a great visit. It was particularly good to finally see Karhu & his "twin" sister Taika together in the same room. As Wendy said, peas in a pod. Indeed they are.
















(Photo: Wendy Hunter Gilmour)

At the show, Karhu qualified for Crufts and Minna, at her first ever show, and barely comprehending the "stand" command, won her class and also qualified. Neka was just about as naughty in the ring as she ever has been - barking, jumping, playing the clown. She's 7 years old. That makes her a veteran in dog show parlance. Someone really ought to tell her.




Minna chilling before going into the ring at SKC...








(Many thanks to Evelyn Miekle for this photo)






... and chilling at the pub after her triumph.














This is a dog whose easy, relaxed character is matched only by that of her mother. And possibly her uncles & aunties as well. I must say I was surprised by how well behaved she was when she stayed with us the few days before we left for Scotland. At 14 months, she's still really quite a baby, but she just slotted right into the family routine and we didn't have a minute of trouble or concern with her.

Er, apart from the deep and abiding (and rather worrisome) mutual affection she shared with Keskiyo, that is. He even let her steal his toys.















When she got to Scotland, let's just say she wasn't quite so accommodating with Karhu. Lest her family think she's just a softie who can't stick up for herself, fear not - she had no trouble whatsoever keeping her uncle firmly under her paw. She claimed all his toys and even his window seat and kept him in line with a brief, simple bright white "smile".