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Christmas Dog Shows in Kitchener

Zeus - Bullmarket Absolut Notorious, at the Credit Valley Dog Show

Zeus - Bullmarket Absolut Notorious, at the Credit Valley Dog Show

Just a quick note to mention we’ll be showing Zeus in Kitchener on December 28th and 29th, at the “Christmas” dog shows at Bingemans.

This is a nice chance for anyone interested in ‘talking dogs’ to come out and meet with us, ask some questions, meet some Frenchies and have a crash course lesson in watching a dog show.

The show schedule is here —

http://colmars.com/History/2010/JS%202010%2012%20ELORA.pdf

We are only attending the second and third days of the show.

If you plan to come out, please try to aim for at least one hour BEFORE the listed ring time. If you come out too close to ring time, I will be too busy grooming and fretting to really have time to chat with you. I can’t tell you where we’ll be set up, but look for the Frenchies in the grooming area – we usually all try to set up close together, and if not, we’ll usually know where each other are.

Please drop me a note if you’d like to attend, and I hope to meet some of you there!

Hope, Teddy and Luke

Hope, Teddy and Luke at the FBDCA Nationals

Hope, Teddy and Luke at the FBDCA Nationals

Check out Hope, posing with two of my very favorite boys – Teddy (on the left) and Luke (on the right). Can you believe how much they’ve grown? I think they both look fabulous.

Hope, Luke, Teddy and Luke’s owner, Andrea Morden Moore, are all in Wisconsin for the FBDCA National Specialty. Hope has a ton more photos over on her Flickr stream – check it out! Loads of Frenchie photo goodness.

A Great Weekend in MI!

French Bulldogs at Kalamazoo dog show - Bullmarket Absolut Darkly Dexter and Bullmarket NewHope at SpiritDragon

Dexter and Luke shooting "I het you" looks at each other

Congrats to Luke and Dexter on a great weekend in Kalamazoo!

Dex, his son Luke and his other son Manny each took a turn winning the dog points at the Kalamazoo, Michigan show. Unfortunately, the major broke, but it was still a great turn out! Sue managed to get some photos of Luke and Dexter together, but it wasn’t easy. There’s apparently no love lost between them, what with boys (and their hormones) being boys.

Sue’s other big news is that she won the bitch points with her little girl, Cindi. Way to go, Sue and Cindi!

Still waiting to hear back from Kristina and Amanda on how the other Dexter kids, Leah and Finnlee (Delilah’s daughter out of Dex) did over on the east coast. I hope it was another great weekend for them, as well!

This was Finnlee’s first weekend in the ring, so let’s hope she didn’t ‘pull a Delilah‘ on Amanda (that’s my nickname for anytime a dog makes a fool out of you – and especially if it seems intentional).

I am making plans to attend the Hamilton Kennel Club Dog Show, on Saturday June 26th.  I’ll be showing Delilah, because apparently I am a glutton for punishment.  I am fully expecting her to do something horrid to me in the ring – either she’ll fall asleep on the grooming table, or she’ll simply refuse to move on the down and back. Either of which would be a nice tribute to her grandmother, Tessa, who at one point or another in her show career did both of those things, with a spectacular flying leap off of the grooming table added in for good measure.

Details on the show can be found here – http://www.canineshowservices.com/hamilton/hamiltonpl2010.pdf

If you’d like to come out and meet with us to ‘talk Frenchies’, please drop me a line. Video cameras will be strictly banned from ringside – the last thing I need is video of Delilah winding the lead around my feet until I fall flat on my face going viral on YouTube.

Don’t You Dare Steal My Joy

Stacking Bullmarket Versace after his Westminster Best of Breed win

Rebel getting ready for his win photo at Westminster

Years ago, we took a plunge and showed a barely out of puppyhood pied boy at Westminster. Everyone knew that pieds never won at Westminster, just as everyone knew that the top winning cream dog was a sure thing to win breed.

I’ll never forget the moment that the judge pointed to Rebel for Best of Breed. I instantly burst into tears, and just as instantly apologised to everyone around me for being such an idiot. The owner of Perry (the dog everyone was sure would win), congratulated me soundly, and told me to ‘go ahead and cry!’.

By contrast, a little later that afternoon I ran into the owner handler of another dog we’d beaten, who said to me scornfully ‘It’s amazing what some judges will put up, isn’t it?’. All these years later, and it’s their scornful dismissal of our win that I remember almost as clearly as I do the joy.

I almost never re forward things, but in a time when so many people complain about a lack of sportsmanship in conformation showing, these are really words to live by.

I’ve never forgotten what I was first told about showing – you can always find something to compliment in another person’s dog, and you can only hope that they’ll do the same for you.

DON’T YOU DARE STEAL MY JOY

by Connie Cleveland

On the occasion of my tenth anniversary, my husband asked me how I wanted to
celebrate. I asked that we take a very dear friend, my adopted grandmother
and one of the greatest of all the great southern ladies, out to dinner with
us.

At dinner, my husband, Brian, presented me with a diamond ring. It was
gorgeous and I was speechless, but even as I thanked him, I worried about
the expense and extravagance of such a gift. As if he knew that the next
line belonged to my grandmother, my husband excused himself from the table.
He was barely out of sight when she reached across the table and grabbed me
by the shoulder, “I know what you’re thinking, I know you think he couldn’t
afford it and it’s too extravagant. I don’t care if he had to put a second
mortgage on the house to buy it, don’t you steal his joy! It’s beautiful.
Accept it as the token of his love that it is and say nothing about how he
shouldn’t have bought it for you.” Then she repeated, “Don’t you dare steal
his joy!”

That was the end of the conversation. She sat back in her seat, smiled at my
returning husband, and we had a lovely dinner. I took her advice and put my
reservations out of my mind. The ring has never come off my finger, but most
importantly, I learned a wonderfully important lesson, never to steal
another man’s joy.

Are you a joy stealer?

“You know if my dog hadn’t gone down on the sit, I would have won the
class”, said, unfeelingly, to the winner.
“I sure didn’t think your dog worked that high a score.”
“I can’t believe you placed, I thought Jane Oneup and her dog would beat
you.”
“I thought I had that class won! My dog had a great performance, ” said to
the winner.
“Isn’t that judge an idiot? I can’t believe the dogs he put up!” said to the
winner.
“Boy, aren’t you glad Mrs Winallthetime wasn’t here today or you might not
have won.”
“You passed that Master test because the water blind was so easy.”
“That was the stupidest set of water marks I’ve ever seen. No trial should
end that easily,” said to the winner.

Do you discourage or encourage fellow competitors? Do you tell them their
goals are too lofty and their dreams too big? Are you trying to be helpful
or trying to keep them from accomplishing something that you never had the
ability or perseverance to do yourself? It is equally as harmful to steal
joy by destroying the dream.

“No Basset Hounds get UD’s,” said to the owner of the Bassett in Utility
class.
“I’ve never seen a Rottweiler that could do fronts and finishes”, said to
the owner of the Rottweiler practicing fronts and finishes.
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a UD and a Master Hunter? Do you
know how few people have ever done it?” said to the first time dog owner
setting out to do both.

When FC AFC OTCH Law Abiding Ezra had both his field championships and 65
OTCH points including all the necessary first places, someone had the guts
to come up to me, his owner, trainer and handler and say, “No dog will ever
be a field champion and an obedience champion.” My jaw drops when I think
about it. Isn’t it unfortunate that I remember this attempt at stealing my
joy much more than I remember all the cards and letters and congratulations
I received when those last 35 points were earned?

If you are willing to destroy someone’s dream, perhaps you don’t realize
that it is the JOY of pursuing the dream that keeps the dreamer motivated,
not just reaching the accomplishment.

My husband and I travel and compete together. I remember an event, early in
our relationship when I watched his Doberman fail articles. “Darn it, ” I
said, as he came out of the ring,” she didn’t even try to find the right
one!” “Oh”, he replied, “but, weren’t her heeling and signals wonderful?”
Unknowingly, I had almost stolen his joy. He was celebrating the improvement
on the exercise that had been giving him trouble, and I was focused on the
failure. Since that experience, Brian and I have learned that the best
response to a questionable performance, “What did you think?” That way, if
the handler is excited about some aspect of the performance, you can share
that excitement. If the handler is disappointed in another aspect, you can
share the disappointment. You are safely removed from being a joy stealer.

I hope you have a lot of dreams and goals for your dogs in (the coming
year). Undoubtedly there will be moments of disappointment as you venture
through the landmines of injury, failures and other setbacks. Remember that
the joy of the journey is worth the difficulties along the way and don’t let
anyone steal that joy. Guard it well and at he end of the road you can own
it and revel in it with all the other memories of the trip.

Catch Up Post

Belle's Easter Babies

Belle's Easter Neo Babies

Some news from Kelly about Belle and the Neo pups – sadly, Belle accidentally crushed one of the puppies to death (a little dark brindle boy). That’s always a risk with the big dogs, who can’t always tell if they’re sitting on top of one of their kids. Pig rails around the whelping box help, but aren’t a surefire preventative for sad accidents like this.

Needless to say, Kelly is devastated. She’s now removed the pups from Belle, and is putting them back in with her every three hours, under Kelly’s watchful supervision. A lot of work, as you can imagine – and not much sleep for Kelly. Her dedication is amazing.

Kelly also says that she is VERY concerned about finding a home for Bronx as soon as possible. He is NOT happy being outside, and with the puppies taking up all of Kelly’s time and attention, Bronx is feeling sad and lonely. He makes a sad, haunting “wwwwoooo-oooo-oooo” sound, in essence calling out for someone – anyone! – to please come and spend some time with him.

If you think you can provide a home for a sweet natured, very loyal male Neopolitan Mastiff, please contact Kelly – she’d like to see him have a chance to thrive, in a family he can love.

Kelly has tons of new photos of the puppies here – http://picasaweb.google.ca/105778920928071786403/BabyPics?feat=directlink#slideshow/5456689921539295522

..and more photos of Belle and Bronx are here – http://picasaweb.google.ca/105778920928071786403/BellaBronxAndBabies?feat=directlink#slideshow/5456676952824298882

Please note that, as we’ve mentioned before, there WILL be an adoption fee for the puppies. With luck, the adoption fees will be able to partially cover some of the vet expenses which Belle, Bronx and the pups have accrued. A few people have contacted Kelly assuming that ‘adopt’ equals free.  It doesn’t – it does, however, mean that no one is making any money off of these pups – instead, Kelly is just hoping to cover at least part of their ever growing expenses!

—————–

Gunny and Rider, French Bulldog puppies

Gunny and Rider as puppies

Dick and Rider

I was thrilled to have visitors on Friday – Dick and Nancy Lillie came by, to meet with our little foster baby, Alvin.

Dick and Nancy owned and loved Rider – Tessa’s litter brother from a repeat breeding, and brother to Andrea Morden Moore’s Gunny.

Rider sadly passed away a year or so ago, and while their new Frenchie girl, Belle, is wonderful, they were missing having a little pied man around the house.

Enter Alvin, who’s just about the most adorable little pied you’ve ever laid eyes on, and who has the sweetest, silliest personality.

Dick and Nancy were smitten with him, and will be taking him home in a few weeks.

I can’t help thinking he’ll be a wonderful addition to an already wonderful family.

I’m going to be waiting for a LOT of photo updates!

—————

Down in Syracue, Leah (Bullmarket Absolut Padme) was entered in her first stateside show. After taking reserve winners bitch on Friday and Saturday, she topped the weekend off with a Best of Breed win on Sunday!

Not bad, for a nine month old puppy!

Leah’s mom, Kristina, was there to cheer Leah on  – but from a distance, and safely hidden behind a pole.  No sense distracting the girl while she’s in the ring! Leah was ably handled by Thom and Diane Curley, of Ottawa. Thanks, guys!

Leah will now be staying back home with her mom, and will be doing more stateside shows, via ringside pick up handling.

Photos are on Kristina’s Flickr page – http://www.flickr.com/photos/leahandfriends/

—————

Simon is on the prowl

The weekend weather was just perfect for playing outside with puppies! I continue to be amazed at how bold these boys are – they’ve never met an experience they didn’t leap into with gusto, especially Simon!

While Teddy and Alvin liked to check in on me from time to time (“Is she still there? yes? Head scratches, and off I go again!”), Simon is quite comfortable exploring all on his own.

After a while, I noticed he was off in the corner of the garden, looking quite intently at something, and doing the occasional puppy pounce, paw slap move. Closer investigation revealed a baby garter snake, and before I had time to swoop in and grab him, Simon had grabbed it in his mouth and was giving it a death shake.

The other dogs were instantly on the scene, trying to figure out just what high priority treat the new kid had managed to nab for himself. Simon wasn’t about to let a bunch of girls intimidate him – he whirled around and growled, clearly telling them to ‘back off, and get your own snake!’.

Since he’s actually a good boy at heart, Simon instantly – if not happily – dropped the snake when I told him to, and it slithered off, shaken but apparently none the worse for wear. The other dogs were deeply disappointed in me.

Photos are after the cut – and video tomorrow!

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