Whew

We just got home from a month long trip, beginning with conformation shows in Vallejo, then on to Helena, then back to Sacramento for the CCRCA national.  We of course did zip in the conformation end, but in obedience Teaz picked up six OTCh points in Helena and HIT at the national.  Sketcher finished his BN and RN with First places in those classes, and both dogs earned their UWCs.  Sketch LOVED doing the UWC!

Both pictures by Gramma Sarah.

We stayed at Auntie Iris's house and as usual the pool was a big hit.  Sketch is such a good son, "helping" his mother out of the pool by grabbing the bumper ...

Photoshop is phun!

And friend did a little work on the picture that I had in my last blog post ...  ;-)

But, of course!

We went up to Spokane, which was a bust since the best we got was a Third in Utility one day.  However, we also went over to Wallace, ID which is about an hour east, to do some touristy stuff, and get this picture -

Off to Montana

Our next trip was to Great Falls and Missoula for five obedience trials, with stops at Iris's house on the way up and back to rest my old bod.  Sketcher got in some good training as well as a sort of Beginner Novice run thru at a match in Missoula - there were no signs and no judge, but it was still distracting and he did very well.

And of course, there were run amok times!  Iris's pool is always a favorite.

Random fields and "sharing" a toy with his mom were also fun!

Teaz's work was up and down, but in the end she picked up 10 OTCh points, two HITs and a HC.  And of course, the toys she won were destroyed by Sketcher!

Curlyville, and beyond!

We next made an even longer trip, to Tennessee for Curlyville and then on to North Carolina to visit Leslie's new home and drop off a puppy.  Sketch got lots of really good training at Curlyville and some fun running amok time in Leslie's play yards.

Baby Huey went with us to keep Lucky Kitty company.

Of course, there are weird ears while running amok!

We got some family photos - left to right, Dad Rhino, Mom Teaz, Sketcher, Sister Brisk.  The parents just don't look thrilled with their kids ... <G>

Sketcher with his sister Brisk.  She looks much more mature than he does right now!

I love this picture - I look thin!

Auntie Iris, Oregon, Auntie Iris, new puppy, de-bark!

We made a long trip which started with stopping at Iris's house to look at the girl puppy from Teaz's cousin Bebe, then went up to Klamath Falls for two obedience trials.  While we were in Oregon, Sketch had a great time swimming, stalking his mom and posing!

Then back to Iris's to pick up the new puppy, and boy puppy we are taking to Curlyville to deliver, and the Sprinter since all of this isn't going to fit in the Transit!  Sketch is not really sure he approves of not being the baby any more, but he likes the pups.  They sure are cute.

On the way home, we stopped in Sonora and had Rapid de-barked, which meant we just hung around for a day.  It was boring for the dogs, but I found lots of flowers!  <G>

Birthday!

Sketch is a whole year old today; it's hard to believe he went from this:

to this:

in only twelve months!  We celebrated with homemade dog friendly cupcakes, which I was barely able to get a picture of before it was inhaled!

That circle of life thing

We are in Lewiston Idaho, where Teaz has so far flunked and had two major deductions - sigh.  However, the weather is very nice so I took Sketcher for a walk to a dogwood tree I'd taken a picture of Diver in front of, when at these same shows.

Eleven years later, the tree has been trimmed, the one behind it removed, and I'm two cameras down the line from the first one, but still the same place where we took a flower picture just before Diver won his first all breed High in Trial.  It makes me feel good to be someplace where he enjoyed himself, and to be sharing it with Sketch.

Eleven months!

He's getting to be such a big boy!  He didn't grow any taller this past month but he's filled out some - and blown his puppy coat all over the back yard ...

He'll start matching in Rally Novice and Beginner Novice soon, as I hope to have him ready by the specialty in September.

Ten months

 

Here is Baby Huey at 10 months, and he now measures 25+ inches!  He may end up being the biggest Curly I've ever owned ...

Hunt test photos

Joyce Davis took these pictures at the HRC test and she got some GREAT shots of Sketcher!  Here is a sampling -

Ears!

First hunt test

Sketch and his mom got to run in their first HRC hunt test yesterday and both did very well.  Of course, Sketcher did well for his age ... there was some noise, some playing with birds and one long hunt, but otherwise I was kind of surprised at how well he did.  They both passed so now have their first Started legs, and Sketch also earned his WC.  There was a photographer there taking pics so I hope to have action shots later, this is all I have for now ...

It was a LONG walk to the stake from the parking lot, which I had to do twice as many times since I had the two dogs entered.  The dogs loved it, me not so much!

Silly puppy

I was taking pictures of Sketcher's head while he was distracted by other things.  He held still for quite a long time (for him), but finally hit his limit of quietness.

This was the last picture I took before I pulled the camera back for it's protection ...

Looks like he's grown some ...

At left Sketcher is a little over two months, on right he is just over nine months.

Maybe Teaz shrank??  ;-)

Nine months

And here he is at nine months!  I wish the photo was better, but it's still dark out when Rick gets home to take a picture.  We also measured him and he is 24".

Eight months

I forgot to post this one at the time - Sketch was eight months on 1/3/15.

2014 in review

In February, we drove to the frozen north central part of the country to make puppies ...

It worked, so we didn't do a whole lot for most of the year!

We did briefly run out and get two legs on Rapids RA at a couple of local trials.

In mid June, Leslie and Iris came to pick out their puppy.  Iris is apparently very scary!  Or maybe she charmed them into a stupor?

 

The end of June, we drove out to Indiana to deliver four of the pups since it was too hot to ship them.  

From the litter, came the worlds best puppy!  ;-)

(isn't he cute??)

Back in the rings, Teaz earned her UD in August...

... her first OTCh points in November ...

... her Ch a week later ...

and her first High In Trial two weeks after that!

For 2015, we'll finish Teaz's JH, work on her OTCh and hopefully get her WCQ.  Rapid will finish his RA and start on his CDX.  Sketcher will work on his WC and maybe his BN and/or some Rally.