Show results - Folke's 2nd challenge, Gränna June 14th - 09.

Folke won his 2nd challenge today under Jana Janekova, Slovakia. 3 curlies entered, one Curly Cottage puppy, one Aristocurls bitch in champion class and then Folke in intermediate. The bitch was BOB and Folke BOS - she thought he had tiny bit too much skin under his neck (??)


I was very pleased he got his 2nd challenge but it was not the greatest win so to speak. No competition and the judge - although very friendly and polite - was a bit tense and almost seemed scared of the dogs. Guess she might have been bitten. It was hard to say how much she knew about curlies but I´d say not very much.


Folke behaved well and was as happy as ever - as always - but it is much easier to get him to move now - he is just veeeeery eager.

Folke´s critics (my own translation):
18 months old, a little big, wonderful head, nice body, lovely developed body, correct angles, correct hindquarters, lovely movements.

I also got the privilege to handle my friend's flat coated Sanos as she was not able to go herself - a lovely boy with wonderful movements who showed his butt off. Folke was very happy to have a friend at the show grounds and Sanos got the taste of being worshipped by a curly - I'd say Ulrika won't have to clean Sanos ears within the nearest future.

Results - Freestyle, Växjö, June 6th

Folke and I were placed 3rd out of 10 in beginners class during yesterday's freestyle competition (10 entries, 2 pulled their entries) . We got 67 points from one judge and 62 from the other, giving us a total score of 129 points and an average score of 64,5. You need an average of 70 points to be allowed to enter in class 2 - I must say I think we passed our first competition with distinction!
We also congratulate Victoria and Pommac who came 2nd and showed the audience a neat programme to the song "Sånt är livet". They also made it to the local paper:
http://www.smp.se/nyheter/vaxjo/freestyle---forsta-danstavlingen-for-hundar(1364399).gm

Kellie came along and had a great time - watching, wagging her tail and finding a few dropped treats here and there.

Waiting

Victoria and Pommac were first in the ring followed by me and Folke.

Folke was a delight and it's so easy to tell he thinks freestyle is great fun.

The aim with our first competition was to avoid being disqualified. Second priority was Folke being completely focused on me and not everything going on around us (for instance the agility competiton) and that he would be happy in the ring.

Having this as main focus also meant that I deliberately did not prepare any choreography to talk about as I wanted to take the pressure off me and Folke having to keep track of too much choreography and tricks. He knows a couple of more tricks but I left them out.

Our performance on video uploaded on youtube since it took hours trying to do it on blogspot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf2jLz0F58Y

Many thanks to Margareta who helped me make our out-fit - it gave us the highest score.

Mandatory in class 1 is: dog walking around itself (360 degrees), crossing beween the handlers legs at least four times in a row, position work at least 5 metres.

Freestyle judging is a separate chapter - I guess I will learn as I go along but parts of it really does not make much sense. It is very hard to grasp what you have to do to achieve higher points (range from 1-5) - regulations are really vague on pretty much everything.

ALSO what I and other people at the competition reacted on was that the judges sat next to eachother and discussed the points - really takes away the whole point of having more than one judge. More than I had scratched over scores that were lowered to better match the other judge´s.

I seriously thought that they sat in opposite corners of the ring - both in order to see as much of the program as possible but also to show any difference in judging. Freestyle is a fairly new sport and therefore it should be even more important to have more than one judge, and most importantly that the judges do not co-judge, in order to establish a more coherent view on point values and what is required in each class.

There are - unfortunately - not all that many freestyle competitions around at the moment but next time I will have more choreopraphy prepared and also a few more tricks.

Stage fright and performance anxiety?

Naaah not at all...tomorrow is D-day but the aim is realistic - that Folke stays in the ring and that we won't get disqualified!

It's going to be great fun to see what happens in a competition situation and what we need to practice on.

HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY KELLIE!!!!

Kellie turned teenager today and I feel very fortunate that she is still around.
The photos were taken earlier today.


A few high-lights:

June 1996 - born in a litter of 8 puppies in Ängelholm at Gerd Cullin's kennel Cornerstones. Mother Kelsmere Linnet (imp UK), father Uveds Gooseberry.

Late 90´s:
- Shares an 80cm bed with me every night, having her own pillow and I get used to falling asleep with my nose burried in curls - very addictive.
- Makes a clear statement that obedience sucks by constantly going on strike doing everything in slow-motion on obedience training and classes. During competitions walking half a metre behind me throwing big chunks of grass in the air. On what was to be our last competition - stepping things up by ignoring me turning right and instead keeps walking straight ahead into the judge´s tent peeking through behind the judge´s legs. I got used to a laughing audience and I guess they missed the entertaining curly as we moved on to tracking.
- Kellie passes the aptitude test in blood tracking. A real talent and we do a lot of tracking after that but no competitions.
- Kellie goes on a panic holiday to the NL and is mated with Caballus Inferno "Sam", which results in 5 healthy liver puppies in July 1999. One bitch is sold to Norway and one to the NL, one dog is sold to the UK - two remain in Sweden.


Beginning of the new millenium:
- Lives la dolce vita as a campus dog for 5 years and is loved and cuddled by everyone.
- Kellie becomes a Swedish Show Champion in 2003 under Guy Spagnolo after changes in regulations which means that hunting rewards are no longer needed.
- Unlocks two doors at my friend´s place and goes Michaela-hunting through the city while my friend and I enjoy a pizza down the street. Manage to survive crossing heavy roads and as I run through the city in my new high heels searching, crying and with the police on my mobile - she finds her spot at the bus-central and sits as if she had been glued to the number 7 (university) sign post watching busses come and go. People start wondering about the funny looking cross-bred that calmly watches the world go by and won't move and call the police. It was all over in less than two hours but that was the last time I ever questioned her intelligence unlocking two doors and also as observations later unveiled that she had made it through the city running to places we have been together not finding me and then opting for the central bus station - going through areas we have never been before getting there.

2006

- Is second best veteran at the show at the curly special in Mölle. The oldest dog entered and with striking critics.

2007

- Kellie is rushed to the vet, miles away, in the middle of the night with gastric torsion and survives the operation at the age of 11.

2008

- Kellie gets a great grandchild to raise, Anatnaq Dark Hawk "Folke".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!

Show results - BOB in Hässleholm May 17, 2009.

Folke won the challenge and BOB, 7 entries, under Eeva Rautala in Hässleholm during the weekend.

Intermediate class

He won over 2 in his class plus the open dog that was Swedish winner earlier this year. 2 bitches were entered and since neither got a CK there was no BOB competition. There were only two who got CK and that was Folke and the Swedish winner.

Intermediate class

The judge loved Folke and said that the somewhat open bite had to be put into relation to his strengths and assets. She had a Swedish judge trainee in the ring, which was great fun as that meant that she said everything out loud and discussed it with the trainee.

Intermediate class

She went through Folke bit by bit and pointed out breed characteristics and what to be aware of in curlies - it was easy to tell she knew curlies, everything from temperament to appearance. Luckily she checked the teeth last or I would have turned cocky by all the positive comments like "this is what you should look for in a curly" "this is also perfect - this is the way it is supposed to be" , the only words that went through my mind was "bugger bugger bugger bugger, "she is going to check his mouth and all this will be worth nothing". But as earlier mentioned she commented on the bite and I was relieved she put it in perspective to all of his strengths. The tiny bit of an open bite comes and goes - I hope it will go never to come back again.

Best dog

She was also really strict on coats - finally a judge that values a good coat. I have been on dog shows watching curlies with no curls or with huge bald patches win the challenge - scary!

Best dog

Folke´s critics:
Excellent type and size, beautiful head and expression, good eye colour, excellent neck and topline, excellent chest for his age, good bone structure, well angulated. lovely coat, carries his tail a bit high when running. Moves well. Pleasing temperament. A somewhat open bite.

Yeeey! The challenge!!!

We have practised a bit on running using a command and also on following my hand at certain times while running and I am pretty happy with the result, especially the running command as Folke kept going for quite some time once he got in the right pace.

There were quite a lot of bitches on heat around - and I showed one, so by the time we got to the Group competition Folke´s thoughts where someplace else but it didn't bother me all that much. He will learn how to handle it (with a little bit of help ;) ) as he grows and he won't grow tired as quickly when he gets used to shows. He was an overly happy lad in the group finals - but happy is good!

Best Of Breed

Kellies turn to get massage

Kellie´s turn to get an hour massage by Lotta. The elevator was out of order and since Kellie no longer walks in stairs and I do not have the strength to carry 35 struggling kilos we had to be inventive and did it all on a thick mattress on the bottom floor.
Lotta thought Kellie looked really well and Kellie was still surprisingly agile in spite of her great age.
Kellie enjoyed every second and was a happy camper afterwards trotting along with a wagging tail.
Folke has an appointment next week.

Folke loves his balcony

Those of you who have been visiting probably recognize the castle tower at the horizon, that gives you a hint about where I live nowadays.

Preparing for the stage part 1. - Practising with disturbance

Kellie is a "bisquit whore" ( a title my dear boyfriend came up with as she´ll do anything for a treat) which also means she is very keen on being a part of the training and taking Folkes rewards. She usually comes along and I throw out a couple of hand fulls of treats on the grass and she spends her time sniffing and eating. She actually pulls to get to the lawn where we usually practise - so she thinks it's great fun.
Folke and I then practise around her - which means Folke has to roll around on treats that he is not allowed to focus on - and hasn't done this far - and he also gets a rowdy element to practise not focusing on. It's only Kellie but it's a good start, we'll have to step it up a notch and begin practising at the dog club sometime soon.

Kellie likes showing off her tricks as well, since she is more or less deaf (still being able to sort out words like food and candy though) and probably half blind it's not all that easy to communicate tricks with her but she is pretty good at the sign language.