Dog Central - Dog Blog

Cricket's Grand Day Out

2009-10-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

You may or may not be aware we have been fostering a couple of ferrets. Dizzy and Cricket have been with us for a couple of weeks now and they have been looking for a home during that time.

Last week Crickets luck was in, when Jaime was contacted by a girl from Aberdeen who had done her research and was looking for a ferret to keep as a house pet. Cricket will fit the bill no question, she is an easy going playful ferret and a great place for a new owner to start.

In order to get Cricket to her new home we arranged to meet in Edinburgh on Saturday. As Loki and Duffy have not yet been on a train we thought it would be a great time to try them out.

After the usual 6am dog walk, we packed Cricket into a carry cage and made off for Newcastle to catch a train to Edinburgh, dogs and all. Our seats were booked on a train departing just after 9am and we were at the station in fairly good time.

On boarding the train we found it was possibly a little busier than we had expected and looked like it might be a little to cramped to take the dogs further into the carriage than by the entrance door. Our seats were at a table which we would have shared with two other passengers. I suggested that Jaime take her seat and put Cricket on mine and I would stay by the doors with the dogs so as to be the least amount of inconvience and keep the dogs comfortable.

Around 2 minutes out of the station Jaime came back down the train and waved for me to come up to the table which was now totally vacated. Whether it was the prospect of travelling with a little weasel or the delicate fragrance which comes with a female ferret the seat occupants apparently up and left about 30 seconds after Jaime sat down with a comment to the effect... "Welllll, I'm not staying here". So a table all to ourselves worked out very nicely.

Loki and Duffy settled themselves nicely under the table and slept most of the way, as did Cricket in her cage.

All arrived in Edinburgh safely and with out event, and Cricket met up with his new owner. She made it back to Aberdeen safe and sound and settled in her new home under her new name Guinness.

... and the moral of the story, if your looking to get a comfortable space during train travel, carry a ferret.

Blue comes to stay

2009-10-11T01:40:00.000-07:00

As some good friends were going on holiday recently, we had the chance to take care of one of their dogs for a week.

Blue is a mature white Husky and is a very handsome chap as you can see.

Blue is a very calm dog and settled with Loki and Duffy and was no trouble for the week he was with us. In some respects it was nice having a slightly larger pack.

Training Techniques

2009-09-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

There is a couple of popular schools of thought when it comes to dog training at the minute and we don't want to sway anyones decision on which is best for them right now.

The "Dog Listener" method for which Jan Fennell is the author who leads the field. It’s a very hands off slow training method based almost totally on positive rewards and very little if an negative reprimand to your dog. This is an ethos followed by most of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Certified (APDT) trainers in the UK. Its favoured by many of the dog behaviourists but can be ineffective with many dogs.

Then you have the Ceser Millan "Dog Whisperer" method which is very hands on and is based on both positive and negative interaction with your dog. Rewards for good behaviour and not scolding but appropriate negative response for unwanted behaviour. This method also relys heavily on some basic ground rules, always going before the dog, controlling the dog before it gets to eat a meal and on a great deal of exercise. But caution has to be taken trying to use some of the techniques described and are often best left to a professional.

One of the most important things from each of the techniques is making sure that everyone in your family is seen by the dog as superior.

Jaime and I sit somewhere in between these two training methods and our rescue dogs have turned out well. We exercise them for around two to three hours a day over three walks and practice training on about a third of the walks. It’s a lot of work but the dogs we have as a result are fantastic.

Mistaken Identity

2009-09-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

While Jaime has been away for the last two weeks I've had all three, one hour dog walks clocking up around 4 to 5 miles a day rain or shine. Its fairly rewarding to see the dogs stretched out fast asleep for hours at a time after a walk. It amazes me how many people miss the simplicity of using exercises to keep their dogs from getting up to mischief.

On a fairly regular basis we encounter people who comment on our dogs looking like this or that and I've compiled a little list to show some of these peoples opinions.

So here's Loki and Duffy to refresh your memory on how they actually look...

Duffy

Loki

... and now the madness of what some people have said our dogs look like.

Hyena

Dutch Herder / Dutch Shepard Dog

Jackal

African Hunting Dog

We have also had Loki described as "One of those... a Pit Bull", I'm not going to dignify it with much of a comment because that level of stupidity and ignorance makes my blood boil and the idiot who uttered such a comment needs a good talking to.

Daddy Duffy

2009-08-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Its kitten time again. Jaime has been hand rearing four, two week old kittens who's mother died. Hand Rearing, means that they need feeding ever couple of hours... EVERY couple of hours, day and night. Jaime has been doing the honors and is very tired but has been doing a great job of feeding and the less pleasent bottom stimulation which the mother cat would do to encourage the little ones to... what could be considered completing the digestive process.

As usual Duffy was paying particular attention to the fluffy critters brought in to the house. Jaime allowed Duffy to gradually get closer to the kittens over a day or two. Eventually he graduated to sniffing and licking them and from there he seemed to develop a paternal nature we had not seen before. He was pleased each time he saw them and was very happy to help "complete the digestive process" and settle beside them.

The Wet Weekend

2009-08-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took a trip to Sheffield to visit friends and take a walk around the gardens of Chatsworth House. We had a run of bad luck but it was a good weekend non the less.

Only about 45 minutes from home we discovered the exhaust on the car was starting to blow and make noises like a boy racer had spent a few hundred pounds to give it a throaty roar. We considered turning around for about 30 seconds and then decided we could handle the noise and cranked up the radio to complete the "Charver" effect.

Our drive was through torrential rain which added to our journey time, but we were fortunate that as we approached Chatsworth House the rain started to lighten. The combination of stotting rain and the loud radio had us all but forgetting the exhaust noise, until we stopped at the parking ticket booth and rolled down the window to an attendant who had to shout over our din and give us a slightly disapproving glance.

Having set impressions high with our subtle arrival, we followed this with a brief fountain diving incident in the court yard by the car park. As we walked up to the centre of the court yard, Duffy eyed up the stone wall which formed the edge of the fountain and before Jaime could react, jumped to perform one of his favorite tricks of walking on raised walls. Unfortunately the rim was somewhat thinner than he had expected and in he went under the watchful eyes of the all in the court yard.

The gardens of Chatsworth are very impressive and filled with water features and sculptures as well as an amazing array of flowers and trees. We managed to enjoy a good walk around without any further incidents and only getting mildly wet from the drizzle.

Saturday evening the dogs were shattered and they were asleep by about 6pm and could not even be tempted to chew on some raw hide. Jaime and I went out for some food and drink with our friends Phil and Mandy to a local pub and had a great evening.

Stripie dogs can jump!

2009-07-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well our little foster family is now kitten free and we have our spare room back. The ferals have now had their vaccinations and will soon go up for adoptions, so fingers crossed for new homes.

That leaves us with just the three ferrets. I had initial concerns about "The Witch" bullying all the other ferrets including Jaime's own Enzo and Flash. But Jaime assured me its ok as ferrets can interact very roughly especially on first meeting to establish a form of pecking order. On her first night here she was really going at Flash and was even dragging Enzo (Jaime's full grown male ferret) across the yard. The Witch is now segregated from Enzo at all times, but for her own safety as Enzo was caught trying to use her head as a Pogo stick in retribution and continues to try and keep her at the bottom of the heap.

Less animals means Jaime has time for longer dog walks in the evening and we're all enjoying it all the more when the weather is warm. However its not always warm... last night for instance we had a major down pour which Jaime and the dogs got caught in and by the time they got home they were totally SOAKED in fact her shoes are still wet this evening. Unfortunately I didn't capture any pictures of that but I did manage a few from the night before which was brilliant blue skys which give us a chance to put the dogs through their paces for a little while.

Kodi the return...

2009-07-26T11:46:00.001-07:00

We've had a week of trying to keep ourselves as dry on dog walks, and between high tides and down pours of rain, it has not always been easy, roll on dryer weather. Even in the rain Loki and Duffy get their three walks a day, often they need a little encouragement to leave the house when the rain is coming down hard, that said, once their out they soon forget and get back to enjoying a dogs life.

Jaime had a visit at work this week from Kodi our little foster puppy and his new owners when they came in to sign his paperwork. His name is now Winston and at around 4 months he's a real bruiser and confirms the our suspicions he's going to be a really big dog. As you can see in the video he had a good rough and tumble with Duffy and though Winston has some weight behind him, Duffy has all the techniques to have him beaten.

Our Foster Family

2009-07-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

This post is a little different from our usual subject matter. Our house is somewhat full of critters at the moment. We have two dogs and two ferrets of our own, but this has been added to for a short while.

Adding to our numbers we have three kittens (of which two are feral), and three ferrets. All of which are introduced below.

Greedo - AKA Feral Kitten Number 1

Curious George - AKA Feral Kitten Number 2

Gizmo - AKA Whiney Skinny Dirty Little Thing

As you can see feeding time is never pretty

Dizzy - AKA The Biter!! or Ooo you little B*****

Pinkie - AKA the Witch

Cricket - AKA the little cute one - She's TINY!!

A Sad Update

2009-07-19T13:22:00.001-07:00

We have a sad update on our large house guest Josh.

Unfortunately due to his medical complaints Josh was put to sleep a couple of weeks ago. As sad as it is, it is for the best. The problems he was having at a year and a half old would have led to a short life time of uncomfortable and wearing treatments meaning his quality of life would have been limited.

We knew when Josh came to stay with us there was a strong possibility that the story would end this way however, Jaime and I, sympathise with his owner, and it though it was a very hard decision to make she, we believe she made the right one. In the short time he was with us, he was made a great impression. Such a large dog gives a gives a misleading impression of age. Josh was actually younger than our little Duffy and once exercised and tired showed many of the same puppy mannerism of looking for for comforting and companionship. We are very glad we were given the chance to work with him for even just a short period of time.

Out with little, in with large.

2009-06-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

As usual our subject matter is dogs, but I'm sure you'd spotted that pattern.

The recent sunshine we're having here seems to be bringing the "Fair Weather" dog walkers out of the woodwork. The Dene and the beach are almost littered with dogs and owners, some of whom should think about putting some effort into learning to control their dogs and teach their canine family members to recall, but I won't start a rant on this post.

The little puppy Kodi is healing very well and growing fast. Soon he may have little to show of his physical injuries, however he looks like he has the starting of a fairly dominant nature and other behaviour which already make him quite a handful. Some of his traits may suggest the possibility he was taken from the litter to soon.

But, things in our house have changed some what. Kodi is no longer staying with us, he is with other experienced dog owners as his new foster home, as we have taken in Josh.

Josh is a little bigger than Kodi. At a year and a half old he is already a very large dog who is fairly dominant and needs a firm hand. He's with us for a short time while a new home is sought and a medical complaint he has is being investigated. Josh has a lump on his back currently which has been tested by a vet and they believe it is nothing serious and it will go down on its own. He will be visiting the vet again tomorrow for further examination.

Currently we're actively looking for a very experienced home for Josh as he will need a handler who has the time and effort to put in to training.

Be Everywhere!

2009-06-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

So Dave says I've been falling behind on my posts in a major way.... so with that kick up the back side I have dragged my "lazy" backside off the floor where i had positioned my self between puppy Kodi and grouchy Loki so i could "supervise" any "interaction"... but first let me tell you about my schedule.
My ferrets have been ESCAPING!!! they have been in the same space for over a year now and I have never had a problem so I have never had to make any changes... then Flash (white) was found doing a balancing act on the wall that runs all the way down the street.
Found where she was getting out... a hole too small for Enzo (brown) and fixed it. Problem solved...

A couple weeks later Enzo is no where to be found and after frantic searching I peer over the wall into the neighbors yard to see him trying his hardest to climb back to me... after a little breaking and entering I managed to get him back. though he had dug up most of their plant pots in the process... couldn't figure out how he got out.... and he seemed to stop so I grew lax.

Neighbors alerted me to my ferret on the wall, and as soon as I put him down he climbed straight back up... Busted Enzo!

then the lecture about how I should have been watching him began and how they could only go out if they were "closely" supervised... yes boss.

In the mean time I am up at 6am every morning to attend to the pitiful whinge-bag in my kitchen.. no, not Dave.. at this time he is already out on the morning walk with Loki and Duffy (give the man his credit where credit is due). Kodi needs rushed out side for his morning ablutions then fed then entertained till he is tired enough to go back to sleep which gives me enough time to eat and dress then it's off to work with Kodi and Duffy in tow.

After a non stop morning, Lunch hour consists of me eating in a hurry so I can take Duffy into the Fields for his walk and then taking Kodi out for some socialization and exercise before going back to the grind of non stop work till five when I pack up the pups and head home.

Once home I feed the little ones and put him to bed before picking up Loki from the in-laws and taking him and Duffy for their evening walk, by the time I get home Dave is cooking supper (bless his soul) which gives me time to "supervise my ferrets" then eat and then the puppy is up and HYPER.... after an Hour of play and eat and poop I put him back to bed... whew!

So now I have 1 precious hour before I have to wake the puppy and see to it he is fed, watered, pooed, peed, and tired before I can collapse on my bed at 10.30pm. On top of this I have websites to update, a charity party to help plan, a social life (HA!), and a marriage. I was going to rant and rave about how I am expected to be everywhere at once, how I am supposed to shadow the puppies and ferrets every move and also have consideration for poor Loki's depression over his house being terrorized by Kodi-zilla.... but I am to tired.

Update: This pic was taken right after his scab had come away, since then it has healed amazingly fast. Kodi saw the vet today and they are impressed with how well is sores are healing and even gave him his 1st injection which means his time with us is short. In 2 weeks time he will be put up for adoption and find himself a new home.

The face that belies a MONSTER!

2009-06-15T13:45:00.001-07:00

We're finding that our little house guest Kodi has quite the attitude for a puppy who is a matter of weeks old.

Duffy is still for the most part enjoying his time with Kodi, even if he's getting a bit of a taste of what he give Loki most of the time. He's finding the backs of his legs and his ears are getting given little or no respect as Kodi gives a surprise bite now and again.

Going over older photographs I have found some of the very first shots we took of Loki before we adopted him. Considering he was over a year old when we adopted him he's still grown and changed in shape quite considerably.

Not another foster puppy!

2009-06-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

I have a few points before we start.

1: Yes this one will live!

2: No we are not keeping it! NO! We're not!

A dog walker in Newcastle came across a bundle of cubby fluff about half the size of a house cat but with a bit more meat on his stubby bones, who had an unfortunate wound on the top of his little head. They brought it to a local vet who gave it a nice monk-esk hair style, cleaned the wound and passed it on to the RSPCA. So the unnamed puppy arrived at Westfarm Kennels where it spent a night waiting for staff to come in the following day.

Tuesday morning, I took a call from Jaime starting with "Its another one of those days... where I ask you if I can bring home another helpless animal"... I was already compiling a list in my head of reasons not to have another, squeaking, clawing, smelling, biting, sleep depriving kitten in the house. Only to be told of the puppy... and being a sucker for a dog hard luck story, home the puppy came on Tuesday night, on the condition, Jaime was on pee and poo duty.

Various names were put forward for the puppy most of which related to his less than flattering looks, but Kodi (short for Kodiak Bear) was settled on as it seemed quite appropriate for his chunky stature.

Kodi is sleeping through the night in a crate in the kitchen, going to work with Jaime during the day and when he's home in the evening he's the most stressful thing in Loki's life. Duffy on the other hand is fascinated, he is keen to play with the puppy but we have to be careful not to let him get to rough, Duffy is a fan of batting with his front paws and the last thing Kodi needs is another bump on the head.

What would you do?

2009-06-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Its not something I've really contemplated before but, what would you do if you saw someone appearing to abuse a dog? How would you react?

Its the first time for me and I don't know if my reaction was right or wrong. I won't go in to detail of the incident but my reaction was to shout once I'd seen what was going on and the face to face confront the individual while making a note of registration plates from their car and physical descriptions before reporting all details to the RSPCA once I got home. I would confess part of me wanted to give them a taste of what I'd just seen them do, but having my own dogs with me kept me from being more irresponsable and I wanting to make sure that the incident had not cause them any distress.

Ok my rant is over... on to something a little different... which I'm sure Jaime will be blogging more about in the days to come.

We're updating again!!

2009-06-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

We've haven't been updating for a little while, mainly because we have been lazy. All thats changed, thanks to a having quite a few dog related matters to write about and a little pestering encouragement from an individual... you know who you are ;)

Sunday 31st May 2009 - The K9 Academy Sponsored Dog Walk.

Thirty owners and dogs set out on the walk from Seaton Sluice to Tynemouth Priory.

In costumes ranging from Cowboys to Cruella de Vils. The weather was very much on our side and I'm pleased to say almost everyone managed to make it the 6 miles to the Priory.

Some of the benefits of doing a walk like this are to help make people aware of the club and help raise funds for new equipment and development. The only down side was the side effects from a stomach bug needing me to lenghten my own personal walk a little with frequent pit stops.

Death and Daffodils

2009-03-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

It's with a Heavy heart i start this Blog.
My Darling Sickly little puppy passed away, But i wanted to share her story all the same.

She came in with her skin and bone mother and 9 other skinny flea and worm infested siblings (there had been 11 but one had died before they arrived) from a house that could not be bothered to care for or feed them anymore and wanted rid of them.She was only 1/2 the size of any of the other puppies and the vet they had seen had discovered a Heart murmur and suggested she be put to sleep so she wouldn't be an unnecessary burden on her already struggling mother. It was decided to see if she would make it on her own. When she arrived at work she was desperately dehydrated and anemic and we cursed the vets for not putting her on a drip to give her a helping hand.

It was clear there and then that she would not survive the night without an intervention. So she came home with me. 4 days we spent together.... and a few times it looked like she had lost the will to live, only to start eating again and regain her strength, even following Duffy around and imitating play. 3 nights of getting up to feed her every 1-2 hours, making sure her watter bottle was warm or just comforting her when she was lonely.

On the 4th night she seemed well in herself, she had been with her mom and littler mates all day feeding and sleeping with them so i decided it was time to let her go. She would be happier with her family. It was a risk, but i had given her the head start in life she deserved... People had starved her mother to the point where she was unable to feed her own pups, so it was only fair that People right that wrong.

The next morning i checked on her first thing and i looked for her in the crush of brindle puppies who ran up to greet me, and it was with a sense of dread that i saw her still form still curled on the bed... Lifeless. She had died in her sleep.
I Could have done things differently, i could have kept her home longer, but looking back.... i still would have made the same choice to let her stay with her mom. It seemed right.

As one life goes out all around me new life springs up... In the fields the lambs are appearing, the birds are finished with their courtship and are now busily building homes to hold their chicks. Any day now i expect to see baby Bunnies on the grassy verges and the warren hills...

And the DAFFODILS are EVERYWHERE Bringing that longed for splash of color and the feeling that spring is on it's merry way. The promise of sun and of green trees and butterflies and bumblebees.

And i cant help Smiling as i pass their happy bobbing heads.

In summary, it has taken us ages to catch up on the sleep and energy we lost during the adventure of Crufts, but now that we are finally waking out of the sleepwalk our life has turned into the last few weeks it seems we are walking into a whole new world that brings great hope that summer and all the great things that come with it is just around the corner.

Special Dogs

2009-03-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Walking the halls of Crufts was for the most part a maze of stalls selling all sorts of toys, equipment, food and services. Thrown in at certain places were stalls with information on subjects such as working dogs (such as Police dogs) and charities.

Many of the charities were big names and worthy causes. The likes of Guide Dogs and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home were present, however it was a couple of smaller charities which stood out for me.

Support Dogs - http://www.support-dogs.org.uk/

They train dogs to meet the specific needs of individuals with disabilities. Teaching dogs to perform tasks such as open and close doors, load the washing machine, help getting dressed, carrying or retrieving items, raising the alarm and even contacting ambulance services should the need arise and many many others, dependant on disability of the person they are to support. I really like the idea of a dog providing someone with not only companionship but also so much help.

Cancer and Bio-Detection Dogs - http://cancerdogs.co.uk/

I believe this to be a relatively new organisation, but what they do is truly fascinating. They research into the use of dogs to detect human diseases and medical conditions. Using the canine sense of smell to detect disorders in their infancy to assist in swift treatment. The dogs olfactory sense is as much as 100,000 time better than a human and has been used by people for centuries for tracking and detection. In this time where we use technological solutions to every problem, we seem to over look abilities that are available to us historically and from the natural world.

On the subject of special dogs, this morning we wait to see how our little sickly puppy turns out after a night with her mother.

Glad to be home!

2009-03-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, this Picture sums up crufts... exhausting and the leading cause of worry lines... But WHAT an amazing experience, and for us a once in a lifetime event. By the time Crufts rolls around next year we will be off to Canada and on to our next great adventure.

I would like to take this time to reflect... When people see me the first question on everyone's lips is "How was Crufts?!" and oddly i am having a hard time answering that because i think back on it with a tangle of emotions... Yes the Opportunity and experience was Great and if i went back in time i would do it all over again, but now that i have been.... would i go back?

4 days was far far to long for any person never mind dog to be in that environment, it saps your very soul to be so near to that many other people, to not have your own space.

The Kennel Clubs Organizational skills are a mess, trying to alter our performance routine on the day we arrive is not acceptable... and dealing with their constant time table changes was a nightmare!

For the worlds larges dog show organised by a world renowned dog club you would think that they would stop and think about the dogs. "exercise areas" consisted of: a) an indoor 10 foot by 8 foot fenced of areas with shavings and a pole for them to pee on. b) a similar get up outdoors though larger and covered. there where small grassy verges, but they were close to roads with industrial traffic. Seriously guys, is a Fenced off dog park too much to ask? Heaven forbid we would let our dogs off the lead... on grass... they could get their paws dirty or wreck their fancy hair dos.

Before we even arrived at Crufts we were told to direct any press questions regarding the controversial breed issues to the kennel club (who pay people to come up with evasive answers) or to simply answer "Fit for Function, Fit for Life" the KC motto. Let me be the first to say BOLLOX! What a load of Tripe....

What is this Function these dogs are fit for? to sit a kennel being bred to relatives so they don't ruin their Prestigious blood lines... working breeds who have never seen a field, or a sheep or game bird.. Breeds who are almost guaranteed to need operations or at the very least haircuts before they will be able to see properly.

On a more positive note, What a fantastic thing to see all the breeds with their tails... schnauzers, rottweilers, boxers they look like better happier dogs who will finally be able to express their emotions properly and be better understood by their canine cohorts.

Don't Misunderstand me, I Love Pure Breed dogs, ever since i was a child my sister and I would pour through the encyclopedia of dogs until we had them memorized, we had our favorites, and we still do. But that said, i wouldn't trade in my pack of mutts for the "Best of Breed"

So as i close the book on Crufts, i open a new one.

A tiny brindle puppy has fallen into my lap, a runt of a litter of 11 taken away from their owners due to the emaciated condition of their mother and the puppies themselves. She is a Crossbreed, and she fits in the palm of my hand despite being said to be 7 weeks old (unlikely) and her mom being a little bigger than Loki.

It looked iffy that she would survive the night as she is skinny, dehydrated and anemic, but after waking me up every hour during the night for her feeds of milk substitute she seems a lot brighter and is tottering around with Duffy who is quite smitten, where as Loki doesn't want to know.

She doesn't have a name yet, because she is still not far from Deaths door, but Whinge bag and Bobble head seem as good as any for now.

unfortunatly it means that catching up on my sleep is a thing of the distant future.

Oh well.

Last displays and the long drive home.

2009-03-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Silver Team's displays yesterday went well and well done to the whole team, your applause were well deserved.

Jaime met two more celebrity's after the last performance. The winner of the Underdog Show, Sven and his owner Kevin Sacre (who is apparently mostly famous for being in Hollyoaks). We were pleased to see Sven! We thought he was the only dog we had seen during the whole time at Crufts we would like to take home. The members of the Silver team were presented their participants certificates by Kevin.

As we left the exhibitors exit in Hall 1 at the NEC for the last time we handed in our tickets to a large steward who took at double take at us as we and the dogs passed through the door, two or three paces out of the door we hear the phrase which has rung in our ears the last four days... "Oi Mate! What type o' dogs are those?", together we gave him a quick but polite response and headed for the car park. Stopping only to allow the dogs to pee and have a quick blast around a field.

Well as I type this its all over and done with, we made it home in about three and a half hours. We're home from Crufts and we're all still recovering. The dogs are a lot more subdued that normal and are making the most of there new beds.

A BIG thank you to everyone who helped in everyway getting our own mutts to Crufts. We hope it lets some people see the sort of dogs cross breeds can be and how well they can turn out.

The Final Day - It will be a long one

2009-03-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the most crowded day yet at Crufts. While sitting at our allotted bench space taking a rest some careless clumsy footed on-lookers managed to step on poor Duffy's tail, three times in fact, luckily he's a resilient little character and didn't let it bother him two much, but I had to struggle to keep my "Oh its OK" face on.

The Bronze teams display were once again excellent, well done to the whole team and a special thanks to Joy and Sue of the K9 Academy for working so hard to get their club recognised and invited to Crufts.

Once again our own special dogs were pointed at and discussed by may a passer by. With the increased crowd sizes, we discover the new methods people would employ to attract out attention to ask about Loki and Duffy. For the most part those techniques involved physical grabs or my own personal favourite the poke in the ribs, which I can promise may cost someone a finger today if its repeated. One lady with a her Hungarian Vizsla (who did not poke me in the ribs) asked what our dogs were as she was very impressed with their looks and could not work out what breed they were, jokingly put her nose in the air and addressed her dog saying "Come this way, we are not supposed to associate with their sort" on finding out the boys were 100% Pedigree Cross Breed.

Today is the last day, and its going to be a long one. The dogs already fed and walked, and we need to be at the NEC by 9:30am. We'll be there until around 5:30pm and then have at least a 4 hour drive back home straight after. Good Luck to the Silver Team displaying today and better luck to any individual who takes a chance on touching my ribs!

Day 3, "nice to see such unexaggerated dogs"

2009-03-07T10:16:00.001-08:00

The days sure do seem to be getting longer and longer, as well as Dave and I being tired, the dogs are getting fed up with all the attention from strangers, but because it is the weekend it means LOADS more people crowding into the halls making navigating from one side to the other nearly impossible. it would be fair to say tempers are frayed.

It was Hunting dogs day which meant lots of dogs you see on your average walk on the beach.. Spaniels, Labs, Retrievers, & Gun dogs such as Weimaraners, Vizslas, Pointers and some of the less common breeds like Griffons, Bracco Italianos and Munsterlanders.

It was Duffy and Dave's second and Last day of performances, and because his first show was at noon it meant we could leave a little later to make it there for 10am. the Kennel Club as usual showed it's organisational skills by changing the schedule not once, not twice... but FOUR times. keeps us on our toes. Of course both my boys did great. Dave did alright too.

On another note, i just want you all to marvel with me at the race i call Dog Breeders/showers. We Actually SAW a woman with her toddler on a lead and her tiny fancy kick dog in a Pram.... and the amount of people who look like their chosen breeds is down right FRIGHTENING!

We also bumped into Richard Curtis one of the UK's leading Heelwork to music / Canine freestyle handlers, Who spotted Duffy and confessed he would like to steal him as he had searched far and wide at the dog shelters for a dog with so much character in his face.

Finally the day was over, Dave and Duffy got a certificate and a ribbon for their participation and then it was back to the hotel to rest and scrounge up some food... funnily our meals and general upkeep has come second to getting the dogs out for their pee breaks, fed, and rested.

Day two, the Silver Display

2009-03-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

Another early start for day two. The day was to bring three displays for Loki and the rest of the team. Loki performed very well only losing his cool once during the day shuffling forward from a stay after someone behind him made a loud bang. In general all of the performances were great.

We again wandered the halls and lost count the number of times we were asked "What breed are they?" We took in some of the dogs on display for the day, Jaime discovered a new fascination with the Miniature Pinscher. We also found time to have a brief chat and get a photo with Mic Martin from BBC Three's Dog Borstal but didn't ask for any training tips because we think our boys are doing alright.

Today was Utility and Toy breeds, which mainly meant Poodles and dogs most commonly seen in the modern day handbag being trailed around with some very sissy hair styles. These are in stark contrast to the likes of the more masculine breeds like the Akita and Dalmatian.

While sitting eating our lunch, Loki and Duffy did what they like to do best... wrestle. It seems its not something that is seen very often at Crufts and raised one or two smiles of the passers by. This is a good stress relief for them.

Its fair to say that Jaime, I and the two dogs are getting very tired and its only day two. We believe Duffy may only have two displays tomorrow so it might be an easy day and possibly we can get some rest.

"What breed IS that?"

2009-03-05T22:15:00.000-08:00

Day one of Crufts is over, and what a manic day it was.

Duffy performed very well, only losing his focus once towards the end of the last performance when he spotted Loki on the other side of the arena fence. He still did everything he was asked but did so peering around me to watch Loki.

Between performances we wandered the halls a little, not wanting to explore to much as we have 4 days here and didn't want to bore ourselves with everything right away.

As we walked the halls in amongst all the high class pedigree dogs which had been primped and preened with our own brindle wire hair and flat coat cross breeds, you could see many people eyeing our dogs, usually hand on chin and finger across the lips in concentration trying to work out what in the world of dogs they were. We were stopped 25 to 30 times by breeders, kennel club professionals and general passers by to ask "What breed IS that?", and once we answer "The RSPCA kind", "Heinz 57", "Pedigree Cross Breed" or "Grade A Cross Breed" they seem to sigh a thankful "OH!" to put aside their worries that a breed of dog might exist that they did not know. Generally the boys were very warmly welcomed, one person even saying "Well its a shame its not a breed, because I want one"

Today is Loki's first day and Jaime is already on her way to the NEC. The Silver Team's first practice of the day is at 7:45am.

Day 1 at Crufts

2009-03-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

It started in a panic as we rushed to get there in time for Duffys early practice and missed MORE than one of our motorway exits, in the end we just got there in time, but sadly all the other members of his 4 dog team and the team leader were stuck in traffic and didn’t make it.

In total Duffy was in 4 shows in the Good Citizens Display ring in Hall 3A, plus a one minute Down-Stay with all the performing teams at the end of the day. He and the rest of the teams were all Super Stars… despite never being in anywhere like this in their lives they displayed to the best of their abilities. I was so proud of Dave and Duffy in the ring strutting their stuff.

In the down time we wandered the hundreds of display tables and show rings. Lots of hounds were showing including some of my favourites like Salukis, Basenjis, Pharaoh Hounds as well as the Terriers like Staffies with little bodies and massive heads that don’t seem to resemble the ones we get in at work.

We saw some familiar faces from the tele like two of the Dog Trainers from the show “Dog Borstal” and that woman with the dancing collies.

Both our dogs were un-phased by the hundreds of dogs and people that walked around and sometimes over them. And as I type this they are both spark out in the corner of our hotel room. It has been a really long day, but I am looking forward to tomorrow and seeing Loki shine!

Bags are Packed and Ready to Go!

2009-03-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

Our bags are packed and we're just about ready to go! Tomorrow night we will be hitting the road to get to Birmingham in time for the practice of the Bronze display on Thursday Morning.

There are six displays for the bronze award on Thursday and again on Saturday. Duffy will be taking part in three on each day. The display shows the control and behaviour which is required to meet that standard.

The first practice for the Silver display is on Friday Morning. Loki will be taking part in three displays on Friday and again on Sunday. This display is more advanced and is around 20 minutes long. There will be displays of control, heal work to music and overall demonstrations of good behaviour. Its all in good fun and there is even a little competition of race between two dogs weaving between bowls of food.

Last Training Sessions

2009-03-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

Loki and Duffy had their last training sessions this weekend. Duffy just locally to us at the K9 Academy - Wallsend Boys Club on Saturday and worked hard and played harder on the agility equipment.

Mean while on Sunday Loki's training was in Darrington near Pontefract. Which meant a 7:30am start to drive down to be there by 10am. Duffy and Loki slept off there 5:30am morning walk on the drive.
Loki had a good practice and the display looks very impressive, so if your going to Crufts this year make sure you catch one of the three Silver Good Citizen Displays on Friday and Sunday.

Good luck to all Good Citizen Dog Scheme Display teams and their members.

Welcome to the Dog Blog

2009-02-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

We are starting this Blog initially to document our dogs trip to Crufts 2009 at Birmingham NEC 5th - 8th March. If popular we'll continue with dog related subject matter in the future.

Loki is now three years old an RSPCA rescue we found him when he was a year old. He was our first dog and we worked hard to make him, well mannered and behaved, while teaching him some excellent tricks along the way. In his first year with us we worked him through the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme to Gold Award. Loki will be taking part in displays with the Kennel Club Good Citizen Silver Display Team on the 6th and 8th of March (3 displays each day).

Duffy is our puppy we've had him since June 2008, initially we were just going to foster him as an RSPCA rescue for a couple of weeks but he settled into our house so well we could not let him go. He is ever the energetic little character and like Loki he's also passed his Gold Award for the Good Citizen Scheme. Most of the time Duffy's attention is focused on Loki, jumping on him, resting with him, or his favourite game, trying to eat his legs, because of this he has been more of a challenge to train but we were still able to get him to Gold Award level within 6 months of bringing him home. Duffy is taking part in the Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze Display on the 5th and 7th of March (3 displays each day).

If your going to Crufts this year, please come by the displays and see the boys at work, or you may even see us wandering the halls.