Friday, June 22, 2012

Thumper x Henna litter





Valerie Yates' litter in Ontario is growing up fast and looking good. There are 2 mismarks so I now know Thumper IS white-factored. Val is keeping a photo blog so if you'd like to see the puppies they are here: 
http://hennathumperbabies2012.blogspot.com/
  http://www.ninebarkaussies.com/week-6-henna-x-thumper.html

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Thumper in the Top 30 Merit Standings!

Last weekend.
Well the final merit standings are out for the ASCA competition year and Thumper is in the top 30 in relatively limited showing. He has been such a good dog and has really teamed well with Maria Neff. Last weekend at the 'Evening at the Premier' show held by ASC-MI in Kalazoo MI, Thumoer and Maria went BOB and BIS for his first Breed points for the new year in ASCA.

Thumper was also BOB under judge Paula Hartinger last weekend in Troy, OH. in AKC competition. He completed his Grand Championship late in May so he is now AKC Gr.Ch., Multiple Premier ASCA Ch., CKC Ch. Inkwell's Tom-tom aka Toompers. Whew! LOL.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Camp Gone to the Dogs 2012


Well the week started out with a plan to celebrate Flash's, my, and Satin's birthdays (June 2, 3 and 4, respectively) on the way to and at Dog Camp. Alas Ribbon made it clear that if she wasn't going, NOBODY was. She effected this by going missing from her housesitter the day I was on the way to Vermont. I got word in NJ and turned around and joined the search with the assistance of over a 1/2 dozen very dear friends. She did allow herself to be found early the next morning after a nightmare night of worry and searching, so we celebrated my birthday by bathing her, removing a lot of burrs and 150+ ticks, and taking her along an d leaving Smooch (Flash) with my friend Peggy at her 'secure facility' where he spent a safe and fun visit with her English cockers and Aussies.


Some of the Aussie camp-goers. Stormy sky stayed to our east.
Most of the Aussie camp-goers. Next year we'll get all of them in!





Satin's sister Favor, moving out to retrieve her CGC and TDI certificates. She is on her way to being a brilliant agility performer; she is lightly built she moves perfectly and we might pair her with someone complementary to her in a couple of years.


My dear friend Lisa and her little girl Abby came to Camp and had a wonderful time as well. 
Favor regarding the sheep. She never rushed them but she definitely moved them deliberately.


Moving them
So on to Camp with Satin and Ribbon where we could visit Satin sister Favor, try a lot of different training/fun classes, and so on.


Abby, Lisa's (?) terrier/(?) beagle mix, was VERY into the sheep.

This makes Satin look like she was working the sheep but the honest truth was, she took some long minutes before she became interested and was never particularly ardent. Roy says she wasn't horrible though. (LOL)

Look! Satin moves some sheep!


Then the rest of vay-cay. Went on to Camden Maine where my bestest friend Vicki has her home. We spent a week of mostly gorgeous weather doing Acadia N.P., eating lobstahs, a little gardening, and some other this-and-that. Oh and Vicki got herself a kitten, to be named Smudge. Or ZahZoo. Or ZahZoo Smudge. He is (?) 7 weeks old and gregarious and sweet (and the dogs were kept away since they were entirely too interested).

The girls atop Mount Battie overlooking Camden Harbor. Ribbon looks happy but she really just wanted to be in the van (sort of like home) rather than visiting. Satin was perfectly happy being a tourista.

The girls again.

The view of the harbor if you get the pesky dogs out of the way.
ZaZu (Or however one might spell it). He is a terriifc cat, really tempted me on a littermate (but no, I have enough animals here!!!)

"Take me HOME!"

"I'll stay, I LIKE it here!"

The Satinator

Looking noble. Dorky but noble.

A few good weeks with Maria!

Thumper has had a great start as Maria Neff's full-time Special in both the AKC and ASCA rings.
After a lovely Best of Breed win under Kelly English at the ASC-Michigan club weekend of shows Memorial Day weekend, and a nice Best of Breed win the same weekend at the Pontiac KC show in Michigan under judge Mowbrey-Morgan, he and his wonderful new BFF/handler Maria got serious. The first weekend in June   Thumper and Maria won back-to-back Grioup Ones under both Kenneth and Donna Buxton (who traded off breed and group assignments the 2 days). I have always respected their judging and so I am doubly thrilled they both regarded Thumper highly enough to use him.


The following weekend in Canton Ohio judge Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine bestowed a Group 4 on the team after giving them the Breed. Sunday was another Best of Breed under judge Paula Hartinger. All in all a nice start to his year of being a Special!  His performance improves weekly due to Maria's excellent training and management. I miss him terribly but he'll come back after a while. Meanwhile he is now a Grand Champion, and I believe he might have eeked a Top 30 spot in  ASCA for 2011-2012 thansk to that last Michigan win. Oh he also was a Best of Breed/ BIS for the ASC-MI 'Evening at the Premier' ASCA show held in Kalamazoo MI Thursday evening in concert with the big UKC National show, called The Premier.
This makes him unbeaten at the Breed level since his 'official' start with Maria. It won't last forever but I am very proud of both of them. (Indeed he lost the Breed today to one of his competitors in Ohio but there is always another dog show!).