I've just received a schedule (thank you Marjory!) for Livingston. We have a hound specialist judge in Liz Calikes and one Deerhound class. We're planning to turn out mobhanded so if anyone's likely to be in the Bathgate area, why not come along. For those who would like to enter (Gordon!) and need a schedule the secretary's phone number is 01324 553502.

Thanks Sid, spoke with the sec'y and she has included Truly Scrumptious. Something nice to look forward to over the festive period. Thanks again. Gordon

PS Good Luck for Bathgate tomorrow. We are off to Greenock on Sunday.

Hi guys,
We had registered Mara for Greenock this coming Sunday, but the pair of them have come down with Kennel Cough.

Murph is neither up nor down but Mara gave us quite a scare yesterday when she was off her food, coughing, and totally lethargic. We ended up having to take her up the vets who said she had a temperature of 104 degrees, and was quite a sick wee girl as the infection had gotten into her chest.

Anyway, two injections and £120 later she has, of course, bounced back today and the vet is much happier with her. I have to say that my heart was in my mouth when the vet said last night that if she wasn't any better this morning then they were going to have to put her on an intravenous drip.

So bottom line is that I'm glad we didn't bring them to Sue's last Sunday as we could have spread it like wildfire. I think Mara muct have picked it up at ringcraft.

I'd quite like to enter Mara on 28th as it will be the day after Lure Coursing. I'll think on it (fairly quickly...!)

Hi Michael, sorry to hear about wee Mara, that must have been a real shock! I phoned the sec'y of Livingston yesterday and the closing date for entries is Monday so if you want to go you'll need to give her a tinkle on the number given by Sid.

Hope Mara keeps improving, stick in at the ringcraft classes and we look forward to seeing you on the 27th for a run about by Truly Scrumptious was Truly Awful at the coarsing :+)

Have a good weeked.

Gordon et al

Just back from the Livingston show and it was chaos there today. The show was delayed by over an hour as entrants couldn't get their cars into the ice packed car park. This led to the housing estates being choca with cars to further exacerbate the icy conditions.

It was -12 degress en route today but at least the hall was cosy comfy. There were 12 Deerhounds entered into Open class but unfortunately only 5 tuned up with Sue and Kevin's dogs taking the 1st three places (new girl shiela got 2nd and is lovely) with Truly 4th and Mara 5th.

Stayed on until 2pm but best of group not run so we headed off to brave the weather so apologies to Sue and Kevin for not staying on to support but hope you did well.

Well done to the Roses

The show was a nightmare from start to finish. We waited longer in the queue for the carpark than it took us to drive there (and we came from the west!)

Alison's being very nice about Mara: she was actually thrown out, with the nice judge telling me that the naughty pup has not to come back until she learns how to stand still

So much for the time spent practicing, and all the ringcraft classes!

All of the rest of the dogs behaved impeccably, of course. Alison thinks that Truly was a wee bit naughty but I thought she was brill. In comparison to my Mara she was a complete saint.

Winner Rannoch is really looking gorgeous just now: such a lovely big beastie. I've said this before, but I really think he'll do exceptionally well this year because he's really coming into his prime.

And Sheila was a real knockout: she's going to turn quite a few judges heads this year, I have no doubt.

We did not get a sniff in the group but managed to get a photo of Sheila with the Judge Mrs E Calikes
The Afghan Hound took the group sorry Pam I will get better at stacking

As the day got on poor Sheila was getting cold but Mini and Rannoch kept her warm

Oh My, she really is something to look at aint she. What a stoater

You wiz robbed

deffo robbed...she is lovely and rannoch..well phoaw....

puppies are allowed to be naughty!

Yeah, you are, of course, absolutely right, but:
(a) it was an Open class - there was no puppy class and she was the only one being a pest, which made it stand out a lot more. In retrospect I should have entered her for the AV Hound puppy...That said, there is only 2 weeks between Mara and Sheila and she behaved like a saint (albeit Sheila has been shown more - in Oz).

(b) Mara inhabits a place about 1000 miles east of naughty. She just wouldn't stand still, and when she decided to, she stood like a bag of spanners. Trying to stand her properly was like trying to hammer nails into jelly - one foot went ok another just as another went all over the place, and then she was scrunching up/arching her back as I tried to position her back feet. She just wasn't comfortable at all. At least this time she didn't go all head down/hangdog when she was jogging (she actually moved okay) or try to snog the judge, which is her favourite trick.

She and I have been practising hard, going to ringcraft and so on. Maybe I'm trying a bit too hard with her, and should just enjoy her as a pet while she's still my naughty gorgeous pup, and see if she'll take to showing when she's older. Or maybe keep persevering, perhaps with someone a lot more experienced handling her?

I dunno what the answer is but I just want her to fulfil her potential: she is a beautiful pup and I love her to bits, and I feel like I'm letting her (and Nell) down at the moment.

She is absolutely gorgeous. You have lots of time to get it right.

Daisy only started standing still in PG. I didn't worry when she was in puppy or junior I just wanted her to enjoy it. She still isn't perfect now but I know she is trying her best for me and that's all I can ask of her.

Hey Michael, great to see you guys today and especially as Mara was in the ring. You are so correct about a puppy in the open class. Puppies are all different and allowances are made for behaviour in the puppy classes but not the open classes.

Truly has won lots of 1sts and been placed even though she was a bit fidgety in the ring however most have been in puppy and Junior. She is now settling but she too was a bit unsettled today and it's just a case of perservering with her.

My advice would be to get another handler to show her at your ring craft classes who will be a little more firm and Mara less likely to try and dominate. This will show you how good she can be in the ring and it'll give you confidence also. Why do I say this... That's what turned the corner for Truly... her aunty Susan taking control and showing who is boss!! Since then Alison has grown in confidence and they have only had a few off days.

The other thing to look at is yourself. The relationship between you and Mara may affect her ability to behave in the ring if she is not responding well. Why do I say this...... I don't show Truly as she sees me as a rutting buddy rather than master... she sees Alison as the master (discipline's not my strong point - giving or receiving). I could've stuck with it but we tried Alison and all was good so we've stuck with this. Try Claire holding her and both of you practice and that may help.

She is a wee beauty and enjoy showing her win, lose or draw. It's nice to win but better to take part and lose than not be part of it. Best of luck and stick with it matey.

PS - What a lovely pictur.

Thanks for that Gordon - sage advice, and it was great to catch up with you guys too.

It's funny coz Claire and I had the very same conversation later on. She has really kindly offered (because I know she really doesn't want to) to come along with me to ringcraft and see if she could do any better with her. (It must be love - what can I say?) It's fair to say that, unlike your Alison, the bug hasn't really bitten yet!

I think I probably have the same relationship with Mara as you have with Truly: Claire thinks I'm WAY too soft with her and she then takes the pi$$, quite frankly. Funnily enough, she is also always trying to jump up on Kevin Rose - presumably because he's fond of her and they are both rough and tumble pals from when she was a wee baby, but wouldn't dream of trying the same thing to Sue. I suspect she just knows how to wrap men around her wee paws...

Bottom line is that I just want us both to enjoy showing - not so that we can win necessarily (although it's nice when it occasionally happens) but simply so that we can say that we tried our best. If we did that then I'd honestly be delighted whatever the outcome - win, lose or whatever

Well done everyone !

suerose wrote:

Great picture - Sheila is a wonderful Deerhound.