Trio Update

Well I know a lot of people have been eagerly awaiting the arrival for puppies from Trio!  Sadly it isn't to be this time, we are all along with people on the puppy list absolutely gutted.

Trio however is delighted to once again be allowed to dive through the woods and have a great time on the beach along with the family again.  We think that she has displayed a very convincing phantom pregnancy, well she had us all fooled.

It has been quite a quite few weeks, as we were planning on keeping things relatively relaxed in the run up to expected puppies.  The dogs just enjoying spending time with us all at home and enjoying their walks.  The weather has been quite hot here, so walks have been adjusted to fit in with cooler times of day.  Some days have just been pottering around outside along with us doing some outdoor jobs.

Hope everyone is making the most of the good weather.

Cooper Does it Again!!!

Sunday saw us travel to Malvern for the Three Counties Champ Show, Trio has a great day being spoilt by the boys at home and didn't seem to bothered at not jumping into the car.

Thankfully not too early a start for us as neither breed was scheduled to be first in the ring, so a good relaxed drive for a change.  We arrived in good time to be greeted by our good friend Jan who had already finished with her breed (Field Spaniel), who had just been awarded the Reserve CC with Ianto.  So thrilled for her and this lovely boy.

We still had a long wait though as some of the judging was rather slow, and both breeds ended up in the ring at the same time.  I must have looked a bit odd trying to stack Maddie and look through the ring to see the girls with the tollers two rings down.

Maddie was entered in Open bitch and gained a very creditable 3rd to two champion girls, she then went into the Veteran Stakes and had a 4th in another strong mixed class.  Still can't believe that this lovely girls is a veteran, she certainly doesn't look or act it.

 

Tollers started as usual with the boys, Cooper in Post Grad, which he won!  He was then back in at the end of the dog judging for the challenge to gain his second Best Dog award at a champs show.  The girls then had there turn with Eve gaining a 3rd in Junior and a 2nd in Post Grad, showing well again with Eleanor.  Tasha then took Tilly into Open and gained a 2nd, glad to see that she finally has some coat on her!

Team Seahaven - Maddie, Tilly, Eve & Cooper

Best dog and best bitch then came back in for the Best of Breed, again Cooper showed really well for Dawn and gained his 2nd Best of Breed at a champ show.  Not quite three years old yet, but maturing so well.  So very proud of this lovely boy and Dawn & Gerald for all of the hard work that they have put into him.

 

Cooper & Dawn with their awards

 

Wye Valley Agility and Munster Catch Ups!

Finally managed to get the caravan out for a show!  We took the girls along with Maddie and Tilly down to Monmouth for the Wye Valley Agility show for the weekend.  This is the usual weekend for the LM Champ Show, one of our favourite shows of the year.  We did make the difficult decision to not enter this year as it was so far to go with only one dog who could enter.  We have decided not to take Trio out to any more shows and to give her a well earned rest prior to the arrival of puppies at the end of the month.  Wow, the end of the month - not too long to go now.

As it was the school holidays we were able to leave home at lunch time with the aim of arriving around 3.00pm, the earliest we were able to arrive to make the most of the time away.  We had a terrible journey and left glorious sunshine to be met with heavy rain showers, not what we expected.  We finally arrived and found a very wet field (we had been warned that the ground conditions weren't too good) and tried hard to find a spot that wasn't too boggy.  After one failed attempt at a suitable spot, my reversing does need to improve we managed to find somewhere suitable.  Quickly set up and spent the evening in some good company, friends who were also staying over.

Saturday started with a little mist and the promise of a bright day, it was quite warm but not burning sunshine which was perfect for agility.  Maddie managed two clear unplaced clear rounds in the agility but wasn't running as well as normal.  Tilly ran quite well with Tasha and picked up a few faults in each of her classes.  Julie visited with Uma (Trio's sister) and it was so lovely to see her with her mum Maddie.  She is such a lovely girl and has Maddie's lovely fun personality, love her loads.

Tasha with Maddie & Uma

We also took the opportunity to visit Ruth with Fae (Maddie's daughter from her mating with Darcy) whilst we were in the area.  She has grown up so much since we last saw her, maturing beautifully, another lovely girl.

Fae not forgetting that she did this whilst a puppy!  What a good girl.

On Sunday we woke to bright glorious sunshine and had some early runs and no clear rounds for any of us.  Maddie still wasn't quite right, but nothing obviously wrong and only a few faults picked up.  Tilly on the other hand would have rather sun bathed as she wasn't interested in doing agility at all.  Not even for a new rabbit skin tuggy toy!!

We managed attend the SMART clinic with both of the dogs, as they were running a clinic at the show.  Really pleased that we managed to with Maddie not being 100% right.  She was found to have some heat in one of her hocks, but with no lameness or pain evident something they were surprised about.  She also had some tightness in her back, which could be connected or it might not.  She has a list of treatments to be carried out each day for the next few weeks and we hope that she'll be back to full fitness again.  Tilly on the other hand was given a A1, no excuses now Tilly for not getting clear rounds at agility!!

With the good weather the ground had dried up and we had no problems at all getting out, thankfully. 

Being a Grown Up, Puppies and Dog Shows

Rookie is starting to look like a grown up. It's really scary. Still acting like a daft puppy as I'm sure he always will. No sooner were we back from holiday that Rookie and I were off looking after two lovely labby boys. He loves these boys SO much but has a real soft spot for Alfie as you can see.

Seahaven's Celtic Commander 2 years old

Henry, Rookie and Alfie

Rookie and Alfie, a true bromance

We had a lot of this!

 Rookie has also been helping the community with his first trip visiting a care home. He was mostly under control! And loved all the attention.

We have a new addition to the household and at the moment Rookie is her only friend! This is Lake, my mum's new baby. Her and Rookie hit it off straight away, which is just as well as three weeks later he is still the only one who will tolerate her- but the others are coming around. 

Lake

Here are a couple of videos, one is Rookie's first few days with pup, been eventful.

The other is a video of some training we did whilst we were on holiday, just playing around but he is looking quite mature. We went to Exeter Championship Obedience Show last weekend and Rookie went in the ring for a training round. He was such a super boy, tried really really hard in the pouring rain and I was so pleased with him. This video is some heelwork, recalls, retrieve and a search square. Only his second search square he's had so he doesn't realise the articles are only INSIDE it yet! It's hard to teach my wide ranging HPR to search only a tiny area! We have our third trials lesson tomorrow, really excited.

Cooper goes to Bath Dog Show

Here we go again. Doggie case packed up on the Friday night, Bottled drinks and food out on the kitchen worktops. IT'S SHOWTIME!

Saturday morning about 8am - into my cage in the van and off we go. We are heading to Bath - or actually somewhere near it, where the Bath Championship Dog Show is being held. Bath? Shower more like. Lots of them, torrential - all the way up the M4, and all day when we were there.

On a nice day it would be a good venue. Loads of nice green flat fields, and the benching and rings were spacious too. But Saturday they could have replaced us with World War 1 soldiers and fought the Somme there. It was unbelievable. The acres of car parking space were just a morasse of reddish mud. Not too noticeable on a toller's ginger bits but unless they were carried in, not a toller went into the benching area with any white paws visible. There were tollers everywhere being washed down from bottles, dried off, as bit by bit white socks became visible again and our breed was recognisable.

I was in the Post Graduate class - yet again - and after being bombed out in my last two shows Mam was none too hopeful about my chances. She has been evolving some new tricks to try and perk me up in the ring because, frankly, what am I getting out of it? Can you eat a certificate or a rosette? Yes - but they are nowhere near as nice as a sausage. And so Mam had decided to use the best means she knows of getting me interested - FOOD. And it's working. If I know there's a treat in her pocket that I'm going to get into my mouth soon - I'll do anything.

Even Dad saw some of the new me - and liked it. And it paid off because I (or rather Mam) was given a red card, which she seemed really pleased with. So I got an extra treat and a hug.

A little bit later I had to go back in with a couple of other boy dogs and do my stuff again. And Mam was given yet another card but a green one, for Best of Sex in Breed. Mam, Dad and lots of other people very happy with me now. Where's my food?

Then there was a longer break for me and I had to go back in to see that judge for a third time - and this time there was a young lady toller in with me. In fact she'd been on the next bench to me so we were already quite friendly. Blimey - what's going on? Another red card and a rosette and this time everyone's coming up to Mam and saying well done. What did she do? Dad even gives her a kiss. Where's mine you heartless so-and-so?

So that's really what happened. I got nowhere late in the afternoon in what they call the Group, but do I seem bothered?

Getting out of the car park was fun, skidding all over the place and mud flying everywhere. The van was in such a state that when we queued at the Severn bridge, people in the cars each side of us were pointing and laughing.

What a day!

Family are getting a toller - want to see one

Nice toller next door to me

Posing with Mam

Chilling with Mam

Best Dog, Bitch and Puppy

Time for refreshment

In action in the Group 1

In action in the group 2

Happy but Tired - home

And a video link to see him looked fab in the main ring!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k39B3qrKEEI

(I somehow  got picked for the intro of this film, plus you can see the judge going over me at 20m53s to 22m05s. Also - bombed out at 35m23s. Think I got a little too excited with the promised treats but hope to settle down in future).

Trio's Pregnancy Progress

Can't quite believe that Trio will be 5 weeks post mating this coming Wednesday!!  Time just seems to be passing us quicker and quicker, it has helped though to get to this point and be confident that she is in fact in whelp!

There's no disputing the fact now, the changes are very subtle but evident to those that know her well.  Whilst walking them today the girls (Tasha & Eleanor) came up with different reasons for believing that she is in fact carrying puppies.  She has started to broaden a little across the back and deepen, the most noticeable change has been in her personality.  She seems to be very aware that she is carrying precious cargo, taking care not to over exert herself or charge around and get knocked by the others.  She is also being a bit picky with her food, not like her at all!!

She is continuing to be treated as the others and still enjoying her walks, something that is really important as we want her to be fit and healthy for whelping and rearing the pups. 

Cooper goes to Waterfall Country

On Saturday 17 May, Dad took me up above the village of Pont Neath Vaughan to visit some of the waterfalls. We parked up early morning in a place called Pont Melin Fach where there was once an old mill that was used as a collective facility for the farms in the area. There were already seven cars in the car park but this was solely because some people had camped overnight there. It is an idyllic spot, right on the river in the middle of nowhere - but the gnats are terrible. Barbecue facilities and bench tables have been put there which makes it a lovely attraction besides.

We set off downriver, picking up the Upper and Lower Ddwli Falls (Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf and Sgwd Ddwli Isaf). Then below these the Horseshoe Falls. A bit further on there is a confluence in the river system. This you get to after about half an hour or so of walking. The path was good when we did it but after rain you'd need a good pair of walking boots - at least humans would. At the river junction you either follow on downstream for a further half an hour to get to the village of Pont Neath Vaughan, or you turn right and go upstream following a river called the Pyrddin. We did that. Another 5 minutes gets you to a nice waterfall called Sgwd Gwladys which you can partly walk behind if you like getting wet. Dad said it was only a trickle coming over it compared to when it rains, when it can be absolutely torrential and spectacular (as well as dangerous).

At Sgwd Gwladys I had lots of stick retrieve to exercise and cool down, then we crossed the river to retrace our steps the other side. We wound our way back to the car park. Dad was a bit nervous with some of the steep drops off the path but put me under close control when we came to these. The rest of the time I had free rein to run through the lovely hillside above you of deciduous woodland, where the only dogs that get there before you are visitors like me. Great fun.

At the car park the people in tents were now awake. They were a group of youngsters and they were cooking my favourite breakfast - sausages. Two of them were playing music, one a guitar, the other the bongo drum. So Dad stayed around for a while for us to enjoy the moment - but they never even invited me to have a sausage. But fair's fair, I suppose - I wouldn't give them one of mine either.