Oh Yeah, You Blend

It’s been a dream of mine for several years now to take a dog to the National Dog Show in Philadelphia. This show is recorded (it takes place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving), and broadcast on Thanksgiving Day.

I’m going to the AKC Agility Invitational this year with Zhora, so I didn’t think I had it in the budget to go to the National Dog Show with Alice too. But then Ruth said she’d always wanted to go, so there you go. She took Orbit (just as well I didn’t enter, since that was the weekend of the big storm), they got up at 3 am and drove to Philly last Saturday. Orbit won best of breed, and that meant he’d make it to group, which is what gets televised.

While he didn’t get featured in the group, they do upload all the judging, so here it is

Always nice to have a trial in almost my own back yard! Oksana Syrkin gave us some pretty tough courses. Alice earned her first MACH points and picked up a T2B and AXJ leg and overall ran really well. Zhora went 5/6 and picked up her first two QQ’s for MACH8. Fun time with good friends!

Friday Alice T2B (Q and first place!):

Friday Zhora Standard (Q):

Friday Alice Standard (Q and first MACH points!):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (QQ #141):

Zhora Saturday Standard (QQ #141):

Alice Saturday Standard (NQ but nice run):

Zhora Sunday Standard (QQ #142):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (QQ #142):

Alice Sunday Jumpers (AXJ leg #2):

Favorite judge and friend Sherry Jefferson gave us some tricky, trappy courses. Friday we managed a single Q (Alice in Master FAST). But SATURDAY! Zhora earned MACH7 (her seventh agility championship) and Alice earned her Agility Excellent (AX) title, she is now in Master Standard and starts earning MACH points. Still two legs to go for her AXJ (Excellent Jumpers) title, she would have had it yesterday but I overhandled a tunnel near the end and she did exactly what I asked her to do, which was the wrong thing.

We’ve had a lot of time away from agility and I can feel it and it shows. We aren’t fit enough and we aren’t in sync enough. Rusty rusty. Still, my girls are working hard and doing what I ask! And it’s still agility!

Alice Friday FAST (Q):

Zhora Friday Standard (NQ):

Alice Friday Standard (NQ):

Alice Friday Time 2 Beat (nice run but NQ):

Zhora Friday Jumpers (NQ):

Alice Friday Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Standard (part 1 of MACH7):

Alice Saturday Standard (Q and AX title):

Alice Saturday FAST (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (MACH7!!):

Alice Saturday Jumpers (nice run, handler error!):

Conewango Valley Kennel Club AKC show in Dunkirk. In 2019 Orbit and Alice won their first majors, and won BOB and BOS every day to take the majors every day for three days. Then it was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 for obvious reasons.

This year it was back, smaller and only 2 days, but back. And what an incredible weekend it was!

I am so thankful to have such amazing puppy buyers and co-owners to share my dogs with.

Mel (and Rick) and Enzo (Alkemi Desperado LT RATN TKN): he went Reserve on Sunday and shows better and better each time, Mel is working really hard and it’s paying off, the boys take a long time to mature.

Nichole (and Chris) and Jovie (Alkemi Daydream LT): she went Reserve to the major on Saturday and took Winners Bitch on Sunday for her third major. She is looking gorgeous.

Ruth (and Jim) with Orbit (GCH CH Alkemi Cosmic Curiosity LT RI): what can I say? This was a dream weekend. BOB both days for 5 point majors each time. Saturday OH group 4 and regular GROUP THREE. And SUNDAY?!?! OH group 1, regular GROUP 1!! And then?!?! OWNER HANDLER BEST IN FREAKING SHOW!!!

Kat (and Tim) and Ellie (Alkemi Elise At Kleinhaus LT) made her AKC show debut and showed wonderfully in BPUP.

Alice (CH Alkemi Clear Air Turbulence LT OA OAJ NAP NJP XF XFP) won BOS both days for 5 point majors each day towards her GCH.

And Evie (Alkemi Evija LT) realized that showing is a job, and remembered she is a working dog, and rose to the challenge. She showed AMAZINGLY well, and won Beginner Puppy BEST IN SHOW on Saturday.

Orbit Herding Group 1:

Orbit OHBIS Judging:

Orbit OH Best in Show!!:

Evie Best Beginner Puppy in Show (and AKC show debut):

It’s That Weekend.

Orange Girl will be flying to British Columbia Canada to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. She will get to play nosework and agility. I have a special place in my heart for her and I will miss her terribly, but I really like her new mum and I know she will have an amazing life. Have a wonderful life sweet little girl.

Yellow Girl will be co-owned and will live with her Uncle Orbit in Rochester. I will get to see her! She will do conformation, rally and other things!

Red Girl is moving to Massachusetts and will live with other Vallhunds, and I will get to see her too! She will do conformation, rally, Barn Hunt and other things!

Tomorrow Pink Boy leaves, he will go to live in Ohio, with Corgi “sisters” and will play agility! And I will get to see him sometimes too!

It’s always so, so bittersweet. These have been my puppies since before they were born. This litter was 10 years in the making. It’s hard work raising puppies. I hope they do well. I hope I did well enough for them. Have wonderful lives my babies.

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Purple Girl (Alora) and Green Boy (Garion) are on their way to their new home in Arizona! First a short flight to Chicago, then two days of driving (update: they did GREAT according to Michelle, quiet on the plane, good in the car and in the hotel too).

Have wonderful lives little ones! I hope to see you again some day!

(“oscar mike” means “on the move”)

Today the puppies went on a road trip to Sue’s agility building. I was thrilled with how they did. Longest car ride yet, new surface, new smells. It was REALLY windy and noisy and they all dealt with it perfectly. They had a GREAT time! So thankful to Sue for allowing this!

Michelle Fromm and I became friends a decade ago at the Swedish Vallhund National Specialty in North Carolina. Our similar focus and priorities means that we’ve ended up working together on several litters now and our lines of dogs seem to mesh very well. I wanted to use Michelle’s Zar since I met him all those years ago, and Michelle and I began planning this litter back when Alice was just a puppy.

So many miracles happened, as they do. Not only did we have a successful frozen semen breeding (thanks to Renee and Dr Gray at Alliance), we had a VERY successful one, with SEVEN amazing puppies. So far I am absolutely thrilled with this litter, I am very excited to see them grow up. Michelle was always going to be taking a puppy home, and she’d had her eye on Green Boy for a long time. We’d talked back and forth a bit about her taking two, and she fell in love with Purple Girl, so both of them will be headed to Arizona! Most people should never think of raising littermates, but Michelle has the experience and the time to do it.

Green Boy is now Garion, AKA Alkemi Eclipse at Caliente LT. Purple Girl is now Alora, AKA Alkemi Emira at Caliente LT.

Carpet cleaner = loud. Puppies who’ve had sound desensitization at the right age/stage (thank you Puppy Culture!) = no problem.