We ventured up to Waukesha for Trouble’s first dog show today. Waukesha is a really big summer show around here and used to consistently pull big majors for shibas. Not so much anymore, but we entered our little guy to help make one. It was also a good opportunity for us to see what we need to work on for future shows as he has not even been to so much as one training class or match. Just what I’ve done at home.

Waukesha is a really nice show, except for the fact that it’s usually danged hot. Actually today wasn’t that bad, just low 80s but because I haven’t been out every weekend it seemed hotter. There is, however, plenty of tenting, indoor grooming which may or may not be air conditioned but feels a little cooler than outside when I’ve been in there. Vendors are plentiful. If you can’t find what you need here, then I pity you  so for food and vendors, they definitely get a high grade from me, probably an A+

new Champion Sierras Tsukeagaru Kumiko, photo courtesy Rebecca Powell

Parking was free and plentiful, although I really expected more free space (read primo parking spots ) when I arrived as 12. Didn’t use the ladies room but I’ve been there before and it’s adequate, especially considering it’s an older building. Probably give it a B-

Trying to think what else I grade on <smile> but I’m tired from driving back, used the A/C all the way, so I know I’m going to hear about the mileage from Jonathan (only 27 mpg on an SUV, not that bad considering A/C on and a lot of 65mph driving on the interstate). Overall Waukesha gets a good grade of B+ because it’s a nice, fairly close show, great vendors, food choices and the ground isn’t too lumpy. I guess it’s not their fault that it’s warm!

Speaking of lumpy outdoor showgrounds (just kidding), my kennel club, Elgin KC’s shows are on August 22 & 23 and we have moved to an air conditioned building at the Kane County Fairgrounds. So please come, it’s a great show but often it’s quite warm, so we’re hoping this will be a real improvement for our exhibitors. Superintendent is Roy Jones at www.royjonesdogshows.com.

Yori's male Kyuudou Go Ginato Kouzansou, I think this is a Bill Fletcher photo

Sky - Photo from 2008 National Weekend (Fletcher)

Anyway, onto the show results … our judge was Greg Caliendo who was very nice, although I think he was feeling the heat a little and was not real fast in his exam or choosing his winners. He was very gentle with my puppy, Trouble, and I would not hesitate to show a puppy to him again. He did not check for full dentition on Trouble (and I had so been practicing that!). I didn’t actually notice if he checked on the older dogs or not. Trouble easily won his class of one and overall I was pleased with his performance except for one little puppy tantrum on the last go around for RWD LOL everyone had complained that he was behaving so well and they were expecting to have some laughs, so they got their chance then! So he could have been a little better, but he could have been a LOT worse

Also competing today (and making that ever elusive major in dogs) was Mary Ann Vogt and her homebred Spanky (I can’t remember all the registered names but will publish a link to the full results when they are posted) in the new AOH class. Pat Doescher and Tammy Szabo battled it out in the BBE class with Goblin and Kendo respectively. Pat was all worried we’d laugh at Goblin because he lost all his hair, but really he wasn’t that bad. Kendo too was allegedly out of coat … didn’t look bad at all! Finishing up the dogs was Monica’s Finn with Jane Chapin showing. WD and the precious major went to Kendo and finished him today. I guess it was worth entering him, eh Tammy? It’s in the family for me anyway, as Kendo is Mickey’s great great grandson (I think that’s the right amount of “greats”, Kendo’s grandsire Toby is Mickey’s grandson if that makes it any clearer )

There were only two bitches. And Rebecca Powell’s Miko was WB with a chance to cross over for the major during BOB competition. You can see her photo from a few weeks ago when she got a pair of group IVs out in Iowa. Jacqueline’s bitch Rumor was RWB. She came all the way from practically St. Louis!

Best of Breed competition rounded out the day with Yori Green’s new champion male that went BOS at the Classic first in line. Behind him was Jane Chapin’s BOB winning bitch Topaz, and then Sky owned by Edward Maes, Willis & Kim Fletcher & Larry Simon. All in all, a pretty impressive group of specials. After examining all the specials and moving everyone at least twice, Mr. Caliendo found his BOB in the bitch Sky, with BW going to Miko to finish (I believe this is Rebecca’s first champion!), and BOS to Yori’s male. I don’t know yet how things went in group, it’s a real tough group usually (I know this because Mickey got 2 placements there and about 300 body points each time which is a LOT for one show) but I’m sure Sky is up to the challenge!

P.S. no photos from today as I cannot find the charger for my camera and I wasn’t lugging Jonathan’s big old Canon (he was on backup today and couldn’t come), and Pat forgot hers! I guess I’m probably going to have to break down and order a new charger but you know I’ll find it as soon as I do!

In area news, Cambridge MN was full of majors this weekend and several new champions are reported. As always please feel free to provide show news, photos, corrects to lynda@shibaweb.com or lynbir1@gmail.com

Thanks to Bill Fletcher and Linda Manlove for MN reports.

Anoka County KC (1), June 18, 2009 Judge Edd Bivin 2-8-1-1
Photo from 2008 National Weekend (Fletcher) BOB: Ch. Justa Setsuzan Roki Yama’s Azorra by Ch.Justa Massimilliano x Shiho Go Fuji Hachimansou. Bred by Willis Fletcher, Larry Simon & Joan Morningstar. Owners: Edward Maes, Willis & Kim Fletcher & Larry Simon	BOS, WD: Kisaragi No Souten Go Amamisou by Ch. Umewaka No Daruma Go Izuumesou x Kisaragi No Meimi Lanikaiso. Bred by: Eiko Eisha Nakano. Owners: Rhona Melton & Lynne Kuehler
BW, WB: New Ch. Justa Gingersnap	RWD: Justa Beach Boy by Ch. Justa High Plains Drifter x Justa Leni Tamariki. Bred by Larry Simons & Joni Morningstar. Owner: Sini Stjernsward Ross
RWB: Tobishi’s Sookie of Elfenbein by Ch. Taiki Go Kuwana Mitomosou x Ch. Tobishi’s Not Just A Pretty Face. Bred by Tammy & Alex Szabo. Owners: James A. & Elvira R. Shea
Anoka County KC (2), June 19, 2009 Judge Lorraine Boutwell 2-7-2-1
BOB: Ch. Justa Setsuzan Roki Yama’s Azorra by Ch.Justa Massimilliano x Shiho Go Fuji Hachimansou. Bred by Willis Fletcher, Larry Simon & Joan Morningstar. Owners: Edward Maes, Willis & Kim Fletcher & Larry Simon	BOS: Ch. Justa Wizard of Oz by Ch. Akio Chousei Sou Morningstar x Ch. Justa One In A Million. Breeders/Owners: Larry Simons, Lynne & Breanne Kuehler
BW,WB: Tobishi’s Sookie of Elfenbein by Ch. Taiki Go Kuwana Mitomosou x Ch. Tobishi’s Not Just A Pretty Face. Bred by Tammy & Alex Szabo. Owners: James A. & Elvira R. Shea	WD: Justa Beach Boy by Ch. Justa High Plains Drifter x Justa Leni Tamariki. Bred by Larry Simons & Joni Morningstar. Owner: Sini Stjernsward Ross
RWB: Justa Hermosa Wirlwind by Ch. Justa Wizard of Oz x Ch. Justa Country Girl. Breeders/Owners: Larry Simons & Lynne Kuehler	RWD: Kisaragi No Souten Go Amamisou by Ch. Umewaka No Daruma Go Izuumesou x Kisaragi No Meimi Lanikaiso. Bred by: Eiko Eisha Nakano. Owners: Rhona Melton & Lynne Kuehler
Cambridge Minnesota KC (1), June 20, 2009 Judge: Jacqueline Stacy 4-7-2-1
Oz - Photo provided by Bill Fletcher BOB: Ch. Justa Wizard of Oz by Ch. Akio Chousei Sou Morningstar x Ch. Justa One In A Million. Breeders/Owners: Larry Simons, Lynne & Breanne Kuehler	BOS: Ch. Justa Setsuzan Roki Yama’s Azorra by Ch.Justa Massimilliano x Shiho Go Fuji Hachimansou. Bred by Willis Fletcher, Larry Simon & Joan Morningstar. Owners: Edward Maes, Willis & Kim Fletcher & Larry Simon
WD: New Ch. Kyuudou Go Minato Kouzansou by Shundou Go Enshuu Hirosesou x Sachihime Go Ashikaga Souunsou. Bred by Toru Fujimura. Owner: Yori Green	BW,WB: Tobishi’s Sookie of Elfenbein by Ch. Taiki Go Kuwana Mitomosou x Ch. Tobishi’s Not Just A Pretty Face. Bred by Tammy & Alex Szabo. Owners: James A. & Elvira R. Shea
RWD: Kayobi Diogenese by Ch. Justa High Plains Drifter x Ch. Kayobi Persephone. Bred by Marilyn Banke. Owner: Angela R. Roemhild	RWB: Justa Hermosa Wirlwind by Ch. Justa Wizard of Oz x Ch. Justa Country Girl. Breeders/Owners: Larry Simons & Lynne Kuehler
Cambridge Minnesota (2), June 21, 2009 Judge: Michael J. Dachel  4-7-2-1
BOB: Ch. Justa Setsuzan Roki Yama’s Azorra by Ch.Justa Massimilliano x Shiho Go Fuji Hachimansou. Bred by Willis Fletcher, Larry Simon & Joan Morningstar. Owners: Edward Maes, Willis & Kim Fletcher & Larry Simon	BOS: Ch. Justa Wizard of Oz by Ch. Akio Chousei Sou Morningstar x Ch. Justa One In A Million. Breeders/Owners: Larry Simons, Lynne & Breanne Kuehler
BW,WB: New Ch. Tobishi’s Sookie of Elfenbein by Ch. Taiki Go Kuwana Mitomosou x Ch. Tobishi’s Not Just A Pretty Face. Bred by Tammy & Alex Szabo. Owners: James A. & Elvira R. Shea Jim Shea and New Ch. Sookie	WD: Kisaragi No Souten Go Amamisou by Ch. Umewaka No Daruma Go Izuumesou x Kisaragi No Meimi Lanikaiso. Bred by: Eiko Eisha Nakano. Owners: Rhona Melton & Lynne Kuehler
RWB: Justa Hermosa Wirlwind by Ch. Justa Wizard of Oz x Ch. Justa Country Girl. Breeders/Owners: Larry Simons & Lynne Kuehler	RWD: Justa Beach Boy by Ch. Justa High Plains Drifter x Justa Leni Tamariki. Bred by Larry Simons & Joni Morningstar. Owner: Sini Stjernsward Ross

River Wind's Black Ice at Tengai

I do not have a complete report, but at Mid-Hudson KA June 20, 2009 under judge Robert Smith, River Winds Black Ice at Tengai took BOB for a 3 point major. He is by Ch. Kokukenryuu Amamisou x Ch. River Winds Serendipity. Bred by Gibbs Burch and owned by the Scalas and Gibbs Burch.

Out in Iowa, Rebecca Powell’s “Miko” singled out in a big way with two Group IVs under judges Peggy Haas & Richard Miller.  See Shibas in the Rings for her photo when I update again.

Yes, Tammy's doublehandling these days, but she wouldn't turn sideways...

Yesterday I traveled up to Jefferson, Wisconsin for the Badger Kennel Club and also to attend Tammy’s surprise baby shower!

The bathrooms were typical fairground fare, kind of small, very cold water, but the doors stayed closed and had locks. A good light would have helped immensely because the lighting was equivalent to a low grade horror film Bathrooms get a C from me.

Parking was nice from what I could tell, but it was $5.00 for parking on grass. Parking would have been an A, but the price brings it down to a B. I got to park over by Evelyn’s motorhome and she didn’t even hear me coming because I was in the sneaky hybrid!

Rings are a B-, as it was pretty dark in the building which is not conducive to seeing beautiful red shibas very well. It might have been an advantage for black and tans though, as they look prettier in artificial lighting. They were reasonably large enough for the size of the entry.

I can’t grade the food as I never actually saw any! But they get a B+ for vendors because there were a lot of them (A), but they were in one of the cattle barns off the beaten track so that gives that a B.

Overall I grade this show a B, nice to show at, but not stellar. But now that I think about it, they do have an Eye Clinic, so let’s bump it to a B+. Big bonus, gas in that town was only $2.04, 21 cents higher than the going rate in McHenry. I was nearly on empty in Lottie (that’s our car’s name) so was able to take full advantage of the price!

The judge was Mrs. Houston (Toddie) Clark. I’ve shown to her many times, she gave the Mouseman a Group First in 1999. She is a kind judge to dogs and people alike. She seems to like to bait the dogs herself when they come back from moving but she was a handler herself so that’s not unusual. She seemed to pay special attention to ears.

Black & tan puppy bitch bred by Marian Campbell, but I don't have any more details

In dogs she liked Pat Doescher’s Goblin, a nice black and tan puppy from the BBE class, I believe that MaryAnn Vogt’s homebred Spanky was RWD.  Yes, I was there watching but I was yacking away per the usual and just can’t remember for sure! It was a major for Goblin. In bitches Pat triumphed again with her puppy bitch, but I can’t remember her name … Glady Mueller’s Suki showed really well for Gladys and was RWB.  Pat drafted her granddaughter Lauren to show Goblin in the BOB competition hoping she could cross over for the major with her bitch. Well that didn’t work … Lauren not only took Best of Winners, but BOS over the special in her ring debut. Good job Lauren! Jane Chapin got the breed with the lovely Topaz who managed to overcome the distraction of a wild goblin behind her in the ring! I don’t know yet how things went in group, but you’ll know if she did anything in the usually Shibas In The Rings once reports start filtering in.

Lynn Perkins and her black and tan girl

After judging, we all hustled over to Evelyn Behren’s motorhome (also known as the ”Pup Hut”) to surprise Tammy with a baby shower. And she actually WAS surprised. We had a really fun time, gifts were opened to oohs and ahhs from all of us. The cake that I managed to get to Jefferson, Wisconsin from McHenry, Illinois unscathed despite some hard stops on the way LOL was eaten. Note to me … next time, just chocolate cake, it’s all about the cocoa bean! Pat and Mary Ann brought some fruit and MaryAnn also brought some killer fruit dip (which went home with me!). I think that I was on a complete sugar rush on the drive home! Did extra time on the eliptical last night to make up for it!

We really should have parties more often, since this was the biggest entry we’ve had around here in a while! I still have nothing to show right now but I probably will mosey over to Fox River Valley KC in Woodstock in a couple of weeks since it’s literally 10 minutes from my driveway to the parking lot!

Today (May 3), Jonathan and I are going to bathe and brush out all the dogs, because they’re all in various states of  dandelion puffball mode. Hope the birds and squirrels are ready for nesting materials because there is going to be a lot of it.  Pictures no doubt to come of our version of the perfect hair storm.

Jane & Topaz, the breed winner

Lauren with Goblin, and about to kick grandma's butt in the ring!

Rowdy & Topaz

The cake which arrived unscathed despite several hard stops on the way up from McHenry. Those yellows are short in Wisconsin!

A grooming kit for babies? What will they think of next!

Kishwaukee River flooding

Ryder and I started off early … about 6 a.m. for these shows. I could have left a tad later and taken the fast way, but I prefer the lesser traveled route. This route took us through northwestern Illinois and seemed to follow the Rock River.  We passed through Oregon and Mt. Morris and other small towns. I would really like to go back to Oregon sometime with Jonathan and just visit. It’s quite a beautiful place. Unfortunately the Rock River is quite high and there is quite a bit of flooding but that did not affect our trip. 

I also enjoy seeing the old houses and a couple of those are here, I think they were in Mt. Morris. I want you to know that I’m taking these while driving, but not taking my eyes from the road. You should see some of the ones that did not come out!

I think this one was in Mt. Morris

Rock River flooding

As I drove along the flat empty fields and tried to stay awake I realized that in a few short months these fields will be waving with green stalks of some sort, probably corn or soybeans and will be completely green.

We arrived at the fairgrounds in De Witt, IA at about 9:45am to find my dad and Carol already in the cafeteria having breakfast and enjoying the pie. I had enough time to exercise Ryder and do some

This is the building we showed in, at least it was warm, however woudl advise the show committee to mark which building contained which rings on BOTH sides of the building AND in the premium

touch up grooming. I knew it would be cold so I didn’t bother bringing my table. Ryder is in beautiful coat and I knew he wouldn’t need much grooming at the show site and grooming space would be at a premium because of the weather. We showed on Saturday to Fred Bassett, a judge I’ve shown to several times. I’m pretty sure he is a pom breeder originally and he likes the red dogs in the group sometimes too. Tammy’s BBE dog Rowdy (Tobishi’s Rough n Rowdy) was hot off two consecutive BOB wins over special at Louisville and maintained his hot streak by taking another major on Saturday.

Jane and new Ch. Topaz

Jane’s Topaz was WB for her final major to complete her championship. She looked really good, in excellent coat although Jane claims she will blow it in a few weeks so was really happy to get her done as majors have been few and far between around here.

Leslie and Tou

Leslie Anderson’s Ch. Hi Jinx Toukon was Best of Breed and we stayed (and had more pie) and clapped for him in the group after sitting in the cafeteria for a while having pie and their equally excellent potato salad. It was starting to rain just before they announced group order and fortunately it was first. As soon as NS group was over we were outta Dodge and headed south twelve miles to our hotel!

I had reservations at the Quality Inn in Eldridge Iowa . I like it because 1) it’s free because I have a credit card that gives me points toward any Choice Hotel (includes Quality Inn, Comfort Inn & Suites, Clarion, etc.) and 2) because they have really nice walking areas for the dogs, and 3) because it’s free and so is breakfast! After checking in and exercising Ryder, we headed down to Lancer’s Family Restaurant about 1/2 mile down the road, the roads at this point were still okay. We had an interesting “cheeseburger” soup along with a really nice rib eye, had no room for desert. We actually took half a hamburger and a little steak back to Ryder. He wolfed it down and a few minutes later wolfed it back up. But I digress…

We were on the third floor and had a nice view of the road in front of the hotel and were able to watch the weather get quite inclement. Walking Ryder outside was like stepping out to Ice Station Zebra. It was extremely windy and cold. Most of the trees had ice all over their branches. I think Ryder was happier to get back inside than I was and I was very happy I had brought my boots along (although I never did find the gloves).

The following morning we were up bright and early even though we had late afternoon judging. Had breakfast at the hotel, my favorite biscuits and gravy. Then saw Dad and Carol off as they were returning home. I hung around for a bit longer and watched the end of a movie and then loaded up and headed to DeWitt. On the 12 mile trip under 61 I counted ten separate cars off the road from the night before!

DeWitt has an interesting history for me …

1) it’s the site where my most embarrassing moment happened.  This would have been in 1984, when I was starting to show Hank (the future Ch. Trillium’s the Right Stuff). Hank was the first dog to be examined in his puppy class, as the judge came to him to examine his bite, he started to sit down (or so I thought). I reached under his rear to restack him and found myself with a handful of you know what! The judge, Bob Young, immediately saw my predicament and decided to examine the other puppies so I could get cleaned up. So there I am, with a handful of muck dripping and cleanup crews enter the ring and clean up the sawdust floor, but no one so much as offers me a paper towel until I request one! I could definitely hear some laughter from the seating area. Hank did win the class by the way and was RWD to the major.

2) Another year that I was there, and I’m not sure exactly when that was, but also mid-80′s. We were there with basenjis and Prissy I think. It was one of those years when it was really cold so I left the basenjis (crated of course) in our hotel room in DeWitt. Upon returning we were straightening up the room only to find we were missing a bedspread. After searching the room for several minutes I realized the bedspread was now in the crate with one of the basenjis … to say that it was damaged was putting it mildly as it had been pulled through the sides of an airline crate. (Note to self, never EVER leave a basenji in a crate where they can reach fabric). I went to the hotel office to tell them I needed to buy the bedspread and they were so nice “maybe we could just repair it”. They just didn’t understand how many small pieces it was in. $45.00 later we left with new basenji bedding.

This year I added number 3. I got to DeWitt in plenty of time … probably before 11:00am for a 1:50 judging. By this time the sun was shining and snow was melting and the fairgrounds was becoming a big mess. Especially the road which was full of mud and puddles. I walked over to the main building to grab another judging schedule and then exercised Ryder. Now Ryder is not one of those dogs that “goes” quickly. So we were walking around for quite a while before he finally did his business. Being the good dog citizen that I am, I was prepared with a plastic bag, scooped it out of the melting snow and deposited it into a garbage can over near where every was pulling in and out of the parking area. This was my big mistake.

MUD!

As I was returning to the car, my left foot slipped and my right foot didn’t. So I went down in a rather awkward position and hurt my knee a bit. No one was close by so I ended up crawling on my hands and knees (in retrospect I was icing my knee anyway) to a nearby pickup to try to get myself up off the ground. Unfortunately it had a cap on it, so I could reach up and pull myself by that, so I ended up pushing down on the bumper and getting myself up that way (all the while my feet just keep sliding, and I had boots on!). At this point, I’m worried about my knee which I’ve hurt before (falling at a dog show of course) and just wanting to sit down in the car. Next thing I know I’m flat on my back (at least I didn’t hurt anything this time) in a puddle of melting snow and grass. This time I was only near a car with a handicapped tag with some lady getting into it. I don’t think she noticed me in front of her car so I very quickly got out of her way, crawled over to another car and grabbed onto the tire and pulled myself up yet again. Finally made it back to the car where I seriously pondered the thought of just driving away and going home. My skirt was brown at least, so the mud didn’t really show. But my coat needs a trip to the washing machine before I wear it again. I was soaked pretty much from the waist down.

I moved the car to the parking lot at the school across the street from the show site and decided I needed at least to try to show Ryder. So I changed out of my boots (also soaking wet now) into my show shoes and kept walking around until we showed. I knew once I stopped moving the knee was going to stiffen up and then I would have a rough time showing!

Show on Saturday, nice and dry

This is after it started melting on Sunday, mud galore

Our judge on Sunday was Mrs. Lorraine Boutwell who is a very nice lady and good to the dogs. She found Tammy’s Rowdy for her WD finishing his championship and then put him for Best of Breed for a nice way to finish. Leslie Anderson’s Sea (can’t remember her name) was WB and BOS. I don’t know yet how Rowdy did in group, but I do know it was pretty strong. I was well on my way back home before Tammy got to group as NS was 6th group to be judged.

Back at home now and the knee is pretty sore. Jonathan has to carry Mickey down the stairs for me for a few days. Guess he won’t be able to sleep late on his vacation this week!

It is difficult to rate this show because of weather which is beyond their control but I will try.

Bathrooms:  B, compared to some I’ve reviewed recently, these were rather small, but compared to the bathrooms they’ve had in the past, they’re a LOT better!

Food: A, Food is excellent, it could be a little cheaper, but I guess the FFA is there to raise money for their good work, so it’s okay. Eat the pie!

Vendors: B, only one vendor, but he had a lot of stuff along with fresh bait. Also had a professional photographer, McCartney. There is not more reasonable space to have any other vendors.

Parking: B, Adequate for the site, however weather conditions made it hazardous as evidenced by my sore knee.

Grooming: B- not much room for grooming, spread out all over. I usually groom outside at this show, but the temperature was low!

Overall: B, it’s possible I’m being a little bit generous, but it is not a well populated area, and not a lot of good places to hold a show. But if nothing else, go for the homemade pie!

Wisconsin Kennel Club shows are held at the Wisconsin State Fair and Expo Center
in West Allis, WI. Probably less than 90 minutes from my house, so usually a
show I like to attend. Let’s get right to the ratings. 

Bathrooms Grade: C (certainly no better than Average)

This facility is a fairly new area of the park compared to where we used to
show … in those days you were very likely to enter the men’s room accidentally
because it was just a long hallway. Been there, done that, covered eyes, and
backed away slowly. So these are an improvement as they are quite clearly marked
… I could probably see the signs without my glasses on as the letters are
about a foot high. The building was a bit overwarm for the taste of our heavily coated spitz breeds.

Unfortunately, the bathrooms were a bit messy. A lot of paper on the floor,
and on Saturday afternoon there were no paper towels to be had. The hand dryers
were not very fast either. On Sunday morning, at least there were paper towels,
but even then it was not very clean, lots of water splashed on the counters and
paper on the floor. Stalls are fairly narrow.

Food Grade: B+

There were some food vendors and you were not technically allowed to bring
food or beverages in (although I saw some McDonald’s glasses being carried
around). The food was typical dog show fare, although there was a chili that
smelled rather tasty. There is a McDonald’s across the street, as well as a
full-service sit down restaurant.

Parking: B- (average parking, $5.00)

Parking was okay, they did allow unloading up close to the doors, but I
elected to just drag my stuff in. On Saturday I was there rather late in the day
(we showed at 12:30) and managed a pretty nice spot up around the 3rd row. On
Sunday I arrived by 8:30 and had to park pretty far away. The lot was not a well
paved smooth lot, had lots of bumps and cracks, also some icy patches. Because
the lot is long and narrow, there were few close spots at all. I also saw some
people had taken the liberty of moving the orange cones over and parking on the
end, but actually were into the driving area. I would like to see those people
ticketed personally.

Vendors: A (roughly 40 vendors)

This is a nice show for shopping and a new category.

Overall Grade for Show: B minus but I still like to go because it’s
fairly close.

Now onto the results:

Our judge Saturday was Mrs. Marcie Dobkin of Poway, California. I believe she
is a bulldog breeder. She is very nice and gentle with the dogs, thorough in her
exam of the mouth and checking for full dentition. She was on time as far as I
could tell.

Winners Dog was Hoshi No Katsuriki Go Shirakawa Shiotasou aka as Katsu. He is
owned by Pat Doescher and was shown by Pam Crowley. WB was Leah Crowley’s
“Apple”, can’t remember her registered name! Apple was also BW and BOS.

Taki at 2008 National Specialty weekend

BOB and onto a Group III under Mrs. Dobkin was Tammy Szabo’s Taki, Ch. Taiki Go Kuwana Mitomosou.

Bright and early on Sunday morning I left for the show and a fox crossed the road right in front of me! I knew they were aroudn but I had never seen one before. Quite pretty and I was hoping it was a good omen LOL. I also had a little extra time and took the back roads up with the help of my trusty GPS (don’t leave home without it!) which was quite a bit more direct and only about 10 minutes longer. Helped the gas mileage on the hybrid as well to drive a little slower. We showed to Mrs. Monica Canestrini from Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Rumor has it she comes from dachshunds originally, but I also heard maybe Collies (or maybe both!). She was also very nice to dogs and handlers. Pat Doescher came from her sickbed to hold the major with Kiku who has not been shown much and out of coat (and you know a girl just doesn’t want to be seen at less than her best). Mrs. Canestrini took extra time with Kiku to make it a positive experience for her and you can always appreciate that in a judge. Pat also brought Girl Scout cookies that Jonathan ordered. He has a thing for Thin Mints.

Suki at 2008 National Specialty weekend

Winners Dog and Best of Winners to cross over for the major was Kendo (Tobishi’s Kendo Warrior), bred and shown by Tammy Szabo. I believe he now needs just a
couple of singles to finish. RWD was “Spanky” shown by MaryAnn Vogt from the Puppy class. He’s a real cutie pie. Winners Bitch was Glady Mueller’s “Suki”, Jaklho No Akatsukihimeshe Go and she is an import from the Netherlands. I don’t know if that finished her or if she
still needs another major. She was also shown by Tammy (we must find that horseshoe she’s hiding somewhere and take it away <wink>) Best of Breed was again Taki, but sadly nada in group

I’m not actually entered anywhere right now. Let this be a warning to you to check closing dates carefully. I was pondering whether or not to enter Dubuque but didn’t realize it was closing last week! So I missed it!

Guessing that we might be at Dewitt though.

(Updated 1:11PM to make a correction, it was Jacklyn’s Bitch that was WB, not Rebecca’s, and Rebecca’s bitch Masami was Best Puppy on Saturday, and Yori Green’s male was Best AOH on Saturday.)

The International KC of Chicago has always been a traditional show for anyone in this area to attend. I started going there in 1974 with my first homebred malamutes. That was in the days when there was at least 100 malamutes entered and the benching area for them was huge. We would often bench together as part of the Chicagoland Alaskan Malamute Club and have a pot luck lunch going. But that was when it was back by the old stockyards. And a lot has changed.

I’m now showing shibas and not malamutes, the entry fee was $35.00 instead of $15 (and I remember the brouhaha that followed IKC entry when it went up to $20!). The show is now held at McCormick Place but has moved from first the Lakeside building to the North Building and finally now is in the West Building. I LOVE it. Why? Mostly because it’s attached to an indoor parking garage. But more on that later …

Ryder shares his table with a little friend, so cute!

I’ll get to the grades first, and then tell about what happened and when.

Bathrooms are plentiful and the designers of the building were good enough to add “Family” bathrooms which I’m sure makes it easier for anyone with small children. These bathrooms were still not quite as high tech and wonderful as those at Lake County Fairgrounds which seem to be the gold standard now (at least in my humble opinion), but were quite nice and considering the crowds were quite clean. The stalls were large enough to change in as well.

We shiba folks are made of sterner stuff though, we changed right at the bench. We talked about having a contest next year … my money’s on Jane Chapin.

For bathrooms, I have to give them a B+, good but not perfect.

There was plenty of food available. If you wanted to go upstairs to the food court and watch the dog show from your table you could. There was a great variety of food there (reminded me of the Kraft Foods cafeteria actually only more $$), but it was not cheap, it was going to be double digits for a full meal that probably wouldn’t cost 50% away from McCormick Place, but it’s all about location. I can’t say how good it was because I elected to do pizza off the main floor on Saturday ($5 a slice, but it’s Chicago style, filling and I haven’t had Connie’s pizza in a long time) and then on Sunday we hiked over to the North Building where there was a McDonald’s. The Auto Show was there and it looks to be a pretty snazzy show. In addition to these two options, there was a plethora of food stands all over the dog show with pizza, pretzels, drinks, etc.

For Food, I  give an A because there was every kind imaginable and at various prices, also sitting upstairs watching the dog show was probably pretty cool.

Parking, for me this might have been the most exciting part. In the past I’ve had to either unload, then drive to the parking lot outdoors and then wait for a shuttle back (which could take awhile sometimes) or hoof it back to the show site which was a goodly walk and in late February on the lakefront it can be pretty darned cold and windy. Or I could unload in the parking lot and drag my dogs and all their “stuff” up to the building, again a very long walk and brrrrrr cold.

This year, what a pleasure. It was more expensive ($17.00 a day) but so worth it to be able to drive into the garage, unload and take the short walk to the show. The first day I had to work a little harder because the level with the dog show was allegedly full and so I parked on Level 3 and had to take the elevator up. The elevator was pretty small and also somewhat difficult to get through the door to the elevator with a cart with dogs, chair, grooming table, etc.

But on Sunday, I was there an hour earlier and got to park on the same level as the show, and even better … “special” parking for low emission vehicles which would include “Lottie” my Toyota Highlander Hybrid. As a result, I left the benching area at 3:45pm, got to the car, loaded it up and was on my way OUT of the parking garage by 4 even with stopping for my annual hug from Ed Haas (he’s president of Elgin KC where I’m a member and he’s also a green coat wearing member of IKC)!!!!

ANYONE who has attended IKC at the North Building and had to take their car up the ramp to load up knows this is nothing short of a miracle!

A few years back, I had a friend from Michigan who said it took him longer to get from the parking lot to the loading area (he had a larger vehicle) then it did to get back home to Michigan. The line was literally a mile long. So this is a big improvement, at least for those of us who don’t have a bunch of dogs entered and probably makes it easier for those that do, just because we’re not in line too.

Directions could be a little better marked, I drove past it the first day and had to make a U-turn, and the second day I knew I needed to be more in the left lanes, but then passed it again and had to sneak in through the vendors area and slip between columns … I know I’m not describing this adequately, but suffice it to say, I’m usually good with instructions and these weren’t as clear as I would like. Maybe I need blinking lights …

Parking is so greatly improved, that it gets an A (if it were a bit cheaper and better marked, I might give it an A++++).

Overall Grade for Show: a Solid A taking into consider my overall joy with the parking lot, great variety of food in type and cost and the fact that I LOVE a benched show.

Now on to the judges/results.

I wasn’t there on Thursday or Friday, but congratulations to Tammy Szabo on finishing “Jack” Tobishi’s Top Shelf Lick’r with a Best of Breed from the classes on Friday. Good job, and Mickey sends a thumbs up to his great great grandson!

Saturday

Driving into IKC on Saturday was a bit nervewracking. We were under the threat of a winter storm watch and expecting anywhere between 4 and 8 inches of snow. It was falling when I left Wonder Lake at the rate of about an inch an hour and I could verify that by how much fell in the time I was letting dogs out to exercise. They came in looking like little snow dogs. So at 5:30am I ventured out into the blizzard. The slippy slidey light in my car went on going up the hill outside of our house but I was hoping by the time I got to Wonder Lake Road (which is a secondary road) that it might be plowed…. NOT!

Slowly I drove to Route 120 (which is a primary route). I was sure IT would be clear NOT! I would say that I was driving through a good 4 inches of snow on 120, reminded me of driving those little cars at the amusement parks, only faster. The ruts in the snow definitely kept me in line.

It was just falling too fast for the plows to keep up with it, but I went slow and easy about 35-40 mph and amazingly was not passed by anyone, but it was obviously pretty early, so there really wasn’t much traffic out at that point, just crazy dog people. By the time I got to the closer suburbs the snow had diminished and the plows were getting to work so from that point on, I could go along at maybe 5 under to the speed limit and made decent time, but the whole trip took me about 2.5 hours but some of that was just traffic in the city.

Jack and Friend in the benching area

We showed to Mrs. Rita Holloway from Newark, Delaware. I have never shown to her before, so really have no idea yet what she’s looking for based on one appearance, as well as it being a pretty small entry. She did appreciate Jack’s attitude, which is full of tail wags and shiba kisses. This show had a major entry in dogs, but unfortunately the major was broken both days for various reasons which I won’t go into. Yori Green’s male was WD from the Amateur Owner-Handler class and also Best AOH shiba. This was quite a popular class at IKC this year because in essence they were charging only the AKC fee for entry and that was $3.50! Jane Chapin had the WB & BW, Topaz. Rebecca Powell’s bitch Masami I believe was Best Puppy. The “Garden Shiba” Ban was Best of Breed. Unfortunately nothing in the groups for any of the shibas.

After judging, I had the pleasure of mentoring a couple of people who are applying for shibas in the next year or so and we went over all the dogs that were shown. It’s always interesting to get other people’s opinions and discuss the finer points of the breed. I also took one of them over to the handler area so we could go over Ban as well, as I think he’s a pretty nice boy. He’s pretty nice in personality too. Very outgoing and gives really nice shiba kisses. He does a good job representing shibas in the group.

Sunday

Sunday morning, the snow was cleared off the roads for the most part, except where it blew onto the road in a few places, and I left even earlier for the earlier 8am judging (note to self … put a note in asking for later judging next year). It was a lovely drive in and I cruised down Lake Shore Drive as the sun was coming up over Navy Pier and the big ferris wheel there. It was beautiful and made me miss the city a little bit. It’s very interesting driving on LSD because the posted speed is 40, and I was going between 50-55 and getting in everyone’s way … it’s no wonder that both days going back home was delayed by accidents on the side of the road.

Ban, the "Garden Shiba"

The trip to Chicago this day took a little less time because the weather was better, and also, I corrected some of the weird things the GPS had me do, such as turning right on Harlem from Milwaukee Avenue and then left on Caldwell, when I could have just turned left on Caldwell in the first place, not really far out of the way, maybe 1/2 mile, but I don’t know why it does that sometimes. Making a note of this, so I can try to remember next year!

Rumor (Photo by Yori Green)

Sunday’s judge was Mrs. Dorothy Dalton from Stuart, FL who I know enjoys judging shibas. She’s been to Japan and just really likes the breed. We appreciate a judge who makes that extra effort to get to know them. Jack, who was there just for practice as he only needs a major, actually put his feet on the table when we went up to it, so he’s really starting to get the hang of it. Yori’s male was again WD and went through to BW and Best AOH shiba. Jacklyn’s pretty sesame bitch Rumor was WB. Ban, again was BOB (I told Chris to please go back to his area and stay there ) Yori’s male got a Group II in the AOH group under Mrs. Peggy Haas who also is good to shibas, nothing in the group for Ban, but I’m sure it was a really tough group. So far, the AKC shows no placement for any shiba in the groups this weekend at any show, bummer!

More about the shows and benching.

Benched shows are really fun, although very tiring. The Chicago show doesn’t really have benches per se anymore, they put up posts and our numbers are hung from some sort of cord. I have to admit, no one really worries about getting their dog necessarily under the right number, but we were pretty well spread out under all of them. I had cards made with my website on them (on Friday, I’m so prepared…) and passed out a lot of them to possible future shiba owners.

There are many thousands of spectators at this show, and it’s an EXCELLENT opportunity to educate the public about shibas, about where they can get a shiba, why they shouldn’t get a shiba at a pet store, what makes a responsible breeder, etc., etc.

Interestingly I did not hear nearly as much comparison to a fox as in past years, probably a lot of people saw the Shiba Puppy Cam and now know what they are. I heard it mentioned several times. I have no voice today from talking so much, next year I should make up a poster.

1. His name is Ryder (or Jack)
2. He is five years old (or 18 months old)
3. Yes, he is full grown, he is on the smaller side for a male (in Ryder’s case)
4. Yes, they can be bigger/smaller
5. Yes, you can pet him, he likes it
6. Shibas are a Japanese breed

Ryder and Jack and the other shibas when they were out on the tables or on the floor were mobbed by spectators. Uno (the beagle that won the Garden in 2008) has nothing on Ryder. Ryder is the perfect dog to take to a benched show. He loves everyone … but I had to tell people he’s not the “typical” shiba temperament or I’m sure a lot of folks would go right out and get one! Jack was pretty good too, although the noise of one camera lens made him a little nervous so I put him away for a while to rest. They both had their photos taken so many times and I got some of the people who actually posed with them to send photos to me in email so I could put them in here.

Chicago is really a beautiful city and so much has changed since I moved away in 2000. There are new buildings I haven’t even seen yet, one I think might be the Trump Tower and it is just gorgeous. I think maybe Jonathan and I need to do the tourist thing someday and take in the sights.

Next week: Wisconsin KC at West Allis, WI

Groundhog Willie and Friends

 Happy Groundhog Day, and sadly Woodstock Willie saw his shadow over in Woodstock Illinois, we have six more weeks of winter to look forward to. Since the movie “Groundhog Day” was filmed in Woodstock, it’s a real big deal around here!

And I got permission this weekend to reveal that Tammy and Alex Szabo are expecting a new little Shiba fancier. No wonder she looked so radiant at Nationals in September! Little Mr. Szabo should arrive sometime in June. Congratulations!

Tammy's cell after Gretchen was done with it

This weekend, we drove 3.5 hours North to frosty Green Bay and the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena. My first view getting out of the car in the parking lot was Lambeau Field… Home of the Green Bay Packers! It doesn’t seem like it would be a good place for a Chicago Bear fan, but there are no Bears stickers on my car so I felt pretty safe <crossing fingers>! I have a photo but it’s in my cell phone and I need my husband to find the adaptor so I can download it! Speaking of cell phones, this is why you should never leave yours with a shiba (courtesy of Tammy & Gretchen).

This is the same site that the Packerland Kennel Club has used for many years. I remember showing malamutes here in the 70s sometime. It’s an okay site for a small show of somewhat less than 750 dogs, but if it were many more I think it would be quite crowded. I unloaded in pretty good time and just set my crates and stuff on the wheels inside the front door and went to park. Then came the “pain” of finding a grooming spot … I managed to squish myself in somewhere and then found after judging the first day that I could move in over by Tammy Szabo and MaryAnne Vogt as someone else couldn’t be there Sunday. They had a nice primo spot with an actual view of Sunday’s ring so all was good there.

Yes, I probably should have removed the garment bags...

Saturday night I stayed with some friends outside of Green Bay and had a GREAT time. The husband made a fabulous dinner for us that was ready by the time we got back to their house and settled in. Homemade chicken cordon bleu and rice pilaf and with a chocolate ginger skillet cake (hope I got that right) that was quite chocolatey. My friend also made me hot cocoa in a little machine and we put in just a little of the Lady Godiva chocolate liquer that I brought her for a hostess gift. Yummy, but probably should have saved that for the hot tub! Yes, a hot tub, outside, Green Bay, February, you read it right. Actually it was quite nice, and the stars are so clear out there in the sticks that it was amazing. We could see other galaxies as pointed out by our host. Me I can find the 3 stars in Orion’s Belt and thus the little dipper, that’s about it! When you get out of the hot tub, you don’t really even feel the cold until you’re back inside. The guest room was a smash hit too, it was more like a suite and had its own fireplace with a remote  

Maybe if I asked nicely, they’d adopt me…(and my husband, and my 9 dogs…)

Now to the site ratings.

Bathrooms: The bathrooms were evidently plentiful enough that I never had to wait. Stalls were of a nice size, certainly large enough to change if necessary (fortunately I’m quite skilled at changing from jeans to a skirt without revealing anything right in the grooming area! I know TMI TMI!). These too were somewhat automatic, but without the nifty hand dryers and towels instead. However, these bathrooms were just not as cared for as they could have been. On Sunday there was water all over the floor and it was a bit smelly. It was just a little too messy to deserve even a full B.

Grade for Bathrooms: B- (could have been an A if it were a bit cleaner!)

Food: There was food available, although I never actually participated in eating any of it. A couple of us went out for lunch at a nice Chinese restaurant nearby on Saturday (can’t remember the name, but I’m hoping someone will remind me!), and then Tammy’s mom went out for McD’s on Sunday. I imagine what food WAS available was more like stadium food. I did partake of a Black Raspberry Smoothie which was being sold at a separate stand (you could get a “shot” in it for a few dollars extra). It was pretty good and refreshing, but rather sweet for my taste.

Grade for Food: B (for the smoothie)

Parking:  As I mentioned earlier, was across the street at Lambeau Field for a price of $3.00. There was lots of parking, but there were 3 events going on in the complex so if you got there later, I suspect you might have to walk further. Luckily we were there about 9am both days so no problems. Crossing the street was a bit challenging, but if you waited for the walk light not so bad.

Grade for Parking: B+

Overall Grade for Show: A (taking into consideration it’s about 3 hours and 30 minutes from my house, but I have friends nearby, just okay bathrooms, abundant parking and we won and had an overall good time!)

Now on to the judges/results.

Saturday

Gretchen at the National

Yesterday we showed to Mr. Norman L. Patton from Mesa, Arizona. For some reason it seems to me that he is a toy poodle breeder, or at the very least bred toy dogs. He’s pretty nice to the dogs, going over them quickly and quietly without much fussing around. He found his WD in the new Amateur Owner Handler class (hereinafter referred to forever as AOH so I don’t have to type it over again). The dog was Katai’s The Tenth Doctor “Daku” owned and handled by Mary Anne Vogt. RWD was Tammy and Alex Szabo’s “Jack” Tobishi’s Top Shelf Lick’R. WB and BW to finish her championship in a hurry was Tammy’s “Gretchen” Tobishi’s Red Neck Women (can you tell Tammy’s car radio is most definitely tuned to a CW station?) and RWB was the black/tan bitch from last weekend only now I know her name Stormswept’s Follow Your Heart. Ryder was Best of Breed and showed nicely in the group. A pretty strong group topped if I recall by the Dalmatian bitch that’s been winning a lot around here and shown by Kimberly Halcolm from my neck of the woods. A GSD bitch was BIS as judged by Ms. Lee Canalizo. We stayed and watched especially because Tammy and Stetson the malamute had won the group.

Sunday

Barbara Alderman and Mickey in August 1997

On Sunday we showed to Mrs. Barbara Alderman of Moon Township, PA. We love her and she loved the Mouseman giving him quite a few breeds and placements. She is definitely one of the nicest ladies out there in the middle of the ring. Sadly, her husband George Heitzman had a stroke in November and is still in the hospital in Chicago, so I’m sure you will all join me in sending most positive thoughts for his complete recovery.

Again there were seven shibas present. Daku prevailed again from the AOH class to finish his championship in style. Are there any other shibas yet to take points from this class, could he be the first?

MaryAnne and her new Ch. Daku!

Jack was again RWD. Today Gretchen moved up and Jude Staniszewski’s cute black and tan bitch Stormswept’s Follow Your Heart was WB and BOS to Ryder. Ryder showed well in group AGAIN (I really have to work my butt off to keep him “up”) but did not place. However, it was a tough group again. Today’s winner was the Bulldog Ch. Evergreen’s Sweet Clover Ann (I think!) who is co-owner/breeder handled by Stan Flowers. While Stan is a pro handler, he is also a breeder of some really nice Bulldogs, Frenchies and Boxers. We were off and running to catch as much daylight as we could on the way home so we did not see BIS. Tammy and Stetson the malamute got a Group II though

Ryder in the ring at Nationals weekend

I thought the trip home would be quieter as this was “Super Bowl Sunday” but it was actually quite crowded on the road. Nothing like 1986 when the Bears were playing and we were driving home from Grayslake to our home in Chicago and it was deserted on the Kennedy Expressway. But Ryder and I arrived home about 7 after picking up something for dinner for my lonesome husband who stayed home to take care of our dogs because he was on call. Quite an exciting finish to the game, although I was pulling for the Cardinals since they originally started out as a Chicago team!

In closing, best of luck to all shiba exhibitors at the Garden next weekend and to Tammy and Stetson too. Our next shows won’t be until International KC of Chicago in two weeks.

P.S. If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for your favorite human shiba fancier, look no further than the Shiba Inu-Vations page on the Shiba Home Page!

This is a new site for these shows. So new that if someone from one of my kennel clubs hadn’t mentioned it, I would have gone to the old fairgrounds. Somehow just putting new location in big bold print in the premium didn’t work for me. Maybe some sparkles or flashing lights might work.

This is a really nice site. If you’d ever been to the “old” Lake County Fairgrounds, the dog show was taking place in at least 3-4 different buildings. Must have been murder on some of the handlers or anyone with multiple breeds. One of my kennel clubs, Little Fort KC of Waukegan, uses the same site in June and I’m so happy that I won’t have to be practically comatose by the end of the day from heat exhaustion! 

The building is quite large, enough to hold 9 good sized rings with the accompanying grooming/crating area. My one suggestion for set-up would be to move the rings over more to the middle of the building so that there is more space to watch from, or at least put some spaces between every 2 or 3 rings so you don’t have to walk around 8 rings to get to the other side. It just makes sense to me (and to my poor aching feet!). Wear really good and comfortable shoes to this site, most show floors are hard, but some are harder than others. Could also use a few more public x-pens (although there seemed to be plenty of space for private x-pens). There were many nice vendors available, which is new to the winter show.

Bathrooms are very nice and high tech. You don’t have to touch anything! I made the mistake of sticking my comb in the sink and it very nicely wet it down for me. I do like that the water was immediately warm and almost hot. No worries about the comb being wet because they had some really cool hand dryers that actually worked. Reminded me of the blowers we use on the dogs. However, the stalls were REALLY tight. Seriously small! The only stall anyone could possibly change clothes in (not that I do) would be the handicapped stall. I think the stall designer obviously picked the size for the parking spots outside too because one could barely fit between cars, but I digress… might have been nice to have the washrooms more centrally located in the building because if you were working on the wrong side, it was a LONG walk to the bathrooms. 

Grade for Bathrooms: B (would have been an A if the stalls were 3 inches wider!)  

Food: There was food available, this is where this venue does not beat the old one. At the “old” county fairgrounds they had a huge menu including (and this is VERY important to my hubby) FRENCH FRIES! The new menu is typical dog show fare, hot dogs, hamburgers, some popcorn, chips, canned soda and some wrapped muffins. I think the best deal was probably the chili, but I don’t like chili  

Unfortunately there are not any close restaurants that you can get to without leaving your parking spot, although if you took a trip up Route 83 a little ways you could go to one of my favorite restaurants “That Pasta Place” (they catered our wedding) but they don’t open till 4 anyway.

Grade for Food: C  

Parking: Was plentiful. Unfortunately they don’t allow dogs into the front entrance (why, I don’t know, although maybe all that yellow snow where they did let dogs in had something to do with it). We had to go unload the dogs at one entrance and then we could go park and use the front entrance (closest one to the parking lot) to walk in. This morning I just parked and walked Ryder in through the “dog” entrance and my fingers were just about frozen by the time I got in. You can be sure that I went and got the car to load back up. By that time we were all the way up a heat wave of 10 degrees! There were many people parked improperly and I heard them announcing tows were going to be done quite frequently. I say, spend less time announcing and more time towing and maybe they won’t do it next time. These weren’t mistakes, they were just folks that didn’t care parking in clearly marked “no parking” areas. And don’t get me started on the “little orange cones”. People … you don’t OWN a spot for the whole weekend! I can sorta understand with the larger vehicles that take up 2 spots because obviously they need to be together… but otherwise, it’s just not right.

Grade for Parking: B (maybe when it’s not sub zero I’ll be more charitable check back in June) 

Overall Grade for Show: B+ (taking into consideration it’s only about 30 minutes from my house, the great bathrooms, abundant parking, one nice heated building)

Now on to the judges/results. 

Saturday

Ryder

Yesterday we showed to Mr. Michael J. Dachel from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (isn’t that where Jack in “Titanic” was from? Sorry, I couldn’t resist LOL). I haven’t actually shown to Mr. Dachel since March of 2002 when he dumped Mickey to a class dog (well, not actually dumped since Mickey was in the Veteran Class). It was the first time in over a year he had not taken the breed and while I was hardly showing every weekend, he had won enough in 2001 to qualify for Eukanuba. I don’t hold a grudge, honestly! But I figured since he seems to be judging everywhere these days that I needed to give him a shot. 

Ryder got the breed, no big surprise since he was the only shiba that actually showed up! I did find Mr. Dachel to be a pleasant judge, not heavy handed, very light touches to the dogs and that’s all you really need. His speed was good, not too fast, and not holding anyone up either. He had a nice sense of humor which was evident when the ring steward started calling the next breed in even though I was getting ready to enter the ring! 

Chuck Winslow did the group and put up the Tibetan Terrier shown by Lynn Meyer … I don’t know which one, they’ve all pretty much looked alike for the last 13 years, only the names change  

Sunday

Lynn Perkins showing her new import Ootora Go Etchuu Wakasugisou during the National Specialty weekend in September 2008.

On Sunday we showed to Mr. Chuck Winslow of Monrovia, MD. There were five shibas present, Tammy Szabo had her BBE dog Jack and BBE bitch Gretchen, Gerilynn (but we call her Lynn) Perkins had her import dog in Open, and Jude Staniszewski (hope I spelled that right) had her new black and tan puppy bitch out (she goes back to Mickey, one of a handful of b/t’s I’ve ever seen that go back to him!). Lynn’s male was WD, then Jude’s bitch was WB. Lynn’s male then also went BOB, BW (over the special, Ryder) and Jude’s bitch was BOS. Mr. Winslow also had nice light hands on the dog, would have no hesitation to show an inexperienced dog to him. Pleasant to the handlers, with a big smile and “how are you doing today”. He stayed on time as far as I could tell, and I think I saw him take the extra time to talk to a junior about showing her dog during a break, but I can’t swear to it. I would show to him again, not sure if I would take Ryder back to him or not, but I will probably give him a shot with Jack later on. He wore some really cool ties

In any case I was able to get home to my sick husband, Jonathan, and write this review early today! I AM glad to get off the concrete (have I yet mentioned how HARD the floors are in this building). When I got up this morning, I could barely walk and apparently aggravated a plantar tendon injury I incurred in 1996 at the Stone City show taking in a malamute for Nancy Russell! I knew I should have sat down more while waiting for groups yesterday. I was fine by ring time this morning, just needed to walk on it for a bit, but I suspect it’s going to be stiff for a few mornings. And some people don’t think showing dogs is a sport! 

Next week: it’s off to Packerland KC in Green Bay, Wisconsin  ….. helloooooo cheeseheads!