Whizz Dogs - 01 & 02/07/2017

What an awesome weekend we've had at Whizz Dogs! It was our first time attending and competing at this show, and it certainly didn't disappoint! It was a small show (compared to what we're used to) with only 3 rings and a pretty relaxed atmosphere, providing us with a nice opportunity to practise in the ring for the EOJs in Luxembourg in just over a weeks time! Ethel was quite the consistent little pup and ran awesomely, putting us in a pretty confident position for them! We enjoyed spending time with fabulous friends and their awesome dogs, and we even did some doggy shopping! Earl came with us and although he didn't compete, he absolutely loved spending the day in his favourite way; spectating, sunbathing and cheering on his friends!

Winning 7 rosettes and looking as cool and casual as ever

I was super happy with how she ran all weekend and it definitely showed in our results! We came 2nd in the triple team qualifier with two of our friends and their pups, meaning we're through and it's off to the final we go in September! We also came 2nd in pairs with another friend and her little dog, 4th, 5th and 6th in agility and 3rd and 4th in jumping! Out of 9 runs, we had an amazing 8 clears, and the only non-clear we had was down to me deciding to train her A-Frame in that run (training contacts in worth it in the end!) She's just so much fun!

As we do after every show, it's time to look forward to the next event. Well, I can't quite believe it, but next up, Luxembourg for the EOJs!

Terriers Turned Teenage

Yes, I know the title of this post has probably got you completely baffled. Don't worry, it'll all come clear in time!

Right. I'm sure the majority of you can tell the difference between Earl and Ethel by now. And I have no doubt that when you first discovered their online existence, or if you've only recently discovered them, you used their coat types to do just that. There's no point in pretending you knew the difference from the start; I know you've all done it! Well, they've both been reduced to their naked state. Sorry, unfamiliar readers. You'll have to find a new way of telling the difference, I'm afraid.

Ethel (top) and Earl before and after being hand stripped

Now before I continue, you're all probably wondering why on earth hand stripping Earl has converted him from a normal brown dog into a bright orange creature who looks as though he's just been bathed in fake tan. Well, as this was only my second time hand stripping Earl myself, and I started late in the evening, I started in the light and finished just as the sun was setting, therefore, the orange effect was created by the artificial garden light we have in the background, along with the fact that his naturally red grizzle coloured undercoat is brought out by the riddance of those light coloured wispy bits on the top!

As I said, I hand stripped Earl myself. At this point in my hand stripping career, I didn't feel as though I had enough experience to try to tackle Ethel's crazily long and wild coat, therefore, we took her into a nearby groomers and had her done professionally. Earl doesn't look overly different, just a little tidier and without all the tufty bits here and there. However, Ethel looks like a completely different dog! All in all, they're now well and truly both baldies.

In order to apologise for the inconvenience this may cause to some readers who struggle to tell the difference between my little hounds, I will give you a new method of recognising their differences. Remember, Ethel's the one with the big eyebrows and Earl's the one with the fake tan. It seems hand stripping my dogs has turned them into a pair of typical current-day teenage girls. This wasn't intentional, I swear!

Recognition Among Dog Photographers

Well, I can finally spill the beans about some MORE awesome news... I am super excited to be able to say this photo of mine is now an award-winner! Yep, that's right! Dog photography is one of my biggest passions, and coming 2nd in the junior category of the Dog Photographer Of The Year 2017 competition with this photo of Earl is an achievement I'll treasure for the rest of my life! It's my first official photography award, and it isn't exactly a small deal; in fact, there were over 13,000 entries!

The photo that blew the judges right off the panel!

My photo will be exhibited in the Kennel Club art gallery in London and I'll be attending an awards ceremony there later in the year! This achievement should hopefully help me gain some valuable recognition as an amateur dog photographer and, if I'm lucky, help me start out in photography professionally in the future, as it's definitely something I'd be interested in pursuing!

If you want to find out more about Dog Photographer Of The Year and see the entire gallery of this year's winning images, visit http://www.dogphotographeroftheyear.org.uk.

Getting Travel-Ready

As many of you guys will know, we're off to Luxembourg to compete in the junior EO championships as part of junior agility Team GB this July! If that was new news to you, I suggest you head on over to our announcement post and get PUPdated about the final team selection!

The main part of our preparation to travel to Luxembourg was to get our passports sorted out. And, if you didn't already know, pets need passports in order to travel just the same as we do! With that in mind, I filled out the details at the GB performance weekend and received Ethel's passport a few weeks ago at the Hinckley show, where we had our last GB training session as a team. Needless to say, it's getting realer by the day!

This little pup is ready to see even more of the big wide world!

I'm travel-ready, she's travel-ready... The countdown is shortening and all that's left to say is Luxembourg, here we come!

It's Time To Vote

Who to vote for in the current election was a joint decision for these two PAWtners in crime! And what better way to allow them to have their say than to stop by our local polling station during a walk?

Getting together to discuss the voting options

Has your dog had their say and visited a polling station yet?