It's been one helluva fun ride this year with Capri. From the first photos Nancy sent of a little fuzz-butt strutting her stuff through the puppy pen, to the wild child who arrived at the Calgary International Airport ... the first few ASCA baby shows, and then her exciting premiere in the CKC show ring at 6 months of age.
Multi Best of Breed wins, multiple Group placements, and an incredible seven wins in the Puppy Group ... this past weekend in our hometown at the Calgary Kennel & Obedience Club, our final show of the year and Capri's last as a puppy ... Team Capri did it! Under Mr. Jack Ireland she won Best Puppy In Show! To say this was a dream come true, a thrill of a lifetime, doesn't even begin to touch on the emotion and pride that I'm filled with.
I questioned myself the last couple of weeks, wondering whether I was doing a good enough job with this little girl. Am I the handler to take her to her next big win? Is she a dog who should be out with a professional handler? Do a little bit of ringside nerves sometimes get the best of us? Thanks to encouraging words from Nancy and some dear friends, I realized that I am the other half of Team Capri, and I am the only one I want to see at the end of the lead. The confidence this young bitch has instilled in me, the fun we have together, is something that is ours and ours alone.
I've received so many wonderful compliments on Capri from the judges we've shown to, and from so many others in the fancy who stop by our set-up to tell me how much they admire her in the ring. How can I not be encouraged to shoot for the stars?
And shoot we did! Right down to the last minute, her last show as a puppy, and she pulled out all the stops. Standing outside the ring watching the Best In Show competition, thinking about the next round, Best Puppy in Show, I knew I could only be proud of what we've accomplished together this first year. I could tell Capri was feeling it, too ... her usual bratty but focused self, giving me beautiful free-stacks, not feeling any nerves or tension from me, just a calm, determined feeling of "let's get 'er done". Win or not, I was still taking the best dog home. Setting her up, hand-stacking, down n'back, and gaiting on the go-round ... this is it, baby. To look up and see Mr. Ireland extend his palm toward and us and say those words I've been dying to hear, "The Australian Shepherd", there are no words to capture the excitement I feel. But WHOOOPEEEEEEE does come close!
Multi Best of Breed wins, multiple Group placements, and an incredible seven wins in the Puppy Group ... this past weekend in our hometown at the Calgary Kennel & Obedience Club, our final show of the year and Capri's last as a puppy ... Team Capri did it! Under Mr. Jack Ireland she won Best Puppy In Show! To say this was a dream come true, a thrill of a lifetime, doesn't even begin to touch on the emotion and pride that I'm filled with.
I questioned myself the last couple of weeks, wondering whether I was doing a good enough job with this little girl. Am I the handler to take her to her next big win? Is she a dog who should be out with a professional handler? Do a little bit of ringside nerves sometimes get the best of us? Thanks to encouraging words from Nancy and some dear friends, I realized that I am the other half of Team Capri, and I am the only one I want to see at the end of the lead. The confidence this young bitch has instilled in me, the fun we have together, is something that is ours and ours alone.
I've received so many wonderful compliments on Capri from the judges we've shown to, and from so many others in the fancy who stop by our set-up to tell me how much they admire her in the ring. How can I not be encouraged to shoot for the stars?
And shoot we did! Right down to the last minute, her last show as a puppy, and she pulled out all the stops. Standing outside the ring watching the Best In Show competition, thinking about the next round, Best Puppy in Show, I knew I could only be proud of what we've accomplished together this first year. I could tell Capri was feeling it, too ... her usual bratty but focused self, giving me beautiful free-stacks, not feeling any nerves or tension from me, just a calm, determined feeling of "let's get 'er done". Win or not, I was still taking the best dog home. Setting her up, hand-stacking, down n'back, and gaiting on the go-round ... this is it, baby. To look up and see Mr. Ireland extend his palm toward and us and say those words I've been dying to hear, "The Australian Shepherd", there are no words to capture the excitement I feel. But WHOOOPEEEEEEE does come close!
Happy Trails ... Theresa
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