Last weekend was the Christmas Party:

Two more races were participated by many: Fastest recall and 11 legged race.

Hi All doggy friends,

Today was the Dog Christmas party and what fun to be able to come and watch all the various dog morning fun. It was so good to see Joyce and Alan Lester there too to watch it all.

I would like to thank all committee members for their fantastic input throughout the year for us members and dogs. Amazing the work they have put in and hope they will cary on doing so much for us.

Sadly Cherie Blake was not able to be there as she had a vary nasty experience and had to stay home for a rest, keep well Cherie and get better soon.

I have taken some pictures of the event today and need to look at them, put them onto my laptop and see what is good to go onto the web. This will take some time.

A very happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Ilse.

Arranging of the first fun tunnel race

Long time members of the cub: Joyce and Alan Lester, great to see them.

Gee some great German Shepherds were there too, beautiful to see these.

A Lovely family who came too.

Such an appealing face did this little one have

Tunnel competition: is she coming out of the tunnel?

Preparing for the musical chairs

Each handler has a helper and the fun just starting

Yes thy are all sitting and helpers try to keep the dog into the required sit position.

Some different kind of dogs? Here one with ‘spiky made up’ hairdo?

Well cut poodle hairdo, amazing what you can see on a fun day.

A shame that Stephany and Dorothy left to go back to the UK,

Stephany sitting with their beloved dogs at a KCH show in 2008.

NEWS DIRECT FORM STEPH:
We all set off in the cab of this van with our cases and Mitts’s travel box in the back and the four of us (Mitts, Dorothy, Steph and our very kind and efficient host, Bryn) for our first base.  I travelled with my feet against the windscreen and we had a delightful stop half way to relieve the cramp!  All safe and sound and VERY happy to be together.

We set off for Lincolnshire tomorrow in convoy: Dorothy and Steph with Mitts in the car acquired today and Bryn in the van with Mitsi’s Mansion, the eight (+) suitcases and sundry other bulky acquisitions with a picnic lunch and great optimism.

Love to all
Steph

Good morning all,

on my travels in Chelmsford I did not see any German Shepherd dogs, instead a whole pack of German Lion dogs. Amazing to see, cuddle and touch.

These dogs can be shown in the Working Group such as Crufts, but not at the world Dog show.
The Löwchen once had the dubious distinction, like the Portuguese Water Dog and the Havanese, of being the rarest dog in the world. In 1973 there were only 65 registered examples of the breed. Even today, the breed generally has fewer than a few hundred new registrations each year worldwide.

To be an excellent watchdog requires some special training. Often called a gentle giant, the Leonberger is serious, eager and willing to please, responding well to training and get along with other dogs.

This breed was established in 1846 in Leonberg, Germany, in the region of Wurttemberg by the German breeder Heinrich Essing from a crossing of the Newfoundland, St Bernard and the Great Pyrenees, Heinrich Essing’s goal was to create a breed that would closely resemble the look of a lion. the medium to long, water-resistant, double coat comes in lion-yellow, golden to a darker brown with a black mask which should not go beyond the eyebrows.

German Lion dogs

When we

Were in Zimbabwe were we never had time to get together.

When we

were at the Kennel Club Gladys was never too busy to train people and help  them.

When we

Were at a Kennel Club seminar we were too busy to listen

When we

Were in the middle of London at the top of the Eye we had plenty of time!!

Ilse & Gladys London Eye

Today [2 October] is World Farm Animals Day
Friday [4 October] is the Feast Day of St.Francis of Assisi – patron saint of animals.

We love the following sayings :

1. Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. ~George Eliot
2. Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. ~Anatole France
3. Lots of people talk to animals…. Not very many listen, though….That’s the problem. ~Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh
4. The kind man feeds his beast before sitting down to dinner. ~Hebrew Proverb

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door:

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food.

The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It Is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom  for years – canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt.

I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

1. They live here. You don’t.
2. If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That’s why they call it ‘fur’-niture.
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, they are animals.. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don’t speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

1. eat less,
2. don’t ask for money all the time,
3. are easier to train,
4. normally come when called,
5. never ask to drive the car,
6. don’t hang out with drug-using people;
7. don’t smoke or drink,
8. don’t want to wear your clothes,
9. don’t have to buy the latest fashions,
10. don’t need a gazillion dollars for college and
11. and if they get pregnant, you can sell their children …