Happy Birthday to SIZZLE

Happy Birthday to Sizzle

my ray of sunshine, 3 today!

all these fantastic action shots @ Crufts 2011 photograph by Ian Watts

  

Also, Happy Birthday to all his sisters ...

pup one week

Can't believe this week has gone so quickly! The pups turn one week old today. They are doing very well after a few scared and emergency from the beginning of the week but then it soon settled and both boy and girl are gaining weight and feeding well.

this is the little shaded sable girl

 and she has a lot to say ... hahaha ...

 and they sleep a lot to grow ...

this is my boy Sonic

he is robust and already a mummy's boy

he wouldn't settled yesterday, been very noisy. I took him out of the box and placed him on my chest and he went quiet immediately, and we both fell asleep ...

Sonic on my bed :)

very sweet together

 Mister Sonic is a real character, since Day 1, he likes to hide behind Samber's back. I was so afraid that Samber is going to squash him but he keeps going back behind her back or into her rear end!

 my scrumptious Sonic

 little girl is growing well and she is nearly as big as the heat pad :)

 why do all puppies like to go to the corner of the box?

 mama Samber is doing her duty, cleaning the bum :)

 little girl: he ain't heavy, he's my brother

 motherly love

a very sad pup-date

We lost the teeny weeny tri girl after 24 hours. I do not know what went wrong. She was doing very well, she was fed on hourly and is the most pushy puppy on the milk bar. Whenever she crawl to the milk bar, she will push her brother and sister away. She was a very strong puppy, I never have doubt about her eventhough she was only weight 3.5oz

I was very tired after a whole week of no sleep, I finally crashed myself to bed at 1am on Saturday night. Before I went to bed, all puppies were fed and I was happy. I woke up at 3am to find the little tri girl was push aside and looking lifeless. I did everything I can to get her back, she was a little fighter, she bounced back at 6am but suddenly faded away at 7:20am. I cannot tell you how upset I am . Having lost two perfect puppies is like taking my life away!

This is the most difficult litter I had so far, on Sunday, the sable girl was bleeding, I cannot tell you how scared I was. I managed to stop the bled and everything was ok. She is suckling well and gaining weight. I hope she continues to thrive. I dare not close my eyes and I am dead tired!

And poor Samber was very run down as well. She had temperature, badly dehydrated, inflame ... I've got her sorted at the vet yesterday and she perked up in the evening and now wanted to in charge of the boys  and Sipzie again!! I am so glad that "the" Samber is back.

My boy is robust and the most noisiest! He is very lazy though, I have never seen him going for the upper teats, he is always lying flat to go for the bottom teats :)

a long waited special litter

Samber has her pups at early hours this morning. She has been restless for more than 48 hours, her temperature went like a yoyo, one minute 36.6c, the next 37.5c; I watched her like a hawk and haven't been sleeping for three nights. Starting Thursday night, she kept asking to go toilet every hour and each time I let her out, she had poo and wee, it is very different from her last litter ...

It all happened at 3am this morning, I heard squeaky noise. I thought, OMG, puppy! I had a look nothing but the whelping box had a little puddle of water, so I guess her water broke. Samber then kept squeaking while I wait for the pup to appear. It have been going on for 10 minutes and I didn't like the wait, so I tried to help, unfortunately he got stuck, eventhough his head appeared first but I could not managed to get him out. We rush to the emergency vet and the vet tried to get the big boy out but he was lifeless. My heart sank, I thought: no more boy for me again, is this the faith?

I agreed with the vet we will have a c-section and at the same time have Samber spayed. We waited for 2.5 hours and finally the vet came out with good news. Samber and her pups are well. This is a special mix litter, we have a big sable & white boy, a shaded sable girl and a little tri girl. All pups are suckling well and I need a couple of hours of sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Happy Birthday to SING

Happy Birthday to my ONE and ONLY SING

who loves his tennis ball and swimming

Great Dog Shamed about the Handler

I kept watching back my Crufts videos and realised what a crap handler I am! I still feeling very awful about Saturn in the Team, especially in the Final. I don't know why he won't go up the Dog Walk, maybe I was rushing him too much? I love Sizzle's enthusiasm towards agility, he is so much like Sing, a dog that never let me down but on the other hand, I let him down again and again. Eventhough he didn't start off too well running on the carpet on Thursday but he soon pick up his speed on Friday. Colin told me how much the crowd love him.

This is my favourite run of him, also his last run:

this is the original video by daddy Colin with the famous Dave Ray commentating at the background

Crufts 2011

All the excitement and nerves have now turned into exhaustion! Crufts 2011 is over for me and the boys now. Phew! I have to say I really enjoyed my running on the carpet in a big arena experienced eventhough Sizzle didn't come home with any rosettes but it was the most wonderful time to have been able to run him in a big noisy crowd and under pressure all the time :)

We left for Crufts on Wednesday afternoon to book in at ibis Hotel. We stayed at the same hotel last year eventhough it was further from NEC. This ibis has a secure carpark with "close" gate all time for security. I feel safe when I take the dogs out on the green as Birmingham is such a busy area.

The boys didn't settle on Wednesday night, they were quite restless but I was exhausted. I fell asleep at 6pm until Saturn woke me up at nearly 9pm asking to go toilet; then straightaway, I was back to sleep again. We woke up 5am Thursday, eventhough our run is at 10:30 but I want to get there nice and early to make sure we have got a carpark near the arena.

This is Sizzle's first time at Crufts, I don't think he likes the settings on the benching area as he wasn't settled at all on Thursday. I do not want to take him everywhere to tired him out, and he dislike the small soft crate I've got him, I can see stressed in his eyes. Sing and Saturn are more used to it as this is not their first time at Crufts.

The collecting area is always very crowded, full of people and dogs, running two dogs in the same event is extremely stressful especially in the pairs and of course at different height dogs as well. You only have 5 minutes to walk the course, Blimey! How can you walk two courses in 5 minutes and have to be the first one up to run too?

Well, Sizzle and Smo pairs were first up! I have to say I was a bit nervous, not because the course is tough but its Sizzle's first time and I was feeling silly about my "baby". I wasn't sure if he is coping and how would be run the course. I wasn't even brave enough to lead out far to start with. He didn't start off too well but after three jumps, he picked up the speed, that is a shamed as he came out from the tunnel too fast and he missed the jump ...

Sizzle & Smo in small/mixi pairs:

Bracken & Saturn are experienced in their partnership now, these pairs have been partner for the last two and a half year. Last year was the first time at Crufts and we had a double clear and ended up in 4th place. This year, they repeat the double clear and also ended up in 4th place. Go the Sables! Saturn ran well in the pairs, he turned so tight after the cloth tunnel which was amazing! I thought once the dog is in the tunnel, they can't see or hear anything but Saturn seems to know where I am and where to go. Love him! Thanks to Matt and Brax for pairing with us!

Bracken & Saturn in small/mixi pairs:

 the handsome pair!

Thursday was only the pairs for me, so I spent the rest of the day shopping. Not really, I did have an intention to go around shopping but I only went as far as Hall 2 and bought a replacement leather collar for Sipzie and a nice Union Jack duvet for the dogs.

I left NEC quite early to go back to the hotel to relax and restore energy for Friday. We took the boys to a local park to walk around and to relax Sizzle's mind. I can see him getting a bit tense and thanks to aunty Yvonne's advice, we had a good game of fetching ball and he was a happy boy again.

Friday, another early start and long day to finish. To be honest, I was stressed. Saturn is replacing Sing to run in the Team; poor Sing is not coping anymore, his injury has become too much for him to cope. I knew what Saturn is like when running at Agility, he can do contacts at training and at home but whenever we go to a competition, no matter how hard I tried, he will miss the contact! I have retrained him the last few winters and we were getting worst each year when we started the agility season, up until last year, I decided we will have a year out of NO agility, so we only did Jumping. Over the last three months, I have tried very hard to nail his contacts with positive reinforcement and he has been doing well ... but it all fell into piece again at the Team event :(

Our first event up is the Team, the course was set by Josep Boix. He is the International judge and we all knew that we are expecting some challenging courses. I was a nerve wreck on the carpet with Saturn especially after Zen, Smo and Tyler all done a cracking clear round. I just had to hold my breath and try my best with Saturn ...

ESSC Medium Team semi-final:

I was very emotional after running Saturn, I thought I was handling myself very well, at least we didn't  get eliminated eventhough we had faults and refusal over the jump, the best thing is to get the Team to run in the Final. I haven't got time to grieve for me and Saturn as my next event is in the Small Challenge with Sizzle. That is straight after the Team.

Again, another very challenging course! You can see from this course map below, #8 is the straight pipe tunnel to #9 which is the U shape pipe tunnel is prove to be challenging. I tried very hard to pull but I might have turned my shoulder a fraction too early as Sizzle took the wall instead of the tunnel :( Oh well, there is only 4 dogs ran clear out of 20 dogs!

 Sizzle running in the Small Challenge Part 1:

After we had the lunch break,  it was time for the Team Final. Another stressful moment for me. I just prayed that Saturn will be a good boy for one last time. We ended up 2nd place in the Semi-Final this morning but we draw to run last in the Final. Zen, Smo and Tyler ran beautifully, now I just wish Saturn do one good round, unfortunately we let the Team down, a big time! I don't know why Saturn didn't see the DW or do not want to get on the DW. I cannot risk taking him further back just in case he turned and took the jump before the DW and got eliminated but God knows 3 refusals also equal to elimination!

ESSC Team Final

 

And, our final run is with Sizzle in the Small Challenge, Part 2. Sizzle ran beautifully but I wasn't able to turn him into the weave after the long pipe tunnel, he took the jump! I so wish I hang back and send him to the weave which I have confidence he will pick up the weave entry but at this event, I just wanted to baby him all the way but it was a great experienced!

 Sizzle in Small Challenge, Part 2:

All I could say is Sizzle was great little dog, hopefully we will back again next year and we will be better.

And these are our Retiring Golden Oldies! You can see Sing is not impress. He loves to do activities with me, each time he sees me taking a dog away to run, he cries!

this is Matt & Brax, do you like our drawing?

and this is the ESSC Medium Team including our two reserves:

Good Luck Crufts 2011

Crufts is fast approaching! I have done enough of any training and will spend today and tomorrow relaxing and chilling with the boys, I hope. Life is uncertain for me at the moment, many things happened at once, for the last two weeks, mainly bad news and sad news. I am trying to waive away all these bad things that go around me at the moment and try to concentrate for Crufts.

Good Luck to everyone competing at Crufts

especially TEAM ESSC, competing on Friday

Zen, Smo, Tyler, Sing, Saturn & Ellie

Also, mini/mixi shelties pairs on Thursday

 Sizzle & Smo; Bracken & Saturn

and my little man Sizzle in Small Challenge 

on Friday

We will be also celebrating the great years we had with our three fantastic golden oldies, Hattie, owned and loves by Lin Abbot; Sing, my one in a million boy; Ellie, owned and loved by Becky Parks are retiring at Crufts.

wordless Wednesday #9

Sizzle's funny little antic

Gosh! 1st of March already? I didn't even noticed until this morning, the news presenter on my favourite radio station said is 1st of March today; but yesterday was only 28th? This means Crufts is only 10 days away now! Nervous and Excited!!!

This is going to be an exciting March; Crufts, Sing's birthday (officially veteran!), Sizzle's birthday and finger crossed for the safe arrivals of some pitter patter of tiny paws ...

I kept meaning to video this little antic of Sizzle. He is such a funny little guy, since the day he sat on Colin's lap while I was driving us home from his breeder's house. Everytime, YES, EVERYTIME, after Colin came out from the bath, he will roll himself on him and lick him ... from Day 1 he joined The KNIGHTs Shelties, when Colin came out from the bath, he quickly roll himself on Colin's big bath towel; then ran away with his dirty knicker in his mouth. I remembered we have to chase him all over the house to get the knicker back. This was going on for nearly a year, happened everyday! Then, he changed his antic, instead of running off with his dirty knicker, he now roll himself all over Colin for about 2-3 minutes. You can see the satisfaction on his face though. The funniest thing is, he knew Colin is going for his bath as he will wait on our bed for him to come out and keep his eyes on the door ... when Colin jump in the bed, he is straight on him (exactly like this on the video).

I do not know why he only does it to Colin, he never does this to me or other people. Funny boy!