WEimaraner club of albuquerque
In a whirlwind trip from Chicago to New Mexico and back (with a stop in Estes Park for hiking, of course), Bender showed in just the two specialty shows offered by the Weimaraner Club of Albuquerque.
On Saturday, Bender showed really well, but wasn't in the ribbons. Sunday? HOLY COW. He knocked it out of the park with very sweet comments on what a goofy boy he was from the judge. Bender landed his second Best of Opposite Sex in Specialty over specials, including his MBISS, GCH daddy! These were his first GCH points!
Bender is growing up to be a really lovely show dog. We plan to keep entering specialties and working on his Grand and maybe then some.
FETCH Novice
We took a quick trip to Roscoe, IL for the Winnebago Labrador Retriever Club's inaugural FETCH trial. We play a lot of games at home with retrieving and playing with toys, but I haven't made it a point to do any kind of major training. I was still deciding if we wanted two flusher/retrievers in the house or if we wanted to steer Bender into the pointing direction. BUT, I do know he has a natural drive to please his mom and retrieve his Dokken.
Bender did an EXCELLENT job once he entered the ring. Even with a FastCAT running across the parking lot, Bendy did the job and he did it well for two qualifying runs and his FTN title. I love this dorky guy.
our first bred-by champion!
Bender was awarded Winner's Dog and Best of Opposites for his LAST point to finish his Championship! It's been quite a journey over the last ~10 months of showing. Bender is all wags, so happy to be involved and loved. He waggles his nub for all of the judges, every time.
I am very proud of all we've accomplished and I cannot wait to go for his Grand, plus all of the other fun things.
Almost there....
We had a wonderful weekend showing in St Paul again. Bender picked up 2 more single points on Friday going Winner's Dog. His sister, Lolo picked up Winner's Bitch and Best of Winners for the 4pt major, too!
It really was a nice trip with a great sniff spot and AirBNB. It was also nice to show alongside friends we only get to see at dog shows. We have one more local show in February and then it's Spring bird clinics and agility practice until the Summer shows.
WINNER'S DOG!
Our trip to Minnesota for the Northstar Weimaraner Club's Specialty and Weimaraner Club of America's Central Futurity/Maturity was a success! Bender won his bred-by class twice and came home with his last major (4pts) for his Championship.
We will be breaking from showing over the Fall/Winter, but will be back at it for those last 3 points to finish in early 2024. Meanwhile, it's bird time!
Best of opposite sex!
At Southern Michigan Weimaraner Club's Specialty in Monroe, MI Bender picked up a few points going Winners/BOS over some very nice, mature dogs. I am ecstatic over how he is growing and developing - not just physically.
Bender has also started training with our good friend and Rally Instructor/Competitor, Sarah Blumenfeld. He is extraordinarily handler-oriented at this stage, so we're hoping to shape that drive into something big by competing in OB/Rally. I couldn't be more pleased by his eagerness to please, his sweet demeanor, and his constant vigilance to the world around him.
Best of Breed!
Once again, Bender blows us out of the water. We met our human bestie, Charlie down in St Louis for the first "big dog" AKC show and came home with 3 point Majors for both puppies.
Under Charlie's guidance, Bender took WD/BOW/BOB/BOBOH. He did an excellent job in both group shows and the judges were so sweet to him. He was a little ball of goo for our breed judge while she fawned all over him.
It was such a joy to see him strut his stuff!
Multiple UKC Best Puppy in Show?!
Our friend Michaela has fallen in absolute love with sweet Bendy boy and asked if she could bring him with her to a UKC show in Southern Illinois. Well, he went. And out of 6 shows, Bender went Best Puppy in Show twice and followed that up with two Reserve Best Puppy in Show placements as well!
He received glowing complements from the judges and one such Sporting judge/breeder threatened that we better get him in the AKC ring! Oh, we will!
Thank you to Michaela and thank goodness he's home - we missed him dearly.
CHEERS!
It certainly wasn't the plan, but sometimes things just work out. Grey Boy AKA Harbinger wound up in a dead heat with his brother, Yellow Boy AKA Leviathan. Unfortunately, we only had one show home for a male dog and Harbinger was just too sweet, too pretty, and too driven to be sent away to a companion-only home. So, here he is.
Now going by Greyhaus Drink Up Me Hearties or "Bender", we will be snuggling this guy for as long as we can.
