This past weekend we drove up to Bend, OR to join our cairn terrier friends while they competed at the Mt Bachelor dog show. Fearghus and Fiona are pet quality but their sires, dams, and grands were all champions in the show ring circuit. We saw three of Fiona's littermates compete and they did great! Her brother is pretty close to finishing. That's what they call it when a dog gets all of his competition points in the various shows. Once that happens he'll get to be a stud doggie. That's why he didn't get to play in the backyard with all of the other dogs. Only the neutered males and females that weren't in season got to play. Fearghus and Fiona are neutered and spayed so they were good to go.
Fiona's breeder asked me to help a friend of her show two Scotties. They were "filler" bitches, meaning that they needed a minimum number of entrants for a certain number of points. They were two sweet girls, didn't even bark at all. Luckily the judge was nice and told me that every one starts out new at some point. My second time running around I realized that I was supposed to hold the lead up higher so that their heads would be up. It was fun but I know that's just the "glamorous" part of the show dog circuit. All the real work happens at home in training and the constant grooming. No thanks. I'm just happy to have helped out.
We even signed up Fearghus and Fiona for the lure coursing event. That's where a line runs through a little motor with three white plastic bags attached. Think of greyhounds chasing the mechanical rabbit. But it was running so late and we were the very last dogs in line. Instead we opted to go to the big cairn party instead. Next time we'll sign up earlier. I can't wait to see what Fiona does. She was giving the cairn shriek of death whenever she saw those white bags fly by. Every one across the field heard her!
The picture above is just a quick snap of some of the cairns at the party. Fiona is the little black one at the lower left. She doesn't like to hold her tail vertical like all the others. Fearghus only has his rear end and side showing just to the right of the tree trunk. His tail bends forward a bit, banana tail style. That little wheaten guy in front desperately wanted a treat from me. I had a bit of buffalo jerky treat left in my pocket. In the end I gave it to the hostess so that the dogs would stop pestering me for some. The only dog we didn't get a picture of is the sweet little Belle. She's a little dwarf cairn and belongs to the very sweet hostess and amiable host.
Yes, we had an amazing time and hope that we'll be able to make it again next year.
