Dog show. Day 1.

So yesterday was the first day of the dog show.  Apparently there are 4 shows this weekend - one last night, two today and one tomorrow morning.  So yesterday morning my human went to work and took part of the afternoon off.  She went to the show site to unload the NEW crate (which can NEVER be taken apart), the grooming table with the sawed off legs, a blow dryer (just for fun), a chair, and another huge bag that probably has everything in it including the kitchen sink.  You would think she was going camping somewhere. For a month.  She lugged the stuff into the show site, and set up her "spot" with some friends.   Real estate at a dog show is a HOT commodity in some locations.  There may not be a lot of space - so everyone tries to get there early to scope out the best spots.  My human set up and then went to pick up her mother.  Her mother needed to stay with me and Frodo so she could give me my medication at the appropriate time.

My human had fluffed and puffed the FG the night before, but of course had to do it again.  The good news with the FG, is that grooming is PRETTY easy.  A quick brushing and away you go.  Unlike us PONs.  Or even worse - poodles. 

And before they headed for the show, he got to go for a walk - with the big goal being a poop. Mission accomplished.  So off they headed to the show, while we hung out at home.  They left for the show at 4:30 - and the show site is about 20 minutes from our house. AND the herding group wasn't scheduled until 7:30.  I guess they wanted to be sure they got there in time.  Talk about overkill.

Apparently the FG's head exploded when he first arrived.  He didn't know which way to look.  He wasn't too thrilled hanging out in the new crate - he was MUCH happier on the grooming table - where he could watch all the goings on.  When it was FINALLY his turn to be shown, he reportedly did a lovely job!  My human wasn't dragged on her knees, he didn't manage to bolt out of her hands, he was examined by the judge - AND he won the breed!  OK.  For all you non-dog show people - don't get too excited - he was the ONLY one in his breed.  But still, he did a great job.  So my human thought they would at least LOOK respectable in the group.  Unfortunately, about 15 minutes before he was to go in for the herding group judging, he got very fidgety. VERY fidgety.  So my human decided to take him out for a pee.  She was trying desperately to keep him OUT of the mud on the sides of the walkway to the building.  Instead, he dragged her into the snow.  And he had a BIG poop.  My human wasn't expecting that so she rushed him back in, put him in the crate and ran back to do pick up. Then she raced back in to dry off his feet and fluff him again - and made sure that heaven forbid, there were no cling-ons.  How to eliminate yourself from the competition - go in the ring with a cling-on.  There were none.  But by the time it was time for the group judging it was almost 9:00,  and the FG had had quite enough of dog shows for one day.  He was hungry (he never had any supper) and was basically ripping from my human's fingers any treat she pulled from her pocket. And he also took off half her thumb in the process.  They ran into the ring with a bleeding thumb and a crazed Picard.  Who thought it was PAR-TEEE time.  Every time he had to stand still he did anything BUT.  He jumped. He spun.  He sat. He grabbed treats. He sat.  He spun. He was DONE.  So needless to say, they didn't win any big ribbons.  But a lovely Bearded Collie who was in their handling class got 3rd place!!!! And a very handsome Bouvier that my human knows, got 1st place!!

So he came home with four small ribbons - his prize for showing up.  But he DID have a good time, and my human did too.  

So now we get ready for today.  And we see which PON goes to Meet the Breed. AND Elroy gets to go in the competition ring again.  Hopefully my human still has enough of the REALLY good treats left.  Or she is in BIG trouble....

Have a good one!