Specialty Weekend

This past weekend Mendel, Lilly, and I endured a grueling 5 consecutive days of shows. 
We have since come to the agreement that we will NEVER do this in summer again!

That said, we did very well!

Check out the show report on our website.

For those who don't completely understand how dog shows work, here's a quick summary of how we did:

Mendel got "Reserve Winners Dog" on 5 out of 5 days.  This means he beat all the boys competing in the classes, except for one - the one who got the points.  

Frustrating, yes.  Encouraging, yes.

Friday was a Specialty show (large Saturday and Sunday entries followed) and there were a lot of really nice dogs entered.  For Mendel to have beaten all those dogs but one at 8 month of age, on the leash of an out-of-shape handler with only 4 months of experience under her belt, the weekend was really quite spectacular.  Points-shmoints... that's what we say.  :)   It's definitely opened my eyes to just how lucky I am to have lucked into such an awesome dog.  (cuz I already knew he was the sweetest white fluff ball I knew)

It's finally here!

Well, not really HERE, but the proof is online and that's good enough for me.

For the 2 plus long weeks I have been waiting to see Mendel's win pic, I have been convinced that it wasn't going to be very good.  I don't know why, and I wasn't really upset about it, I just didn't expect to like it very much.

See, there are just so many choices to deal with when taking a win pic.

• Hold with the left arm or the right... or with both hands
• Look at the dog or at the camera (this actually wasn't a question for me, I had already decided)
• Keep your number on or leave it off
• Put free hand behind your back or leave it loose
• Smile or don't smile
• Hair up or hair down... ok, not really, I don't give a crap about hair.  :)

In the end, I figured I'd just try out what I have seen with a number of other win photos I liked.  I always prefer pictures with the handler looking at the dog and smiling, after all, the dog is the one who did the winning.  :) 
Lucky for me my super cool friend (and co-breeder of Mendel), Drea, was there to stack Mendel perfectly for me.  I wasn't afraid to do it, but if I have the pro do it then I can't be held responsible if the win pic from the first point in the litter was of a bad stack. 

Uh huh, that's right, see how I did that - CYA - it's the name of the game, baby!

So, without further explination and babbling, here is my most wonderful little sweet pea in his very first (and my very first) win photo at only 6 months and 4 days...

And once again, I would like to extend a huge Thank You to Diane Anderson for this most special win.  Not only did she give us a point and some pretty ribbons, she told me she just loves my boy. 
She's one smart lady, if you ask me.  ;o)

Show Report: Mendel's First Show

 

 

Hop on over to my Photo 51 Page to get the scoop!

Getting Ready... (aka Procrastinating...)

Mendel's first show is this coming weekend!!!  Horray!


I haven't picked out my two show outfits for this weekend... but I will.

I haven't decided which pair of nylons to ruin this weekend... but I will.  (am I the only person who almost NEVER wears nylons more than once before ruining them?)

I haven't packed every available crate I own into my car... but I will.  (out of state friends are coming to show so I'm making their load lighter)

I haven't put together my tack bag... but I will.

Mendel hasn't had a bath yet... but he will.

I haven't trimmed Mendel's feet yet... but I will.  (and I will not mess up because I've been practicing)

I haven't entered the show site into the GPS... but I will.

We haven't done 6 month pictures for the "Monthly Mendel"... but we will.  Tomorrow.

We HAVE been practicing.  Of course, we've been practicing at "show class", but we've especially been practicing our bounce game.  We're still working on the not bouncing ONTO me part, but it's fun either way.  (hoping to get some pics of the bounce game tomorrow) 

Mendel HAS figured out how to use those lovely shoulders his genes gave him.  Yay for sidegait!

We HAVE stocked up on some delicious show treats that can be stuffed into my bra or mouth without activating my gag reflexes.



Tomorrow my bestie is helping me with Mendel grooming, pictures, video, and driving to the show site to stake out prime grooming space at the show.  This is her "adult time" that she hasn't gotten very much of lately with a 1 year old at home.  Do you see what having kids does to you?  Your FUN time consists of being put to work by your dog nut friend.  Poor girl.  I should probably buy her ice cream.  :)

Stacking Blocks

We've been busy.  Mostly busy having fun (which is why I haven't even started looking for a second job) but we've been working on having fun with show stuff, too.

I think that's the very definition of awesome - when the WORK part is even primarily focused on having fun! 
I love it!

This past weekend we took a trip to Minnesota to drop off Whitey and we had lots of fun.  Mendel and I stayed at my friend / his breeder's house so he got to hang out with his mom, half brother and sister, and their grumpy big brother (who's a lot like Mendel's grumpy big brother, only white).  :)  He thinks his half brother is REALLY cool, and was following him around paying attention to what a guy is supposed to do at that house.  It was pretty cute.  I can't believe I didn't take pictures.  :o\

We got some video of Mr. Mendel.

I still feel like he's not reaching in front as much as he should, but tonight at work a great idea came to me.  I'm in the process of working things out in that department.

Now, the main point of this post.

See, Mendel is better at this whole stacking thing than I am.  As you can see in the video, he knows how to stack.  It's me that's the problem sometimes.  My timing is bad on rewarding him when he stacks sometimes b/c it takes me too long to "check" that all his feet are in the right place.  Then, I still move too much and wind up pulling him out of it or I reward him for a poor stack by mistake.  I'm a mess, what can I say?  :)

So, I found these on a website somewhere:  http://www.happylegs.com/

Now, the reality is that a dog who is built right structurally should not need help putting his legs in the right place, the right place should be where the dog puts them naturally and where they will be most comfortable for him.  I like these for ME, to help me more consistently reward my dog for a correct stack and learn better what things will look like form my perspective when he is in the right place.  But I'm NOT even going to consider paying $200 for them.  That's just crazy.

Another reason I like these is because I find that the concept of "muscle memory" is very valid.  I do see where this might help us as a team.

So, of course, I decided to "MacGyver it" instead of emptying my wallet.

Step one, hit up the grocery store.

I chose cans of something I actually use so if I decide I don't need these in a month they won't go to waste.  This is one of the big wide cans, about the size of my palm on top.  

Step two, pick up some of that rubbery place mat stuff to use as a non-slip surface.

 I traced the cans and cut one ring for each can slightly smaller than the trace mark and one slightly larger.  The smaller for use on the top and the larger for use on the bottom to make the can nice and grippy.   

 Then, I used double sided tape to adhere the pieces to the can.

Here's Mendel's second time up on his "stilts".

This is a great example of why it's awesome to have great breeders/mentors.  The first thing I did was send a link to the video off for advice on how to do it better next time.  I've already made some improvements (like holding his collar and baiting him better to get him to pull up more over his front and setting the cans further apart) and our quick session when we got home from work was even better than the one in the video.   

Happy Thanksgiving?

Hmmmm....

So, I'm a little behind.  This is nothing new.  I'm behind on a lot of things right now.  Blogging just became my best option for avoidance of all the other things, so here I am.

Thanksgiving was nice this year.  We just went over to my parents' house and had dinner.  My grandparents came over and it was a nice quiet day to relax.

There were Thanksgiving baby pictures, of course (courtesy of their breeder):

Mama "Allele"

Red Boy

It was great to have a few days off after Thanksgiving.  Black Friday is the one "not an actual holiday" that UPS gives us as a paid holiday every year, so I got a nice long 4 day weekend.  Yay!!

 

There had been a wall in my house that was totally blank and I just couldn't decide what to do with it.  I used to have a big blanket with a German Shepherd on it hung there which pretty much covered the whole wall, but I kinda got tired of it (and it may or may not have started becoming a dust problem).


*** Pause the story!  I need to tell you what my Lilly is doing right this very second.  It's simply too funny not to share.  She walked over to the toy box and was snooping around trying to find something she wanted.  Unfortunately, she is just too polite to disrupt the other toys in the box so she just gave up on the one she wanted, which was under another toy, and walked away.  It doesn't help that the edge of the box comes to about halfway up her chest.  I got up and tipped the box on its' side for her so she would have an easier time of getting in there to grab what she wants and told her to try again.  Now, she is slowly and VERY carefully removing toys one-by-one, selecting only the ones on top that come out easily, and bringing them to the living room. ***

Ok, back to the story.  So, since I've been living with this big blank white wall for MONTHS, I decided I simply must do something about it.  The wall is located in what normal people would use as a dining area.  I'm not normal.  Though I do eat there a lot, it's because I'm eating at my desk, not a dinner table.  It really is a perfect place for my "office" because it's centrally located in the house.  Behind me is the living room, to my right are the bedrooms, and to my left is the kitchen.  I can generally see where the dogs are and what they are up to at any time.  (which is good considering I'll be getting a puppy soon)

After getting my pictures from the photographer the other day, I thought they would be a good place to start.  I decided that a bulletin board would be very helpful in my "office" as well.  So, here's the finished project:

Why, yes, I do have a portable dish washer in my 'office'.  Doesn't everybody?

 I simply must show you this picture of Mater from the Nationals in Tennessee where he won Reserve Winners Dog!  Mater will be a half brother to my baby, and I am a little bit in love with him.  I can only hope my baby will look (and have a temperament) a lot like him.  I think this is an absolutely awesome picture!

Double Helix Tractor Tipping   "Mater"

In other news, Mendel's name has be altered slightly because a friend came up with a GENIUS registered name for him.  He will be:    

Double Helix 'n ArticCross' Mendelian Masterpiece

Now, the big question is... which one will be Mendel?

On Saturday I'm planning to go to the first dog sled race of the season.  It's called the "Can't Depend on Snow" race for a reason.  It's gonna be dry land rigs, but that doesn't mean it's not fun.  Hoping to get lots of good pics.  There's a weight pull, too.

A lesson in Canine Conformation and bad photographs

I've shared a number of pictures I've taken at dog shows here.  In most of them, the dog looks something like this:

Today, I shall explain WHY I'm shooting for pictures that look like this.  A picture like this is generally referred to as a "side-gait photo".  The reason I like these pictures is because it says quite a bit about the dog's structure.  Structure refers to the angles of the dog's joints and the way they all work together in movement, among other things.  You don't need to know the finer points of this (it would take hours to explain completely and probably bore you to death) but what you do need to know is that dogs who move efficiently and have proper structure use less "fuel" and hold up longer.  If a dog is constantly compensating for poor structure, sooner or later his joints will break down at the weak link.  Samoyeds are sled dogs, and having a fuel efficient sled dog when you're running them hundreds of miles (and theoretically needing to either haul or hunt for their food) is a big deal.  

Sledding, movement, and great structure are what sold me on Samoyeds.

I am, without a doubt, a movement girl.

In a side gait photo the average person can easily see a few major things.  First, you can see the basic "reach and drive" of the dog.  This very basically refers to how much ground the dog covers in the front (reach) when he stretches out his front legs and how much he extends in a push against the ground (drive) in the rear.  An important thing to remember when looking at the rear is that no drive is happening if the dog's back leg is way in the air.  You can have what looks like very flashy drive in the rear, but really all you have is back legs hanging up in the air and not doing a darn thing to move the dog.

Have another look at Annika.  See how far forward she reaches in relation to her head and how far back her rear extends.

(and that her back leg is right down on the ground rather than floating up in the air)

(Annika will be an Aunt on the Sire's side to my new puppy)

Another important thing you can see is how balanced the movement is.  A dog can way over reach and have little drive in the back to match it or he can have all kinds of drive in the rear and not enough reach in the front to combine it with.  In the case of lots of drive in back and little reach in front, the front joints will get pounded by the rear with every step the dog takes - this ultimately results in breakdown of the front end.  This matters regardless of what the dog does for a "living" and it is exactly why my Lilly won't be doing a lot of agility work - her front end can't handle jumping and landing like that and I don't want to see her hurt when she gets older.

Good structure also can be seen in what is called good "timing".  Have a look at the two feet in the middle underneath Granite here:

(Granite will be an Aunt on the Dam's side to my new puppy)

See how they come so close they darn near touch?  We certainly don't want those feet crashing into each other underneath her, but we do want them to come close together.  This "stepping into the front footprints" is not only energy efficient in snow, it's also an indicator of balanced power.  Proper angulation of joints (both front and back) is how balance and proper timing is achieved in dogs.

Here's a "textbook sketch" of great balance.

Here is a sketch of dogs with poor reach and balance.

Notice the distance left between the feet under the dogs as well as the poor reach in the dog to the left.  Often, if the angle of the joints is wrong, the dog cannot take nice big strides like you saw Annika and Granite take above.  These short strides mean that this dog will take 6 steps where Annika and Granite took 3. 
More steps = more fuel consumption and more wear on joints.

Here you see nice long strides and good balance.

Here's Rico (my puppy's sire) showing of his excellent movement regardless of the shadows that make the picture less appealing.

So... while I was in Tennessee, I would have loved to get lots of pictures of movement, but low indoor lighting and fast moving dogs is not conducive to nice pictures.  I did get some nice video, but I'll save that for another time.  (I'm impressed if you made it through this much)  I did, however, get a chance to take some pictures of Mater (my future puppy's half brother).  

Mater is a beautiful boy.

When I attempted to get some side-gait shots of him, we only had a small patch of sunlight to work with so his owner started gaiting him in the shade and ran into the sun.  Unfortunately, this confused my camera and while shooting in sport (continuous) mode it was unable to adjust to the sunlight.  I wound up with this.

Now, since the side-gait is actually pretty nice in this picture, I didn't want to just completely toss it out.  Bad exposure doesn't make his stride any less pretty.  I thought the water color editing was pretty cool.

This is an example of how good side-gait can be difficult to see if the photo is taken at a less than ideal angle.

And then there's always this problem.  It's probably the biggest reason I am grateful for DIGITAL photography where I can just pick out and delete the headless photos.  (Mater was starting to get a little sick of this game and bouncing in his steps so it's not like I cut off his head while he was doing his best work)

And sometimes you just have to give in, be happy with the beautiful pictures you DID get, and just have fun.

 

Things I've learned about photography

It may be cold here, but it sure is good to be home.  (though if I were to guess, I would say that Bailey would have been just fine with us staying in Tennessee longer so he could hang out with Grandma and Grandpa some more)

I stand by my assertion that I would never want to live there, but Tennessee and Kentucky sure are quite beautiful in the fall.

On my trip to Tennessee, I took both some really great pictures, and some absolutely terrible ones.  I have made myself feel better about the terrible ones by reminding myself that I bought a book called "Understanding Exposure" at Barnes and Noble before I left for Tennessee, and someday I might actually read it.  Someday.  Secondly, I rationalize them by blaming the camera, and my lack of ability to buy a better and more expensive one.  Then I remember that even if I did have the money to buy a better and more expensive camera, I wouldn't.  I would buy a K9II dog dryer or a new Blauwerk mountain scooter (for in-harness dog training).  At that point, if I need further assistance forgetting about the bad ones, I just look at this...

or this...

 

and definitely this...

This is Mater. (Remember Mater, from the move "Cars"?  The name fits him well.)  He is gorgeous.  He is from Allele's first litter.  Allele is the bitch I am hoping to get a puppy out of soon.  She is due on/around November 22.

Speaking of puppies, I now have a girl and a boy name picked out.  Both of them are insanely science nerdy (just the way I like it).  I've had names stolen from me before, but I have faith in you guys.  And, well, I doubt anybody would actually want to steal these names anyway.

Bonus points to anybody who can guess the CALL name that would go with these (insanely genius, if I may say so myself) registered names.

Girl:  ... Forgotten Lady of Photo 51

Boy: ... Monk in the Garden 

The breeder's kennel names will go in front, hence the "..."

Ok, back to photography.  As I said, I did manage to take some really nice pictures.

That's Gatlinburg down there, nestled in the Mountains.

Gatlinburg has a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Of course, I went there.  It's just something I have to do.

Gatlinburg also has an aquarium.  I went there as well.

So, about those things I've learned about photography.  While I might not be able to get the exposure right all the time, I have learned a lot about perspective.  Time and time again I have had people look at me funny or say something to me about how I take pictures.  Whether it be holding the camera way up above my head, or getting down on the ground, or walking around some object for a different perspective.  I find this single factor has made a HUGE impact on the quality (if you can call it that) of my photos.

That said, I don't always get it right...

Here, you see a rocky wall that has been cut out to make a roadway going up the mountains in the Great Smokies National Forest.  I knew it would be best to get down on the ground for the best perspective, but I somehow failed to notice my car's freaking TAIL LIGHT in the frame.  Now, could I crop it out?  Of course.  But, ya know, what the heck fun would that be?

Then there's the times I get it right.  Well, at least in my opinion.

 
 

The banks of this creek are wicked steep, and it was drizzling all day.  I suffered wind and rain and laying in wet grass for these pictures, but I find it to be well worth it.  I was not, however, dedicated enough to try and kill myself by climbing down the rocky embankment. 
I can't count the number of people I saw jump out of their cars and snap a picture of the creek at various spots, all of them just taking the picture where they were, right at eye level.  Like this:

 It's not terrible, but I find the one above to be much more attractive.

 At places like this, where there was a long section of parking places for people to stop and take pictures, I often walked the whole length of it to see where the best pictures could be taken.  And, if I was lucky, at some point the clouds would move just right so as to let the sun shine through and illuminate the trees in certain spots on the mountain.  I thought it was extremely cool.

It was a bit gloomy, and in some pictures that definitely shows.  I'm sure I could do some kind of editing to make this look better, but I'm just far too lazy for that.  :)

Lilly, Whitey and I walked on one of only two trails that dogs are allowed on in the WHOLE Nat'l Forest.  (did I mention I would never want to live there?)  I spotted this big rock and though the girls might behave for a picture on top of it.

It was completely impossible to get a nice profile picture of Whitey.  She's just too much in love with people to focus on anything I threw out in front of her for more than a mili-second.

Lilly, on the other hand, did great!

Now here is a case of "I have no idea how I did that, but I like it"...

I have no idea why this picture looks so different from the ones above.  None.  I don't remember changing any settings on my camera.  (which does not necessarily mean I didn't, just that I don't remember it)

This is one of those very limited cases where I wish I was better at photo editing.  Eventually I need to have somebody take that leash off Lilly.  I was simply too afraid to unclip it at the time in case a rabbit or something came darting through the woods and all hell broke lose in the National Forest. 

Later on I found another rock that I thought would make a cool picture.

Lilly did not agree.

I think all the wind rushing through the trees made a noise she wasn't very comfortable with.

 Arby's roast beef made her feel a little better, but with only one person it didn't make for much of a picture.

Well, that's about enough for now.  I'll share my worst photography offense with you next time.  :) 

  

Packing, and other things...

I admit it, I've been very bad.  Lately I just haven't felt like blogging.  One piece of me feels guilty and the other just figures that not blogging when you don't really feel like blogging is a good policy.  I'm going with it.

So, let me catch you up on my life...

Currently, it is 4:47am and I am supposed to be sleeping.  Normally I am working at this time, but I took tonight off because on Saturday morning Lilly, Whitey, and I are headed for an adventure.  I'm supposed to be sleeping because I need to get up bright and early in the morning to begin tackling what amounts to about a month and a half worth of laundry.  It's frightening.

Our big adventure consists of traveling first to Woodstock, IL to cheer on one of our favorite Berners - Miss Dora (Whitey's mom) - in the veteran class at a regional Berner Specialty.  Then, we are headed to Pigeon Forge, TN for the Samoyed Club of America National Specialty show which lasts for an entire week.  We're all very excited.  Well, everybody except for Bailey - he HATES it when I pack because he knows something is going on.  Bailey does not crave adventure, he likes things predictable and calm.  This is why he is staying with Grandma and Grandpa while we are gone - he LOVES visiting Grandma, and outside of Grandma getting a little overzealous with her clapping and cheering during Packer games, it's a calm place to be.

Packing has been a week-long project of list making and minor accomplishments.  I can't wait to just get on the road so there is no more opportunity for second guessing and over-analyzing of everything.  I tend to be a light packer, but I also tend to worry I'll forget something important for the dog.  (I never really worry about stuff for me because, well, I can just suck it up and go without - something I would generally never ask my dogs to do)  

Whitey has been coming along fantastically with learning people aren't so scary.  Here are some pics from various dog park trips.

Lilly LOVES to hunt at the new dog park

Occasionally Whitey helps

Making new friends...

Lilly currently has what I assume is a skin infection on the left side of her nose/face.  Talk about bad timing.  I've got her on cephalexin and it appears to be getting better.  Lord help us if we end up having to go to a vet in Tennessee.  That would be very annoying.


I can't help but wonder if THIS has something to do with the condition of her face.  Yes, she stuck her face in that hole, and I'm sure a number of other holes I didn't notice.  Who knows what she might have encountered in these holes.

(I don't know if there was something on my lens or what, but for some reason these pictures turned out terrible.  I'm sure part of it was that I didn't really care how they came out, I just thought they were funny)

I have also been working my little fingers to the bone with my new project.  I have decided to start making grooming table aprons (among other things) and seeing if I can sell them at dog shows.  So far I have some very happy customers, so I hope they help me spread the word.  I have "stocked" myself well for the trip to Nationals:

You can check out my brand new website here!

You can also "like" me on facebook if you wish.  I would love it if you did.  :)

Photo 51

Promote Your Page Too

In the midst of all the packing and list making and sewing, I did manage to take a few minutes out of one day to take some fall pictures.  Overall my fall picture taking was terribly lame.  I'm hoping to get a second chance in the Great Smokey Mountain National Forest.  That will probably make for better pictures anyway.

This view is one of the reasons I like this dog park. 

Late last winter two dogs drowned after falling through the ice on this creek.  

It's strange how such a beautiful place can rear it's ugly head in an instant.  Nature demands respect.

 

I did really like the way these pictures turned out.  These are stones that are placed at the Oneida Nation War Memorial Wall that we drive past every time we go to this particular dog park.  

The stones each have a different war on them and some information about the involvement the Oneida people had in the war.  I noticed that you could see the trees behind me as a reflection on the polished stone so I thought I'd try to capture it.  It worked fairly well.

 

 

 The other side of the wall.

 A beautiful Eagle sculpture, also at the Memorial Wall.

I was hoping to attempt some brokah here, it didn't work.  Oh, well.

Oh, and one last thing before I force myself to go to bed...

ALLELE IS PREGNANT!

That's right, the breeding appears to have produced at least 3 puppies.  Every finger I have is crossed in hopes that everything goes smoothly and Bailey and Lilly have a new little brother or sister in a few months.