Rainy day grooming

So here is Cyrus after spending a couple hours on the grooming table today.  I was pleasantly surprised to find this gorgeous new coat hiding under his shaggy one.  A little more work on the legs and his head and if my back continues to improve I just might get Cyrus out into the show ring.

Team Flute

American Grand Champion/Canadian Champion Dinsdale Champagne Flute

Flute had a great time at the Schnauzapalooza event May 11th 2013 held at Purina Farms in St.Louis Missouri. It was a wonderfully attended American National Specialty, you can see the days entry here
I am the proud breeder of Flute and I co-own her with Brooke Thomas.  Flute is a wonderful result of our Dinsdale breeding program which began almost 20 years ago.  You can view Flute's pedigree on line by clicking here 
Flute was awarded an Award of Merit, only 3 of the more then 40 Special females were given this honour.   Even sweeter is the fact that Flute was being handled to this wonderful win by her co-owner Brooke Thomas, this was Brooke's first time handling a Special at an American National Specialty!  Not bad you two :-)
Flute will be coming back to Dinsdale to be bred in just a couple of months.  I am excited to see what her kids will be like, another generation of Standard Schnauzers at Dinsdale.

Old Fashioned sort of guy

I love that Beamish harkens back to the 'old style' schnauzer.  Wiry and stark of all the pretty long furnishings that you see mostly in Minis (but rears it's head in Standards every few years).  With Beamish, what ya see is what ya got.

In the late 80's when we first became involved in the breed there were a couple of Standard Schnauzers in the show ring that swept around the rings with powdered legs and beards flowing.  Our boy Hugo had barely any hair on his legs, we would wash and condition those little scraggy bits in the hope of making them grow, makes me laugh now.  We were new to the breed and dog showing and would bemoan our boys sad state of short prickly hair.  The breeders of Hugo would try to explain to us about proper coat, but all we saw was the pretty boys getting the ribbons and points.  Ah to be young and naive :-)

With time, research, experience and maturity I realized that this hard coated & furnished style is what I love best.  I did venture to the dark side of luxuriant coats several years back, a pup sired by a top American dog, very stylish, presented in a manner that one associates with the Miniature in the show rings.  She was a lovely girl in many ways, but oh my gosh, that coat, it was horrendous to work, body hair was all but glued in, stripping her coat was painful for both her and I.  No sooner would I finish grooming her, she would get off the table, shake and she would have tangles in her hair.  I showed her quickly to her championship then clipped her down.

I ran into this same thing with the Black Standards when I imported a male from Europe, his coat was...OK, not great, sort of average.  We bred him a couple times to different females and in almost  every litter he would produce what I can only describe as fluff coats, hadn't ever seen that in my Pepper & Salts and was a bit taken back by them.  Below is a photo of a black pup with the fluff coat

Now, these coats are not a problem if you are having your dog clipped, but you could never keep a fluff coat in a traditional stripped out Schnauzer jacket.  And oh those legs, I would recommend shaving them down with a clipper or trimming with scissors as short as possible to avoid matting.  I have noticed that fluffs have all had the most amazingly sweet personalities, they revel in being held, while the wiry coated pups in the same litter would be a higher energy on the go sort of pups, it's weird.  I have bred one daughter sired by that black male and she too presented us with a couple of fluffs in her litter.  Gorgeous structured pups, with that same cuddly pick me up personality and sporting those glorious, wavy, snugly coats.

Are there drawbacks to the hard coat?  Yes, if you are wanting to show them, they take forever to mature as there are no furnishings to manipulate their outline, kind of like when your Schnauzer comes out of the water and his wet snout looks pointy and his legs a bit spindly.  It can be hard for your average judge to look across a line-up of schnauzers and see your rather naked looking dog and be brave enough to give him the ribbon.  I also find that in a really harsh coated dog the hair will fall off the moment it gets a bit long,  a good going over with a brush weekly will knock off that hair and keep them and your house neat. 

I call Beamish a wash and wear dog, actually, you rarely ever have to wash a dog like Beamish, another bonus, they don't hold dirt.  Their coat is almost water repellent, if for some reason you have to wash their body it is nearly impossible to get water and soap in there, they can come in the house from a downpour and with one shake are dry again.

As I 'mature' OK.....get older, I appreciate the hard coated dogs more and more.  Keeping them looking good is a breeze, 30 minutes on the grooming table (about every 6-8 weeks)  the first 15 minutes spent stripping off any long hairs, than, 15 minutes clipping his bottom, ears and throat and he comes out looking like the photo above, works for me!

Westminster Reminder

Your yearly reminder to watch the Westminster Dog Show tonight.  In Canada it is being broadcast on Animal Planet Feb 13th & 14th at 8-11pm.  I am not much into dog shows lately, but, it is still fun to watch this annual event in the comfort of my home, PJ's on, big bowl of popcorn, see ya there.

Westminster Winners

GCH Foxcliffe Hickory Wind Breed: Scottish Deerhound Sex: Bitch AKC: HP 20581907 Date of Birth: December 20, 2005 Breeder: Cecilia L Dove & Dr R Scott Dove Sire: Thistleglen Newell Dam: Foxcliffe Summoning Charms Owner: Sally Sweatt & Cecilia L Dove & Dr R Scott Dove Best in Show was awarded to this gorgeous Deerhound bitch. We love to see the girls win and this gal was my favorite going into BIS competition. I did love the Smooth Coated Fox Terrier, such striking markings, but couldn't out do this Deerhound! Here is a video of the Standard Schnauzer breed competition. The winner was a five year old male called Charlie, below is his winning photo and details. Congrats to the breeder and owner of Charlie, must of been thrilling to see their boy on TV last night. GCH Shalimars Golden Ticket Sex: Dog AKC: WS 16640301 Date of Birth: January 28, 2006 Breeder: Nonie Lomando Sire: Shalimar's Blockade Runner Dam: Shalimar's Victoria Owner: Julie Trombley & Nonie Lomando

Glamour Girl

While I have my hands full at home with pups my friend Brooke, also the co-owner of Flute, is having a blast in the US rings showing Flute as a Special looking to put the new American Kennel Club Grand Champion title on Flute. Here she poses after taking breed both days in the States. She had some wonderful wins a couple weeks earlier at the Heartland Regional Standard Schnauzer Specialty winning Select Bitch. I'm very proud of our bouncy girl Flute and of course Brooke who is conditioning, grooming and handling Flute herself. Ah now this is more like the Flute I know and love....more liver please?

First show done!

Saturday was not nice weather to be outside showing dogs, just ask Token. Mick came along with our new camera and snapped some photos of Token in the ring below. My favorite shot however was a beautiful Scottish Deerhound and it's handler who wore a Kilt for the show ring, love it! In the toy ring the dogs are examined on a table for obvious reasons. Token was great about that. Now moving in wet grass...Token's commentary on the event below. "Grumble, grumble...have I told you how much I hate you at the moment...grrrrrr" "I don't care what you say, I tell you there is a dog pretending to be me behind us" "I am so out of here, and I warn you, it may be days before I like you again!"

Show Day

Yesterday was Token's first dog show experience and my first time in the Toy ring. Lots to learn, but a good experience all around. Token was Reserve which I cannot complain about. It was a gorgeous, breezy, sunny day for showing. We are back at the show today however it has been raining all morning complete with thunder and lightening. Hmmmm.... Token looks pretty comfy this morning, better I not tell her what the plan is for this afternoon, maybe it will blow over by then :-))

East Coast Schnauzers

The Standard Schnauzer Club of Canada held a Booster at the Halifax show on the weekend. They had a very nice entry, larger then we have seen in Ontario at the Boosters recently. A couple folks even dropped by for a visit that were not entered, just to say hello. They had Schnauzers entered in the Rally and Obedience as well. And they all turned out to pose for some photos. I bet the Halifax club has never seen this many Standard Schnauzers at one time! This assorted crew of schnauzers and their owners are not only conformation title holders, but we have Obedience, Agility and Therapy dogs in the photo, a really versatile group on our Canadian East coast. Congratulations to everyone. To see a few of the Winners of the weekend, check out my brags on my Dinsdale website.

Busy at the shows

I haven't done a lot of dog showing this year...actually this weekend is the first show I made it too in 2009. Thursday I packed up the van and headed up Ottawa way with Daisy and Fiddle to the Ottawa Kennel Club show. Along with their regular three days of dog showing fun they host the Purina Show of Shows each year. A gala evening event it is open only to Best In Show winners from the prior year. Owners of Lia, Ch.Dinsdale Champagne Celebration, Line & Michel Champagne made a special trip with their Best in Show girl Lia. Lots of fun the winner of the night was a Kerry Blue Terrier. Photos from today are not the best quality as they were snapped with my cell phone. Daisy snoozing Saturday after a busy day. Daisy took Best of Winners Friday & Saturday completing her Canadian Championship!! Sunday we showed Daisy as a Special and our Little Miss Fiddle took Best of Winners. Fiddle HATES to show, no that is understated Fiddle DESPISES showing and grooming time, suffice it to say if I ever attempt to show Fiddle again I expect she will pack her bags and be looking for a new, sane owner. Here she is back at the hotel dreaming of being anywhere but AT A SHOW!!

Another Dog Show Weekend

This weekend was a dog show weekend. It is busy and confusing especially to those that are new to dog showing. In the end it is a matter of hurry up and wait as you must be at ringside when they call you or they just carry on. This leads to folks madly working to get their dogs ready for the ring and then standing at ringside for an eternity waiting for the ring steward to call you in. Above Daisy is on the table being groomed, not her favorite activity. What a pretty girl, Daisy waits while I gather up my armband, bait and squeaky toys , then off to the show ring. Arriving at ringside the waiting begins....during this time everyone has their own routine, I usually like to play around with the dog I am showing to relax them and get them focused on me. Daisy loves her treats and focus isn't a problem for her. Daisy in the ring being presented to the judge for examination. Saturday was a Booster hosted by the Standard Schnauzer Club of Canada. The judge was from Sweden and I obviously thought he was great...he awarded Best of Breed to my Daisy :-)) After breed competition each of the various breed winners must then compete in their designated groups. Standard Schnauzers are in the Working group, here you see Daisy in a line up with a few other Working dog winners. The Standard is the smallest dog in the Working group, in this photo Daisy is between a Giant Schnauzer and a Siberian Husky. But she sure held her own. Other results from the weekend, Daisy's sister Flute was Reserve Winners Bitch at the Booster on Saturday, while on Sunday she was Best of Winners making her a new Canadian Champion. Above Flute is shown gaiting in the ring (she is the second dog) just before winning Reserve. I laughed when I saw this photo, if you look closely you will see none of Flute's feet are touching the floor. She is such a happy BOUNCY show dog and I seem to walk a fine line between her showing well and her taking over and turning into bouncy girl, kind of like the cartoon character Tigger.....boing-boing-boing-Tiggers bounce and so does Flute! Flute smiling at the grooming set-up, she is now...drum roll please tay da... Canadian Champion Dinsdale Champagne Flute

Canadian National Specialty Weekend

What a great time I had this weekend in Long Sault, Ontario (just outside of Cornwall) at the SSCC National Specialty. The Standard Schnauzer entry for the Specialty was 29 in total, a fair number for a show considering you don't often have any entries at shows in Canada. Exhibitors travelled from across the country with both BC and Nova Scotia exhibitors in attendance and several from the USA. It was such fun catching up with old friends and making some new ones as well. Thank you to everyone with our dogs that came out to enjoy the show. Dinsdale dogs in attendance this weekend were: Ch.Dinsdale Double Trouble 'Breeze' Ch. Dinsdale Champagne Celebration 'Lia' Dinsdale Champagne Flute 'Flute' Dinsdale Champagne Upsy Daisy 'Daisy' Dinsdale-Chimera Blackberry 'Hilde' Dinsdale Sweet William 'Will' Dinsdale-Chimera Brenna Berry 'Brenna' Dinsdale Licorice Allsorts 'Anise' Paricda N Dinsdale Junebug 'Juno' Daisy poses at home with one of her ribbons. I only entered Daisy in the Specialty on Saturday as I knew I would be busy in Agility with Juno. I was very pleased to have Daisy win - Best in Sweepstakes at the National on Saturday. Unfortunately right afterwards I had to hurry to the Agility ring with Juno for our first trial and didn't have time for a proper show photo. This was taken today, as you can see by the state of her nose, she spent yesterday enjoying a good dig in the yard, oh well at least I had her clean for 3 days in a row :-) Standard Schnauzer Club of Canada National Specialty Best of Breed Line-up on Friday Ch.Dinsdale Champagne Celebration being presented to the judge by her owner Line Champagne A casual photo taken of Lia outside the rings on Sunday Flute being gaited in the ring for the Judge on Friday. Dinsdale Champagne Flute about to be examined. Flute won Reserve Winners Bitch this day shown by Line. Below Anise is patiently waiting to be called into the ring. Anise is a Fiddle & Monty daughter from our Summer 2007 litter. Owner Karen flew to Ontario from BC with her girl Anise, Dinsdale Licorice Allsorts, to attend the show. Anise has done well in the show rings and is only looking for one more point towards her Canadian Championship. Flute and Anise blow off some puppy steam playing after being in the show ring. No matter what colour, all schnauzers play the same! Teri & Pierre from Massachusetts are proud owners of Dinsdale-Chimera's Brenna Berry. Brenna is a Mira X Max pup from a co-breeding with Brooke Thomas summer of 2006. Brenna and Pierre were competing in Agility along with myself and Juno. They had some great runs in Novice, including two qualifying runs in Novice Standard, and THREE Q's in Novice Jumpers giving Brenna a new title! I had such a good time getting to know them, I hope they make it back up to Canada in the future to finish more agility titles. Below she is pictured with her sister Hilde, Dinsdale-Chimera Blackberry. Brenna on the Left and her sister Hilde on the right...and yes, they are both black standard schnauzers. And lastly but certainly not least, Juno poses with some of her winnings. Juno and I competed in three agility trials on the weekend and placed first in our class each time, completing our Novice Standards title and winning the Highest Scoring Standard Schnauzer on the day of the National. She is now officially know as Paricda N Dinsdale Junebug, AGN! Hooray Juno. A couple photos taken by Line Champagne of Juno and I on course Sunday morning. At the end of the day our show dogs are very much our companions, below Line exercising her schnauzers after the shows.

Dog Show Weekend

This weekend we headed off to a local dog show, Saturday was terribly hot. I had Fiddle entered and we didn't do much of anything...second from the end if the truth be told :-( Oh well some dog days are like that. Sunday our ring time was much earlier and the weather much more pleasant for showing dogs. Fiddle wasn't entered today... instead I took puppy Daisy. It was her very first show and I was a little apprehensive about how she would do, I wanted her to have a positive experience. Well the little monkey had a wonderful time, she didn't waver during the judges examination and strutted her little puppy butt around the ring winning Best of Breed and her first two points, I was thrilled. After Breed she had to compete in both the Adult and the Puppy Groups. She was a little trooper and did me proud, barely batting an eye at the assortment of unusual breeds of dogs she was in the ring with. The photo above of Daisy was taken while waiting for our ring time. Below are photos of Fergie and Hilde also waiting for the show to get going.