Vuokatti Dog Fest 12.8. Group show

The last show for this season is over. We were at a Group show in Sotkamo, Vuokatti Dog Fest. The judge was Anders Cederström from Sweden. He is a nice elderly gentleman and he like both of my dogs. Bella got VERY GOOD in Open Class, and could have gotten an EXCELLENT if her body would have been a bit stronger. Jonni, despite the warm weather of the day and the hard week before (Kuopio shows last weekend and the hot weather after that) , showed himself well in the ring and took the BOB rosette and the trophy. He was a bit tired so I did not stay for the Group competitions. Jonni will have a week off and the we have our own dog club's agility championships. And after THAT Jonni is going to have a nice holliday !!

Hot weather takes it's toll....

The dogs have been lazy because of the warm, warm weather that doesn't seem to cool down. I cannot remember a time when we had this warm a summer for this long ! I cannot even remeber when irained the last time this summer !!! And THAT is rare !!! So, my doggies sleep in my bed since that is the softest place. And that leaves wondering where to squeeze myself because, even though Valls ARE small dogs, they seem to need a lot of space....! But as long as they are happy ? Maybe I should get yet ANOTHER bed for me/us ?

Itching, itching....

Bella has had some itchiness because I put a tick collar on her. She sometimes scratches her neck and then gets this icth-attack (as I call it) where she spins around, rolls over and/or walks by the wall scratching her back to the wall paper (which WAS white but has a brownish strip on it, at the heigth of Bella'c back...). She hates the collar but it helps ! So I cannot take it off ! Sorry ! :-(

Amos 11 years !!

Bella's great granddad Amos (Lejondalens Amos-Pärson) has his 11th birthday today, the 9th of August! Congratulations to Amos and his owner/breeder Annethe Andersson !!!

Superman !

Jonni in Sawo Show 5.8. 2006

Handled by Iida Villman

Thank You Iida for excellent handling !!

Puppy news from Sweden !!!

Umbra with her newborn puppies !
2 males still looking for loving homes !
If interested contact kennel Rätt & Slätt !
(Link found in my pages) !

During the night between the 31st of July and the 1st of August Bella's dam Umbra gave birth to 7 new Vallhund puppies ! The proud dad is Rätt O Slätt Ozzie (owned by kennel Viking) and this is his first litter. There were 5 males (1 bob, 4 with tail) and 2 females (both with a bob) in the litter. This was Umbra's 4th litter and her 2nd to the kennel Rätt & Slätt prefix. Bella has got now 7 new half-siblings !!!
Bella congratulates both parents and especially her Mum Umbra for the birth of these new babies !

Coming up...

. . . in the next few weeks : we are going to be rather busy ! Next weekend (on the 4th and 5th of August) and the Saturday after that (the 12th) we are attending dog shows. The first two are in Kuopio and the 3rd is in Sotkamo. On the 19th Jonni competes in agility since our dog club is having it's local championchips competition then. And on the 26th of August we are going to yet another dog show, this time in Ristiina. So not much rest for weekends, eh ? And MAYBE, just maybe we ARE going to take a trip to abroad later in the year . . . . but to where, that remains to be seen. ;-)

Nigths are getting darker...

Nights are getting darker ! That means the autumn is not too far off ! The days get shorter quite quickly. It seems that only yesterday the nigth was a bright as the day, but now you can see the first stars !! It is sad that our short summer is about to be over, but still, I quite like the winter too.

How many ?

Bella's dam Umbra is expecting a litter which is due in August. Last time she produced a litter of 8 (!) pups and it looks like she is having a big litter this time, too ! Or what do YOU think about by looking at this picture ? She is HUGE !!! The proud dad-to-be is Rätt O Slätt Ozzie from kennel Viking.

Pictures from Maaninka

Jonni and his prizes !!!

The hero himself after the competition.

We had 3 Valls with us. Erja had her Eevi and I had Jonni and Bella.
Erja took care of the dogs: gave them water and took them to walks while I had other duties, like getting to know the course and things like that. We had a loads of fun !!!

Somewhere over the rainbow...

This is what I whitnessed this evening. There were actually TWO rainbows, one above the other, but I couldn't capture it into the same picture. This picture doesn't do justice to the colours of the sky. They were breath taking !

Two placings in agility !

Today I was competing in agility in Maaninka. The weather was quite nice, sunny but not too hot. Jonni did two nice courses and we did not get any faults. We DID however get a little overtime. Only the winner in both MINI classes went under the ideal time. But the best thing was that I got two placings: we were 2nd in the first class and 3rd on the second.
I was happy that we did get any penalties on the course. I have not practised contacts since....since the last time I was competing in Maaninka ? A long time ago anyway ! And still Jonni went very well !!! We just lacked the speed but that is no wonder since it has been so hot in here lately that we haven't been able to excersice a lot in these past few weeks ! So all and all a very nice day !!! I got two trophys which I will have to fit somewhere. I am lacking the space where to put them !!! Jonni has gathered so many prizes that I will need a bigger room to get them all in !!!

More show news...

First news from Finland. In Salo 8.7. (judge Tapio Eerola) BOB and BOB-vet was Jonni's dam Fennican Yvonne Ystävä, "Vonne" !!! The next day (9.7.) in a show that was held in Karjaa (judge was Seamus Oates from Ireland) Fennican Yvonne Ystävä was BB-4. BOB in Karjaa was Fennican Ron Ronaldo ("Rolle") who got his last CAC and became a new FIN CH. Ron Ronaldo is Jonni's half-brother. They both have the same dam. Congratulations to both Vonne and Rolle for the great performances during the weekend !!!

During the same weekend (on the 8th of July) a national dog show was held in Tvååker, Sweden. 32 Valls were shown there. The judge was K. Nilsson from Sweden. BD-3 and BOB-VET was Lejondalens Amos-Pärson, who at the end of the day ended up as being a BIS-VET !!! So great news from there as well !!

Both Jonni's and Bella's relatives had a great show weekend !!!

May I present...

....Bella's half-sister (they have the same Dam) Rätt O Slätt Quirina. She lives in Switzerland ! Thanks Virginie for this lovely picture !!!

Show news from Switzerland and from Sweden

National dog show in Bulle (Switzerland) was held on the 2nd of July. The judge was M. Barenne from France. 8 Valls were entered.
In the Intermediate class females competed Bella's half-sister Rätt O Slätts QUIRINA (Lejondalens Dexter x Heds Umbra de Lux), owner : Mme Schenk de Stoutz. Her result was: 1ère exc. CAC Jeune & Meilleur jeune (1st exc. CAC young & BOB young). So Bella's relatives are doing great !

In Sweden there was a national dog show in Borås on the 1st of July. There were 28 Valls in the show and the judge was Louise Gäfvert-Asplund from Sweden. In Borås Bella's great grandfather Lejondalens Amos-Pärson (owner Lejondalens kennel) was BD-5 and BOB-veteran at the age of 11 years !!!
In the same show Bella's "cousin" (or more: the dam of Freja is Kaja, whose sire is Lejondalens Boris (Bella's dad) and dam Heds Cajsa De Lux (Bella's grandmother) ) Heds Freja De Lux ( owner Maud Hedberg ) was BOB-pup and finally BIS-2-pup !!! A fine achievement !!!

Hot hot hot !

It is HOT in here ! We have +25 degrees Celsius in the shade ! I am melting and the dogs are just plain LAZY (no wonder, since Jonni still has his winter coat on ! He has just recently started shedding ! And it is JULY now !! What has he been thinking ?)
Well, maybe I should be glad that it is not -25 ?

Anyway, we are forced to ease our training a lot so now we are just having a summer break from all the competitions and such. I am HOPING the weather will cool down a bit soon.
Have a nice summer and if you have a holliday now.... ENJOY it !!!! WE ARE !!!!

Agility picture

This picture is from Agility Championchips and is taken by Teemu Keränen. This shows Jonni's good jumping technique. He jumps like an excellent jumping horse. He hardly ever knocks a pole. He is made for agility !!!!

Agility video ?

IF I succeeded in loading the video in the Picture Gallery 2 there should be a video clip taken by Milla Saari at the Finnish Agility Championchips. It contains the jumping course where Jonni and I were disqualified. Hope you can view it ? Special thanks to Milla for a) taking the video and b) sending it to me !
Outi

New pictures...

There are some new pictures in the Picture Gallery 3. I have a new folder: "Juhannus ~Midsommaren 2006" where there are few pictures of my dogs relaxing. It has been warm in the past week and the dogs are just resting and trying to find the coollest place in the house.
Juhannus in a festivity that is celebrated in the Nordic coutries in the mid of the summer. The festivities in Finland contains going to a sauna, burning a big bonfire (if the weather permits), grilling food outside and just having fun with family and friends. The festivities are held at the Eve of the Midsummer Day (just like we celebrate Christmas at the Christmas Eve unlike the people in the UK, US and other Commonwealth coutries). Our summer is special because the sun doesn't set during the mid of the summer. It is light all nigth, so sleeping can be a bit difficult.
I hope you all a very happy weekend ! WE are here celebrating the Midsummer's Eve !!!

Some pics from Agility Championchips 2006

	Here are some pictures taken by Katja Ojansivu. This shows the way Jonni executes the weavepoles. He has a good way of negotiating this obstacle. Jonni USED to hate this obstacle, because it prevented him from running fast, but with the help of a ball (or any other toy) I got more speed into him ! Now he is quite good at this.