Chapter VI
July 4th, 2010
I told you that Phoebe went home with G-Ma Carolyn and G-Pa Tom which left just Inca, Holmes and me. We were all a little out of sorts because strangers invaded the house. They were fixing cabinets and painting. They had to smoke cigarettes outside, but the smell still came into the house. Boxes from the kitchen are out in the garage to this day. It doesn’t bother me because our dog bowls are in the kitchen.
On April 12th, Magic had her puppies. There were five boys and three girls One of the boys was red and white (like Inca) and all the other puppies were brindle (that’s code for poop-colored). I didn’t get to go see the puppies, but Eric sent photos all the time so I saw their pictures. Penni took an airplane to see the puppies and told me they all looked like me.
A month after Phoebe left, a new dog came in an airplane. Her name is Leidy and she is Inca’s daughter. She is my girlfriend. Penni says we’re going to have puppies in the fall. That means I’ll have to train some more babies (actually, I can hardly wait). A week after Leidy arrived, we all took baths and went to four days of dog shows. Wendy was there and she showed me and Holmes. Penni showed Leidy – which wasn’t a problem because Leidy isn’t as fast as I am so Penni can keep up with her.
Besides running around the ring, each day Penni and I ran across the street to another building. She changed my collar and lead and we did Obedience exercises. The first two days everything went pretty well. I think when I walked with her I was a little too far away, but I stayed sort of near her so we got green ribbons. The third day when she called me in the ring, I ran toward her and then I forgot what was supposed to happen, so I sat down. I looked at Penni – she was standing pretty far from me. I don’t know why she did that. The Judge came hurrying over and looked at the space between me and Penni. She just shook her head and said she was sorry because the only way Penni could touch me was if she jumped into the air and reached out for me. I guess that is not acceptable. So we didn’t get a green ribbon.
On the fourth day (I was getting pretty tired) the judge in the ring with Wendy gave me a “major select”. That made Wendy and Penni happy. Sherri and Powell were the only ones to beat us. Holmes had been getting blue ribbons every day and one red/white one. Leidy had received a red/white ribbon and other colored ribbons every day. The fourth day was the only time I got a ribbon except for the green ribbons in obedience. So then we went over to the obedience building, Penni changed my collar and leash, and we went into the ring. I was certainly not going to make the same mistake that I had made on Monday. When it was time for Penni to walk across the room and then call me, I just went with her. I know she said, “wait”, but that hadn’t worked out so well for us. Well, guess what? Going with her was not right either and we didn’t get a green ribbon.
At the end of that day, Wendy and Barry put me into their truck and took me to Cortez, Colorado. I was Best of Breed three days in a row and earned Grand Champion points two of those days. On the third day, when I went back in the ring, Judge Tacker gave me a quarter of a group. That made Wendy happy and she called Penni so Penni could be happy. Next we went to Wendy’s house for a few days and then drove to Wyoming. There were four shows up there and I was the only Cardigan. Lots of people wanted to meet me, I did the chocolate shake (with my brindle leg) and vanilla shakes (with my white leg), I was hugged and petted. Then all the people came to cheer for me in the group. I got pulled out in the group, but I didn’t get any parts of it.
We went back to Wendy’s house. The next weekend we drove to Longmont Colorado for two shows. The first day, I won another select. That Dickens dog that my Dad beat in the Stud Dog Class in Topeka showed up and was Best of Breed. The second day the judge said some wrong things about me. Wendy went home and found the Cardigan standard on the internet. After she read it, she and Barry measured me. They said I was perfect. I thought they knew that already.
In the middle of June, we went to Colorado Springs. Penni was there with Holmes and Leidy. There was a tornado and big hailstones; it poured rain. Both days I was Best of Breed, Leidy won and got a bunch of ribbons, Holmes won and got some ribbons. Penni and Wendy and Barry were happy. The prizes were cans of dog food. We won two cases of food! Now that’s what I call a prize.
Both days Penni changed my collar and lead and we went to do Obedience exercises. Penni asked me to pay attention and to not worry. I was so glad to see her that I did exactly what she told me to do. We got a green ribbon and a yellow ribbon the first day which meant I had earned a CD. On the second day we got a green ribbon and a red ribbon. The judge on the second day was the same man that gave me a major select in Albuquerque. That was pretty neat. I also saw a very tall man that judged me when I was a baby puppy the day the bulldog fell off the ramp when I was with Sherri. He said I had grown up to be very handsome – how about that? Penni’s son Marc came to watch me in obedience. He lives in Colorado Springs now. He was really happy for us.
I came home with Penni and Holmes and Leidy. Inca was at our house and told me she had stayed with Adrienne. I would have traded with her because I love Adrienne so much. There are peaches falling off the tree in our yard. They are very good to chew on. Holmes wants to play, but he keeps taking my toys, Inca tells me I used to do that to her, and that it’s most annoying. We need someone to intercede in our little dog family.
Penni and I are back in class doing exercises around pieces of paper sitting on the floor. She said we are going to get RA in a couple of months, and the RE, but then, something happened. Penni received an email, and spent a lot of time on the phone. Someone named Cheryl and someone named Susan have invited me to come to Tennessee and herd sheep and ducks. They have some girls for me to meet also. I’m going to be gone a long time on this trip, but Penni and I will use Skype to talk. In April Susan will take me to Houston and Penni will be there. That will make me so happy.
We have enough time before I leave to make Leidy pregnant and to go to some shows to earn the RA and RE. I’m not afraid, I know I’ll have fun, but I’ll miss Penni and Inca and Holmes. I wish I could use the computer. Not having thumbs is very complicating. Susan and Cheryl will send Penni videos and I’m sure she’ll put them on the computer for all my friends to watch. When I come home again, I’m going to stay forever.
