I had a GREAT time at the show! The girls did fabulous. It was great practice for Mia especially being around tons and tons of dogs and people. She did great overall. A couple dogs made her skittish but she did fantastic.
They got lots of compliments and Summer had a blast doing the meet the breed. I was even complimented by some of the show pap folk that I should have shown Summer. They said she was a 'cute little dog'. I even got grooming tips on how to straighten out her cowlicks. :rofl1: The show pap people were really nice and encouraging and liked that there were pet/sport people there to also talk the pet/sport aspect of the breed. I had so many people tell me how wonderful my two were or come tell me about their own papillon. Summer got her picture made with I bet 20 people, lol. I was asked over 50 times if they were chihuahuas and over 20 times if they were Cavaliers. :rofl1:
The nicest thing was since it was a MASSIVE show, there were several breeds I got to spend quite a bit of time with that I have ben interested in meeting. I even got to spend some time with a Lundehund. I met tollers, finally. They were doing a meet the breed. I got to meet quite a few and watch a few others in performance events too. They seem like really great little dogs and driven but I just for some reason can't see myself with one. Same with every other breed I'd been interested in and got to meet- Aussies, Icelandics, Pyr Sheps, Cirneco.... I enjoyed them but decided I probably don't want one.
I kept coming back to the same three breeds... Papillons, shelties, and Border Collies. Papillons are self explanatory. I just can't help but smile from ear to ear when I see one. They're all just such charming and engaging personalities. No other breed makes me happier. I was surprised at myself though with shelties, though. Right when I walked in, I walked by the sheltie rescue... and I literally got tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I watched some amazing shelties in agility and flyball and appreciated more than ever how much drive and speed a good sheltie can have. I'll have one again one day. I was also surprised that so many shelties were the same size as Summer! There were some teeny tiny shelties there.
And then border collies... The border collie meet the breed was disappointing because unlike the pap meet the breed, the BCs were all show dogs. None of the pet/rescue/performance people were there. But watching them in agility and flyball just reaffirmed that they're exactly what I want in my next dog. They just literally take my breath away. Not because of looks either... some BCs are rather plain looking in a way. But once they start moving they all get me like no others. My dad wanted me to check in while I was there and I told him 'btw, my next dog is going to be a border collie'. It's the first time he didn't tell me I was crazy for wanting one.
I also am almost frightened to say it but I'm also really intrigued by... malinois.... There were several doing performance and I have to say they really are amazing dogs. I caught myself thinking at one point 'well maybe after I get a BC or two under my belt' and then thought I must be insane for even thinking that! But malinois have such a fire in them. I love it.
No other breeds really spoke to me like those did. I'm taking it as a sign, what do you think? I've really tried to think about this rationally and explore all options, but I keep coming back to the same breed. Aussies and tollers sound GREAT and I do really like them, they just don't have same kind of draw for me.
Also, I really really want to try flyball now. Yeah there were some super cmpetitive all border collie/borderjack/sports mixes, but there were also some just for fun teams running too. There were teams of all tiny dogs. There was one team running a blind golden retriever. He was very slow but had a blast and so did his people. I think if you got involved with the right group it could be very enjoyable. And the dogs in flyball are amazing athletes.
They got lots of compliments and Summer had a blast doing the meet the breed. I was even complimented by some of the show pap folk that I should have shown Summer. They said she was a 'cute little dog'. I even got grooming tips on how to straighten out her cowlicks. :rofl1: The show pap people were really nice and encouraging and liked that there were pet/sport people there to also talk the pet/sport aspect of the breed. I had so many people tell me how wonderful my two were or come tell me about their own papillon. Summer got her picture made with I bet 20 people, lol. I was asked over 50 times if they were chihuahuas and over 20 times if they were Cavaliers. :rofl1:
The nicest thing was since it was a MASSIVE show, there were several breeds I got to spend quite a bit of time with that I have ben interested in meeting. I even got to spend some time with a Lundehund. I met tollers, finally. They were doing a meet the breed. I got to meet quite a few and watch a few others in performance events too. They seem like really great little dogs and driven but I just for some reason can't see myself with one. Same with every other breed I'd been interested in and got to meet- Aussies, Icelandics, Pyr Sheps, Cirneco.... I enjoyed them but decided I probably don't want one.
I kept coming back to the same three breeds... Papillons, shelties, and Border Collies. Papillons are self explanatory. I just can't help but smile from ear to ear when I see one. They're all just such charming and engaging personalities. No other breed makes me happier. I was surprised at myself though with shelties, though. Right when I walked in, I walked by the sheltie rescue... and I literally got tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I watched some amazing shelties in agility and flyball and appreciated more than ever how much drive and speed a good sheltie can have. I'll have one again one day. I was also surprised that so many shelties were the same size as Summer! There were some teeny tiny shelties there.
And then border collies... The border collie meet the breed was disappointing because unlike the pap meet the breed, the BCs were all show dogs. None of the pet/rescue/performance people were there. But watching them in agility and flyball just reaffirmed that they're exactly what I want in my next dog. They just literally take my breath away. Not because of looks either... some BCs are rather plain looking in a way. But once they start moving they all get me like no others. My dad wanted me to check in while I was there and I told him 'btw, my next dog is going to be a border collie'. It's the first time he didn't tell me I was crazy for wanting one.
I also am almost frightened to say it but I'm also really intrigued by... malinois.... There were several doing performance and I have to say they really are amazing dogs. I caught myself thinking at one point 'well maybe after I get a BC or two under my belt' and then thought I must be insane for even thinking that! But malinois have such a fire in them. I love it.
No other breeds really spoke to me like those did. I'm taking it as a sign, what do you think? I've really tried to think about this rationally and explore all options, but I keep coming back to the same breed. Aussies and tollers sound GREAT and I do really like them, they just don't have same kind of draw for me.
Also, I really really want to try flyball now. Yeah there were some super cmpetitive all border collie/borderjack/sports mixes, but there were also some just for fun teams running too. There were teams of all tiny dogs. There was one team running a blind golden retriever. He was very slow but had a blast and so did his people. I think if you got involved with the right group it could be very enjoyable. And the dogs in flyball are amazing athletes.