The showing
We have done two dog shows this year, he has been placed in both, nothing outstanding so far, but he is still maturing. Visually he is coming along, his coat is starting to look more adult, he is getting a nice shawl and starting to get ear-feathering. His movement is very nice and most often gets picked up in critiques from judges. Deb still has her hands full with him when getting him to present calmly. Quite a few other exhibitors have told us we have the ideal problem, a show dog that is over-exuberant and loves to show, rather than a plodder who really doesn't want to be shown. For Deb that can mean reining in the little devil as he is set to sprint across the ring, or wag furiously and kiss the judge. We wouldn't have him any other way though, maybe he will suddenly mature one day, or maybe he won't!
The close friends
Every Wednesday he meets with a Border Terrier called Dream, he has known her since he was a puppy. My wife walks Dream for the Cinnamon Trust. Dream can be a bit reactive with other dogs, but has always been fine with Finlay only giving him a reasonable telling off if he gets a bit personal (and who wouldn't!). Dream spent the day with us recently, and the two of them got on like a house on fire, it was lovely to see them together.
Even more than Dream though, he has his number 1 bestest pal Jinpa the Tibetan Spaniel. When these two boys meet there are fireworks. It sounds daft to say the word "love", but I truly think these two dogs are in love, they adore one another. So much so that we cannot now say "Jinpa" to Finlay casually because he immediately knows the word and its context, and starts searching for him. Now Jinpa is simply known as "he who must not be named". These boys were meant to be together I think, and they enjoy every second they spend with one another.
Day to day
Finlay is a morning dog. He loves it when we are up early, so he can get out and patrol his patch. Having a lie in does not suit Finlay. He loves the cold, harsh frosty mornings, biting winds, all taken in his stride. He is starting to be a bit more of a loving dog, he will join us on the sofa from time to time, but is equally happy in the hallway on his own. But he is spending more time with us now.
He is a constant source of entertainment, always managing to raise a smile. When he wants attention, he brings you a toy and dumps it on your feet, then another toy.....until you get the message. He loves chasing balls unlike any of our previous Tibbies.
As for meeting people and other dogs, Finlay insists on it. He has this knack of fixating on someone when he wants to say hello. From some distance he stares, then freezes staring at them until they look at him. Then the tail wags, the goofy look appears on his face.....and then the other person is hooked and reeled in. The amount of people we end up saying hello to is staggering.....if they also have a dog this is a bonus. Finlay isn't always 100% friends with every dog he meets, he seems to think young dogs need to be brought in line for some reason. Although this is not the case with young Tibbies, who like every other living being, must be loved and wagged at, and kissed.
He loves his limited time spent upstairs and on our bed. We have a stair gate to restrict his movements upstairs, so when he gets the all clear, he bounds around exploring what has happened since his last visit. He would without a doubt spend the night with us, but he has always been more than happy downstairs in his own space. So we are all happy!
Some photos as usual
Here Finlay is at the Chichester Open dog show, doing a proper show dog stand
At the same show, here is is trying to seduce a Chihuahua.....I mean really, what chance did he stand, a Chihuahua!!
Unusually for Finlay, he posed for this photo, he loves our bed and I think he was sending us a message
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| This is MY bed now |
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