25 April 2018

Finlay is now getting on for 11 months old, or nearly 46 weeks! That first birthday is racing towards us at a pace.

Finlay is still the happiest dog in our local area, it seems impossible for any dog we meet not to be friends with him, although not all appreciate his smiley waggy approaches. I've had a couple of owners, both Cocker Spaniels coincidentally, whose dogs meet Finlay and have a good play - but apparently these dogs rarely play with other dogs and normally choose to ignore them. But somehow Finlay brings out the best in the them, which is nice.

The Mutt House - http://www.mutthouse.co.uk/
We love being with Fin of course, but we also want to be able to go on holiday without him one day. So we have started out on his Mutt House journey. We have heard lots of good stories about this place which is local to us. They board dogs in their own house and they have quite a rigorous recruitment procedure, which we started yesterday. We went to meet the owner a couple of weeks ago and he felt Finlay would fit in nicely, he has a lot of regular dogs that stay with him.

In particular he wanted Finlay to meet Bella, who is a very regular visitor. Bella is a German Shepherd and very good with other dogs - we know that Finlay is pretty full on at the moment so we needed a fairly tolerant dog that wasn't going to get fed up with Finlays advances. The owner keeps a detailed record of which dogs have stayed with which other dogs and which were fine and which needed caution. So we need to go back a few more times to get Finlay to meet various of the other dogs to see how it goes. 

How did it go? Apparently very well, Finlay wore himself out charging around with Bella and they were fine with one another. My wife was a bit upset when she went to pick Finlay up because he didn't come bounding out to meet her - he stayed inside with his new best mate, Bella. That is Finlay all over though, he seems very comfortable with other people, not too attached to us. We were at my dads care home a few weeks ago and one of the care staff took Fin off to visit a few of the residents without us....of he went with her, did the visit and came back when he was ready. Little devil.

Fluff - his puppy fluff is moulting, big time! He is at that stage where his adult coat is now growing through and the puppy fluff is coming out in clumps - we were expecting this at some point and that point is now. He has got a fine coat though for such a young dog, very striking.

Puppy - he is still very puppy at times, you never want to lose that puppy really do you? But equally you know he will grow up one day but let's hope that isn't too soon. He can still be so naughty and cheeky and charming. He has surges of energy that appear, normally at inappropriate times, and he just needs some input. Normally chasing a toy, chewing a toy or doing a puppy zoomy around the house or garden.

Here is Finlay in an unusually relaxed state, he is getting an expert at realising that a camera is being pointed at him, but I managed to sneak this one in.

ZZZzzzzzzz

The video below demonstrates Finlay's ability to make you laugh. Normally he ignores mops, vacuum's etc. but on this occasion he decided that the mop was public enemy number 1. It looks like we're teasing him, but he instigated this and had great fun ending in a zoomy which I didn't film.

When your Tibbie wants some attention, this is his "you can't ignore me" face

Ahem, excuse me, puppy here!

8 April 2018

I've heard a saying several times regarding dog showing:

"whether you win or lose, you always take the best dog home"

This might sound a bit cliched but I think today it was absolutely spot on. It was the Tibetan Spaniel Association open show at Ryton on Dunsmore near Coventry. A lovely venue and a great show, really enjoyable and met lots of enthusiastic Tibbie owners who love the breed. How could you not have a great day out surrounded by 130+ Tibbies!!

Finlay was entered in 2 classes, 'Special Junior Dog or Bitch' and puppy, both under different judges. We wanted to enter him into the Special Junior class because it ran first and before our puppy class. Finlay always turns up at a show so excited, so very very excited. So this would give him a chance to burn off that energy and stand half a chance a being good for the puppy class. 

I think he did very well in the first class under judge Patrick Dewaele. There was an entry of 12 and he made it through the first cut to the final 6. The judge was keen to inspect dogs' side teeth, and previously Finlay has been tricky with showing teeth in his younger months, but he was very good in this regard. He did however seem keen to hug and kiss the judge, which whilst endearing is not really the done thing. His walking can also be a frustrating mix of slow swagger and near running....but again, he probably (over the 2 classes he was entered in) performed the best he has so far. So in the first class, having made it through to the final cut of 6, there were only 5 placings. And unfortunately Finlay came 6th.

Then it was time for the puppy class, as I said it was a different judge, Guy Hazlehurst. Finlay performed really well, although again there was too much judge adoration, and as I said before probably went as well as he has in any show so far. However, for whatever reason in a class of 6 dogs he came 6th - with only 5 placings....meaning that over 2 classes this is our first time at a show where we didn't come home with a rosette. Never mind, I take you back to the initial opening statement - we get to take Finlay home, clearly the best dog! Which brings me onto another comment.

Regardless of his performance in the show ring, it is performance out of the ring that constantly means he charms everyone he meets. Every person or dog he meets gets a wag and a smile, without exception. From the time he arrived until the time he left he unfailingly filled my heart with pride as people found it impossible to walk by and be immune to his charm, I think he has a few new friends after today. He had a lovely play with Mr Darcy and would have done so also with Willow given the chance.

I've said this before, but as long as Finlay is happy to go to these kind of shows, then we will stick with it as well - Finlay couldn't imagine a nicer day out than meeting a hundred-plus of his own kind plus their adoring owners. Finlay also got to meet his breeder Aileen again and reserved a special hug and big kisses for her, even though she apparently doesn't do kisses. Finlay didn't get that memo!!

As an aside, this was also Finlay's 2nd night away in a hotel. We travelled up the day before and stayed in a Travelodge near the venue. Finlay did have a bit of a woof during the night but only because our neighbours were being a bit noisy. Although it took him a little while to settle he proved to be a "go anywhere dog" which is exactly what we need.

Definitely a fun weekend, a massive Tibbie fix and Finlay's time to hug some people. Just no rosettes this time......

As usual here are some photos and videos....

Here is Finlay doing the Special Junior class, this is one of his better runs from any show so far. Gets better every time. It was unfortunate the judge squeaked a toy at Finlay part way through, the idea of course was to get Finlay's attention....but for Fin, this meant play-time. 

Despite his improvements, this is his brother Taggart showing him how it should be done. Of course he is being expertly handled!

Standing on the table is very good when he is on his own with my wife, but as soon as the judge turns up it is kiss and cuddle time. To be honest it is so cute I don't really want him to stop doing it even though it possibly doesn't do him any favours. Perhaps one day a judge will award him a first for just being the waggiest best kisser at the show?

I'm standing mum!

Goofy looks, I can do those!

Finlay couldn't resist a play with a new mate, Pauline Bevis' Mr Darcy....who kept Finlay in check ever so gently with his left paw.

Me and my new mate

25 March 2018

Finlay is now 9.5 months old.

Where are we with Finlay now? I think he is at the unruly teenager stage, he is still very much a puppy but at the same time he does show signs of growing up. So one day he will almost convince you that the rampaging puppy stage is passed, but then he's off again being a little devil.....both frustrating and gorgeous in equal measure!

Scuffing, he's now doing it. You know that thing that dogs do after they've been to the toilet, they scuff their back legs to scatter the scent? Well Finlay has learned that trick, he does it with such verve and vigour at the moment that he almost jumps up and down as he does it. It is a new thing and he is making the most of it. A definite growing up sign.

Loving people and dogs. He is showing no sign of being any less friendly, he LOVES everyone he meets and every dog he meets. It doesn't matter to him if the dog tells him off a bit for being a bit full on and in a dogs face, he just takes it in his stride and carries on. He has never had a harsh word to say to another dog, just smiles and wags. Long may that continue. Everyone he meets get that "look" where he smiles and wags and he is quite put out when he meets a non-dog loving person who just walks by without saying hello. Aloof he certainly is not. He goes to my dad's care home most weeks to visit, my dad loves to see him and he loves it there. He gets to broaden the Finlay fan club membership and get spoilt.

Sensitive to noise. He still reacts to odd sounds, particularly on the TV. We recorded all the recent Crufts progs on the telly, but haven't been able to watch most of them because Finlay either hears the woofs or just sees dogs on the screen and tries to jump through the television screen, which isn't really desired behaviour! I put some music on fairly loud the other day and that wasn't well received either, perhaps this will improve with time.

Noisy....he does still enjoy the sound of his own woof. He will go out into the garden and sometimes he will woof in reply to another dog woofing or sometimes it seems like he will go out into the garden and woof just to see if he gets a response. This is rather annoying when it is 11pm and you really don't want your dog waking the neighbourhood. He can be very difficult to shut up too. He is a verbal boy.....

Outdoors....perhaps because of his genetic makeup, being both Tibetan and bred in Scotland, he loves being outdoors. The first thing he will do when coming in from a walk is go to the back door and ask to go out. He very much enjoys being outdoors. The last few days where the weather has been better, we have been out tidying the garden a bit and Finlay is there too enjoying mooching around his patch. I say mooching, this also involves being very annoying and destroying virtually every cane we own, tugging off chunks of bush such as our Hebe, ripping up mouthfuls of grass. Our previous Tibbies used to only eat grass when they were a bit unwell, grass eating often was soon followed by being sick. However Finlay seems to enjoy eating grass....and I hope I'm not speaking too soon by saying he has almost NEVER been sick, ever.

Food....we are still feeding him raw. It seems to agree with him, he is picky though and will still have days when he doesn't want to eat much. But experience says that dogs, as long as they are healthy, won't starve themselves, so if they don't eat that much for a couple of days then they will catch up at some point. The previous couple of weeks, food has been inhaled. We are still a bit fastidious about cleaning up after feeding raw chicken/turkey/beef, but the nice thing is what comes out the other end.....I.e. not very much volume compared to feeding kibble and it is pretty innocuous stuff, not smelly at all!!

Fur....he is starting to get his adult coat and losing some of his puppy fluff. He has a way to go yet, but he really does have an amazing coat on him, it makes him look twice as big as he really is. Brushing him yesterday, Deb was getting a lot of fluff out, so it looks like the transition is starting.

Lap dog. We've had two previous Tibbies and neither was what you would call a lap dog. they had their moments when if they felt like it they would sit on your lap, but you couldn't 'expect' it. Finlay is similar except up until recently he really hadn't come up much for a cuddle. He has done a few times lately, and seems to quite enjoy it, but he is equally at home hiding behind the sofa or laying on his own in his own space. I find this quite endearing, whilst it is lovely to get some time cuddling your Tibbie, I like that they are their own dog and like their own space. In fact if he is settled somewhere and I go and join him on the floor, he is just as likely to huff and walk off :-)  (but if you own a Tibbie, you already know the "huff").

Here's a recent picture of Finlay, he had been running around Titchfield Abbey like a mad dog enjoying himself, hence the blades of grass on his chin and chest. Look into those eyes, I guarantee they will melt your heart!

I've been charging around a grassy field, I'm a bit puffed

I saw a debate on the Tibetan Spaniel Association Facebook page recently, this is apparently a "Sploot", where the back legs are splayed out behind the Tibbie. Finlay does it a lot. This was after returning from a long walk, but refusing to come back into the house, this also happens often!

A "Sploot"

Our previous Tibbies used to get mad at the side gate, they could hear something but not see it. So we made them a window and they were happy. Finlay also loves his window, he watches the world go by quite happily. There are thick metal bars over the window to deter naughty Tibbie teeth!

Checking the view from my window

19 March 2018

Finlay is now 9 months old.

We were very privileged recently to go to Crufts at the NEC Birmingham. Privileged because we were invited by Finlay's breeder, Aileen McDonald, to come and help out on the Tibetan Spaniel Discover Dogs stand. 

We had an early start on Saturday 11 March 2018 to travel up to Birmingham. Luckily Finlay is fine travelling in the car and slept all the way there and all the way back - except for a break to 'stretch his legs'. As I have detailed on this blog before, Finlay is not really a shy dog and takes everything in his stride, that said we were a bit nervous as to how Finlay would take Crufts. It is always busy there but particularly at the weekend. But guess what, Finlay loved every minute of it. We arrived at Crufts just before 10am and left at nearly 6pm and I don't think his tail stopped wagging the whole time.

We were constantly stopped by people wondering what breed of dog he was, making a fuss of him and that was before we even got to the Discover Dogs stand. Finlay wagged, smiled and kissed everyone who he met. Perhaps not quite meeting the "aloof" part of his breed standard just yet. But very much meeting the excitable loving puppy part.....

We met Taggart and Paris who are Finlay's litter brother and sister, we met Spencer his dad and we met Parker who is his Uncle. It has to be said, the two that struck up an immediate friendship were Finlay and Parker, they got on like a house on fire and they look SO similar even we got confused which was which. We also met the "Grannies from the West", and predictably Finlay loved them too, one of them got many-many kisses and he even went for a quick walk with Granny too. Finlay also of course met Aileen, and he did seem to go extra 'gaga', so I think he remembered her with extra kisses and wags....

He met so many people on the stand, they stroked him and fussed him and he just stood there and wagged and smiled. A couple of girls in particular went home begging their mums, not for a Tibetan Spaniel, but for a "Finlay". The following day he really should have been totally worn out, but he wasn't, he was still raring to go.

It was a really special day and a day to remember. None of it would make sense if we were dragging a dog along to something he didn't like doing -- but he absolutely loves it. Maybe during the next few months we will be able to qualify Finlay and next year he will attend Crufts again, but this time to take part. We will see.

I didn't take many pictures on the day as we were too busy herding Finlay around the halls of the NEC. But I really love this picture of Finlay kissing his Uncle......Parker is a gorgeous boy too!

Finlay on the left, Uncle Parker on the right

The two boys again, how similar are they!

Finlay on the right, Parker on the left

This was about as close to his brother as Finlay got, bottom to bottom!

Taggart on the left, Finlay in the middle, Parker on the right

1 March 2018

Oh the news, all we've been seeing for the last week is weather updates and the "Beast from the East", you get a bit fed up with it. Having said that......

If you have a puppy who has never seen the snow, you have to at least record it for posterity, don't you? Well I did, so there. In the South of England we don't get that much snow and even when we do, it is very very rarely proper snow and never as much as many other parts of the UK. In fact by comparison to the current picture our level of snow is paltry and nothing to get that excited about, maybe I'll say different tomorrow, we'll see.

With access to mobile phones with such good cameras for stills and video, plus a compact digital camera which can do the same makes you realise how lucky you are. When we got Louie our first Tibbie and Nemo our second, we didn't have a digital camera. So their early years weren't so extensively filmed as our current boy. I've gone well over the top with taking pictures of this Tibbie, but it is a shame I couldn't have captured our previous boys in as much detail, sigh......

So how did Finlay react to the snow. Those of you reading this that have Tibetan Spaniels already know the answer don't you!! He went out first thing this morning and we had only the very lightest of dustings of snow, so he snuffled around and had a puppy zoomie. To be honest it doesn't take much to set him off on a zoomie anyway, so this wasn't that unexpected. Then finally during the afternoon we started to have some snow that actually looked pretty impressive and started to cover the lawn, so Finlay went out in the garden again.

The video below represents several videos stitched together, if you have been following Finlay's story, you won't be surprised to know that the joker strikes again. He absolutely loves the cold anyway, even in the snow-free mornings we've had the last week where the temperatures have been zero or lower, he just wanders around the garden and lays down for a bit watching the world go by. Seemingly oblivious to the cold. He went out in the deeper laying snow this afternoon and started to snuffle around, almost shovelling his nose through the snow. He then went on to have a wail of a time charging around the garden. He is so funny, you cannot help but be entertained by him, he just loves life so much.

The video is a bit long, but as I said, you have to capture the first snow interaction! Watching this video back made me realise just how much of his adult coat is starting to appear, he is looking mighty impressive. Hopefully the judge will think so too on Sunday when we go to the SW Tibetan Spaniel show, assuming the weather lets us.

Finlay relaxing in the snow

Might as well chew this stick whilst I'm here

18 February 2018

Finlay is now about 8.5 months old and growing up fast.

In particular Finlay is growing in the Testosterone department! Finlay has always been a full on puppy, both gorgeous and a right handful at the same time. Several people have said that Balgay puppies are not for the faint-hearted and they were not wrong. For the last couple of weeks he has been almost beside himself with energy, panting and pacing around the house and scraping at the front door trying to get out....even when he has only just come back from a walk.

In fact when you take him for a walk, no matter how long it is, he doesn't want to come into the house, he just wants to go around again. I think he would happily be tethered in the front garden so he could watch the world go by (that isn't going to happen!!). I walked him for well over an hour the other day, it did actually tire him out for 60 minutes or so. He slept by the front door but was up and ready all too soon.

He whines at the front door, tries to jump out of the front window - at least I believe this is what he is trying to do - and, well it has been quite a headache. We came to realise that his behaviour was hormone driven and his desire to a) not come back to the house from his walk and b) constantly want to leave the house was because he had smelt something he felt worthwhile leaving home for. A local lovely lady.....I think we have found the culprit.

Finlay is the sweetest natured loveliest puppy you could ever hope to meet, he wags and smiles at all people and dogs he sees, and is a complete charmer. However, he met Ruby recently and that was a different story....it drove him a bit mad. He jiggled, pulled, wagged and made some kind of squealing noise we've never heard before. She is the same age as Finlay and lives a few roads away, she is a Jack Russel cross and has recently had her first season. We think this could the cause of Finlays madness.

We have used a calming tablet called Zylkene before on our previous Tibbies and it worked quite well....so we have tried it on Finlay. It does help, particularly in the evening, although during the day it isn't much good. He was pacing and whining in the evening, but now he is much more settled. So I guess for now we have to weather the storm of hormones until he gives up on the idea of creating Finlay babies with Ruby and hopefully Ruby's gorgeous aroma will die off a bit soon! He does at least sleep very well at night, and has done ever since we've had him.

Other than this rather time consuming series of events, Finlay is doing rather well.

Here is Finlay trying to jump out of the front window. Boy can this dog jump, he has a serious set of springs on him. If he gets a bit more power and better technique, he'll be on the window sill! (which we'd rather avoid!!)

Boing, boing, boing....

Here he is on a recent "mission to tire out Finlay" walk....it worked for a while....

11 February 2018

Finlay is now 8 months old!

Another day, another dog show. This time the Portsmouth & Southsea Kennel Association show at Havant.

Starting with the worst bit (and for an 8 month old pup, none of this is 'bad'), Finlay was unplaced in the AV Minor Puppy Stakes, a huge class of 24 entries. Never mind, there is better to come!

First class up was Tibetan Spaniel Junior, an entry of 5 dogs/bitches. He was still a bit lively and distracted at this point and didn't quite show his best....but at the same time did some of his best work. Nevertheless, he came a very creditable 3rd in this class. As the only Tibetan Spaniel puppy entered, he also won best Tibetan Spaniel puppy!

Then came his chance at his first red rosette. He was in a class of 4 puppies in AV Utility puppy. This time he did pretty much a perfect showing, and he did it. His very first First!! We were so chuffed for him.

Then it was time for the Utility Puppy group, 7 puppies. This time a 3rd for Finlay.

So the haul for the day, 1st, Best Tibbie Puppy, 3rd and Puppy Group 3. As I said, not bad for an 8 month old. We had some good mentoring from Pauline again today, both in handling Finlay and understanding dog showing - her help is very much appreciated.

In other news, he is still enjoying his raw food diet, generally the food just disappears without delay, which is nice to see. I also think that because we've been quite focused on getting him ready for a bit of dog showing, we have taken charge more and the slight grumpiness I've reported before from Finlay has completely gone away. So all he needed was a firm hand it seems, cheeky boy.

Here is the rosette haul from today, very chuffed.

This was a picture from the other day, Finlay looking his haughty best. Just as a Tibbie should!