Orso encounters many difficult choices throughout the day and tonight is no different. Our hotel room in Tallahassee at the Cabot Lodge has a very comfy sofa that fits Orso just right. His difficult choice today was: sofa or crate? Rough life!
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OCHLOCKONEE RIVER KENNEL CLUB OF FLORIDA, INC., JUDGE MR. JAMES E. FREDERIKSEN – 02.26.20112/26/2011 It was a short day for us at the show today! Our ring time was at 9am, so we got there around 8am and were done by 10am, plenty of time to spend the day relaxing and celebrating Orso’s new AKC point!
Again this weekend, Orso was alone in the 6-9 months class, so he took first in that class. He then won the winner’s class, earning him another point toward his AKC Championship! 3 down, 12 to go! YAY, Orso! Way to go! Below is a great action shot of Orso and Jessie Herzon, Orso’s handler, gaiting down the diagonal of the ring. Check out Jessie’s expression – she is having way too much fun! Thanks, Jessie! This coming weekend, Orso and us will be traveling for a two day show to Tallahassee. He will be showing in the 6-9 month puppy class at each of the two shows with handler Jessie Herzon, which will be held both days at the North Florida Fairgrounds, 441 Paul Russell Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Below are links to information about both shows:
February 26, 2011 – Ochlockonee River Kennel Club Of Florida, Inc. February 27, 2011 – Ochlockonee River Kennel Club Of Florida, Inc. This was our final show day and I had a good feeling about today! We arrived to the showgrounds and set up as usual. I did something a little different though. The last 3 days, Orso was allowed to hang out in his crate for quiet time before showing, but today I decided to pull him out and let him play a little tug, since he always gets fired up when he plays tug. Wow, I am not sure if that’s what did it, but Orso was definitely alert after our little game! I took him back to his area to clean him up and it was time to go in the ring. Orso, as in the last 3 days, was alone in the 6-9 months class, so he took first in that class. Argento didn’t show today, so Orso took winner’s class aswell. He then went back in the ring to show for Best of Breed. He was in the ring with Saggio (his dad – now an AKC Champion), a couple of other champions and a grand champion – WOW, talk about excitement for us to see him among these great dogs! We knew he wouldn’t take Best of Breed, nonetheless we were so proud to see him in there! I think Orso was proud too because he was having his best “showing” so far! In the end, Orso took Best of Winners and earned his first 2 points toward his AKC championship! Way to go, Orso! Below are some shots from today and a link to the Cane Corso results from today’s show. Today’s show results: http://www.infodog.com/RESULTS/2011124802/201112480233500.HTM Also, below is the video footage of the Best of Breed class. Enjoy! After we finished up at the show, we headed back to the hotel to pack up our stuff and check-out. We stopped at a very cool salad place in downtown called Crispers before starting our drive home – Orso was laying attentively next to us throughout lunch hoping that pieces of baked flatbread would “mysteriously” drop to the ground. We wrapped up lunch and headed home with smiles on our faces for having had such a great experience at our first shows! Thank you to everyone who made our weekend so enjoyable and productive – ESPECIALLY ORSO THE CANE CORSO – we love you, baby bear!!
We are on day three of showing and this dog show business in crazy! People really get nutty over entries and judges and grooming and all things related to dog shows! We went through our morning drill and before we knew it, Orso was back in the ring. For the 3rd time, Orso was alone in his 6-9 month class, so he took first. Then he went back in against only Argento since Saggio finished his championship yesterday and was moved into the next level of competition. Orso took Reserve in the class and really made us proud with his behavior. In just a few days of showing, his concentration and focus has improved dramatically. You can tell he is much more comfortable in the ring and seems to understand what is expected of him, including trotting instead of galloping around the ring. Orso also likes to help us lug around his stuff as you can see from the photo of him carrying his own slobber rag. Thanks, Orso! Below are some shots from today and a link to the Cane Corso results from today’s show. Today’s show results: http://www.infodog.com/RESULTS/2011124801/201112480133500.HTM After the show, Orso, we drove to a shaded open field next to our hotel to let Orso play for a little while. We put a 30 foot lead on him and let him play tug with us. We also worked on his recall command. We would take turns hiding behind trees and either blowing the whistle or giving the “here” command while Orso would run at full throttle to us. It was very cute! Below are 2 video clips from our playing session and our recall training. After all this excitement, we went back to the hotel to freshen up a little bit and then headed back out to have lunch. We took Orso with us and decided to go to a Hooters near our hotel that has outdoor seating. Orso behaved like a little gentleman. He slept the entire time on his blanket and didn’t fuss at all. We went back to the hotel and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. For dinner, we headed into downtown with Orso. We ended up meeting Jessie, our handler, at a nice steakhouse, where Orso got to hang out with us while we feasted on a great dinner. By the end of the night, we were all exhausted and ready for a good night’s rest before our last day of showing.
Meanwhile, Nichelle snapped a great shot of Mouse, our Doberman, sleeping on the sofa at home, see below. Our second day of showing was a little easier because we knew what to expect. Today, we got smart and pulled up next to the building to unload our stuff THEN went to park. That little modification to our morning routine saved us some time and considerable stress. Just like yesterday, Orso was alone in his 6-9 month class, so he took first in that class. Again, he went back in against Saggio & Argento and came in 3rd. We were pleased that he had a pleasant run around the ring and was starting to get some experience.
A nice surprise for the day was that Orso’s dad, Mar e Sol’s Saggio finished his AKC Champion title today, so they both took a photo together! YAY, Saggio, way to go! I had the opportunity to sit down with Sandy Herzon, who is part of Orso’s handling team, for a little while and listen to some of his valuable advice about the world of dog showing. The best piece of advice he gave me was that EVERYONE will have an opinion, EVERYONE will think he or she is an expert and EVERYONE will have something to say (usually not positive or constructive) and that the best thing that someone like me who is new to the dog show world can do is to ignore pretty much all of it and not let anything get to me. Thanks for the wisdom, Sandy! Much appreciated! Before we headed back to the hotel, Orso also got to participate in a complimentary educational seminar that was put on by the Herzon family and then he met one of their 8 week old lab puppies that was getting ready to go to his new home. Orso was happy to share his plastic bottle with this little pup. What a delicious little creature! Meanwhile, back in Miami, Nichelle, our dogsitter extraordinaire, sent me a photo of Luna & Mouse hanging out in our home, see below. Also, below are some shots from today and a link to the Cane Corso results from today’s show. Today’s show results: http://www.infodog.com/RESULTS/2011109003/201110900333500.HTM We arrived at the showgrounds really early and not knowing what to expect. This is our first real dog show and our van was loaded with bowls and leashes, toys and blankets, crates and a suitcase full of doggie gear, smelly “bait” and an eager Cane Corso named Orso. We found some parking near the building that our handler, Jessie Herzon, told us to set up in, unloaded all of our stuff and made our way into the building. What an overwhelming sight! There were dogs everywhere! Crates everywhere! Stressed people, happy people, very unhappy people, people wearing all kinds of shiny clothes and people who had never seen a Cane Corso before! It was a whole new world for us, to say the least! We set up near our ring and ran into our breeder, who was also there for the show. We chatted with her a bit, said hello to her dogs, including Saggio (Orso’s dad) and Carisma (Orso’s littermate). Within minutes, our handler, Jessie, came over to meet with us and give us the run down on what to expect. 45 minutes later, Orso was in the ring for his first official dog show! He was in the 6-9 month class alone, so he took first place. He went back in against Saggio (his dad) & another older experienced Corso named Argento and came in 3rd. We weren’t disappointed about this result – actually, we expected it – because our goal on this trip is to get Orso in the ring and comfortable with dog show surroundings. Below are some shots from today and a link to the Cane Corso results from today’s show. Today’s show results: http://www.infodog.com/RESULTS/2011109004/201110900433500.HTM Orso with his handler, Jessie Herzon, below: Orso’s Dad, Saggio, below: Orso standing behind Argento, below: As a reward for being such a great new show dog, we bought Orso a brand new show collar and lead, let him take a nap with us for the first time ever (yes, in the same bed) and then took him for a long walk around the neighborhood next to the hotel.
This evening, Orso and us took off to Lakeland, Florida, for Orso’s first 4 AKC dog shows. We embarked on this road trip in style, having rented a Town & Country minivan for Orso’s comfort. This minivan was perfect! We were able to load all the luggage and doggie gear all the way in the back of the van, behind and on top of the 3rd row seating. We hid the 2nd row seating into the floor of the van and created a large flat area where we put Orso’s lounging bed and a bunch of toys. We rode in captain’s chairs, which were OK but not the greatest for our backs. The ride up was long but sufficiently comfortable. Orso slept the entire way, so we kept forgetting he was even there. We left Miami at 6:30pm and had to stop a few hours into the trip to get food, stretch out and feed Orso. By the time we got into Lakeland, it was almost midnight. We arrived at the one of the only dog friendly hotels – La Quinta Lakeland West – and were disappointed to find out that the only room with a king-size bed, fridge and microwave that was left over was a smoking room. We had asked for a nonsmoking room when we made the reservation, but for some reason that information was “misplaced” in the computer system. Our room was clean and fairly spacious, but it smelled like a nightclub. It had the nastiest odor of stale cigarette smoke! Yuk! Unfortunately, we had no other choice, so we unpacked and settled in. On the bright side, Orso loved the room because of the carpet and spent the entire time we were unpacking playing and running around. We finally settled in and went to bed just past 2am. The pillows and sheet wreaked of smoke, which made it hard to sleep, but our exhaustion set in and away we went into much-needed slumber… Below are a few shots from today’s road trip.
My good friend, Sheila Lieberman of Loving Obedience Dog Training, sent me this oh-so-cute photo of Amber, her AKC conformation champion Pharaoh Hound, today. Knowing my affinity for fitness, Sheila was very clever and titled the photo “Downward Facing Hound” as a play on the yoga position “Downward Facing Dog”! Way too cute! Thanks for the smile, Sheila!
Watching the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was definitely a family affair and as you will see in this 30-second video clip, Orso was not about to let any other dogs move into his house! Very cute! FULL VIDEO FOOTAGE OF CANE CORSO BREED CLASS AT 2011 WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW – 02.15.20112/15/2011 Click on the link below to be redirected to the complete 12-minute footage of today’s Cane Corso breed class at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
http://video.westminsterkennelclub.org/breed_judging/working/2011_7/cane-corso/v1293938 The first ever Cane Corso Best of Breed judging for the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show took place today. This is the first time the Cane Corso breed is represented in this prestigious event. The dog who won the Best of Breed class is Orso’s first cousin, GCH Leonitis “The Big Show” Sargent, a blue Cane Corso related to Orso through his mother’s side. Orso’s mother, Alondra, is a littermate to Leonitis’ father, Ades. In other words, Leonitis’ father is brother to Orso’s mother, Alondra.
Leonitis’ win is very exciting for us and comes as great news just days before Orso is to officially begin his AKC show career! Congratulations to Leonitis, his breeder Erik Wofford of Phantom Corsos & his owners Chad and Masheli Sargent. Below is a photo of Leonitis from today’s Best of Breed judging – notice the resemblance to Orso’s body structure. It will be interesting to watch the rest of the judging tonight to see how Leonitis does in the Best of Working Group judging. Stay tuned… Today we celebrated Johnnie, my oldest nephew’s, 13th birthday at my sister’s house. The whole family was present for a BBQ. When I say the whole family, I mean the WHOLE family! My sister, Yvette, was kind enough to allow Luna, Mouse and Orso to come over for the BBQ! Thanks, Yvette! Orso spent the whole afternoon and evening running around in my sister’s yard, drinking from her pool and begging people to play tug with him. I even caught him trying to steal a burger! It was a very quiet ride home at the end of the night with all their energy having been spent at Yvette’s house! For some photos from today, see below.
Orso received a couple of equally special invitations from two very special friends this past week. The first invitation was by Sheila Lieberman of Loving Obedience Dog Training to come over to her home and spend some quality time together. The second invitation was from Dee Hoult of Applause Your Paws Dog Training to act as a special guest at her Puppy Socialization & Manners group class. Orso proudly accepted both invitations, via me, his personal assistant and social coordinator. This meant, of course, that Orso would get to skip out on his Tuesday night group conformation training with The Herzon Family. With his first shows quickly approaching, I know he can use all the conformation training he can get but I felt this night’s plans would be a well-deserved experience for him. Our night started at Sheila’s house, where Orso hung out with us the entire time inside her home, specifically in the kitchen, which undoubtedly is Orso’s favorite room in Sheila’s house. We spent about 2 hours there talking about dog shows and life in general. In true Sheila fashion, she was extremely hospitable and made whole wheat biscuits (YUM!) and filet mignon for us to enjoy while chatting! Orso patiently hung out with us in the kitchen in a down-stay and even got to briefly meet 2 of Sheila gorgeous German Shepherds – Liddy & Bertha. Sheila sent us on our way with some home-made doggie treats too! Thanks, Sheila, for having us over! Our next stop was Dee’s 8pm class. It felt like just yesterday that we were making the Tuesday night drive to Dee’s group puppy class held in Dr. Pane’s reception area at South Kendall Animal Clinic. This time, though, Orso wasn’t a student, he was instead a special guest. Orso is a special puppy because he is only 7 months old but weighs over 100 pounds. He is a big boy who still behaves like the puppy that he still is, so it gives Dee’s students a chance to socialize with a puppy who is substantially bigger than any of them, but still kind, gentle (for the most part) and playful. After telling her class about Orso and warning them that he is a giant, Dee walked him into the clinic’s lobby on his leash just in case. Dee read my last blog entry and figured she’d play it safe and keep the leash on for a little while, LOL! Below is a video clip that’s a couple of minutes long of Orso coming in to the clinic and meeting all the puppies in the class. After a little while, Dee felt comfortable taking Orso off his leash and letting him roam about freely. He had such a great time as I stood in a corner watching Orso play with these tiny puppies for almost an hour! Below is a second video clip that shows Orso playing off-leash with all the puppies. It was a great experience for everyone and we are truly gracious that Dee included us in her class! Thanks, Dee! This blog has been a great tool to keep everyone in the loop as it relates to Orso and his adventures. I have rarely used it to rant, but today will be different. I just had the absolute worst dog-related hour of my life. Hands down. No doubt. It was horrible. It was scary. And I have profound need to write what happened to me. I cannot even say it, just write it.
Yesterday was a tough day for the dogs. They spent a big part of the day in their crates. Our house was a mess and they had just gotten baths on Friday, so I spent most of the day scrubbing every last inch of the exterior of our house. I promised them that I would take them out today to make up for them being locked up. Trying to make good with my promise to take the dogs on an adventure, I woke up this morning and pondered the plans for the day. I went to the gym and came home to think of something enjoyable to do with them. I decided to take the 3 of them to a dog park close to my house. Luna, Mouse and Orso piled into the Jeep, excited to go somewhere. I was prepared. I packed toys, treats, a video camera & my recall whistle. Driving to the park, which is only a few miles away from the house, I could tell that the dogs were in particularly energetic. I started to doubt whether this was a good idea. As I pulled down the street facing the park, I could tell that it was slammed. There were families everywhere, little kids, bounce houses, cars parked on the street from the overflow and dogs. A lot of dogs. I’m talking a ridiculous number of dogs. And they were everywhere. The minute my dogs noticed all these dogs everywhere, they went nuts. Insane. It was pure insanity inside the Jeep. The barking was incessant. All of them. All 3 of them at the same time. Anyone looking at the Jeep would have sworn it was a Disney ride the way it was rocking back and forth from the hysterical dogs inside. I pulled into a parking spot and seriously questioned myself. I looked around and was convinced that it would be best to pull out of the spot and go home. It’s called intuition and we are blessed with this sense for a reason. But I am stubborn. And relentless. And downright senseless sometimes. Today was a perfect example. I gathered my belongings, turned off the Jeep and got out. I walked to the back of the Jeep to start letting the dogs out. I will say that for the most part, my dogs are very obedient and seldom blatantly disregard what I tell them. I was careful to ensure that there were no dogs around when I opened the hatch since I know that my dogs are extremely dog aggressive when they are inside the Jeep. I saw no dogs. As I prepared to allow the first dog – Mouse – out of the Jeep, a woman approached me to tell me about a Doberman “just like yours!!!” that she had found running loose the day before. Knowing that my dogs grow impatient quickly, I tried to blow her off in a very nice way. No such luck. She kept on. Asking everything about Mouse that she could think of short of his date of birth. At that very moment, a man in the car next to mine gets out with the furriest, most innocent dog surely ever born. All hell broke loose. This man walked right up to the back of the Jeep’s hatch with his little dog and my dogs had a meltdown. I immediately shut the hatch of the Jeep but the window was still up. I pulled it down as far as I could, but the spare tire is in the way and doesn’t let it close fully. It was too late. Luna was the first one out. She jumped out of the Jeep through the window. I don’t know who went next, I think it was Orso. Then Mouse. Orso went straight for the little dog, now being raised into the air by the owner – picture Simba from the Lion King movie being held up into the air. Orso swore this little hairball was a toy. Luna and Mouse didn’t care about this dog though, they had a better distraction – a rooster. Here I was in the middle of the street and my 3 dogs were gone. There were cars everywhere. My first thought was a whistle recall and I thankfully had the whistle around my neck. Orso responded immediately but lost interest when he heard the little dog bark at him. He turned around and went right back for the dog. I whistled again. This time, when he came to me, I grabbed all 106.2 pounds of him and hurled him – literally hurled him – into the back of the Jeep and closed all the doors and windows. One down. My precious puppy was OK. My other 2 were gone. The last I had seen of them was them chasing a rooster around a block. A crowd had gathered but no one was really helping – except for the chatty girl from the beginning of the story. I start yelling their names and I see Mouse start running toward me. At the very same time, an Audi sports car was flying by and he ran right in front of the car. The driver stopped in time to not hit him, but it scared Mouse enough to take off in the other direction. Panicked, I get into the Jeep and peel out of the parking spot. I didn’t even look back, I just drove. I spot Mouse running in absolute fear toward the Jeep. I open the passenger door the second I spot him – I’m still moving, by the way – and he flies into the Jeep. 2 down. Where the hell is Luna???!!! I put the Jeep in park and leave it in the middle of the street. No joke. I was blocking traffic. I run out and start calling for her. Nothing. No Luna. Nowhere. Then I hear a rooster. It was a scared rooster. Right behind it goes Luna. Thank God! She hasn’t been hit by a car. I run back to the Jeep and open the passenger door and give her the stearnest “COME!” command I have ever issued in my life. She stopped dead in her tracks and just stared at me. I think she seriously considered not coming to me just by the anger that penetrated my voice. But she came. At least close enough so that could grab her by the scruff and shove her into the passenger seat. Meanwhile, I was yelling obscenities at all of them and swearing I was going to kill them when we got home. The ironic part is that my Jeep is covered with bumper stickers that are anti-animal cruelty and pro-treating animals with kindness. And here I was. Acting like a complete lunatic. Despite this, it was 3 down. Everyone was safe. I took a step back and looked around. There must have been close to a hundred people staring at me. I was horrified. I was shaking. I was relieved I had my dogs. I was also downright embarrassed. This had never happened to me. I was suddenly one of those dog owners that I had so many times sneered at for lesser situations. It was an accident. It could happen to anyone, even people like me who treat their dogs like their kids and strategically plan everything. I walked up to my Jeep, got in and left. I drove home shaking, my head hanging in shame. Almost in tears. I got home and let everyone out into the yard. My safe, enclosed yard. Then I sat down outside with my laptop, watched them play and wrote this. I thanked the powers that be that I am fortunate enough to be sitting here watching Luna chase a pigeon, Orso eat the landscaping and Mouse “guarding” the fenceline. I feel better now; thank you for letting me vent. |
YVONNE
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