Now I WAS there to watch Bella and boy was I happy for that. Bella finally did her best and her tail remained out and erect! Not up, but boy was it an improvement and of course, a great way to end the show weekend. She earned a 1st in her class and Alexis was able to bring her back in for Winner’s Bitch. The chances of her winning were nil, but more time in the ring is always a great thing.

The final trip around the ring was for Spike. Actually, is went in more than once! He was lone in his puppy class, with his 1st place bringing him back in for Winner’s Dog. ALl of Hope’s hard work was clearly rewarded today because she was able to bring out the best in him. So much so that he got Reserve. And we aren’t talkin’ a “by default” Reserve  – It was earned! CONGRATS HOPE AND SPIKE!!!!!

While Alexis was in for Novice Senior, Hope took Beamer and Smoochie in for the Smooth Coat Puppy classes. Unfortunately, the other entries that were set to be in the Novice class didn’t make it to the ring (probably another ring conflict) so Alexis was alone. Her First Place was without competition and her time in the Best Junior Handler ring kept her away from the Breed ring during the entire Smooth Coat competition.

Unfortunately, Long Coats started around the same time Hope had to enter the ring for the Open Intermediate Class. The breed judge was amazingly kind and was willing to delay Spike’s class if she finished in Juniors before the LC dog classes were finished but it just didn’t happen. Honestly, this wasn’t such a bad thing because the super team did it again and this time Hope and Spike placed 3rd place in calls with 10 Juniors! TEN! And Spike is only 10 months old. So unbelievably proud!

I can tell you she made it to that ring and that they did AWESOME! The judge really had his eye on him for Reserve in Winner’s Dog. I was able to watch them from across the room while watching Alexis in the Best Junior Handler competition.

And we have more news from the Junior ring! Hope was in a very large Open Intermediate class and with this being only her second show with a puppy, Hope knocked it out of the park by placing with such seasoned competition. Most are showing experienced, Champion dogs and she placed 4th out of eight entries with a 10 month old puppy. That’s speaks VOLUMES about her skills.

SO, so proud of both girls! Now off to the St. Pete Chihuahua breed ring…..

We brought Beamer along for some additional ring and table experience and let’s just say, he was in more of a playful, puppy mood than anything else. Spike ROCKED it in the ring! Hope had done wonders with that boy! Bella stepped foot in her very first dog show ring at the end of class and was patiently coaxed the entire way. Interestingly enough, her confident kicked into gear and her tail went up as my daughter approached the exit to the ring. Doesn’t that figure? Either way, her first time was a positive time. Now we just get to wait and see what happens this weekend!

The buildings here at the Fair Grounds are metal and FULL of echoes and noises. Chihuahuas notoriously get spooked in these buildings at every show held here so having the chance to practice and train at the Fair Grounds is a true blessing. Both boys are still very young so to have them exposed now is a great thing. Having the girls learn to get them through the freak is also a great thing. All four did fantastic.

Now during this whole experience, Smoochie had her own adventure. I decided to bring her along for some obviously, much needed socialization. She got a lot of holding ring side but also showed some intense interest on what was going on IN the ring! Fixated on the boys and seemingly unaffected but the other dogs in the ring, we decided to give her a go for the last trip around the ring for the night. She seemed rather intent so, why not go for it right?

Tonight’s experience was so much better than the last. Oh yes, she was still on the spooked side but showing her fear and having a wonderful instructor that wouldn’t let her get away with it, while also being patient and gentle? PRICELESS!!!  It made of the difference in the world and we ended the night on a major positive. So much so that we decided to keep the ball rolling and sent her home with Hope for some additional exposure and socialization.

As planned, KC went home with Hope yesterday and she worked with both her and Spike last night. I am proud to announce that Spike made his debut at his first dog show and clearly we have found her Junior’s dog! Oh my word did he do awesome! The train-wreck yesterday made today’s ring experience all the better,. So much so that Hope got 3rd place! Now THAT says a lot now doesn’t it? Those two are the perfect team. And for being Spike’s first show and being so young, I see he is clearly a natural!

Beamer was even a different dog today. Yesterday I was proud of him for it being his first show – Today I am even prouder as he appeared much for confident! His tail never seemed to go down and he baited with much more excitement.  We need to work on a more confident self-sack though. All in do-time. Alexis was alone again and and of course, went back in the ring for Best Junior Handler but today brought an entirely new lesson for my daughter. Ring Time Conflicts!

The Junior’s ring time was 8:00 am. Chihuahuas as well as Mastiff’s were both at 8:45 am. The Juniors didn’t finish until 8:50 but thank goodness for a few breeds being ahead of the Chihuahuas or she would have missed her chance to compete. She was so torn because she wanted to root for Hope with the Mastiff she was showing but had to go in the ring with Beamer. Today included a hard lesson in priorities – and having to make choices now that she will be showing in breed, with multiple breeds at that!

There were many other awesome shots captured, giving me a lot of different choices when it comes to creating ads for the catalogs. Not only did we do formal shots but we also did some casual photos, capturing the girls playing with all of the dogs. It was a great day filled with tons of giggles and a lot of tail waggin’!

Hope and her family came along for the journey out to Lakeland to take advantage of the Health Clinic  (we got micro chips for $14!!!!) and to attend this month’s meeting. I am so excited to announce that Hope and her mom Ernestine are now official members of the Tampa Bay Chihuahua Club! Also, my daughter Alexis who has been attending meetings for years is now officially a member too. 

After all of the formality, the fun truly began. Alexis has become very drawn to the smooth coats while Hope prefers the longs. It all worked perfectly because that allowed the girls a chance to show several in their preferred variety.

The smooths went first, with Alexis and Smoochie being the very first to enter the ring for the match and I have to say, they both ROCKED it!  Sure, there were a few pauses and stops in the ring but for the most part, she walked with tail held high. That’s a LOT for a 4 month old puppy that has only had some lead training the cul-de-sac out front and never been to a show before. So proud!

Next she brought in Kara. Now she has not been lead trained and is on the shy side. This was a lot for her  – A change in environment not once but twice and now with a stranger wanting her to walk around the ring? Barbara (our judge for the match) was SO AWESOME! Patience and calm with each and every pup that showed and that’s just what she showed Kara. She had a wonderful first-ring experience!

We moved onto the dogs and that’s when Beamer got to make his debut. He was very quick to pick up the whole lead thing and be-bopped around the ring in his special happy-go-lucky Beamer way. Adorable! And another wonderful first-ring experience.

The switch to the long coat variety was quick and the girls were ready. Like a well oiled machine, they worked together as a team to get the armbands and dogs lineup and into Hope’s hands. She too had her hands full with amateur pups but she also handled it all like a champ.

Hope started with Spike. To know he has only been with Hope for a couple of weeks, I have to say, they have truly bonded. Alexis did an amazing job with lead training him and Hope has done awesome working him past where Alexis left off. Wow! He looked fabulous out there! For being a less than confident pup for the first 6 months of his life, to watch him walk that ring with his head held high made me very proud of both of them. The tail will be the last of the lessons but clearly that will not be hard for Hope to accomplish.

Bella made her debut next and I must admit, her first show appearance was not very elegant. She has always been less than confident on the lead and taking steps was far and few between. It was no different today and Hope was a real trooper. A huge thank you must go out to Barbara for her amazing patience.

Next was Raina’s turn and boy did she do awesome! I watched her somewhat walk on the lead with Vicky yesterday so to see her walk without a single pause today was a wonderful surprise. And with competition on the ring too! Sure, the confidence needs to grow but what an amazing start!

Hope rounded out her afternoon with KC in the adult class and my initial thoughts were truly confirmed. KC shows WONDERFULLY for Hope. Clearly she too has bonded with Hope well and they showed like a fabulous team out there today.

Her tail is still needing some confidence but she truly remains focused on Hope instead of what is going on outside of the ring (except a few peeks out at me) which I haven’t seen since she was a young pup. I can’t wait to see what these two do in the actual ring!

At the end of the match, Smoochie and Alexis were called back into the ring and guess what? Smoochie got Best Junior Puppy at the Match!!! SOOOOO COOL! And very exciting. I actually think the Smooch realized it was a big moment. I know we humans did! Add that to new club membership, first show experience training for six pups and of course, fantastic company with fabulous friends – What an awesome day!

My daughter Alexis has been somewhat of a lone Junior since she started a year ago. There are no other kids that attend our local Chihuahua club’s meetings and events regularly and the conformation classes that we began attending didn’t have many Juniors. Recently we have gotten more involved in Junior events and with that came a budding friendship between Alexis and Hope. They have been rooting each other on and become quite close after several shows and now conformation classes. So when she mentioned her love of Chihuahuas, thanks to Teddy’s influence, let’s just say, the ideas started flowing!

The girls are both so supportive of each other and both have the same goals and dreams of eventually having a future in the sport. Why not team up and build that future together? Both are homeschooled with moms that have are equally as passionate to help their daughters reach their dreams – It’s Perfect! That’s when the plan for today was devised.

When Alexis heard Hope’s interest in Chihuahuas, she immediately told me that she would love to have her show Spike, since she has already started working with him and he is some-what lead broken. That would allow her more time to work with Smoochie. How wonderful of a friend is that?

So today we drove out to Hope’s and brought not only Spike but also KC. Since those two are the best of buddies, I thought the transition to a new home would be easier for Spike if she came along. He is still very young and hasn’t had the exposure that KC has had so she would be the best to help him. The smiles on BOTH of the girl’s faces was priceless – Today was a huge one. Hope now own’s her very first dog and she is officially part of Team Figgy!

I made this afternoon a homeschool lesson, creating them each their own binder that included the Chihuahua Breed Standard along with the folders and supplies needed to start keeping records on their dogs, per the AKC rules. With their commitment to the breed, it was time to teach them all about the Chihuahua and one lesson that all owner/handlers should learn – What their dog’s faults are! After going through the standard, I had the girls then point out the faults on both Spike and KC. There is NO perfect dog. But knowing a dog’s faults will give the handler an advantage over many. When you know the faults and the positives, you can accentuate what’s great and bring less attention to the flaws. THAT makes a great handler! And that’s what Alexis and Hope are going to be!

After the lessons, we did a bit of socializing and getting Spike and KC a bit more comfortable with the change in environment. A cat is not something they would ever see at our home so their reaction was priceless and actually more inquisitive than anything else. As the girls walked the dogs they traded back and forth, allowing them to explore. Watching from afar, I have to say, I was rather taken by the fact that KC actually showed better for Hope and Alexis than she has for me. I have the tendency to bring a lot into the ring with me, which runs right down the lead. The girls have no past and no apprehension with KC and boy does it show! I think we may just have a new handler for our sweet KC!!!

So I am here to tell you there are a lot of very exciting changes here with the Figgy Crew and with a new member, there are going to be so many great things coming. Be on the look out for the unveiling of some fabulous ideas the girls will be teaming up. Congrats to Hope on officially joining Team Figgy! You are a perfect fit!