Almost Show Time

Last night I went to bed with Balmex and cornstarch on my pajamas and nail polish ground off from the dremmel, which can mean only one thing...

Bricklin celebrated six months old, so it is officially time to hit the show ring! We're also celebrating less accidents inside and a little bit calmer demeanor. She still likes to take down her brother, though. That shouldn't ever change. He loves it.

I'm very excited to spend tomorrow, my birthday, getting Bricklin back in the ring. I'm excited to see if she remembers what it's for, what she gets to do. Practice makes perfect, and I'm sure soon enough, she'll understand when she sees rings and smells tons of other dogs that it's show off time.

I think there's something special about showing puppies. The judges always have a little more grace. I think it's just as fun for them to see a little one in the ring as it is to bring a little one in. They expect squirming. They expect imperfections. Remembering that eases my mind.

Last night I watched a video on YouTube of clips from a handling seminar at BCA nations in 2009. I picked up a few more tips and was reminded that you can only show your dog as what he/she is. Don't expect something that he or she is not.

That's a good reminder.

Bricklin is not an adult. She's a puppy. She's learning, and she will still make mistakes. All of that is okay.

Bricklin is flashy, a word that our "bulldog mentor" used the first time he saw her. She's pretty and she knows it, and she carries that with her everywhere she goes. Bricklin is intense. When she wants something, those little eyes are hard and fast focused on what she is going to have. Bricklin is charismatic. She wins hearts. The end.

Hopefully she remembers everything we've worked on at home and brings it into the ring with her. We'll see where we stand and then make new goals to move forward.

For now, it's fun and games for us. We might get a ribbon for being the only one in our class, so that's fun. We're practicing for the big leagues, the days when points are at stake. I'm not too worried. By then, Bricklin will know EXACTLY what she wants, and she will get those points.

Wish us luck!