Millie's weekend

[Kathleen]

Millie and I had a good weekend showing.  Every time I've shown her up until now, she's been dead last in her classes and I was starting to wonder whether she was show quality after all  :scratch:  I took her to a handler for evaluation last weekend and she showed me some things that needed changing in her grooming, and let me know that she needed more exercise since she was(and I quote) "squishy soft".  We did a lot of walking in the past week and I groomed her up better, and on Saturday, for the first time, she won her class  :thumb: 

Then on Sunday, she was reserve winners female (sorry, I didn't realize the "female dog" word was banned)!  I was thrilled to bits.  No points yet, but she's maturing and I'm seeing some hope again 

[Merlin Magician]

:apls: YOU GO, GIRL!!

Merlin

[papbouv]

Congratulations personally I think that is not a good word to call a female dog the word is OK but has been way too much abused. They need to come up with a new nicer word maybe the AKC would approve a new word might catch on every where??? Wonder what a good name would be for a girl dog.
Millie just might have to mature more full coat and all I'm sure you know conformation showing is very political should not be but it is in every breed. Then also depends on how many dogs & grill dogs are in the classes too the more fur kids the harder it is to win.Millie is still young I'm sure it will not be long before she is a champion sure is beautiful in my book.

[hannah]

You are amazing Millie, way to go girl, congratulations! ;)

[peterparker]

Way to go Millie

[Merlin Magician]

Then also depends on how many dogs & grill dogs are in the classes too the more fur kids the harder it is to win.Millie is still young I'm sure it will not be long before she is a champion sure is beautiful in my book.

RED ALERT!!  RED ALERT!!  :crazyeyes: I KNEW DEY WAS NOT TELLING DA TRUTH!!

BERNADEE SPILT DA BEANS!  DEY IS GRILLING WIENER DOGS AT DEM DOG SHOWS!!!

WE IZ TOAST!! 

RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!!!!!!!!

Giunness
I'm so verklempt, i can't even spell my name right!

[Merion]

Congratulations to you and Millie!!!!!!
Just keep going and you should do better.
Some judges are very political but some aren't and really look at the dog and not who they are and who is handling them.
Merion & the ZZ's

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

Congrats Millie! Maybe she just needed to mature and is blooming now. She looked great to me in her earlier stacked shots. Sometimes as you say it can be as simple as a change in grooming...and of course a high profile handler helps (unfortunately!). Did you get a win shot?

Wonder what a good name would be for a girl dog.

It's too late, the feline species already nabbed "Queen". LOL!

ROTFL Giunness...you are doubly in trouble, nothin' tastier than a hot dog and a big cold glass of Guiness! Tell Auntie Karen to bring you to my house Hallie and I will hide you out!  :thumb:

[Merion]

Very true about the handler.  But Zena did Best of Variety at our show here in July.  She beat another special who was handled by a big handler around here.



Then she didn't want to stack for the picture.  I had my friend Deb show her cause she loves preforming and we are trying to keep her spirits up with her Breast cancer fight.   The judge looked at her and said you did much better in the ring....I told Deb she should have told him it was only the 3rd time she had ever shown in conformation.   That would have surprised him. 

Merion & Zena

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

What a beautiful picture Merion! And what a beautiful girl you have!!!!

[Kathleen]

Ooh, Zena is stunning. 

Yeah, I don't worry about the politics so much.  I watch the judges and how they make their decisions.  Most of the time, even if I don't agree, I see the logic behind the choices (some judges like movement, some like a beautiful head, that kind of thing) enough to where I don't feel like anyone is being biased.  I have also seen top handlers lose to a complete unknown which happened a couple weeks ago (I wasn't entered, just there to watch) and the girl in the ring who got best of variety almost burst into tears, she was so excited.   I have found in both places (WA and MI) that the dachshund people I've talked to have been incredibly kind and helpful.   I haven't even had much hope for Millie until recently because she was so young and me not having a clue what I'm doing.  From what the handler said, her main issues are her color and her personality.  That chocolate is a hard sell to some judges, and she's so mopy in the ring that it's hard to award her too.   Since I haven't found anything that works at home AND in the ring, it's hard to get her "up" and excited to go.  She's waaay better than she was as a puppy though. 

[Brekkesmom]

Beautiful, Millie and Zena!  So, why can't they call the female winners "Lady"?

[cheryl186]

 :apls: :apls:CONGRATULATIONS MILLIE :apls: :apls:  YOU ARE GORGEOUS AND THIS IS WONDERFUL   And Zena, you are so stunning!

[klsb]

Millie you are SO pretty!! Congrats!

And i like "Mare" like for horses? I think thats pretty and people already know it means girl.. ha ha