Intergroom kicked off a steady stream of canine activities for my schedule. That was the week after Easter... just now (June!) are things getting back to normal (whatever that is ;-
After returning from the NJ grooming competition, I promptly headed south again to attend a UKC show in MA the following weekend. I don't often take two Saturdays off work in a row, but as UKC events are relatively rare around here, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. A friend was showing her new puppy, as were several other Poodle people I was acquainted with. It was wonderful to watch & cheer on, and help as needed. Indeed, I actually did a slew of grooming that weekend (so much for a day off, LOL)! Working on my friend's Poodle was a given, but after watching another puppy in the ring, I also offered to tweak his outline as needed. Do I get to brag now because he got nothing in the first show, but went on to win after I groomed him? hehehe! Following that success, the owner had me tweak her other dogs a bit as well. On the second day, just before the final ring time, I fixed the style on another dog I know who's campaigning for GRCH. All weekend he was beat out by the competition. "Shear perfection" strikes again - after my grooming adjustments, he too won! :-) hahaha Okay, so I know it's not all about the hair (esp. in UKC), was a different judge/opinion each time, and the quick touchup trims were certainly not perfect, but we must admit a well balanced outline draws the eye and accentuates the dog's assets. In any case I was happy to have been some help and gain more practice in show grooming. I even handled a dog for someone with two in the same class. It all went pretty quick, but it was fun and offered a smidgen of practice for when I show my own!
The next weekend brought further grooming practice as I took my friend's pup overnight to prep her for a local AKC show. I'd noticed her profile looking a bit long and mane getting floppy, so I tightened it up quite a bit. It was a wonderfully drastic makeover, which I'm quite proud of. One handler critiqued that she needed just a bit more hair over her thighs, so I made note of that for next time. Otherwise she looked nice and square and plush. No placements, but she showed well. (What? Did you expect an owner-handled puppy to win over AKC politics? hahahahaha!) I drove up to watch the show that Sunday, meet another Poodle friend, chat with a couple breeders, and check out the vendors. I also ran into another groomer friend and talked for quite a bit. (Great to see you again Jeri! :-) All in all a very nice day.
For a slight change of pace, Mother's Day weekend brought the local kennel club's fun match, which I was invited to judge at. How about that - limited show experience and I'm already judging! LOL Seriously though, they don't require pros for fun matches, only knowledge of shows and breed standards. My grooming certifications helped with the latter. While I only had all of three Toy breeds to judge, it was an interesting experience. Hopefully I did a satisfactory job; I think it went fairly well. A perk - I received an Iris (my favorite flower!) as a thank you gift. How cool is that? I also met up with a Cocker breeder who I'd previously talked with about contest dogs, so it was great to chat in person. Seemed to be serendipitous that she was there. Now to find the time to get together for some grooming!
The next Saturday was a break from dog stuff, as I had a wedding to go to, but after that came Memorial Day weekend. Along with family stuff, we caught some of a Disc Dog trial in CT. While I didn't get to see as much as I'd hoped, what I did watch was very cool. Got some great pictures, and talked with really nice people. The atmosphere was quite comfortable and laid back. Beautiful venue as well (Wickham Park). I'm now looking forward to trying some frisbee work with my dog, and knowing me I'll end up competing in that sport too... or maybe pass the disc to my dad or niece to handle! :-D
From NH to CT on Saturday, then back to NH on Sunday, and once again I turn around Monday and head to MA. Jillian held the first APAW fundraiser, which went off very well. The music was fantastic, and the demos were excellent. Poodles everywhere... couldn't ask for more! I did a mini-grooming lesson; my first time "teaching" for an audience. At least a couple people found it helpful, and I definitely learned some things about presentation, and things I'll do differently next time. But overall it went pretty well, I think. Thanks for the opportunity, Jillian! :-)
Finally, last weekend (end of May) brought a second UKC show, which unfortunately I was unable to attend. I did however groom my friend's Poodle again for the show (and babysit her boys while she was away, plus give them a makeover). Much better trim on the puppy than at the last UKC event, and it paid off! She breezed through each show as winner, and earned her CH title by the third ring time! Didn't beat the adult in the 4th, going for Grand, but there's always next time. This week she'll be going into Continental trim (which I'm setting from scratch - oh boy!), and once grown out a bit, I'm told she'll be unstoppable. I'm just excited to be her "exclusive" show groomer. ;-)
Next up: sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for puppies to be born!!
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