National Dog Bite Prevention Week

May 17–23, 2009 was National Dog Bite Prevention Week. My RR brother Argos got to go to a school with Mommy and Matthew and our vet to do a Public Service presentation. He got to play with lots of kids there. I wish that I could have gone, too. Argos is a lucky dog!

The Long Drive Home

After me and Charlotte were finished with our dog showing, Mommy decided that we should leave for home right away so that she could take me to my vet on Friday morning, just to make sure that I was really okay. Mommy sure worries about me a lot! We packed up all our stuff, and bid a sad farewell to my new friends Sundew and Catcher, and all of the grown-ups that we had met in Lansing. Then we headed for home, driving until it was really dark out and past my suppertime.

The next day we started driving again, and I got really, really carsick- sicker than I have ever gotten before. Mommy had to stop at a veterinarian's office and get me some carsick pills to make me feel better. Lucky for me, they worked, and I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the drive home. It was after dark again by the time we finally got back to our farm. We were so happy to see Daddy and Matthew and all my canine and feline brothers and sisters again- we were gone for a very long time!

The next morning Mommy took me to see my vet, who said that I was A-okay. That was a huge relief for Mommy and she could finally stop worrying about me. She asked the vet to order me a whole box of carsick pills so that I won't get sick anymore when we go an another adventure.

12-18 Month Puppy Dog Class

On Wednesday morning we went back to try one last time in the regular 12-18 month Puppy Dog class. By that time I was feeling much better, and I even took some bait from Charlotte. Mommy was so nervous that I don't think she even watched me! I knew that I was doing pretty good again when me and Charlotte made the first cut, because there were 30 dogs entered in the class that day and they were all really, really nice. Even my little "cousin", Dusty, was entered in the class and he is such a good show dog that he has almost finished his championship already, and he is even younger than me! Mommy was especially nervous because the judge was Mrs. Paula Hartinger and she was the same judge who had been at the show in St. Paul when Mommy got so nervous and messed up and we did not win. But Mommy thinks that Mrs. Hartinger is a very good judge and she really wanted me to do well in her class, so I tried really hard.

After the judge had looked at every dog, she started moving us around. Some dogs got excused, but we got to stay! Then she looked at us all again, and moved us some more. Finally, she lined up the four dogs she liked the best, and guess what? I got picked for third place! Boy was Mommy happy about that! I don't think she could have been any happier if I had gotten picked for first place. And to top it off, my little cousin Dusty got picked for fourth place! So we both got to take home a ribbon and a race car bank! It was a great day for us Kwetu dogs!!

Mommy says that one of the very nicest things about the whole day was when me and Charlotte were going around the ring and so many people clapped for us. Mommy said that most of those people don't even know who we are, and they were clapping just 'cause they thought I was a nice looking puppy, and I think that was very nice, too. I liked it when the people clapped, even though I didn't know who they were, either.

After we finished dog showing, me and Charlotte had to go and get our picture taken with the judge. Just like last year, I had to get up on a box for the picture, but this year I wasn't even scared a little bit- I remembered how to do it from Pencilvania and I just hopped right up there on that old box, and here is my picture:

The people in the picture are Judge Mrs. Paula Hartinger, in the dark brown dress; my friend and handler Charlotte Fielder, in the green dress, and Jane Missemer, in the red dress. I am the Red Wheaten boy in the picture.

Puppy Sweepstakes

On Tuesday morning we had the Puppy Sweepstakes for the National Specialty, and guess what? I did not get to win again! This time Michael and I were dog showing and we did a great job together, but we still did not get picked to get a ribbon. Still, Mommy was happy because we at least made the first cut in every class, and this judge looked at me, too. Mommy said that she thought some of the judges must have liked me a little bit, but just not enough to get in the ribbons.

Raisin River Regional Specialty

On Monday morning we went down to the ring a little early for the Puppy Sweepstakes class. I was still a little sick, but not too sick to go in the dog show. Mommy said I looked really great and thought that Charlotte was a very good handler, but I guess the judge did not think we were so great because she did not let us win a ribbon. Then we went back after lunch to go in the ring again for the regular Puppy Dog class. Mommy said we did great again, but this judge did not let us win either. Mommy wasn't too upset though, because she said that at least both of the judges had given me a good look. Sometimes it seems like the judges hardly even looks at some of the dogs and that upsets Mommy, but not this time. Mommy said that the two classes had been a good warm up for the National Specialty.

I Meet My New Handler

When Mommy decided that we would go to the National Specialty, she said there was no way that she was going to dog show with me. She said that she is still way too nervous in the ring and she was afraid that we would not do well. She said that if we drove all the way to Lansing Michigan for the show, she wanted me to look my absolute best. Plus, she really wanted to watch while I was in the ring so she could see how I looked compared to all the other puppies. Our friend BSB helped us find someone who was willing to help us out in the regular class, and my Breeder, Michael, was willing to go in the Puppy Sweepstakes class with me, so we were all set!

After we checked into our hotel room on Sunday, Mommy went and found handler Charlotte Fielder. Charlotte came up to our room to meet me and brought some really delicious treats- yummy! I liked her right away! She played around with me a little bit so she could see how I would be when we went into the ring the next morning. Mommy had entered me in two classes for the National Specialty, one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday, and also for two classes in the Raisin River Regional Specialty on Monday.

Roommates

When Mommy made our hotel reservations for the Specialty she decided that we should share our room with some other people and their dogs. I thought that sounded like a lot of fun, so Mommy asked around until she found someone who wanted to room with us. We were supposed to have TWO roommates, but their truck broke down on their way to Lansing and in the end, only one of them made it. We were very happy when Betsy Metcalf arrived safely at the hotel with her two beautiful girl dogs, CH Calico Ridge ARR Sun Catcher RE TD JC AX AXJ NAP and ARR Sundew Rising RA, HIC, AX , AXJ JC.

I really, really liked Sundew and Catcher a LOT, and I wanted to play with them all the time. But sometimes when Betsy was not in the room she put the girls in their crates for a nap and all I could do was lie on her bed and dream of playing with my new friends.

We were lucky to have Betsy as a roommate. So far, most of the RR people we have met only show their dogs in Conformation, and Betsy is the first RR person we have met who does all kinds of Performance events with her dogs. Mommy hopes that they will be an inspiration to me!

How I Got Sick

Saturday afternoon the weather got really hot. Some of the other dogs who were hunting did not feel like finding all of their birds, so when everyone was done, Mommy took me back out with another Hunter and his dog to "clean up the field". (That means to find all the birds that were placed in the field but that were not found by the dogs). I didn't mind that it was hot and I stayed out with Mommy until we had found as many birds as we could. When we were done Mommy made sure that I drank plenty of fresh water, and she even hosed me down with a water hose to make sure that I was nice and cool. Then we went back to our campground to sleep in our tent again, and on Sunday morning we went back to the Hunting Trial.

Instead of birds, the dogs were going to hunt for rabbits on Sunday. Not real rabbits, but simulated rabbits using a scented dummy and a lure coursing machine. Mommy would not let me enter that Hunting Trial because we do not hunt rabbits at home. In fact, Mommy and Daddy used to raise rabbits and some of their rabbits got out of the barn and now they live wild in our barnyard. Mommy does not want me to chase them, and she also doesn't want me to chase wild rabbits when we are out walking around our farm. But since Mommy is learning how to be a Hunting Dog Judge we went back on Sunday so that she could Watch and Learn.

Mommy set up my ex-pen next to the van and fed me my breakfast. Sometimes when we are at home we eat Raw Meat and Bones, and sometimes we eat kibble. When we are travelling Mommy usually just brings my kibble, so that is what I got for my breakfast. Then Mommy went out to the field. When she came back to check on me later she saw that I had only eaten half of my food. She thought that maybe I was too excited by all of the other dogs to eat, so she was only a little worried about me.

After the Hunting Trial was over we drove to the hotel where the National Specialty was being held and we checked into a very nice hotel room. After we were all moved in Mommy fed me my supper, but I did not want to eat any of it. Then Mommy got really worried because I have never missed a meal in my whole entire life, and finally, at 10 o'clock p.m., she called my vet at home. We are really lucky that I have a vet who cares enough about me that she does not mind us calling her at home at night, and no matter where we are, Mommy always calls my vet first before she will take me to a different vet. My vet talked to Mommy and had her take my temperature, check my gums, and a few other things as well. After she heard about the Hunting Trial she decided that I must have gotten dehydrated and had a little heat exhaustion from hunting on Saturday afternoon when it was so hot. She said that just drinking lots of water was not enough to replace all of the electrolytes that I had lost. She told Mommy to go to the store and get me some Gatorade and Pedialyte. Mommy also got some ground beef to see if I would eat that. When she got back to the hotel she mixed in some Pedialyte with some beef and I did manage to eat a little of it, but I wasn't very hungry 'cause I did not feel too good. Mommy wanted to take me back home, but my vet said we should stay and see if I felt better so that we would not have to miss the entire show. Plus, she said if I was sick, it would not be good to make me ride all the way home in the car because I was still getting carsick.

So, we stayed for the Dog Show, and I got to eat ground beef with Gatorade and Pedialyte in it all week long. Now Mommy has added electrolyte replacers to my first aid kit, just in case she needs to give them to me in the future. Mommy says it was hard way to learn a lesson about heat exhaustion and dehydration, but it all ended well and I was okay by the time we left to drive back home, and we did not have to miss the Dog Show after all.

My First Hunting Trial

After we spent our first night at the campground Mommy took me to a Bird Hunting Trial. A Hunting Trial is kind of like hunting where dogs like me go and find birds in a field. A man or a woman who is a Judge goes out into the field with us and takes notes on how good we hunt. Then, at the end, the Judge decides which dog did the best job hunting and that dog gets a big rosette. The other dogs can earn "legs" towards hunting titles if they do a good job. Some dogs have to compete in a "Qualifier" to show that they want to hunt birds before they can enter a real Trial, but I did not do that because we lived too far away from where any Qualifiers were being held. Since I already knew how to hunt birds Mommy was able to submit an Affadavit of Performance for me instead of doing the Qualifier. Then I was allowed to enter the Hunting Trial.

I was the very first dog to go in the field on Saturday morning. We started at 8 o'clock a.m. As usual, Mommy was a little nervous because this was our first Trial and she wasn't exactly sure what we were supposed to do once we got out to the field. But, we knew that I was supposed to find and flush five birds. The Shooter had to shoot them after I flushed them and then I was supposed to find them where they fell on the ground and then mark their position. RR's are not required to retrieve the birds after they are shot, but if the dog does retrieve it is counted as a bonus.

The first bird that I found did not even flush, so I just put my paw on it and held it on the ground until Mommy came and picked it up. She gave it to the Shooter to carry for us. When I found my second bird it flushed but then the Shooter missed it, just like Mommy and Daddy do when we are hunting at home! The bird just flew away over the fence and I could not go find it for Mommy. Then I went and found another bird and when I flushed that one, the Shooter shot it and it fell right down on the ground, just like it was supposed to do. I ran over and got it and then I stood and waited for Mommy to come and take it from me. I haven't learned how to retrieve to hand yet, so Mommy says it is okay if I don't.

After the third bird I was looking and looking for more birds to flush. We were all walking around the field and then we went up over a little hill. I was in front of the grownups so they did not see me when I found a turkey hen sitting on her nest on the other side of the hill. I ran right over and that old hen flushed just like a giant pheasant! All the grownups were so surprised when they saw her rise up over the top of the hill and fly away. Mommy said I should have gotten some bonus points for flushing the turkey but it doesn't work that way. We stayed in the field until I had found and flushed two more birds. I don't remember exactly because I was pretty excited, but I think the Shooter shot one, maybe two, more of my birds. I found all of them with no trouble and Mommy was very proud of me. I just thought it was fun.

After I was finished it was time for all the other dogs to do their hunting. When they were all done, the judges announced the winners. I did not win the rosette for Best In Trial, but I did score high enough to earn the first of the two legs I need to get my Junior Hunting Ridgeback title. Now I just need to enter another HRA Bird Trial and get a good score and then I will have earned my first title!

Camping Out

When Mommy and me finally got to Michigan, she had a big surprise for me. Instead of going to a hotel like I thought we would, Mommy took us to a campground. A campground is a place where you can go and stay in a nice RV if you have one. But, since we don't have an RV, Mommy put up a tent for us to sleep in. It is just like my Dog Haus Pup Tent that Mommy bought for me last year at the Specialty in Pencilvania, only it is a LOT bigger so that Mommy and me can both sleep in it.

After the tent was up Mommy got some sticks and put them in a pile and lit them on fire. That was fun! It was warm and the smoke helped keep the bitey mosquitoes away from us. Then Mommy got out some little tiny pots and pans and a tiny little stove and made supper. I just had my regular kibble though.
When we went to sleep I got to cuddle up with Mommy on her sleeping bag and it was just like sleeping on the big bed at home, except that Daddy wasn't there.

I really liked camping and I hope that we can do it again with the whole family.

My Favorite Place On The Whole Trip

This was my FAVORITE place on the whole trip. It is a GREAT place to stop and eat if you are hungry. They have beef AND likker!

People And Places

We drove all the way to Duluth, Mn and then we stopped to take a picture overlooking the harbor. This is my new friend, Karen.

Poor Seagulls!

I am happy that I am a puppy and not a seagull. They must get very hungry.

Here I am helping my friend Smokey look for forest fires. Today there is a very HIGH risk for fires.

Remember- only YOU can prevent fires!

Mommy says that this is
Lake Superior, but I think she
means it is the Superior OCEAN
'cause it is soooo big!

I can see forever and ever!

Next I met a gang of Black Labrador dogs. They were all girl dogs.

At home we have three brown boy dogs and one Black girl dog.

Now I know how my sister feels-

outnumbered!

Kids are my FAVORITE.

My new BFF, Jake and Sam.

On The Road Again- National Specialty

Me and Mommy are getting ready to take another road trip. This time we are going all the way to Lansing, Michigan for the Rhodesian Ridgeback National Specialty. Lansing, Michigan is very far away from our farm. Mommy says it will take us two days to get there.
As soon as Mommy started loading the van I jumped in so she would not forget me.

"Wherever my crate goes, I go" is my new motto.

Don't do this........

.....or you'll get this:

"This" is me hiding under the bed.

We went for a walk one day and all us dogs were loaded with ticks when we got back to the house. Mommy took one look at us and freaked out- she ran around hollering "Ticks! Ticks! I can't believe all these TICKS!" Then she got the tick-remover tool out and came at us. She was so freaked out that it scared me, and under the bed I went! I'd never been under the bed before, but I kind of liked it. It is nice and dark and cozy and quiet. It's my new favorite place!

Relaxing

I don't think Socks is too upset that he is visiting us. Here he is sleeping on one of our dog beds. We need some cat beds around here!

Socks Moves Back In

Our neighbors adopted our foster cat Socks, and Mommy agreed to lifetime cat-sitting whenever they want to go out of town. In May they went away for ten days, so Socks came to stay with us. It didn't take him long to move right back into my crate again.

Exactly how long is ten days, anyway?

Agility Rocks!

Daddy went to Agility Class with us and took a picture of me and Mommy going over a jump. I'm pretty good at this Agility stuff!

Ready To Go!

Mommy said that we are going to Agility class tonight. I don't know what "agility" is, but I know what "Go" means. So does Argos, and as soon as he heard Mommy say "Go" he ran and got in the van. Then I ran and got in, too, and I laid right down on top of old Argos!

Here he looks like he is asking Mommy to help get me off of him, but Mommy was busy taking our picture. Too bad for Argos.