Taija (Ch Armahani Crytal Cuovgat) has been joining us randomly in the show ring over the last couple of years in the neuter class. She has always been so much fun to show, and is so enthusiastic, that I haven't been able to resist getting her out of retirement.
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She's fairly close to her title now, so I entered her in a few shows to see if we can get it finished.  This weekend she jumped ahead a bit with a wonderful 15 point Best Neuter in Group at the Vic Poultry and Kennel Club under judge W Greasley. Proud of this girl.

This weekend Nik with Solo (Ch Armahani Iolite Into (AI)) and Shell with Slinky (Ch Armahani Iolite Ihana (AI) JC) hitting the Wingalo State Forrest in NSW with the Alaskan Malamute Club of NSW for a couple of Working Pack Dog trials.  Each of these involve the dogs (and their human companions) hiking 16km with the dogs carrying 30% of their body weight. 

​Solo and Slinky's mum Squiggle earned her WPD title last year, and the kids are following in her footsteps with 2 legs down of the 4 they need

I got the biggest surprise of my year this afternoon, with a message from Shareen in Canberra to let me know that Dolce (Ch Armahani Crystal Caibmat RA) had been out to a couple of rally trials and had earned himself two Rally Excellent passes, both with 4th places.

I don't think I could be any more prouder, of both Dolce and Shareen.  Dolce has been pretty much retired from show and performance for a couple of years and is one of our older kids.  It is thrilling to see him back out and finishing off that elusive excellent title.
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​There is life in the old dog yet!!

Huge congratulations to Simone and Piper (Ch Armahani Kunzite Kruunu (AI)), venturing out to Red Cliffs for a weekend of shows.  Today under Queensland judge J Burgess, Piper was awarded Best of Breed, and then Best Junior in Group.  Way to go!

A big congratulations to Shell with Squiggle (Ch & Neut Ch Armahani Diamond Dansut (AI) CCD RA AD JD SPD SD HT ET JC WPD FMX who today earned the last Jumping Dog Excellent quallie she needed to earn her JDX title with a 2nd place!
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She also gained an Agility Dog Excellent quallie with an awesome 1st place.

No to be out done by the girls, Leevi (Armahani Kunzite Kuutamo (AI) RN) topped off his rally passes last weekend by bettering it with another RN quallie and a 2nd place.  Congratulations Nicole!

While I was largely taking a break from the show ring this weekend and instead got to know my couch again, some of the Armahani boys were out there gunning it! I should stay on the couch more often!

Big congratulations to Bianca Ralphs with Lumi (Gr Ch Armahani Diamond Davvir (AI) CD RN JDX ADX ET who earned the last quallie they needed for his Agility Dog Open (ADO) title, being I think the first Lappie in Australia with an open title.

To Kat Yeap with Tortik (Ch Armahani Heliodorr Halu (AI) RN JC) who spent the first part of the weekend at a rally trial earning his Rally Advanced (RA) title in 3 straight passes (including a 1st place), and followed it up with his first JD pass at an agility trial today.

And to Nicole Wain with young Leevi (Armahani Kunzite Kuutamo (AI)) who finished off his Rally Novice (RN) title today (also with 3 straight passes)!

Three very skilled women, with three pretty awesome boys. Thank you ladies for bringing lots of cheers to my weekend and well done again.

Big congratulations to Shell today who ventured out with Squiggle (Ch Neut Ch Armahani Diamond Dansut (AI) CCD RA AD JD SPD SD HT ET JC WPD FMX ) and Slinky (Ch Armahani Iolite Ihana (AI) JC) this weekend to an agility.

Squiggle continued her winning ways, gaining quallies in Jumping Dog Excellent (3rd place), Gamblers Dog (4th place), and Snooker Dog Excellent (4th place) as well as a 1st place JDX NQ and a 2nd place ADX NQ.

It was Slinky's first attempt in the agility trial ring and she came home with her first quallie in Snooker Dog, and well as a 3rd place JD NQ.

Fantastic results for this mother and daughter team!

It has been a long and arduous journey for Baby (Am Ch Ch Calaban's Dirty Dancing RA JC ET (Imp USA)) over the last six months.  Diagnosed with medial shoulder instability, with tears of her right medial glumohumeral ligament, she has spent that time living in a shoulder brace and undergoing fairly intensive treatment and rehab.  We spend approximately two hours a day (sometimes more) undertaking her exercise and treatment regime, as well as countless vet visits.

Over the last month or so, we've been able to remove her shoulder brace for walks and exercises, and last Monday she received the all clear to re enter the show ring.

Given it was Australia's first FCI show at the Adelaide International this weekend, we used it as a debut opportunity.  While Baby was the only Lappie bitch competing, she still needed to receive an excellent grading from the judge and declared worthy to earn the CACIB, which she thankfully did.

We still have a long way to go before Baby is 100%, and it will be quite some time before she is competing in other sports, but we finally have some light at the end of what has been at times a very dark tunnel.