#i daydream about putting hard age restrictions on certain classes

[pittieandpoodle]

i haven’t been in poodles long (less than a year) but i’m already noticing a really uncomfortable pattern of VERY young dogs getting championships/grand championships, including my own dog. shrike was a UCH at 9/10 months old. he’ll be a GRCH by 14 months. he’s not even done growing, how is he a good representation of the breed’s structure and movement? i just saw a 7 month old UCH. 7. months. that’s insane. that dog will probably look very different when they’re fully mature, in 2 years.

and apparently, poodles are in their “prime” showing window BEFORE THEYRE A YEAR OLD. the most competitive ages for standard poodles is 9-12 MONTHS. is that not ridiculous? that’s like taking a 13 year old human and saying “this is the pinnacle of human body structure. the ideal.”

if the entire point of conformation shows is to demonstrate breeding stock, why are we constantly rewarding very young dogs, who should not be bred yet, with accolades that mark them as good breeding stock? what if that 7 month old UCH bitch grows up to have undesired structural qualities? what if that 16 month old GRCH dog develops concerning temperament or health concerns when he’s 3? what then? in a culture that relies heavily on conformation titles and accolades, it’s more than a little concerning.

i know i’m just one person, a person very new to showing dogs, let alone poodles, but it’s so strange to me that we’re expecting so much of these young dogs, and we’re being rewarded for that. why are these young dogs winning over mature ones? are the mature ones out of standard? does the standard only reward young dogs?

i’m worried that the solution is to only show mature dogs, or at least dogs over a year, which is something that most poodle people would scoff at. it’s a very competitive breed, and the pressure to finish your dog before they’re even a fully grown adult is insane. i should not be worrying about putting a Grand fucking Championship on a dog who isn’t even two years old.

i don’t know. it worries me so much. ideally all future show poodles i own won’t be shown in adult classes until they’re, you know, adults, but i know that i’ll be pressured by the entire community to jump in as soon as possible. and it freaks me out.

#just some thoughts #dogblr #show dogs #conformation #standard poodles #i daydream about putting hard age restrictions on certain classes #like you can’t get a CH until your dog is 2 years old #unlikely to ever happen but #a girl can dream

[monster-mum]

Riding the Wild Wind

I was in trouble a lot when I was younger. With my parents, with school and pretty much any authority figure that I came into contact with. I was strong-willed, hard headed and stubborn with a fiery temper. I knew these things about myself but didn’t really see an issue. My Mum and Dad did the best they could trying to nurture my individuality while trying to parent. At times they would get so frustrated with me. I can remember thinking “what’s the big deal?” “They need to chill out.” It wasn’t until I grew up that I realised just how much of a nightmare I was and also the danger I used to put myself in. Years on and I have my own strong-willed, hard headed, stubborn, fiery girl and if she pulled half the stunts I did I would not be impressed to say the least.

 At the grand old age of five, Lyla is fit to burst with personality and is a complete live wire. She regularly tests the boundaries of our parenting. Something we thought was the eldest’s job. It certainly was in my household growing up. One thing I am proud of is that no matter how disobedient and rebellious I behaved, I was never picked up by the police. Unlike a certain little, never does anything wrong, brother of mine. Ha! Take that Andrew! Andrew did feel the effects of my spirited nature when he started secondary school. In almost every class he went into on his first week the teacher would mark him down as one to watch. After confirming that he was my brother a mark was placed next to his name. He was less than impressed. I thoroughly enjoyed the notoriety of it all. Still do. Andrew always worked hard at school and was pretty well behaved. He was the good child. To start school in the shadow of a sister who went out of her way to make life difficult for many adults, wasn’t particularly fun for him. He still moans about it today.

 I definitely put my family through their paces. Especially as I hit my teen years. I knew I was being an arse most of the time but couldn’t seem to stop myself. As I grew out of the teenage fog I knew in my heart that if I was lucky enough to have a little girl of my own one-day Karma was coming for me.

 The day we found out we were having a girl was like something out of a romcom. Chris was deployed overseas so was unable to come to the appointment. I invited my Mum and Dad along and of course Steven came too. The appointment was an utter disappointment for Steven. From my fifteenth week when me and Steven had heard the baby’s heartbeat in the midwifes office Steven had been thrilled to inform anyone and everyone that his Mummy had a train in her tummy. I thought this was cute until the twenty week scan as that was the day he discovered that I wasn’t in fact carrying a train in my tummy and it was actually a baby. My Dad had to take him out of the room because Monster was in such a foul mood. As me and my Mum sat there and the sonographer tried to do all of the checks, Lyla was incredibly awkward throughout. I should’ve seen it as a warning for things to come.  When the sonographer said that the little wiggly monster who was making me so ill was a girl it took a little while for it to register. We sat there is silence. Me and Chris had been hoping it would be a girl. We wanted to have a boy and girl and here she was the answer to our family aspirations. I was so excited. I adore Steven but there are only so many train conversations and steam rally’s you can go to before it starts to drive you slightly mad. A girl. A girl meant a mother and daughter relationship. I couldn’t wait for Chris to phone so I could tell him. As we walked out of the hospital it started to snow. Steven was running around joyously catching snowflakes in his mouth and on his face with little care to the road he was running into and the several bushes he’d almost fell into. My Dad was running around after Steven running damage control. Just then my phone rang and it was Chris.

 Me: “Hello.”

 Chris: “Hi sweetheart. How are you? How’re you feeling?”

 Me: “I’m okay. A bit sick, but I’m okay.”

 Chris: “Is Steven okay?”

 Me: “Yes, he’s fine. He’s currently catching snowflakes on his face and tongue. Are you okay?”

 Chris: “Yeh, I’m fine. Tired but okay. How did the scan go? Have you had it yet? Is the baby okay?”

 Me: “Yes, we’ve just come out of the hospital. You have good timing. The baby is fine. They can’t see any problems. It looks happy and healthy.”

 I should probably put in here that Chris didn’t know if I was going to find out the baby’s gender or not. He really wanted to know whereas I didn’t. I changed my mind as I knew how much he hated being away from us and it would cheer him up so much.

 Chris: relieved “That’s great. I am so pleased.”

 Me and Chris were always very vigilant in all of my pregnancies. We experienced a miscarriage before we had Steven. If that experience taught us anything it was how precious children are and how you can’t take everything as gospel.

 Sensing that he was wanting to ask if I knew what we were having but not wanting to be disappointed if I hadn’t I said…

 Me: “The baby was a fidget. I had to go in three times before the sonographer was able to get all the measurements. Baby is such a little fidget but she is okay and growing well.”

 Chris: “That’s so good that…” He pauses and I hear a slow intake of breath “…she? Did you say she?”

 Down the line I can hear the emotion in his voice. How choked up he is.

 Me: Smiling “Yes I did. We’re having a little girl.”

 Chris was so happy to find out we were having a girl. He went out that day with his work colleagues and they celebrated with chocolate biscuits and milkshakes. It probably wouldv’e been pints and pizza’s if he were anywhere else but they were in a dry zone with a restricted supply of fun foods.

 After that day I would daydream about this sweet little girl who would be delicate and gentle compared to my boisterous monster. There have been a number of times in my life when I have thought that something would be one way only for it to end up completely different. This is one of those times.

 We call Lyla our “wild girl.” She lives up to the name. One minute she is the sweetest most caring person, sharing her sweets and treats, cuddling into you, telling you how lovely you look and how wonderful you are. She can really lift your spirits and confidence. The next minute it is like living with child Tarzan straight from the jungle. Throw in Chucky’s calm, murderous facial expressions and the uncompromising beauty of the children in Village of the Damned and you get close to what the other side of Lyla can be like. She is unlike any person I have had to deal with in my life.

 When she loses control, it is overwhelming and frightening how much anger explodes from her. It amazes us how such a tiny little person can get so angry. I had the same temper when I was younger. It has mellowed out a lot over the years but every now and then it flares up, much to my horror and utter embarrassment.

 Lyla is generally a happy go lucky, tough nut kinda girl. As I’ve said before we describe her as our princess in welly boots. So when her temper flares it is usually out of the blue, very rarely and because she has not got what she wants.

 She is a strong minded little being who drives us to complete distraction. Would I change her? No. Though my life would be a lot easier if she’d stop arguing back with me and just do what is asked of her. There is no doubt in my mind that our Lyla will be a woman to be reckoned with as she grows up. She will be a strong woman who knows her own mind and empowers those around her through her encouragement and complimentary nature. All we have to do is hang on for the ride and hope we can help her to channel her spirit and nature in a way that nurtures her and her hopes for the future.

#mummyblogger #mummylife #daughter #parentingblogger #parenting daughter family raisingkids #strong willed women #independantwoman #spirited