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Bella will be leaving tomorrow for a week to show in the AKC dog shows in Montana. Domino got his major in Montana, so we are crossing our fingers that Bella will win her first points here! Wish her luck!
Bruce and I will miss the little fart while she is gone. This will be her first time away from home. So hopefully she will do well and not think too much about her brother Domino and her mommy and daddy.
Good luck Bella!!!
My friend, Kelly showed me this Youtube video of Domino’s sister’s litter of English Springer Spaniels. They are so adorable! I remember when Domino was this little (and Bella too)!
Devon, Bella’s brother is tearing up the conformance circuit! At only 17 months he is already on his way to becoming a champion!
Here’s his win history so far:
- 11/23/08 Lake Shore Kennel Club – Best of Winners (1 pt)
- 11/30/08 Kankakee River Valley Kennel Club – Winners (1 pt)
- 12/12/08 Starved Rock Kennel Club – Winners (1 pt)
- 12/13/08 Skokie Valley Kennel Club – Winners (1 pt)
Devon’s not in another show until the end of January so he has a bit of a break. Bella is also showing in Portland, OR the week that we are at Lotusphere. Let’s wish them both the best of luck!
Winner - Devon - Kankakee River Valley Kennel Club
Since we got Bella about a year ago, life hasn’t been quite the same for all of us!
At first, when we were deciding whether or not to get another dog/puppy, we were not sure if we wanted another pet as life with just Domino was wonderful. We weren’t sure if we were ready to tackle potty training, teething, biting, etc. again!
But once we went to see the litter of puppies, there was no turning back….we were hooked! We HAD to get another adorable puppy!! And we knew we wanted to get a female to compliment Domino’s maleness.
So Bella (aka Digger) was the lucky puppy to get chosen to live with our family. From the first day that we brought her home, Domino has been a champ with her. He put up with all of the attention she was getting and did not get angry when she bit his ears or got under foot. He did not get jealous and act out. He slowly but surely started to play with her more and more, being gentle at first and then getting a bit more frisky once she got older.
I look at them today and they are inseparable. When Bella has to stay the night at her “aunt” to get her ready for an upcoming dog show, Domino is lost without her. He pouts and gets depressed when she is not around. And the moment she gets home, Domino is beside himself with joy and happiness! It’s so cute to watch.
I am so glad that we decided on another puppy and even happier that we chose Bella. She is the best thing that ever happened to Domino. And we couldn’t be happier to have them both as pets.
Bella and Domino are best friends….
Bella and Domino - Inseparable
Here’s a picture of Bella’s papa Simon at Nationals where he earned his Master Agility Championship!!! He is a conformation champion and an agility champion earning him his AKC Dual Championship! Simon is the first springer in the southwest to earn a MACH and only the 3rd springer in the whole country to earn both a CH and a MACH.
I believe that Bella has taking on some of her daddy’s traits as she LOVES to “spring” about!
Way to go Simon! Congratulations and a job well done! Bella is proud of her papa!!
Simon - Nationals
Bella will be showing this weekend in the Greater Clark County Kennel Club show held at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Ridgefield, Washington.
I am not sure what # show this is for her, but she definitely seems to like being in the ring. Wish her luck and hope that she gets some points!
Bella and her bone
Per my previous post on Friday of last week, I mentioned that Bella would be entering into the Vancouver KC dog show this last weekend.
Overall, Bella showed very well and looked really good in the ring. She always looks like she is having a great time and almost seems like she likes the “lime-light”. She won her class (12-18 month old females), which put her into the Winners class competition. Although she did not win the Winners class round, she still did very well considering she was the again, the youngest one in the ring. Our handler, Debbie, stated that the judge was “eying” Bella pretty good, but because the two that did win (Winners and Reserve Winner) were more seasoned and mature, Bella just didn’t have a chance. But it is good to know that she showed well and that the judge seemed to really like her.
We need to keep in mind that Bella is only showing to get her use to the ring and the art of “showing”. Domino started showing when he was 2 years old. Bella is on 15 months old. So, she has a long way to go, but again, knowing that she likes it, shows well and is getting “practice” gives us confidence that she will do well once she does start showing seriously.
So congratulations my Bella Luna! Mom and Dad are proud of you! And Domino is glad you are back home!!!
Bella - 12-18 mo. old class competition
Bella - Winners Class Competition
This weekend is the Vancouver Kennel Club Dog Show held at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Ridgefield, WA. Bella has been entered in the 12 month old category and will be showing this Saturday (October 25, 2008) around 1:45-2:00 p.m.
She hasn’t shown since this last summer and held off entering her in shows as we felt she needed to “fill in” and mature a bit. We decided to enter Bella into this dog show as 1) it is local; 2) she has matured a bit more 3) its good practice for her.
We are not sure how well she will do, but we are excited to see her back in the ring. She seems to enjoy being in the ring (I think she thinks its like a play day or something!). And as long as she enjoys it and she gets the practice, we are supportive of it.
So wish her luck (and us) tomorrow. I will post pictures and results next week.
Bella Luna
On September 13, 2008, there will be an AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate (CGC) test that will be held locally. CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs.
Why do pet owners opt to get their dog CGC certified? Many dog owners choose Canine Good Citizen training as the first step in training their dogs. The Canine Good Citizen Program lays the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events.
Some of the test items that a dog will need to perform and pass are things such as:
1. Sit and down on command and staying in place
2. Coming when called
3. Reaction to another dog
4. Reaction to distraction
5. Accepting a friendly stranger
6. Sitting politely for petting
7. Out for a walk
I am more than likely going to take Domino through this testing as I would like for him to become a therapy dog in the future. He has a great temperament and is really good around people. (it’s his little sister, Bella, that is the holy terror!) I always have wanted to volunteer at hospitals and assisted living establishments using a therapy dog. It brings such joy to the ill and elderly and brightens up their days.
I do have some worries on some of the tests that he has to pass, specifically reaction to another dog and his reaction to distraction. If he doesn’t pass this time around, then I will continue until he does. I am confident that he will get his CGC certification. It just may take some time.
At any rate, we hope that he does well. He is a really great dog and would love to see him bring joy into other people’s lives too.
Domino
Bella showed in two shows at the Portland Expo Center (see previous blog entry). She did very well considering that she had just turned 1 years old one day before her first showing on Friday. She was the youngest in her group which made it difficult for her to win due to her immaturity. However, this is not to say that we are disappointed in how she did. She showed BEAUTIFULLY!!! She gaited with pride and confidence and she was stacking a lot better than she had in the past.
Bella got 3rd in Sweeps and 4th in 12-18 month Junior puppy class on Friday. She got 4th on Saturday in the 12-18 month Junior puppy class as well.
All in all, we are very happy with her performance. She is doing well based on her age. I think as she gets older and matures she is going to be a contender for the other English Springers.
So watch out Junior puppy springers….Bella is on her way to becoming the future champion! 
Bella
