CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Activities => Showing => Topic started by: Philtrum on April 12, 2010, 05:04:14 PM
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well, after meeting up with Jenny (jaspersmum) and Meg and seeing the fantastic Charlie in action, im booked into ringcraft tonight and hoping to go to coventry cocker on the 30th
fingers crossed they can help me turn a barkymachine and a lickymachine into 2 fantastic show dogs
just spoke to the lady who runs the lessons and she shows cockers .... so she will know the breed and pick out all of my grooming faults / what they need to improve on.
Phil
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the road to ruin :011:
Have a great time!
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Hope you enjoy it, I've just looked on your posts to see some what your puppy now looks like and :o :o :o you haven't posted any of her since last year.
Photo's of the gorgeous girlies please :luv: :luv:
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good luck for tonight! sure you'll have fun and get hooked!
awhh the fantasticly smelly Charlie now!
Have a good time!
Meg
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It was good to meet you at last Phil :D We obviously couldn't of frightened you off too much :005:
Hopefully you have received the email last night and there's an envelope on it's way to you too ;) Have a good time tonight and we'll see you with Esme and Mabel on the 30th... There's a couple more schedules in the envelope too - got to get you going haven't we :005:
About time you posted some pics though :shades:
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thanks for the good wishes, its helped settle the nerves ;)
OK, I'll do some photos of both of them, oddly enough for a part time photographer I dont have many pictures of them recently
I'll correct that and send some to COL
Phil
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Will see you on the 30th Phil ;)
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thanks for the good wishes, its helped settle the nerves ;)
Hope the training went well tonight Phil....
Same time, Same place this Saturday - Sarah is coming too this week so there will be a few more cockers to watch this time especially if all three of the Brimbecks are attending ;)
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Right ....
2 barky cockers at a ringcraft class was not the best start to the evening
both are bessotted with me, which is great in some respects, but not when your getting someone else to hold the dog while you stack the other
having the person who ran the place look over both dogs, they have said they are both underweight and narrow chested (which she also said is a breed fault and to find one that is not is rare), Esme also does not have much angle in her rear legs but may grow into it, I think thats what she said.
Mabel when she walked her rear was fine, but her fronts are in at the knees so to speak as she does not have enough chest to push them out
Esme would not walk, but when "dropped" she had square legs a the front which apparently is a good sign
Grooming wise they both need work, and Mabel needs to put some coat on (along with the weight) and Esme needs some work, but then she has only had her head stripped by me
what I found supprising is that I was told to use a coat king, as it will not damage the coat only clipping will do this, the person running it (who breeds and shows cockers uses one on her SH CH bitch and has done for years she tells me, so im in a dilema there too
they also recommended water spray etc to help with the stopping barking, but im not sure if thats the right way to go, as I dont like subversive methods, yet I also want it sorting as its been going on too long
looks like Im a long way off cov cocker, but I will get them or one into an open soon, I just need them not to get thrown out of the ring for barking or being a loon
Im a little disheartened to be honest, as yes I know showing is hard work and accept that, and also accept that there are groups of people/breeders/judges that may stick together, thats the same in any competative arena, be that dogs or photography, or anything else.
I respect the knowledge that I was shown tonight and kindly turned down the coat king but accepted the offer of using the thinning scissors .... not sure if thats still right or not, I will go next week to see if things are any better for me, but I need to stop this barking, else its a none starter
thanks for listening
Phil
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With the weight, they are both good "pet" weights, and we have just got mabel to loose about 2 lb, and it seems to show she needs about another 3 putting back on .....
recomendation was to feed green tripe with their arden grange
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Ooh er - can't say I agree with quite a bit of what you were told but that's the thing, you will get lots of different advice depending on who you speak to which can be very confusing for newcomers. One thing I would suggest though is not to take your girls together to ringcraft - you'll find it easier if you concentrate on one at a time (specially if they are easily distracted and prone to barky behaviour)
Don't be too disheartened - it takes time and lots of practice to master new skills like show handling and presentation but remember that everybody (no matter how successful they are now) was new once and probably felt exactly the same as you do now ;)
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Hi Jane
thanks, I would not normaly take two at the same time, but was asked to take both so they could see them both and what I had to work with
its just about local enough for me to do some with one and then drive back and swap if I needed to get them both handled
I think I need to see another ringcraft class and see whats involved there, to get a measure on whats the "norm" as its a differnet world to general obedience training etc
And yes, I also appreciate that everyone is new once, I had that in my mind as I walked through the door
Cheers
PHil
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is there anyone else in the tamworth (staffordshire) area who goes to ringcraft that could recommend anywhere, or shows that would consider meeting up sometime ?
Cheers
Phil
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Try here to see if any other ringcrafts http://www.clubcorner.co.uk/dogs/ringcraftclubs.htm
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We go to South Staffs Ringcraft in Shenstone at the village hall its on Tuesday nights starting at 8:00 :D
http://www.ssdt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
HTH
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I would still go to the breed open as the dogs in some classes will be the same as the ones you will see at all breed open shows.
Step away from the coat King :shades: good results to start with but the effects build up and cause major curling :shades: Some said it was like using scissors to curl paper which I think is a very good likeness
Everyone has to start somewhere and most people are lovely and kind. People will have different oppions of your dogs so don't be disheartened and there are plenty of people who go along with there dogs and enjoy a good day out.
Don't worry too much Jenny and I will look after you ;) we are lovely after a cuppa :005:
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thank you all
I'll get a large supply of tea in(and perhaps biscuits, no fat extra large chocolate ones if they exist anywhere)
Im going to phone the ring craft now and see if I can pop along tonight
Phil
(loving cockersonline, once again showing how its an online family (that you can choose :D ) )
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Im going to phone the ring craft now and see if I can pop along tonight
Have fun! Dont think we are going this week but maybe next Tuesday :blink:
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thanks
Im off tonight with little esme, on the phone it sounded very positive :D
thanks again
Phil
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Hi Phil, don't worry. It can be a bit scary at your first ringcraft class. The first time I went my cocker barked the whole time and it put me off going for a while. We now go to ringcraft in Silverdale, Newcastle-under-lyme and everyone is really friendly. Stick with it, you will soon settle in, best wishes, Jenny
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thanks
Im off tonight with little esme, on the phone it sounded very positive :D
thanks again
Phil
Sounds good, enjoy :D
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well ... what a difference a day (and a different ringcraft training class) makes
OMG, everyone was positive, Esme behaved herself (only took the little one this time) and had some nice comments from a few people
Im knackered now so will post again tomorrow, but wanted to say thanks for the recommendation and everyones help/kind words
Cheers
Phil
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Well, I think I've got the bug, I've started the hard work and Esme is now finaly started walking to heel and beginning to strut her stuff, I've handstripped her head and the bald stripe I put in whilst stripping and talking to someone (wont make that mistake again :005:) has started to fill in
I've been looking at tables and some better /expensive scissors (mine push the hair as much as cut it)
Im off to united spaniels at Ryton (cov) tomorrow with my daughter Grace and hope to meet a few more from here :D
Phil
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See you there :D you can't miss us 2 blacks and a tri who likes to give kisses :o
Sarah and Emily
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superb :D, we all :luv: :luv: :luv: :luv: cocker kisses
in fact it was the first thing my daughter taught mabel to do :005:
we plan to go early and have a little walk about / find people
hope to see you there :D
Phil
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See you tomorrow Phil and Grace (and Sarah & Emily), just heard from Bev (Loppylugs) and she'll be there too. Looks like a lot of cockers going to be there this week ;) We'll be as near to Ring 1 as possible I guess. In after the Americans :D
Remind me not to get distracted this week! It cost me £18 for the waistcoat that Meg had not only chosen, but got waiting in the bag with a stall holder waiting to be paid >:( I couldn't tell him to take it out of bag and hang it back up at that point could I ;)
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thats where the £20 note all of a sudden becomes a £5 note :005:
see all there you there tomorrow
Phil