Australian Shepherds by Bit O’ Blarney: Dog and Cat Grooming, Boarding, and Loving in the Salinas, Monterey, and Santa Cruz Counties of California

Tanner’s second litter has arrived, with a bang!  They are out of Heatherhill’s Still Crazy (Chilly) a lovely BMB.

We have 7 nice babies, 3 BMB, 2 BTB, 1 BMM, 1 BTM

Tanner really wants to be a ‘paws on’ Dad, but Chilly has told him he will have to wait for awhile, before he can interact with them.

It has been years since puppies were born here at Bit O’Blarney, and we are all thrilled with this litter…stay tuned for updates and more pictures!

Tanner's first look at his kids!

1st place, Conformation Finals 2008!! What an honor!!!

We had a wonderful time in Las Vegas.  We stayed in the trailer @ the Oasis RV park.  What a nice place!  Very clean, and totally dog friendly… many clean, well fenced dog yards placed around the large park, laundry facilities and beautiful palm trees wrapped in twinkle lights…If you are ever in Vegas, and need a place to park your RV, Tanner & I can totally recommend the Oasis RV Park! Tanner was a ‘hit’ from day one!  Several people inquired about puppies and stud service, even before his “big win” on Monday night! From a huge entry, Tanner and Regi received a Premier on Friday at the Cascade Pre-show! Regi shows Tanner beautifully, and the pair of them look so ‘together’ in the ring… they both like to move out, and Tanner and Regi have ‘danced’ together often enough that they pretty well know each other’s moves, etc.  Kind of a Fred & Ginger sort of thing, I guess… it is really fun to watch!

Then, being one of the top 30 highest scoring dogs in the country, Tanner had qualified for and been invited to the conformation merit finals, on Monday night.  For those that aren’t familiar with this event…it is by invitation only…. for the top scoring 30 dogs in ASCA.  There are two categories, one for altered/neutered dogs and one for intact/unneutered dogs.  What a pageant! That gave a new definition to the term ‘3 ring circus!’ A panel of 3 judges each evaluate the dogs separately and award points on tally sheets.  Then those sheets are added up and the dogs are awarded in order of the total number of points they received.  Tanner WON it!  I was pleased and honored to have Tanner’s breeder, Alan McCorkle show Tanner for this special event.  Of course, I KNEW he was the best, but it was wonderful and such an honor to have the esteemed judging panel agree with me! (pictures posted soon, I promise!)  For the Best of Breed judging on Saturday, the judge found other dogs he liked better….(how is THAT possible?  <VBG>)

Chris & Ference Marki are great friends & traveling companions, and their dogs did well, also!  Maverick received a Premier award at one of the Pre-shows, and was also invited to the conformation merit finals for altered dogs!  He was awarded 4th place which was a wonderful honor for Chris.  She has showed Maverick herself all along, and done very well with him!

Delilah, Chris’ blue girl, had her first agility outing and received 2 Q’s!  Go Delilah!  She was also awarded a Premier in the Best of Breed judging on Saturday. ( I guess the judge wasn’t TOTALLY wrong…<VBG>)

We got to eat some fabulous food and see some amazing sights.  We met many people we had ‘met’ before, online… but now we have faces to put with names…all in all it was a great trip and a very successful one!

Tanner has been having a wonderful show season.  We would like to thank the judges who have selected him for top honors recently… from large entries of quality dogs! Regi is a fabulous handler and although she admits she prefers to show girls, Tanner has managed to convince her that boys are OK, too!! The two of them have allot in common, they both love to move, show and WIN!!

This past weekend, in Dixon, Tanner was a little distracted, as we had an ‘extra’ body on board for the trip… a tiny little orphan kitten that we are raising.  When she was found, her eyes were not yet open and she still had an umbilical cord!  Tanner was at first fascinated with her sounds, now he has appointed himself guardian and protector.  She is eating well and gaining weight… her eyes have opened and the first thing she saw was a big pink Tanner tongue!  It only takes a swipe or two of that tongue and she is soaking wet!  We have had a hard time deciding on a name, so right now we just call her “His”…(Tanner’s)

Although worried about his kitten, Tanner managed to take 2 BoB’s and one BoS in Dixon!!

Please go to Tanner in the Winner’s Circle to see pictures!

l-r Delilah, Hobie, Tanner & Maverick... doggie BFF's!!!!!

Tanner and I BOTH want to congratulate Chris Marki on her brand new Champions!!  Delilah finished at Santa Nella going WB twice, both for 5 point majors!  She was beautifully handled (as always) by Regi.  The best part was the look on Chris’ face when we both said “Congratulations!! “  We were pretty excited, and Chris seemed a little curious why we were SO excited… then we realized she didn’t realize that the last WB finished Delilah’s Championship!!  That little girl finsihed with three 5 point majors!

Then at Turlock, Maverick finished his ALT-CH!! Poor Maverick had about a million points, and 2 majors… but majors in Altered are very hard to find.  He went BoS in Turlock, and there was one male Special, so it made the required number and he finished!  It was such a thrill! Now it is Hobie’s turn……

We also want to congratulate Nancy!!  Little Slide, (Chance’s daughter) did really well in Turlock also… she and Regi hit it off right away and made a nice team.  Slide won her (large) class once and placed right up there in the other showings… I thought it was really great of both Regi and Slide, since they JUST met!