I havent been around much to post! I apologize! Bella and I have been attending handling classes and even though her first class she was so bad and we missed the second class due to the mail system losing my show lead and chain I ordered! We finally got back on track the next week and she improves with each class! She's still pretty miserable about getting examined but she's getting much better!

I hope my update finds everyone in good health and that all the puppies are happy and playful! I'll try and be around more often!

I'm glad she's doing good in her handling classes We need stack pictures :p

Ahhhhhh maybe when she gets better! Right now the instructor is just happy to get all of her feet under her! Lol

awww! hahah

Yeah she's still pretty terrified of being examined so we haven't gotten to actually getting her stacked. He tenses all if her muscles if you try to place her feet!

aww haha, stacking is hard. mine are terrible at it. good thing i don't plan on showing, except for fun dog events.

My instructor said I should enter into a match show with her in January for experience. She said it would be good experience for me/us. I'm a little nervous for that lol. I haven't decided yet.

So. We got a picture of it somewhat...but it's terrible!

So. Here it is for you, Jennet!



It's so bad! Plus my SO was just snapping pictures at this point X_X

Poor pup looks rough around the edges.

I c wut u did thar!

Go to the match! Matches are fun and don't be nervous, they are just for fun!

She sounds like Siku who is almost impossible to stack. Her legs go limp when I pick them up to stack her, though she free stacks pretty well. Elara keeps her legs stiff when I stack her, so it's much easier to put them in place. But she looks better when she free stacks. She always leans weird when I hand stack her. I'm sure it's something I'm doing wrong.

I can't stack her to save my life. And she won't let anyone else do it! She just tenses and she extends her nails so you can't place her foot flat! And I'm totally nervous I don't know if I should!

Awww she's looking good! Just practice a lot and give her good treats, like cheese for stacking

Are you friends with other people in the class yet? Maybe you could show someone else's dog in the match. It's great practice. Twice during an AKC show I've had other sibe owners have too many dogs win and go into the best of breed class. So they asked me if I could show their dog for them while they showed their other dog at the same time. It is weird showing another dog, but still fun. You might want to prepare for that, cause it seems like they pick the new or young people to show their dogs. Ones that aren't caught up in the politics yet. And oh boy are there politics! I'm learning that more and more, but just trying to stay away for it.

I put her on her lead everyday for practice, Jennete! (I try for a few times but sometimes that doesn't work!) I take her around the kitchen and then (attempt) to stack her. xD She has this really terrible habit of sitting down though on me at home. In the class she's not as bad and will only try and sit the first time I run my hand over her. I'm going to pick up string cheese later today for her! I'm giving her pieces of Lamb food roll for her treats right now that she only gets at the class!

Sara - I dunno if you could call us friends. lol but they are all really nice in the class!! They recommend other classes i can take and other handlers and give me advice! They're super nice. The instructor said last class that if I can learn to handle with a difficult dog it'll make things easier and she suggested the match show with Bella because it'll be a completely different environment than the class - so it'll be taking her out of something that she's getting used to and seeing how she'll do in that environment and give me more things to work on. I guess? I don't know .

What kind of politics? :o

Oh!!!!!!! I also attended my first ever show on the 17th! The one that you found Sara

I'm also really trying to go to The National Dog show. It's up here in PA near Philly and it's not very far from me!

Oh cool! How'd you like the show? I'm excited for the Eukanuba show in Orlando, FL coming in Dec. It's going to be HUGE!

I guess the area I'm in is very cut throat. You'll find judges who only pick professional handlers or certain kennels (they can see where the dogs come from before judging). It is frustrating to see a judge only pay attention to the big names and just barely even go over your dog. They make it kind of obvious sometimes. And you'll find that show people tend to group themselves in little clicks. Like I showed one guys dog and got a talking to from all the people I had been hanging out with, saying how I should avoid that guy and never make that mistake again. Such drama! But I just try to be nice to everyone and not to let anyone take advantage of me.

It was a lot of fun! I really -really- enjoyed it! I made my mother, father and boyfriend all go! We were there for about four and a half hours and had to leave before Best in Show because of my mothers back. It was a little hectic - it started raining on us for like an hour and a half and since it was outdoors - well, my boyfriend and I got all wet waiting for the Siberians - They were supposed to go at two but they ended up not showing until somewhere around four. So we watched the Malamutes, Dobes, Bernese Mt. Dogs all show in the rain. Before that we watched the small dogs because my mother wanted to see the Maltese.

We sat right up close to watch the Sibes so a bunch of the handlers and owners were gathered not too far from us. After the breed judging was done my boyfriend told me that the group of people there were bad mouthing the Sibe that won and saying a lot of not nice things and that he was really surprised at how they were acting.

Not this past Tuesday but the one before - there was a guy there that came over to me and was chatting with me about Bella - He was chairman of the show that we attended and is a Siberian Breeder who had one in that show. He was very nice and helpful! He roughly evaluated Bella for me outside and said that structurally she looks like a Siberian. He did say her eyes are a little too round and her tail curls too much but other than that she looks like a Siberian.

He helped me out a lot in the class too - showed me how to place her legs and pulled me aside to give me advice and tips. He spoke with my mother at length the entire time we were there and then spoke with me after the class. He kept telling my mother how much of a sweetheart Bella is and how beautiful she is as well as making sure to tell me the same thing .

After the class he took her into the ring and was just quickly walking her back and forth on her leash and saying how she's just an absolute sweetheart.

It was nice to hear that even though she isn't well bred that someone in the breed for so many years paid her so many compliments and had more good things to say than bad! Especially since you had told me some people can be really terrible (Like they were with you ).

Tossing a short update in.

Disappoint set in now. Pretty firmly. Bella had an incident with a German Shepherd over the weekend - long story short she got nicked on her back left leg (thankfully it wasn't anything worse as it could have been) and now she won't let anyone - not even me - go over her. So we're pretty much even back to square one - and unless she has a miraculous breakthrough - not even a match show is in our future. So unless I figure something out - Handling isn't in the equation for now.

side note - I'll be attending The National Dog Show in Oaks, PA November 19th just as a spectator. BUT! hopefully I'll get to see some baby Huskies while I'm down there :3! My mentor is having a litter due on the 7th!

AW!! poor Bella!

Poor Bella. Give her some time. Once the pain goes away she should be more comfortable with you touching her again. And there's always obedience, rally, and agility.