NEWS

This message was first posted in June and perhaps it is time it was repeated.  Pat McKay has generously given permission for her book "Natural Immunity" to be made freely available to all for downloading, as it is now out of print and no longer available from the bookshops.

www.dogsonholiday-uk.com/PDF/Natural_Immunity_Pat_McKay.pdf

 Click on the above link to read or print out the booklet.

Blaze with his brothers Cawley and Mirk enjoyed a herding lesson on Monday.  Mirk - formerly Murphy - shows great talent and is already several lessons ahead of his brothers, and Cawley again produced some nice efforts. We were delighted to see Blaze begin to waken up to this new game as well.

The above picture shows him circling the flock at a nice distance, clearly he isn't as willing to get up close with these woolly things as his brothers are!

All three will be taking part in the forthcoming Beardie Herding Event to be held at Pickering in a fortnight, and we look forward to meeting up with litter sisters Milly and Willow who also intend to be there.

For more information about the event please visit the herding website www.spanglefish.com/HerdingBeardies

Just a little brag from Creaglion, slightly belated so apologies to Kirstine, proud owner and trainer!

Creaglion came joint second in their recent competition at training classes, winning a nice diploma and a new toy, the toy being greatly appreciated.  Creaglion is being trained with the clicker method and having a lot of fun - of course like all of Meg's pups he is super-intelligent and learns fast.

Well done the pair of you and congratulations from all of us here.

All three babies continue to do well, they now have their eyes open and are fairly mobile, and able to chase their mother around the whelping box when they need her!

She still cares for them diligently, but allows herself "time off" for her other pursuits as well.

New photos will be posted to the dedicated page for your enjoyment!

Diva's pups are one week old today and are growing really fast!  She rarely leaves them (except for her morning walk which she refuses to miss even for her new family) and spends all day either feeding them, washing them, or cuddling them. The four of them are all very affectionate with one another, and love to cuddle up, this pose is very typical and extra cute!

All the love and good care they are receiving from their mum is obviously just what the puppies need to thrive, they are gaining weight almost visibly, and all are over two pounds now, with the boy at a magnificent 2lb 4oz - well done Diva!

We are happy to announce the safe arrival of Diva's new litter of THREE very large, very fat, plainly-marked and totally beautiful puppies - two girls and a boy.  Mother and babies now doing well after rather a traumatic start with the first girl being a difficult breech delivery which left us all in need of the Rescue Remedy!

Diva has settled down nicely enjoying cuddling her little family, and we don't anticipate any problems.  For us it will be something of a luxury caring for a mere three puppies after our recent eleven, but we do realise there are going to be some very disappointed prospective puppy owners. (Note:  we have details of another Beardie litter elsewhere with a couple of nice pups still unsold, please contact us ASAP if you would like some information)

As ever, it won't be a question of first come, first served, but a thoughtful attempt to place these precious bundles in the very best and most suitable homes where they will be loved and cared for as they deserve.

Just time for a quick update on our mum-to-be!

Diva has struggled a bit today, she didn't want her breakfast and has only had a bowl of goat's milk for her evening meal.  She has put herself in the whelping box and dug up some newspapers, in between sleeping peacefully.

It looks as if we won't have much longer to wait before the patter of tiny paws, so fingers crossed everybody please for a safe and speedy delivery.

Another Beardie Herding Event is being planned for November, to coincide with the North of England Bearded Collie Club Championship Show - the show is on Sunday 23rd and the Introduction To Herding on Monday 24th.

All are welcome at this event including absolute beginners and any spectators who would enjoy watching dogs using their natural talents in a controlled, but still fun, environment. For more information please see the Herding Beardies website www.spanglefish.com/HerdingBeardies

We're pleased to say that a couple of Talraz youngsters have already put their names on the list to take part, and it looks like being something of a family reunion.

Diva will of course be hugely disappointed not to be able to join us, but she expects to be otherwise engaged on maternity duties!

WE are pleased to say that Murphy seems to be very happy to be back with his family, and doing very well.  A visit to the lovely Liz Harris, McTimoney chiropractor, has brought dividends, and with his neck, back, and pelvis now working in harmony, he is shaping into a beautiful free stylish mover.

He loves his herding lessons and is making progress already, Diva had better watch out as she has serious competition here!

The return to the natural diet also seems to be suiting Murphy, we have noticed he is much calmer, and more able to concentrate.  With a little more muscle, he seems physically more balanced too, and is making a nice young dog.

In the meantime, thank you for all the wonderful offers, but it looks like just the right home has come along for Bella, and we wish her much happiness in her new life with Karen, Neil, and family, plus Mickie the Beardie of course.

Genuine offers of homes for older Beardies are always appreciated and will be passed on, where appropriate.

Just back from a successful day out at this friendly limited show held at Ganton, a mere half an hour's drive away, so as we thought a nice little run out to give young Blaze some experience.  We entered Honey too, to give him some company and moral support.

The day started well with Blaze winning the AV Minor Puppy class, and continued with Honey winning both of her classes and eventually Best in Show.  Somewhere along the way we also picked up a "lucky catalogue" prize of a rather delicious-looking bottle of wine.

And finally young Blaze went on to be awarded Reserve Best Puppy in Show, so obviously it was our lucky day!

Both dogs received some lovely compliments from our showing friends, and from the judge Mrs Marilyn Pursglove (Roguesmoor)

 Our lovely Princess Jessica today celebrated her 13th birthday by doing all the things she likes best.  A morning walk, enjoying the interesting scents amongst the autumn leaves, was followed by paw washing and a  good grooming session.........    

The birthday girl  had her favourite breakfast of fresh chicken before posing for a couple of photos.....

She then told us that it had all been marvellous fun, but it was high time she retired for her nap, and, within minutes was snoring away in her usual fashion in her Princess Bed.....

        Happy Birthday Dear Jessica, Happy Birthday To You!!!!!!!

Young Blaze had his second trip to a dog show yesterday when he accompanied Honey to the N.E. of England Working & Pastoral Breeds Open show on a slightly muddy Newcastle racecourse.

He behaved beautifully and took everything in his stride despite only having attended one ringcraft class in his life, which is a great tribute to his steady amiable temperament, and we were delighted with a third place in a strong puppy class.

Honey turned in her usual sprightly performance, showing no trace of the mysterious lameness which afflicted her in the ring last weekend in Scotland, to take second place in the Limit class.

Judge was Irena Fransson (Beardcapers) all the way from Sweden. We were so pleased when she awarded Best of Breed to the veteran Ch Kiltondale McAuley.  At rising ten years old Blaze's grand-dad could still outmove many Beardies half his age, well done!

Diva  has finally decided that she may have to take life at a slightly slower pace. Though she still can't resist a game of ball she runs out of steam quickly, and certainly can't find the extra speed for her favourite activity of  herding. This photo was taken on her last outing with the sheep about two weeks ago.

We look forward to the safe arrival of her litter due 27/10/2008 - sire is the handsome Rum, pictured below. For more information about him please visit the website of Ramsgrove Bearded Collies.

Several of these puppies have already been spoken for - depending of course on what we get! - but genuine enquiries are still welcome,  though we reserve the right to put all enquirers through a rigorous selection programme! ( And we are VERY fussy so be warned!!!)

 Please note these puppies will be naturally reared onto a raw diet, and will definitely NOT be available to their new homes until January 2009. Sorry but we cannot consider any "Christmas puppy" plans.

We were delighted to hear that Sally (Zotti-Floppy Black Rosella) went Best of Breed at the Club-Show in Bavaria on 28th September.

Sally is our Lulu's grand-daughter, a cousin to our dear old Jessie, and Liz had the pleasure of meeting her personally when judging in Germany in 2006.  It's lovely to hear how well she is doing round the shows, a great legacy for her breeder the late Frau Heidi Wicklein too.

Well done Sally and team!

In all the excitement of Murphy's return home, Honey and Ellie's placings at the BCC of Scotland Championship Show held on 4th October somehow failed to get a mention, so time to put that right!

It has to be said that Honey had an off day, going inexplicably lame in the ring, though still coming in third in the Post-Grad Bitch class.  Ellie went well to take reserve in Limit, and both girls enjoyed meeting friends old and new at this happy show where the persistent rain failed to dampen the spirits of the hardworking committee.

Judge was Mrs Denise Barley (Runival)

We saw another side to this youngster when we took him to meet the sheep yesterday.

No larking around, he was a study in concentration and showed tons of confidence and natural ability.  His five minutes in the pen was a great eye-opener.  He spent most of the rest of the day sleeping off his adventure, no doubt dreaming about the sheep!

So far he is settling here nicely, he seems to know where he is, and is quite relaxed and eating well. His conjunctivitis seems to be very much improved too.  Rabbit for breakfast this morning and he is thrilled!

Diva in the meantime continues to blossom and is beginning to find it a little harder to keep up with her energetic daily routine.  Soon we will have to prepare the maternity area for her litter which is not far off now, due on Monday 27th or thereabouts.

Fingers crossed for a safe delivery!

Murphy will be returning to us this weekend.

Now aged seven months, this lively tricolour boy has come unstuck from his first home through no fault of his own, and we will shortly be looking for just the right people for him.

He has some gaps in his education, but is very loving, adores children and other dogs, is clean in the house and walks beautifully on the lead.  His bad habits include chewing, digging and some degree of separation anxiety.

He is a quality puppy with all the essentials to give someone a lot of fun in the show ring - above a "happy snap" - ungroomed - at age six months.  We also feel that with his enthusiastic and energetic nature he may enjoy some kind of work too, perhaps herding or obedience/agility.

The right home is out there and in the meantime he will be here receiving some valuable life lessons from his mum Meg.

Many thanks to David and Elinor who have been acting as "foster parents" to Murphy, and have already put in so much work on him. Their kindness is much appreciated by all of us!

Liz and friend Linda enjoyed a trip to Belfast Championship Show this weekend plus the four Beardies Honey, Ellie, Nellie and Kelly - needless to say the similarity of three of the dogs' names led to some confusing moments at times!

We all had a lot of fun and were treated to some great Irish hospitality, many thanks to Deirdre and Claire who put themselves out to ensure we had a pleasant stay.  All the dogs were placed, our own team had a second in Post-Graduate (Honey) and a second in Limit (Ellie), the latter being especially pleasing as it gave Ellie her Stud Book number, and lifelong Crufts qualifier which she so deserves, well done Ellie!

We had a pleasant journey down from Stranraer back home, including a lovely run for the four dogs in Galloway Forest Park, which at that time on a Monday morning we had completely to ourselves, bliss for the dogs after having been on their best behaviour for so long!

We're happy to report some cat news for a change.

It's only taken a month but the beautiful and condescending Dillan has finally decided to accept the friendly advances of the new baby, the Ragdoll kitten now named Kit (Sekep Knight Rider).

From growling, spitting and leaving the room she progressed through curiosity to acceptance and then to a cautious friendship.  Of course she still has other, grown-up interests, but will play with her adopted baby brother quite nicely when she is in the mood.  So lovely to see!

Very unusually for us we elected to do two shows in one weekend, and even more unusually we couldn't have picked a better couple of days, as the weather has suddenly turned gloriously warm and sunny after a miserable wet couple of weeks.

The Bearded Collie Club Open Show near Leicester on Saturday was a great day for Ellie, she pulled out all the stops to win the Open Bitch Class and eventually Best Bitch and Best Opposite Sex in Show.  Her sister Diva had a rare show outing too, and took first place in the Special Working class, and Honey had a good second in the Graduate class.  Judge was Mr Barry Canty (Bargemon)

On Sunday Blaze made his debut at the Driffield Championship Show, and pleased us with his happy laid-back attitude and a Crufts qualifying third place in Minor Puppy Dog.

The girls did their bit too, Honey taking yet another reserve in the Post-Graduate class (she seems to be making a habit of that!) and Ellie VHC in Limit.  Judge was Mrs Althea Richardson (Caramac)

Congratulations to young Cawley (Talraz Piece of Heaven) who today attended his first show - Darlington Championship Show - at the tender age of six months and a few days.

He not only came up clean and white despite the muddiest conditions ever imaginable, but also smiled and wagged his way through the Minor Puppy Dog class to come out with the first prize.  He then topped that by taking Best Puppy Dog.

The girls Honey and Ellie were slightly put in the shade by their sparkling young companion, but managed to both take the reserve placings in their respective classes, Post-Graduate and Limit, under judge Mrs Chris Hardy (Otterswish).

Cawley's proud "mum" Christine had her camera at the ringside and we have some nice photos to remind us of a super start to Cawley's showing career.

Oh and a special thanks to Jan Wood for a wonderful picture of the famously awful MUD, at the show now re-christened Mudlington!!

Well sadly Murphy's first home did not work out - it's a long story - and he will shortly be returning to us.

Now aged six months, Murphy is urgently in need of a calm, loving, stable environment to bring out the best in him, and we hope the right people are out there somewhere....he's a lovely, happy boy who adores all people and animals. Thanks to David and Elinor in Scotland who have stepped in as foster parents in the meantime, despite a houseful of demanding Beardies of their own!

Murphy should be returning home in a couple of weeks.

Mud and rain was the order of the day for this unlucky show, so we thought it unfortunate that this was Ebony's first introduction to the show scene!  Luckily she was not in the slightest put off by anything and thoroughly enjoyed her day out, only objecting when she was needed to wait her turn briefly on a bench...this is boring....I can't SEE anything, she told us, and at the first opportunity was back in the thick of things, meeting new friends and exploring all the exciting smells.

In the ring she managed to remember enough of her training to get by, and we were delighted to receive a VHC from judge Mrs Toni Teasdale in quite a strong Minor Puppy Class in which she was one of the youngest, and looking quite raw compared with some of the others.

Honey and Ellie took their turns in Post-Graduate and Limit classes respectively, both gaining reserve placings, before the long drive back home.

Today Meg's babies born in March are six months old, wherever does the time go?

A few are poised to start their show careers shortly, and one or two have already been entered at the shows.  Ebony will be the first to make her debut - and Cawley, Clive, and our own boy Blaze are shortly to follow their sister's lead.

Good luck to all and we'll see how the first few outings work out......

Congratulations are due to Annett Zink in Germany who recently took the necessary wins to make her young Beardie boy Tom a German Youth Champion.

Tom (Pretty Bear Just a Wish) is a son of the newly crowned French and International Champion Talraz Mc Laren, litter brother to our Diva, and the family back home is very proud of them both - well done Annett.

Above a couple of photos of Tom in action in the show ring, looking a very happy and confident young man!

Thanks to Alyse for some lovely pictures of Ellie busy with her latest project.  Together with her friends Molly the Great Dane and Olly the Yorkie X she is fully employed as builders' assistant and supervisor with special reference to any digging which needs doing.

Here she is in action.  The ball has an important role to play as well.

In the meantime Ellie's sister Diva has been to visit a very handsome stud dog and is now safely mated, so fingers crossed for a happy outcome and the patter of tiny Beardie paws in nine weeks' time!

Honey was pleased to see her slate brother Jake when he visited for grooming yesterday, as he was always one of her favourites - she was the only girl in the litter and had eight brothers

 Although it's slightly blurred we all liked this head study of Jake after his bath and groom, as we thought it showed his likeness to his handsome sire Murry (Ch Merrythorpe Mulberry) - the same soft yet alert expression.

Thanks to Bill also for taking our Ruby (Jake's mum) for a lovely long walk while Jake was having his makeover, she really appreciated it!