I should know better

The show season lurches into life again, and Velvet and Ella are learning the ropes.

They have very different attitudes.

V elvet, like her mother is, to put it mildly, enthusiastic....or, as most people would put it, lunatic. Ella, on the other hand, is unsure of big dogs, but obsessed by food. Both will require a little work.

I took both to a large open show recently. All kinds of dogs were there, and we found a place entirely surrounded by Siberians, many already bored enough to howl fervently. Ella tried to ignore them. Velvet screamed abuse at them, and then turned to reassure her friend that they had been dealt with. Ella was not convinced, and as we walked on, and Velvet stood on her hind legs to sniff the butt of a mercifully oblivious large deerhound, the little Chin gave me a look that clearly said "I am not with that pointy faced gaijin nutter".

Velvet in the ring was even more....enthusiastic, bouncing instead of walking, totally uncooperative on the table. Meanwhile, Ella had discovered that everyone had food. She crept on to my friend`s lap when the chicken appeared, giving her melting looks that clearly said "I am yours for ever - or until that runs out anyway". When the chap behind us produced a bag of sausage, she climbed over both of us and announced to him that she was now his dog - and did he have more of that lovely stuff at home? If he did, how soon could they go there?

I now had to take Merlin in. As usual he stood on the table with the attitude of a Victorian lady who is in dire need of her smelling salts. The kindly Irish judge, thinking he could do with some encouragement, gave him a big cuddle. Merlin was appalled. The more so as the man then examined his personal bits. He spent the rest of his time in the ring scowling at the person who had made those untoward advances and understandably did not do well. I returned him to his canvas crate, in which Boris was methodically digging an escape hole ( we will not go into Boris` escapade in the ring, involving creating an enormous puddle right in the middle of it), and returned to rescue Ella`s latest victim - she was now stalking people for their food as intensely as a vampire out for blood. I removed my altogether deplorable brood.

Solitaire has more to occupy her at the moment. and seems permanently puzzled by motherhood - how did it happen, what is she to do with these peculiar little beings., and could that nasty dog who did unspeakable things to her have anything to do with it?

However, she is coping perfectly well.

(Better than I am, when she asks out at 5am yet again.....)