It's April 15...this must be the blog post for...JANUARY 31st, 2010

Raise your hand if you think I do all this dog stuff for the thrill of the big prizes, fame, glory, professional photographs and nice suits with pockets (stuffed with liver treats)?

Judge Klaus Anselm, and "Cali" Ebbtide As You Wish with me handling. Miss Cali won BEST OF BREED BRED BY EXHIBITOR, AND FIRST PLACE IN THE HERDING GROUP BRED BY EXHIBITOR COMPETITION at Golden Gate KC 2010 show.

Ooops - she also won WINNERS BITCH and 2 points toward her AKC championship that day! Cali is owned by Judi Scherrer and yours truly. We are a great team!

Back to my question: The answer - Hell NO!

I do it for FUN! And this was, quite possibly, the most fun I'd had EVER! You see, I never went to a summer camp as a kid...sniff...but I camped, alrighty! YOU bet - with my parents and 4 sisters and our little trailer all over the USA. It was great! But never a CAMP CAMP...you know: two weeks away from your parents, matching t shirts, and other stuff I'm not quite sure of...But I realized the people who've recently (past 5 years, I'd say) bought some Ebbtide dogs and go to dog shows with me, and all our shenanigans, could qualify as an All Year Long Summer Camp. So that was part of my inspiration. Then I saw THIS:

Michael Miller is an exciting fabric manufacturer - you can check them out here: http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/Swatch.cfm?&Kwds=flowers

They designed this display for a fabric show (FABRIC show?! who knew?). Of course, the teardrop trailer caught my eye, but it was the sign that set things in motion.

After about 10 hours working on my own Camp Ebbtide handmade sign (you think I'm kidding?!) , purchasing 6 Coleman doggie sleeping bags, bribing family members to take the kayaks to the lake (during one of the rainiest months on record),

sing around a campfire (between rain storms)

and make s'mores (during a clearing),

we were able to create our own CAMP EBBTIDE (in the dry indoors):

Yes, those ARE doggy-sized pillows and pillowcases with the doggy-sized sleeping bags! omg.

We need to add the stars of the show - on the right side:

Cali, Spencer, Beau and JJ (left to right, above)

Add 5 Aussies and one "honorary Aussie" and you get the totally completed Ebbtide bench:

Jack the Sheltie, Gotcha, Cali, Spencer and Beau (JJ didn't fit in this shot)

Yes, that IS log cabin wallpaper behind the dogs. No, smarty pants, I did NOT have to Overnight Shipping to get it here. Or anything else I ordered this year - THAT is a BIG WIN!

What did we win? Who cares! We looked AWESOME and we had a BLAST!! Isn't that what matters???

More results next post! But a clue: Gotcha and Fennel win in Obedience, Beau is undefeated, JJ learns humility and Spencer and Jack have fun, no matter what!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!!

Click on the photo to see the details and read the caption.

Yeah. That's us - Big news in the SF Examiner! Me leading Cali (Ebbtide As You Wish) out of the 9-12 class 2nd place win, Judi and Emmy (Ebbtide Handful Of Wishes), 3rd. But really, reporter: "Owners and presenters " ? That would be HANDLERS, Ms. Reporter. sheesh. Uhmm, also check your facts: 1485 dogs entered. I guess that's nearly 2000...

And how fortuitous that my face has been cropped (thank you, very much!), Judi is BEHIND me and Sheila is in background....and, oh, dear, it looks like narcolepsy has claimed yet ANOTHER Ebbtide friend!

But what happened to those precious photos the reporter took of the incredibly photogenic Ebbtide pups and Mr. Spencer doing his famous "Pretty Please" sit up trick??? That, THAT, faithful reader, is front page stuff.

Thanks to My People #2 : Trish Maddan, and her mom & grandma, for finding, clipping and sending the pics. Yessirree: it takes a village.

Cow Palace : You Gotta Have Your People

Since the yahoos - - - I mean the enthusiastic Ebbtide dog owners excluding Ann - - (referred hereafter as My People) -- were so adamant on participating at the 2009 Cow Palace show, they were summoned by the Queen -- I mean Ann -- to attend to Her Highness and the 5 Ebbtide dogs that were entered for the weekend. To keep Her People happy, Ann had specially designed grooming smocks for everyone to wear - thanks to our friends at Gaitway, Bonnie & Mo! With the snappy EBBTIDE emblazoned on the chest and individual names for the experienced grooming staff (keep working, Cathy B!), they were a picture of The Strong, The Proud, The Competent, The ....what the...?

Yeah, well, I was just hoping...Instead, left to right: Susan looking a little stressed; Trish, hmm - just there; Judi, wildly excited; and CathyB, who it looks like forgot her narcolepsy meds. PEOPLE! Can we just smile nicely for the camera??!!

Just like the dogs, it took my appearance to get things in order:

There. Maybe CathyB was too tired from all that ironing the day before? But...I'd say overall we look quite professional, don't you? Yeah, go ahead and hold that thought. Because this is the Real Team Ebbtide:

PEOPLE! Show some respect...(glad CathyB's meds kicked in)...I have to admit: I promised My People we would "go and have fun" at the Cow Palace. They like fun, My People. So do I. After almost 39 years showing dogs, I have to have fun when I go to shows...why go if you can't have fun??!! It certainly helped pass the time on the bench from 10 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday...especially since the colorful ribbons we won did not include those all important colors of blue or purple or purple/gold. But we happily applaud our more successful Aussie friends in their endeavors that day. We met lots of new people, including this young girl, who could easily qualify for membership on the Ebbtide team (see photo above for reference).

But look how nicely behaved those 4 eleven month old puppies are?!?! Good dogs. And of course, Mr. Spencer being an impeccable role model.

Interestingly, this weekend My People were heard grumbling that I "spoil Mr. Perfect JJ". Apparently, even though I am constantly picking up the pieces of Dog Owners With Good Intentions But Shoddy Disciplining Skills (ahem), I am not allowed even a little slack with JJ...here is incriminating evidence of #1 Assistant Judi caught in the act of taking JJ's toy away from him...

You are so busted, #1.

Later, My People were delirious with joy that JJ could show like the trooper I knew he was and come home with WINNERS DOG and that crazy 4-point major (read: Big Deal). Not to be outdone, CH Spencer CD, was then handed over to his owner, Mean Judi (above), to show in the Best of Breed class. With my impeccable instructions ("Just don't screw him up, Judi"), I sent them into the Best of Breed ring:

Judi: See how the person in front of you is SHOWING NECK??!!

I then continued to show JJ in Best of Breed. Things got a little blurry here...but check it out:

I'm thinking here "Wow - she's nice! How are we gonna beat HER??" (We didn't ;-) Congrats to Melissa and her Puppy Group 1 win, too! Yowza!

To our delight, Spencer & Judi were awarded the coveted purple & gold ribbon for BEST OF BREED ! Wow! My People were over the top!

Thanks to My People's great grooming skills, the balance of our dogs won :

Cali (Ebbtide As You Wish) was 2nd place both days;

Emmy (Ebbtide Handful of Wishes) was 3rd and 4th;

Beau (Ebbtide Wish On A Rainbeau) was 4th on Saturday

Way to go, puppies!!

Since Spencer was the Best of Breed winner, he advanced to the HERDING GROUP (with Ann handling) and showed beautifully to a 4th PLACE in the HERDING GROUP!! Thanks, GGKC, for the classy AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD sign in the group! Here's a fuzzy pic of Spencer & I out in the Group ring, free stacking to the judge, who is off to the left:

That nice silver bowl on the table? Not ours. It was won by the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Which reminds me of a funny moment: Susan and I listening to a well dressed, elegant woman tell us a story about a "Gorki". I was very good and didn't laugh - mostly because I thought it sounded like a great breed of Russian dogs. After the second time she said it, I had to say "Corgi - I think you mean Corgi". I couldn't let her sound silly all day...

Anyway, I'm seriously considering retiring from dog shows this week: Sunday's wins are going to be a hard act to follow...!

And for the record: We DID have fun. And not just because we won - maybe later I'll write about all that.

Or not...But just so you know: (1) You Gotta Have Your People and (2) You Gotta Have Fun.

Extreme Makeover - The Dog Show Episode

Imagine, if you will, a dog show person who is slightly addicted to HGTV. You know: Home and Garden TV channel? Although the lack of Garden is a crime and fodder for a future post.....but I digress...HGTV is home to endless home design, remodel, makeover and decorating shows. So it's not hard to imagine just what one slightly addicted frustrated home decorator dog show/gardener person might do in the slow gardening days of winter....

Here is the BEFORE shot of where we will display our dogs for the weekend of the Golden Gate Kennel Club (affectionately known as "The Cow Palace Show"):


What?!!?! Dark, dull AND dreary, you say??? hohohohoho - do not fear - Dog Show Bench Decorator is here!

All it takes is a little imagination and effort.

And a well-worn "Cow Palace" file, with detailed dimensions, calculations and secret website addresses. And about $400 (if my husband is reading this - $100). At least 5 shopping trips. At home. At least 1 more while I'm in San Francisco. Perhaps a shipment of fabric from Montana. Or two. And can you Rush that order? Frequent email exchanges between the Ebbtide Design Team. And design meetings. A sewing day . Photo shoots. Arriving one, maybe two days before the show starts. Did I say $400??? snort. Omigod. This woman is possessed.


Yes. Yes. Maybe I am...

And did I mention the generous folks of Golden Gate Kennel Club have now made the Bench Decorations a (shriek) Competition. One Hundred Dollars awarded to BEST DECORATED BENCH IN SHOW!!!!! ok - so maybe you're noticing the irony here, too...

Be that as it may, I have A Plan. And I will not be stopped. Even when Head Seamstress and Fabric Design Consultant Pam Michalek is sidelined due to a family emergency. nononono..... I will not be stopped. Even when #1 Assistant, Judi Scherrer, bails out of decorating day, citing some crazy-talk-thing : job-winery-website-deadline-its-our-paycheck-blahblahblah (sheesh - She needs to get her priorities straight!). I will not be deterred from creating the Benching Of My Dreams.

My Theme, you ask? Ah, thank you: Vintage Cowgirl. That's right CowGIRL. That's an important detail. But, wait, there's more. Old West Vintage Cowgirl. And it has to be comfy. "Comfy Old West Vintage Cowgirl"... yeah...yeah....

I arrive late Thursday with RV and a few materials (harhar). Slight glitch: where the bleep is my iron? ok - maybe we should just keep that our little secret.....but, to the rescue: Cathy Baird, owner of Ebbtide Wish On A Rainbeau "Beau" (and "Teka"). Armed with a cute dog, an iron, a bag of various cutting devices and her good humor, Cathy (hopefully not to her dismay) volunteers to "help" me on Friday set up the bench. And so we begin:


Cathy's skills at ironing press-on seam tape reach amazing heights. Ann performs magic with twine - yes, twine! Judi The Responsible Adult (zzzzzz) designs legendary posters. Even when the Evil Vendor tries to Thwart Our Plan by running over our ironing board, we persevere: We. Will. Not. Be. Stopped. We will give the Cow Palace the Mother Of All Dog Show Benches.

Yes we can.




A table for a photo album perhaps?


Just add 5 perfectly Western dogs to complete the room, err, I mean bench:


Left to right above: JJ, Emmy, Cali, Spencer and Beau.
Divine. Simply Divine.
Here's a closeup (below) of one of the Vintage Cowgirl Pillows. Oh yeah - and isn't that Emmy cute, too?


Big Beau gets the Big Pillow:


And this, faithful reader, is the last vignette of the Bench Of My Dreams, come true:

Cali, Emmy and JJ (age 11 months) are the perfect accessory to the Comfy Old West Vintage Cowgirl Bench.


Results? Results of the dog SHOW?? That's a whole 'nuther story.....stay tuned...





With apologies to Candace Olson, Karen McAloon and Barack Obama.

'til The Cows Come Home

If you were expecting this post to be about herding cows....sorry to disappoint. If you knew I was talking about San Francisco's Golden Gate Kennel Club's annual benched AKC dog show, you qualify for the Einstein Award. Yes sirreee folks: it's Cow Palace time!

How to start the love/hate relationship with this show? Although many of us love the only benched show in California (one of 2 on the West Coast!), it doesn't come easy: Two days of sitting from 10 am to 5 pm with your dogs un-crated; meeting and greeting thousands of spectators attending one of San Francisco's most loved winter events; the answering for the 10, 761st time "It's an Australian Shepherd". Even though your sign says: Ebbtide AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERDS. sigh. And remember to do it with a smile every time.


Truly the ultimate test in patience and graciousness. How did I do with that? Mostly good...I think.


If only I was as affable and obliging as my dogs. Ebbtide dogs have always believed all those people come to the Cow Palace to see THEM - no - to PET them. And so we go.


This show has traditionally been an entries limited show. Entries close waaayyy back in October. Right AFTER we got back from the ASCA Nationals in Las Vegas. Since we had so much fun in Vegas, the Team insisted we "take the puppies". The puppies being from the Famous ;-) Ebbtide Wish Litter : CH Tri-Ivory Make A Big Wish x CH Ebbtide Fern. ok. great. Four eleven month-old pups on the bench. yahoo. (For the record: Yes. Yes I am nuts.) And, of course, Ch. Ebbtide Fine Fellow CD "Spencer" would go, too.



To be a role model to the youngsters.....
SO, what puppies are going?
1. Ebbtide Careful What You Wish "JJ" black tri male
2. Ebbtide As You Wish "Cali" blue merle female, owned by Judi Scherrer and Ann Atkinson
3. Ebbtide Wish On A Rainbeau "Beau" blue merle male, owned by Cathy & Dave Baird & Ann Atkinson
4. Ebbtide Handful Of Wishes "Emmy" blue merle female, owned by Pam Michalek and Ann Atkinson (below)

All the pups are entered in the 9-12 month puppy class, except Cali will be shown in Bred By Exhibitor class on Saturday.


But it's not quite that simple.....first, you must decorate...