Cinnamons turn

Well last week it was Tennants turn to be the cover star, and this week Cinnamon gets a chance to shine as she is the "new face" of  the "Devon Microchipping" business, and looking every inch the diva! More details here www.devonmicrochipping.co.uk if anyone would like their litters or adult dogs microchipped.

its all about Tennant!

Like buses......you wait for ages and then they all come along at once.....this time its not just Tennant on the cover of a magazine, but its Buck and me too! Here we are after a lovely morning hunting rabbits on the farm, what fun times the three of us had together then. Meanwhile the rain has temporarily left Devon, the sun is shining, and Basnicky has taken up residence in a sunny beer barrel plant pot!

Tennant and Chips

Thought it was time that Tennant had some airtime on the blog, so here he is after winning reserve BOB at Cornwall Gundog Club show......posing by the pond and looking all gorgeous and handsome.
An interesting conversation at the show with a woman about microchipping, and she just couldnt accept that her "trained gundog" should be chipped as she said it was so well trained it would never leave her side.

"Well thats just fine, but what about if you have a car accident and the dog runs off in a panic from the scene" I said.......her answer? "Oh hes too well trained for that"!!!!!! Sometimes I despair about people and their stupidity!!!!!...so while we are on the subject, just a quick note to remind anyone interested, that I am a qualified microchipper, so if you would like your dog or your litter microchipped please dont hesitate to get in touch.

Days like these......

Days like these dont come along too often.......spending every moment doing something that the hounds and dogs love, good company,scrummy cakes & sunshine!! it started off well when the post arrived and in it was the certificate from the KC confirming Candle was a "Champion". Then Sharon and Bill (Newman) arrived with some lovely cookies and cakes, and walked a line for Gerty, which she flew round!  Its a real shame I havent had a chance to get her to her sheep test before the trials as she really doesnt enjoy being hunted leashed, and once the lead is dropped she flies ahead with great style; I think Im going to struggle to hunt her on a leash next month :(
After lunch we all went out to the fields and did some dummy training with Skarlat and Tennant. They are half brother/sister, and watching them work was really interesting, and Skarlats drive and tenacity rather impressive.
After dinner in the evening we took Flint out with the lamp to catch some bunnies for the ferrets breakfast, but sadly there were few about last night and he didnt get a run atall. Big disapointment for Flint.

Thankyou to Sharon for these two lovely photos of Gerty coming in at the end of her line, plus Skarlat & Tennant relaxing after their training.

Miss Dis-Graceful

"Farlap Graceful" is Gertys sister and we are lucky in that we get to see her quite often. It doesnt matter how cute and irresistable she was as a baby, she is certainly living up to the breeds reputation for being naughty in her adulthood and her owner has just given me an uptodate list of what shes managed to destroy/consume so far. No wonder shes been renamed "Dis" Graceful!!! It should be added that this is a hound thats never left alone, so shes not bored and alone, shes just a normal if slightly naughty bloodhound, so well worth thinking about before new owners take on this breed!!
Heres the list:

Large stones

Carrier bags 

Several dinners out of the cooking pot 

Sun glasses and Reading glasses 

Socks,Pants,Tea towels/clothes 

3 children's gates fixed to the wall

Laptop charger and Mobile phone 

Granite table 

The corners of the work top

 Rearranged the entire garden 

Several dogs beds 

Garden furniture the garden table was completely destroyed

Pulled the entire working of my rear lights from the inside of my golf 

Several boots wellies & shoes 

Oh and pulled down the lounge curtains

Not bad work in 16 months........and here she is with her partner in crime, a short legged one!

Constant & Benedict

It was lovely to receive some new photos of Constant and Benedict (aka Harry and Berty!) today. Im so lucky that these two boys live nearby and I get to see them regularly.

Miss Eden is a star

Farlap Bargain (aka Miss Eden) went off for a quiet day in the cotswolds at the weekend, and came away with a working trials permit!!! Well done to Peter and Jo and Eden too of course, I know how much training they have done and Im one very proud granny! Here she is on the day at the start of her permit line. Cant wait for her to start trialling next season.

The Richmond Dilema!

We had a great day at Richmond Championship Show, which was only deflated by the number of absentees, that made the entry so poor. What a shame. Never the less we were thrilled that under Zena Thorn Andrews, Ch. Farlap Candle won her 4th CC and BOB, Farlap gertrude won res CC, and Farlap Baffled won Best Puppy. As Baffle hasnt had his mugshot on the blog for a while I decided to get some up todate photos taken of him, so here he is at 8 months old.

Going BOB also put us in rather a dilema about going into the group under a judge who has had a considerable influence over the potential future of our breed, and not in a way that I personally approve of...... My final decision was not to go under this judge, and fortunately every other bloodhound exhibitor I discussed it with, was in full agreement with my decision.

Mr T has it covered!

Tennant is a cover boy today, starring on the front cover of Countrymans Weekly magazine. What a star!

Wet wet and wetter!

We have now had 48 hours solid rain and the hounds are officially fed up. After the 5th walk of the day, and my third change of clothes after yet another soaking, I decided enough was enough and Id spend an hour or two in my office instead. The hounds had all gone to bed in disgust at the weather, and Gyp, who appears to have some horrendous medical and life threatening allergy to rain, came into the office with Baffle and me. Typically Baffle settled down in his spot and was snoring as per usual, and I popped back into the house to get a coffee.......when I came back, this is what I found!!! Gyp is now going t be my PA, but his telephone manner needs a bit of work!

More tales from the Life of Brian!

Bran and his humans went to the St Hubert show in Belgium this weekend, it was the 1st time in the ring for both owner and hound, so quite a big moment. Their 3rd place, amongst 6 puppy dogs, was a brilliant achievement. Then as if that wasnt enough excitement in one day, they did a "search" through the town, and bearing in mind all the hounds and people there, its quite incredible that Bran succeeded and found Christine with all those distractions. Here they are on the line through the town, and then relaxing afterwards...well done to Bran, Robert and Christine, from a very proud granny!

Looking a little bit sheepish

Gerty has been doing some more sheep training today so that when we get a chance to take her for her stock test, she will be thoroughly used to them. Shes so used to seeing sheep on the farm that she doesnt take much notice, but of course once shes hunting and her adrenalins flowing it could be a different story.......hence the training regime! Todays damp weather has also been ideal for lines, and hopefully we will do some more hunting with her tomorrow, which will be much more enjoyable than trapesing all the way to Nottingham for the bloodhound show. We are sorry to be missing showing under a judge we respect so highly, but its just too far to drive there and back in a day, and I really am feeling a little tired of shows right now, with their pitifully low entries it hardly seems worth going.