Dog Fair Day

Well, we just returned from the Dog Fair. The folks we had invited to join us fizzled out at the last minute, so it was just Michael & I. Since I was most interested in seeing the dogs, anyway, I didn't mind too much; however, they missed out on the homemade biscuits I brought to share with their pooches. It was probably good from another perspective, too, since I was able to talk to the exhibitors without feeling like I had to entertain anyone.

First, we talked with Sharon & Sue, who exhibit their Clumbers every year. They seemed to be having a good time. If Goldie and Win were tired of meeting their adoring public, they seemed to perk up a bit at the sight of homemade biscuits. (In case you were wondering, yes, I've been distributing these like mad. It's all part of my grand scheme to eventually build a dog biscuit empire. Don't tell my husband.) The Clumbers were, as always, a BIG hit, and doing their best to lure unwary passersby with their cute, innocent expressions. Great job, Sharon, Sue, Goldie & Winston.

We also met some very nice Newfie people. They own a local business, and we recognized them from their shop. They were grooming their adorable Newf Count Baisie, who was laying on the grooming table-- there was almost more dog than table! I picked up a couple of ideas for dealing with Wooster's extra-persistent undercoat, which was nice.

We also took some time to talk to a couple of Irish setter breeders, who talked to us about some of the finer points of conformation in their breed. I knew them from my conformation classes with Watson, so enjoyed catching up with them. They're a mother and daughter team, and the mom has been in Irish setters since 1969. Unlike Clumbers, they were telling us they've seen litters of 17 pups. (I think this is rare-- but 10 are not at all uncommon!) This probably explains why they said they also only have a litter about every 18 months!

So it was educational, plus just good fun petting all the dogs. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! (Oh, and we really liked their new venue at the Alliant Energy Center, too!)