The month started off with missing Windsor Champ Show with the Danes. Had to go and pick up one of the horses, Blue, from being out on loan for the past 6 weeks. Then another horse, Chief, had a problem with his mouth and had to be ridden in a bitless bridle. Then the fun started because Star was in season.

Erik and Flynn were separated from the girls and went to stay in the indoor kennels. Every morning when they were let out they would run round to the big gate and Flynn would sing to Star! Erik stuck his head through and tore up mouthfuls of grass with his teeth! The joys of having a bitch in season….

Star had her premate tests which revealed she was late in ovulating and she was mated on her 16th and 17th day. We chose Guy, an import from Norway, because he had the same sire as the Finnish Dane which I couldn’t mate Star to as I had to take her to Finland. The cost of getting her there and back on top of the stud fee made it too expensive. So Star was mated to Guy and we then waited to see if the mating was successful.

Is Daisy aware that Flynn is trying to kill some small creature behind her?

I also had Flynn, Star and JJ heart tested during July and the results were normal. So they had now been health checked for hips, eyes and hearts.

JJ giving her Mum, Daisy, a kiss!

Fairly quiet month. Blackpool Championship Show was one of the hottest days of the summer. I travelled up to Lancaster the day before and stayed at my Mum’s house overnight. In previous years it has rained and we’ve had gale force winds where the benching marquees have been blown over and the show has been abandoned!

Flynn winning Mid-Limit Blackpool Champ Show Photo by Maxine Abbott

Took Star to taunton Polo Club to see Jade play her first Polo Match. Another hot day!

Think it's about time Star had a new collar!

They looked like new with a fresh lick of paint!

Life would be dull without Erik!

Following on from Erik’s visit to the LUPA project in April, because of the concern for his irregular heartbeats, he was fitted with a holter. This had to be worn by him for 24 hours so the machine could monitor his heart in that period. Our Vets in Wellington fitted the gadget with the leads and pads and placed a large T shirt over him. Everything was going fine until I found Erik in the kitchen just after 6am with a guilty look on his face!! He had managed to chomp through the leads and ripped the Holter off…….urgghh!! Guess who had to pay for the damage? No it wasn’t Erik The Ringdown Ripper!!!

The information was retrieved from the Holter for the 16 hours Erik had managed to leave it alone. But it confirmed that Erik’s irregular heart beats were so numerous he could basically drop dead at any time. There was a suggestion that he be put on heart medication but I felt at his age (he will be 8 years old at the beginning of December) and because of the cruciate he had done on one of his back legs and the arthritis in both back legs, it wasn’t worth it. Besides he would have to wear another Holter for 24 hours to see if the medication was working and as he trashed the first one….

Erik still enjoying life!

We took JJ out to Tarr Steps, Exmoor for the afternoon. Think Paul went because he was lured by the promise of Sunday lunch. After doing the walk along the beautiful river bank, it was most unfortunate that the pub had stopped serving lunch by the time we got back! JJ enjoyed herself!

Rare photo of Paul on the end of a dog lead!

There had been some controversy about some of the Great Dane show people taking photos of exhibitors and their Danes at shows. Well I don’t mind them doing it and putting them on the internet and letting me use the photos. With two danes to show I cannot cope with taking a camera and taking photos. Their efforts are very much appreciated even if they do catch us in some interesting poses!!

                       ”It’s this big Star!”      Photo by Hilary Baker (Bath Champ Show)

Another photo taken by Hilary showing Flynn in an uncharacteristic reflective mood!

JJ and Daisy together and Erik lying on the patio   Photos by H Southwell

I can remember the weather continuing to be sunny and warm as we travelled to the shows during April. Even the Scottish Championship Show was blessed with great weather. And at the Working & Pastoral Breeds Association Championship Show I spent the afternoon sitting outside friends’ caravan and getting sunburnt!                   

Dog Days!!!!!

 During April Erik and Daisy went to Liverpool University for the LUPA project. This was Erik’s second time but the results showed that his problems had deteriorated at seven and half years old. He went on to wear a holter at home for what should have been for 24 hours. Unfortunately he chomped through the leads of the holter so we only had 16 hours of recorded material. But that demonstrated that his heart is in bad shape. Daisy on the other hand had a normal heart for a six year old Dane.  We got stuck in traffic on the M6 on the way home and Erik struggled with the heat as my air conditioning wasn’t working. Luckily I got him home ok!

Naughty boy Erik for Chewing the Holter and costing me more money!! Photo by Hannah Southwell

That time of year again when we kick off the shows with the Northern Great Dane Club Championship Show followed by Crufts. I took both Flynn and Star to Crufts with help on the day from Heather and Grant Everall.

Flynn in Mid Limit Dog Class at Crufts 2010    Photos by Hilary Baker and Michael Jacques

For the first time in 5 years I didn’t get placed with my Danes.

Star in Open Bitch Class Crufts 2010            Photos by Maxine Abbott and Marilyn Winyard

March was an unusally mild month and after one of the hardest winters I can remember, I was able to leave the horses out over night. During the day they had their rugs off but at night the rugs went back on. That is except for Roxy. She decided she had had enough of being rugged and took great pleasure in rolling in the grass and feeling the sun on her back. But then the inevitable happened. We needed rain and there was literally very little grass across all the fields. I still had to feed the horses haylage twice a day.

Star finished her season at the end of the first week of February and things seemed to get back to normal. I went round the kitchen and utility room and washed her ’slobber’ off the walls. Bless her!  The Colour Format Show went off alright. But then it started to snow again!

Each day it seemed to snow and then the sun would come out and it melted again. This went on for days! Hannah came to stay and she witnessed the snowy weather.  Not much good for taking photographs. By the end of February the snowdrops began to appear.  A good 4 weeks or more later than usual. The big thaw had begun!!

Then we had a few weeks of unseasonally warm mild weather….

At 7am on New Year’s Day I called the Veterinary Hospital to find out how JJ was.  The Vet had left a message on our answerphone about 2am to say he wasn’t too hopeful as the stomach had twisted and cut off the blood supply to a large area of the stomach wall. But the Veterinary Nurse said she had come through okay and had pulled her drip out twice.  I spoke to the Vet at 9am and he was surprised how well she was and even commented on her pulling on the lead when they took her out to relieve herself! He wanted to keep her in for another day and then hopefully I could bring her home.

On Saturday JJ was given the all clear to come home. The only trouble I had was getting the Van up the track as the ground was so icy. With a little help from a neighbour and a BT man we got the Van up the track and I was able to get into Wellington to pick JJ up. When I got her back that was the last time I was able to drive the van for 3 weeks!

The van stayed put for most of January!

When the time came for JJ to have her stitches out I was unable to coax her on to the back seat of the Navara Pickup and I had to take them out myself. The Vet didn’t get to see her for three weeks to do a post op check thanks to the weather!

Trusty Navara 4 Wheel Drive that went out each day to collect the Post from the Post Office

It snowed and snowed and didn’t melt. The horses had to stand in their stables for 5-7 days at a time. I would let two out at a time for half an hour in the snow. They rolled in and pawed at the snow and then soon got bored and wanted to come in. The worst was when the water pipes froze in the barns. For about 3 days I had to carry 24 buckets of water out of the house to the barns for the horses.  It was exhausting! The Danes played in the snow but they didn’t stay out for long!

Playing in the snow on the patio.

Erik was obssessed with eating snow. Made a change from ripping up quilts!

By the end of January I had had enough of the Artic conditions. Star came in season. I couldn’t put any of the Danes in their thermostatically heated kennels and heat lamps in the new barn. I told myself it was far too cold and Star came into the main part of the house. But with the hard winter and various other things going on I decided to postpone mating Star for another six months. With 6 horses, 5 Great Danes, 1 Duck Toller and a cat I was exhausted and very tired……

On 9 December the Apache litter are 3 years old….doesn’t time pass quickly!  Erik shares the same birth date and he is 7 years young!

From little acorns big Great Danes grow!!

JJ is three years old! Happy Birthday Miss Mischief!! Photo By Hannah Southwell

Three years old!! Happy Birthday Mr Handsome!

Three years old!!! Happy Birthday My Little Star!!

Happy Seventh Birthday!! My Wonderful Erik!! Photo By Hannah Southwell

At the end of December I had my first Judging appointment at Stourbridge Canine Society. I enjoyed the experience and duly sent my write ups to the Dog Press!

Then the last day of the month on New Year’s Eve JJ bloated about 10pm….luckily we were at home having a meal with friends.  If we had gone out for the evening then we would have come home to a dead JJ!! A friend who had not been drinking came with me to the Vets with JJ.  We got her down there by 10.35pm.  Left her in the capable hands of our Vet and waited for news of her op as her stomach had twisted. What a way to end the year!!!

And what a way to start the month!!! The heavens opened and it poured on the first day of the month. Pretty well set the scene for the coming weeks! The contrast was incredible.  October warm and dry and November turned very wet and very cold! Winter had begun……

Autumn Colours at Ringdown House

The clocks change and the days seem so much shorter. The Dane paddock soon got muddy. Star used her front legs as brakes when she went flat out round the field. Had about three occasions where she sprained her pastern after charging about in the mud. The first occasion was in the first week of November, two days before the Leagues at Brean.  I gave her arnica and put a bioflow collar on her on the Thursday morning.  By Saturday afternoon she was in the competition where she came 2nd in Super Leagues Bitches Final.  The other problem with a muddy exercise field is the Danes bring the mud inside with them. I put an old bath towel down by the door so they walk across it when they come in. It does take most of the mud off their paws until Flynn decides to grab the towel and run off down the garden with it!

Tucked Up In Clean Beds.....

We had quite a successful month in the show ring.  Flynn got BOB at the Bridgwater & District CS Open Show at the beginning of the month. Star got BIS at The Dane Club Open Show in the middle of the month. Then Flynn got a RCC at South Wales GDC Champ Show at the end of the month.

Flynn at South Wales GDC Champ Show Photo By Sandy Lipman

The month ended as it started….wet!! All six horses were in and a pack of 5 Great Danes and a Duck Toller were getting bored with the weather and shorter days!

Fine weather continued into October.  Mild temperatures meant we didn’t have to turn on the heating until the end of the month.  Horses went out without rugs and the ground was dry. The Danes got up to their usual antics.  Flynn in particular was not happy when the contractor came to move the muck heaps and spread the muck on the back fields.  Flynn loved the muck heap because it meant he could stand on top of it and bark at the neighbours next door. JJ was obssessed with the tractor that was left in the field for a few days…..I was worried she might chew through the cables or do some other damage!

That looks like a very interesting tractor....

How does one drive the tractor?

It was too much for Flynn and Star as they watched the beloved muck heap disappear before their eyes.

Bring our muck heap back now!!!

On the showing front we began the month at Driffield Champ Show. I had just got back from Rome late at night and next morning set off north to stay overnight at Leeds.  We had a disappointing show and still feeling tired, I wasn’t sure about travelling to the East of England GDC Champ Show a couple of days later.  But I am so glad I did!  Flynn came out for the 4th time in 2009 and was awarded the Dog CC by Jennie Roberts! He then went on to win his class at Dane Of The Year and was pulled out in the last four dogs with his brother Blake. His brother went on to get Reserve Best Dog. Later in the month Flynn and his Star both won their classes at Midland Counties Champ Show.

Life isn't one big show...we get to hang out together!!

 One Saturday afternoon I saw Erik come hurtling out of the bottom barn…..and he hurled himself under the bottom rail of the post and rail fencing.  He was in quite a hurry! Then I heard the gas cylinders of the hot air ballon coming our way and I understood his frenzied excitement! Unfortunately after the balloon passed over to the baying of 5 Great Danes, I realised Erik was lame on his back leg.  Already having had a cruciate operation on one leg over three years before I was worried the cruciate had ruptured on his other leg. His already operated leg would unlikely be sufficient to carry the weight whilst the other leg healed.  As he would be seven years old this coming December I feared the Vet might say there was very little he could do for him.

How could Erik fit under the bottom rail of the fencing?

The Vet x-rayed Erik on both legs, his hips and the lumbar region and the conclusion was he must have pulled something.  What the x-rays did reveal was that he had arthritis in both legs. So my wonderful old boy is now wearing a Bioflow collar and taking new supplements and he’s still going strong and putting weight on both back legs….thank goodness!