My First Show in 2011

Wow - I went to the Northern Schnauzer Club Show yesterday and there were so many schnauzers! I knowI have some other schnauzer friends in Essex and Hartlepool but there were so many and some very BIG schnauzers that were black like Alfie but HUGE. Anyway I met lots of people and a little boy was very happy to meet me and I got second place in the puppy class. Here is a picture of me with my rosette and card:

Alfie Crybbe was very cross about me going to a show. He thought he was the only show dog - and he chewed the eye out of the woolly monkey when we got home and left it lying on the sofa for Judith & Leigh to find. He was in such a bad mood. He is going to Crufts though in a few weeks and I'll have to stay at home then so I don't know why he was so bothered.

Ladybirds and woodpeckers

At last the sun has come out and me and Alfie can run about outside in the garden! And all sorts of things are happening now - Leigh has been down planting garlic and shallots in the raised beds and she found ladybirds all over the gate and fence.

This is a picture of 2 of them. And there have been so many birds coming to the garden - chaffinches, thrushes, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits, starlings - loads of sparrows and goldfinches, greenfinches dunnocks, wrens collared doves, wood pigeons AND  a female woodpecker that has been at the peanut feeder - no wonder Leigh has to keep filling up the feeders - even though there are 6 !



Tailwagger Club

I had a good evening on Monday at the Tailwagger Club - which is the club me and Alfie go to for our training classes. It is at the Dogs Trust centre near Leeds and I really enjoy going - my class has younger dogs like me and some of my friends there are Zak, Archie and Isaac. I am trying to learn to sit still for one whole minute - very difficult when everything is so exciting! I have to stay still for one minute as part of my Kennel Club Good Citizen award. Tonight I am off to ringcraft training where I can walk up and down - and have to stand still to be examined by the judge - in preparation for Sunday's show. All this standing and sitting still is not my thing but I do get a treat if I do it ..so maybe I'll try. Here I am trying out a pose:

It's hard work being a show dog!

All Quiet on the Building Front

The workmen finally left and we now have a concrete square outside our back door and a big brick wall beside it - not sure what is going to happen next - it's all quiet just now. We had some snow the other day - that was a surprise. I don't much like getting wet or muddy but snow's not too bad except when it gets caught in your beard and turns into snowballs! This was me when we had a lot of snow at Christmas:

Anyway the snow has all gone now and the garden is green again. Satin & Lace  (the cats) have started going out more now it's not so cold - they try and spend as much time sleeping as possible. Me and Alfie have to make sure they get a bit of exercise or they would get much too fat & lazy so we always chase them down the garden or up the stairs to keep them fit. We are good friends though really.

This is me and Lace on the bed.

I'm off to training class tonight with Alfie. I'm working to get my Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze Award. Alfie already has his Bronze so he's working for Silver. And I'm going to a Show on Sunday - more to follow1

My brothers

Well I was so excited about starting this blog business that I couldn't wait to add some more! I thought I would let you know a bit more about my brothers, Kaska and Alfie Crybbe. Alfie Crybbe has two names - because he says all the top dogs have two names and who am I to argue? He does take his top dog status seriously though and goes out doing voluntary work visiting care homes. He has a special jacket and lead - although he doesn't like wearing the jacket - he thinks top dogs don't wear jackets. He thinks the people in the care homes are very privileged to meet him - him being so important!? Well I'm planning on doing the same thing when I'm older but I'm not telling Alfie yet!

Any way while Alfie Crybbe is out doing his good works me and Kaska will be left to watch the house and supervise those workmen who are now building a wall outside our house - they have really made a mess of that patio and instead of chasing them off Leigh is making them cups of tea and coffee - I'll never understand humans. Kaska is my favourite brother - he can't always play rough games though because he's had a spinal cord injury and they said they couldn't operate so Kaska's back legs don't work very well and he drags them along and sometimes falls over if he turns too quick. He has special wheels to help him when he goes out. They were specially made for him in Bridlington and he can go very fast when he wants to chase a cat or dog.

I know you would rather see pictures of me but I hope you like the photos of my brothers above.

Welcome to my first blog!

Hello to all friends of dogs - and cats - and maybe even hens (yes there are 4 hens here - BUT not in the house!). My name is Magic and I am a miniature schnauzer (10 months old) and I live in the doghouse with my 2 humans, Leigh & Judith, my brothers, Kaska (mini schnauzer like me) - who will be 11 years old this year, and Alfie Crybbe who is 3 years old and is an affenpinscher. Alfie thinks he is top dog even though he is the smallest and we schnauzers just let him believe it as we like a quiet life. Satin & Lace are the two cats who also live here, they are sisters and are 12 years old. The hens have their own house and space in the garden - they have been living here for just under a year and are called Anna Pavlova, Ninette de Valois, Isadora Duncan and Darcey Bussell - my 2 humans have a strange sense of humour! Here is a picture of Ninette (white), Isadora (brown) and Anna in the snow.

Things have been pretty noisy today as there is building work going on and strange men have been digging outside the house but I will keep an eye on what is happening there and keep the news coming.