My birthday in Oz

Hello

While it is still early in the day downsouth, it is my birthday & I thought I would catch up on the family correspondence, which I must do before having Christmas mail to send and answer!

I had a gorgeous run with Evers and Tom and Rise this morning--- the day is overcast and there is a late spring chill in the air, just scintillating for an early morning run before breakfast. Lots of great new scents laid on the paddocks overnight.

I have got to say you would think Evers would share her brekkie with me, her's smelt fabulous, raw meat and fresh goats milk, ah, the luxury of being an expectant mum, I suppose

I had a fabulous trip out yesterday, got hugged by at least a dozen folk, hugging I really enjoy; Jan says there is another trip tomorrow, and not long before heading off home and catching up with everyone there.

I just have to let you know, last weekend I won Best in Gundog group at my last Aussie appearance, neat work hey, no slackers us Swedish fellas!

I guess it will get a bit hectic and disorganized here leading up to the flight home, and boy, am I looking forward to a bounce and romp through some fresh hard snow, hope you have some organized for me

See you all soon

I am off to enjoy my one birthday in Australia (wish the folk here would learn to speak decent English!)

kisses and bumps off you all

Knott

Update and News

Hello

Well it is a whirlwind tour down under, and I have to say, my paws have hardly touched the ground!

Very soon I head home, but before I jet off again, let me bring you up to date.

I already have two spectacular litters on the ground in Oz - one from Tory and the other from her lovely sister Trix, the pups are coming along very nicely, but really I am more interested in my own exercise and finding big sticks to chew up then to check them out. I had a word with three more girls, but I will actually be home before their nests are made.

On the show front, in a near record time (as Jan won't count things up to prove such a point) I got my Aussie title, and collected a gundog Best in Group and Runner Up In Group; and I am rather chuffed to say I went Best in Show at the Clumber Spaniel show in Oz too! Plus also A Best in Show and Runner Up Best in Show at the Rarer Gundog Spaniel Club (that's Clumber, Field, Irish Water, Sussex, and Welsh Springers)

Jan tells me, I have also won the Clumbers magazine Australian & New Zealand Top Clumber title - I told you it was busy!

Love to all the family and my friends - I start packing my suit case in a few weeks, & will be home for Christmas!

Knott!

Postcard from Australia

Hi everyone in Sweden!

Have to say I am having a BALL of a time in Australia - met two really nice (and beautiful) ladies already, and there are solid whispers of little feet to be heard in the Aussie spring!

Been to a good number of shows, my word, no one warned me about the local boy Reggie - he is a tough nut to crack, but we are sitting on an even 50:50 with Best of Breed wins each now; and yesterday I notched up my 50+ points towards my title. Last week, I managed to climb to the top of the breed leader board on Dogzonline too; but that is going to be hard to keep up as Reggie and I am so competitively matched and not a lone stand out in the breed ring like one or two others are fortunate enough to be in their local area. And Jan says she needs a break from showing for a little while to look after the spring arrivals - chickens, lambs, kids, and ... may be puppies!

Here are some photos from yesterday - looking rather handsome I think, and hurrah, a spring is coming up for me - I am sure a missed one somewhere in my travels! Won't belong before I am heading home I suppose, shame, it is rather fun downunder (and Jan said something about two more girls to meet yet - mmmm)

Sincere love to you all - I will be home before you know it!

Knott

It´s only me left now...

Another greeting from Sweden:

"It´s only me left now. Please, come home dad, I don´t wanna be alone...

Balder

Waiting for the BBQ

"Hi Knott!
We are enjoying life and summer back home. The party is over. When does the BBQ starts?"
Your friend Duff

Got a message from my puppies back home

Well, they are not puppies anymore...

If you´ll like to see more pictures. Follow link.



In the picture:
My "mum" Annika and one of the Duffer-Flow puppies back home, my grandchildren!. I´m so proud of you Flow...

See more? Take a look at the films about "Flow and the Seven Puppies".

Can you please let me see these tonight Jan?

Showing in Australia

Yesterday, after a couple of apparent false starts, I got to go in the show ring and show these Southerns that I do know my stuff! I had had the fun of going to watch a) a Corgi Show, b) an all breeds competition, c) wait for it, a Borzoi show, there was talk of a Labrador show, but seems the venue was changed but not the official printed calendar.

Well 5am start, which was great fun, I was ready, but still Jan spent time exercising and settling the other dogs and horse down for the day, then she had the nerve to eat breakfast, but at last into the car. I must say, that Cate who travelled in the section with me, is a wild one, I actually had to tell her to settle down. Seems we got to the show in plenty of time to dry me off after the morning grass romp; the two minor males had their fling in the ring, two intermediate males did their thing, I went and did mine. I have to query how awake Jan is at 9.10 am in the morning, the judge asked how old I was, and she said 4 .... months! The judge assured her she realized it was years, not months, and that she hoped my handler's 'flu was getting better fast! No one else in my class, so I cleaned up the top award with no effort. Dog Challenge we had three of us in the ring, easy peesy, and the bubbly Minor Dog went reserve challenge.
Just Cate for Bitch challenge, and she took the opportunity to leap and lurch with another handler for Best of Breed, which just made me shine and command the ring to myself.

This is for Best of Breed

video by Lyn Ayers who claimed she was a novice, I don't think so!

The judge didn't seem interested in me for group (no accounting for taste), Cate reckons she got half a look for her class in group, but she may be boasting, Reggie (he's a nice chap I met at the show) did the breed honours with Intermediate in Group.

Got shown again at two Clumber Club members competitions over lunch - I think Jan is starting to speak Swedish, she seemed more in tune with me for them!

Well, I hope there are more shows, that one was great fun!

Home at last

This morning I cam HOME, at last. Just the weekend staff on at the quarantine kennel, and they didn't give me my breakfast. I knew something good was up, dogs had left never to be seen again after similar mornings!

Ah, there they are, meandering down the driveway with a member of staff, chatting away - well at least Jan has that soft toy again, but she had a heck of a time getting the lead over that and my head - ho ho. For goodness sake, here I am jumping and spinning around and they stopped to collect the unused food, yet apparently I am not to have any!

Nice looking car, but Jan can lift me up (can't have her getting slack in her duties!). Suburban roads, tunnels, strange smelling countryside - a gravel road, and ow, here we are! One hour is nothing for a seasoned traveller like moi.

The Pembrokes really don't warrant me stopping, but I will mark the shrub in front of them; a very sleepy UK Clumber woke to speak to Jan, then, carried on a treat when he saw me - so what, I ask, lets move on.

For goodness sake, that Judge has tickets on his status around here, I will just saunter past and chat to the two barking girls. No, no time, at the moment girls, look grass, and another building, and MORE Clumbers, wow, bit rowdy, let's check out this exercise area. Ow, apparently the first two girls are coming too, never mind I will just meander off on my own, hey, goats, I wonder what else is here. Time for a good shake and a romp, that's more like it!

So apparently time to go back, ah, breakfast, at last! Time for a snooze in the sunshine, on my blankets and time to get to know the two girls I met first. Excuse me, things to see, things to do.

cheers!

ps, Jan says she has put up my page on her website, check it out!

They speak English - with an accent!

Dear friends!

They say "Welcome to Australia - and my apologies that you have to spend time in a quarantine kennel, but them is the rules, and your Mum and folk were so brave to accept!
"And you arrived on the last hot day for this bad summer we have had too -- but now the weather is more like our autumn so you will be more comfortable. The fellow 'in-mates' are certainly happy, talking dogs, don't worry, your new friend Judge has a lot to say most times too!"


This video shows me on the 'lawn' exercise area for the first time - but we discovered a problem. Of course first Jan and I had a big play and a bit of a brush, then she decided to get the camera out and throw the soft toy I tell her I love so much - but Jan throws and uses the camera with the same arm -- one day I may have to retrieve a bounced video camera! Jan's 'helper' in the film won't use the camera, and just loves to stand and admire me rather than play with the toys, so isn't really a helper, but still great fun (for my ego)!



I caught Jan saying "You are such a beautiful Clumber, sound with type, a good coat and a superb temperament - let's hope the girls at Erinveine get organized and we can enjoy some puppies in a little while. Your show career will start in very late May. Thank you for coming to Australia!" - well that is my translation, they have a dreadful accent on their English downunder!

... and another one!

Heres some more...



I´m feeling better now...
Knott

I have arrived down under...

This is the first film from my tour. I still have a little jetlag and I´m a little sad to have left home... miss you.

But I got some toys...

I´m on my way - again!

Now, finally, after lots of paperwork for my mum, I´m on my way. On my way "on tour again". It´s sad to leave all my friends. And it will be a long journey down under. Australia is the name of the country and Jan Irving will be my "new" mum for a couple of months. I´ll guess I´ll be a little sad for a while, but very soon my tail is wagging again...

Love you all back home, especially mum (don´t cry now, I´ll be blogging with a little help from Jan, I hope...)

Knott

Going down under

Soon is my trip "down under". Mum is planning and I´m going to the vet.
I´m not looking forward to be flying such a long time, Australia. And I already miss all my friends here :(

But it will be nice to meet Jan, Koalas and Kanguroos ;-)

I have to celebrate...

Met a lovely girl 9 weeks ago. Now I'm father of 7 pups. Haven't seen them, but I'm sure they must be gorgeous.