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that he is a good all-round example  (well, if you can get the ball off him).
        of a dog not just a Keeshond.       A judge said to me that he gave her
                                            the  impression  that  he  could  run
                                            along a towpath all day, on and off a
                                            barge if he were working as intended
                                            and that was the sort of praise I love
                                            to hear.
                                            When relaxed he is either lying by my
                                            feet or cuddled up on the sofa whilst
                                            looking into my eyes as I hold his paw
                                            – his idea not mine; it’s a bit odd but
                                            he  likes  it.  For  a  bit  of  fun  we  do
        BIS Lancaster and District Canine Soc.  Hoopers, Agility and Dog Parkour.

        If  you  are  new  to  showing  my
        bullet points are:

        ● Go to Ringcraft classes.
        ● Your dog can be a pet and a show
          dog.
        ● You don’t need to wrap your show
          dog in cotton wool.
        ● Go to as many Open shows as you
          can to gain experience.

        ● The  tense  feeling  you  get  at  a
          Championship  show  is  normal
          (same in all breeds apparently - I’ve
          asked around).

        ● Be friendly and talk to people who
          want  to  talk  to  you.  (Don’t  worry
          about those that don’t – don’t take  We are working our way through the
          it personally, it’s not you.)     Royal  Kennel  Club  Good  Citizen
                                            Awards and we go to a weekly dog
        I’ve  deliberately  used  Steve’s  pet  training class.  We are lucky to have
        name first rather than his show name  a really good dog training school in
        (Liefkees  Assisi  JW),  because  that’s  our village who offer all sorts of fun
        what he is, a pet first.            activities for dogs to do.
        He runs around muddy fields with a  And  yes,  if  you  have  an  intelligent
        group of dogs, he swims in the sea  breed like ours, you can teach it loads
        and rivers, in the winter we use a dog  of  other  stuff  and  it  can  still  be  a
        hydrotherapy pool and he plays fetch  successful show dog.
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