Road tripping to Gävle

So, once a year I have to do some sort of crazy show trip. This past weekend was that trip. When my boyfriend said that he had to head up sometime in the near future to Gävle, I immediately began looking for a show possibility. Low and behold, one of my favorite judges would be judging dachshunds at a hunting dog exhibition up there in early June. I confirmed that Liina would fit in the car with an arcade machine (the purchased item that helped initiate the trip) and Baxter could stay over the weekend with a friend since there was no need for him to spend all day at a show that he really didn't need.

Admittedly I was a bit nervous. We had showed at the local shows in Hässleholm two weeks earlier and had just so-so results- 2x Excellent, but without the final CK needed for the Champion title. It was a strange weekend though, especially at the International show where no mini wires were awarded with CK and the judge was in the dog's faces, poking at them all over, lifting them off the table to test the weight, really testing the mentality. Needless to say, I won't be rushing to either of those judges again.

So I still needed 1 CK for Liina to get her Champion title and was *hoping* that this long road trip would be worth while. So after a Friday night spent at my colleagues PhD defense party, we woke early Saturday morning, loaded the car, dropped off Baxter and started the trip up to the Gävle area. We made a few stops along the way. I think our favorite was at the ruins in Brahehus.

We were graciously hosted by our friends at Skogvetten's kennel in the little village of Järbo about 100km from the show grounds and similar distance from the boyfriend's arcade. Sussi decided to brave the show with her youngest female Hera and join Liina and I for a show day in Alfta at a hunting dog exhibition. 

We had lovely weather around 15-20C with sun and a little wind. It was a long day though as we were not up until very late (the last 20 dogs) in the ring, but we had to be checked in by 9:45am. So, waiting, waiting, waiting. It was a nice show and it was interesting to see new dogs and people.

I got a little nervous waiting around so long, but it was not in vain. There were not many minis (only 3; 1 male and 2 females), but there was still competition for me. Liina and I did our best and we were greatly awarded:

In Jaktklass: Exc1 CK CERT and finally Best Female-BIM! 

With that result, Liina finished her Swedish Beauty Championship! 

Better yet... she unlocked a LOT of other Champion titles! So little Liina is now:

SEU(v)CH, SEVCH, DKCH, FICH, NordicCH, LTCH, WUTCH!!!!

I was so proud and overwhelmed and excited. No, I didn't cry, but I almost couldn't believe it! My first Champion solely put on myself (OK, so FI, LT, and WUT were helped by Markku, but close enough! ;) ).  We will continue to show a bit and hope we can add some International titles to her name as well, but for now, we can rest as her first CACIB was in March this year and we must wait at least 1 year for the final result.

Everyone was tired after the show (Hera-above- was totally exhausted on the car trip home), but we were greeted back home with lovely dinner and company. 

The next day was already time to head towards home for work the next day. On the way down we decided to stop for lunch and sightseeing in Eskilstuna, where Andreas is originally from. I very much enjoyed the city. Big enough to feel like a real city, but still small and cosy, with a nice river front, shopping road, and little bits and pieces to see. After an impromptu Fika with Andreas' brother, we were back in the car and headed on our 6.5 hr drive towards home.

We stopped in Höör to pick up a very excited and happy to see me Baxter, said our thank yous and good byes and shortly thereafter we were home. It was a long, but fun road trip. It was nice to see the middle of Sweden and it was definitely as far north as I had been in the country. We all wound down on the couch, watching an episode of the Flash... or rather, drifting off to sleep while watching the Flash. All happy and content to be back in our house. :)

Wonderful day in Denmark

On Saturday, Liina and I traveled over the bridge to Roskilde, Denmark to participate in our first Danish International show. Based on general life-things, I took a chance and only signed up for 1 day of exhibition. Well it surely paid off!

Liina ended as Best Female 2 with all the prizes! So we were super excited to take both the Danish CERT as well as our very first CACIB. :)

Liina also got quite a nice evaluation from Judge H. Almgren (SE):

Translated- Well moving bitch. Eyes could be darker correct bite, good shape on ears, could be higher placed. Strong, tight back, somewhat flat croup. Strong double coat, good, strong wirehaired attributes, nice overall impression. Tail nicely worn additional to the back.

As always, the Danish dachshund people were very, very welcoming and I was extremely happy to see many facebook friends and familiar faces. 

Liina is home!

After 3 months away, my little zwerg (Barbwired Champagne) returned home with me to Sweden. She was a good houseguest during her stay in Finland and came home with very nice results from the 5 shows she attended:

2xBOB

2xWinner

1xBOS

3xCERT

5xExc

4xExc1 CK

1xExc2

With these results, she should earn 4 new titles upon reaching 2 years of age. Not too shabby for the little girl.

Now we have a little bit of time to rest before the next shows start. Good to have you home my sassy little dog!

Liina BOB in Lithuania

Markku & Liina(Barbwired Champagne) took a show trip down to Panevezys, Lithuania on October 24/25 and came back with great results: 2xExc, 2xCAC, 2xWinner, 2x BOB!

 Furthermore, Markku also took Barbwired Austria-Liina's Mom-and Barbwired De Tomaso-Iita's puppy- who both did very well, earning the titles of Lithuanian Champion & Lithuanian Junior Champion, respectively. Great job Markku and the Barbwired Dogs!

On another quick note, 2 more of Iita's puppies were shown (bringing the total to 6/7) and have received Excellent with CK/CAC. What a super promising litter! Congrats to the owners and breeder and my little start Iita. :)

New Multi-Champion!

So as you all know by now, Iita (Barbwired Bella Bambina) is here in Sweden and staying with me for trials and show. Well, big news...

We passed our final tracking trial in 1st prize! Iita is a new Swedish Tracking Champion!!! Holy cow! It is one thing to work and pass with your own dog, but it brings a new confidence booster when you can pass with someone else's dog.

I am very lucky that Iita has the same personality as her brother and not only trusts me, but looks to me and wants to please me. She is very clever and a joy to have around. The one problem of her being so similar to her brother, is that Baxter is starting to get a bit jealous that he has to share "his" person with someone else. Let me tell you, I am not cold at night with a dachshund on each side of my feet!

So my "job" is now finished. We accomplished a whole lot in just 3 weeks... "unlocking" 4 championships (FI, LT, LV, WUT), earning 3rd Best Female with CK in hunting class and earning her Swedish Beauty Champion, and 3x 1st prize in blood tracking earning her Swedish Blood tracking Champion.

Iita came to me a great little dog and will be leaving as a multi-Champion! I am SO happy that I proved to myself I can be a good handler, both in show and in trial, and got to know this great girl.

A Nice Day in Tvååker

So friends, it was our last show day of the season. I decided when Markku proposed that I take Iita for tracking, I suggested trying our luck at 1 dog show. The Halland Taxklubben has their annual fall exhibition in Tvååker and last year it was nice and fun. This year I wanted to check out the new dachshund judge: Jens Myrman as he has been showing up quite often in the show circuit. As Liina is in Finland, I figured it would be nice to take Iita and Baxter. Baxter hasn't been show much since he returned from his trip this spring, but why not bring him along every once and a while.

So we were up at 5:30 this morning to get ready and get on the road up to the show. It started at 9am and we had to be checked in before it started. As I am NOT a morning person, I stopped the night before to grab a Starbuck's to go and a Red Bull since 2 hours of driving while the sun is coming up is not especially fun for me.

Anyhow, my normal "show friends" weren't there, but that was ok! Some of my facebook friends came over to say hello and chat. :)

Anyhow, there were 25 standard wirehairs at the show today and they were fairly evenly split into male and female. Baxter was in a class of 4 males and Iita in a class of 8 females. I am very, very happy with the results:

Baxter: Excellent, CK, Champion Class Concurrence (CHKK) 2, Best male 2
Iita: Excellent, CK, Jakt Class Concurrence (JKK) 2, Best female 3
(with res-CERT if not for her earning the CH)

With these results, Iita was awarded her Swedish Show Championship! Both dogs performed beautifully and I was the one at fault since I didn't bring enough treats! Thanks go out to my friend Elisabeth that saved the day with more goodies.

Now we are all tired and enjoying some snuggle time on the couch.

Great News from Finland!

Markku and Liina went to the National Dog Show in Tuulos, Finland yesterday. Liina had to originally be entered as a normal size wirehaired dachshund because on the closing date of the show, her Swedish confirmation paperwork had not yet come. Anyhow, as she is now recognized by the Finnish and Swedish kennel clubs as a miniature, she was allowed to change classes. This made her a bit of the dark horse in the competition... an unknown dog coming in for the first time in Finland and now as a mini.

Markku is an old pro when it comes to showing and he and Liina have been practicing together. Well, Liina was not only awarded Exc1 and CQ, but Best Female 1 with CAC and Best Opposite Sex (BOS)! Her first show in Finland and she practically took it all! Not bad from the first miniature wirehaired dachshund out of kennel Barbwired. :)

Happy breeder and little Liina!

Such wonderful news after a shitty couple of weeks! Additionally, Liina was entered in Junior class and won best junior female, so she also earns the WUTJCh title. So proud of this little girl! Also very proud that she has been awarded CERTs in 2 countries at 17 months of age and with limited showing. It also means that when she earns her Swedish Championship, she will also have earned her Finnish CH as well. I hope that big things lay ahead for her. The house is for sure quiet without her here, but the big Barbwireds and keeping me company.

Many thanks to Markku for showing Liina and I hope for continued success in the next couple of months!

My new Project

So where did summer go? Here it is, already the beginning of autumn and this year is just flying by...

I have been keeping myself nice and busy with work, visits from friends, and, of course, hanging out with my 4 leggers. Liina and I attended a couple of shows in the past month and although the results have not been spectacular, one exciting thing did happen. Liina is now officially registered as a miniature wirehaired dachshund. She has been finally measured to 34 cm at just shy of 17 months old, but even I think that is a bit big as she had previously been measured 32 & 33 cm. In any case, the little princess is indeed that...

Liina and I in Kjugekull this past May

Well, last weekend Salla came into town and brought with her a new friend for me...

Everyone, meet Baxter's sister Barbwired Bella Bambina "Iita"

A few months back, Markku wrote to ask if I would mind "hosting" Iita and doing some training and tracking with her while Liina was with them in Finland. I, being crazy, said "of course" and so Salla and Iita flew in for the Copenhagen Winner show (Iita was Ex2 in her class). Salla and I spent the weekend hanging out and enjoying Skåne's bizarre weather... snow/hail in the morning, then blue skies, then heavy wind and rain- all in a matter of hours. 

Then on Monday I did the crazy think and signed Iita and I up for an anlagsprov/aptitude test tracking exam. The weather was perfect, a little damp, but not raining and we were in a wooded area with a lot of moss and grass. I was nervous as I realized as soon as we started the exam that I had NO IDEA what language the dog was used to tracking in! Her owner Marja told me that she had been speaking English with Iita during tracking, but I wasn't sure. Luckily Iita knew exactly what she was doing and I just had to read her. She was a bit quick and overshot a couple areas, but came back with little time wasted. She did NOT seem to understand why there was an unknown woman following her though! She came back a couple times just seeming to ask me "Why is this woman out here with us?" before touching her nose to my leg and moving on. After 13 minutes we were finished with the exam and passed with very nice marks from judge Jessica. Yay! Iita was now qualified for Swedish working class at show and we could move onto Open class tracks.

Godkänd anlagsprov!

The very next day was a super busy one. After speaking with Marja the night before, I had learned a new and important Finnish work "Jälki," which was Iita's motivational word for "track". Admittedly, I tried English and German on her with piss poor results. With our anlagsprov passed, we could move onto open class and the exam that I had optimistically booked at the beginning of the month could happen. Before that though, we had to take Salla and Liina to the airport. Liina would be spending the next 3 months in Finland for shows, training, and maybe taking the PIKA trial for mini dachshunds. So I sadly said goodbye not only to my good friend, but to my tiny little girl. 

Liina the traveler en route to Helsinki

Immediately after dropping the girls in Copenhagen, I raced back over the bridge to Sweden in just shit weather conditions. It was pouring rain, windy, and cold. I was not enjoying the drive and I knew I would like the tracking even less. I also knew that with the weather we would arrive late to Görel so I sent an SMS apologizing and hoping that she wouldn't be too pissed at my tardiness. When I arrived, Görel was kind,  but I of course was a bit frazzled, tired from driving, and just ready to go. I of course apologized profusely for being late, but she shrugged it off in a kind, Swedish manner. We then went to the woods and I immediately got nervous. These were the woods where a year earlier Baxter had failed with Simon. I knew there were a lot of animals in there and the brush would be thick, so it would be a challenge. We started and I remembered that Iita had never been taught the Swedish "starting box," but at least today I had her motivation word! I told her to track and she did. She worked well despite the thick brush and was relatively easy to read when she was off. All was going well and then all of a sudden, her head was super alert and up, the body was tense and she took off like a shot. I lost hold of the line and my saving grace was that she zig-zagged and was wrapped around a tree. I didn't see the animal, but Iita certainly was after it! I immediately ran to grab the leash and told the judge I would take my 1 call back. It took longer than expected to untie Iita and the judge double checked that I did indeed request a call back and I confirmed. We came back and she was very proud of me for reading the dog and situation and call for the callback so quickly (even if it took me a few minutes to get back). Whatever the animal was (I think it was a Roe deer or maybe a small Red deer) it decided to sit and watch us for a while. Iita was a bit more wide in her tracking after that, but she immediately picked the track back up and followed it with relative ease to the end. All-in-all a good track in tough terrain, but my quick thinking I believe secured our 1st prize. :) 

With that result Iita now qualified for her Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Welt Union Teckel Championships. 

The new Champion playing at home

We have taken a short break from tracking as I had a work conference, but Iita is a natural. She loops a bit more than I like, checking and double checking corners, leading to me working hard to keep a long, loose line, but she is a good tracking partner. We will do a few more tests and a show before she heads home at the end of the month. She has been a very good houseguest and is basically a female Baxter. She wants to be with me and be my shadow and has decided that I am her person. It is rare to find dogs that are so calm and adaptable as these two. Feed them and give them love and they can be almost anywhere and with anyone. Baxter is a little jealous though that his sister wants to be my lapdog, but he just squeezes himself on there as well.

17 Beauty and work titles between these siblings

Tracking training and trials will start again this week. I decided I wanted extra practices with Iita so that I can learn to read her a bit better. Baxter will be so mad that he is AGAIN not going tracking, but your time will come Bax, we will train again next year, but maybe for Denmark, Finland, or Norway and their tests. ;)

And what of little Liina? She is enjoying time with her family at Barbwired in Finalnd. She is playing with Mom and uncle Ollie. Dad is a bit of a bother and she would like Grandma to play, but at 10, Iiris is starting to show her age. She tolerates the little girl well, but wants to be left to herself. 

3 generations in 1 basket! Here you can really see Liina's size difference.
 Grandma(Iiris) in on the bottom, Mom (Aura) on the left, and Liina on the right.

So my new project is off to a great start and I really hope that Iita will go home with a working title, but only the next few weeks will show for certain...

Huge success for Baxter's nieces and nephews!

It has been a rather slow month in our dog world. We are waiting on shows (5 next month) and hosting Baxter's sister Iita. She will be my new project as a "temporary" show and tracking dog. It should be a fun time!

Barbwired Bella Bambina "Iita" winning her 3rd CERT as well as BOB in Finland

In the meanwhile this has been a fantastic month for Barbwired kennel and I am EXTREMELY proud that Iita's puppies are rocking it in the show ring around Europe!  All of these puppies are out of Iita's one and only litter (currently!) to WW-15, EUW-13, CH Lollipop della Val Vezzeno.
Just to recap...

Barbwired Ducati (here at 5 months old) was rated Excellent 2 in Junior class at his first show.

Barbwired Dolce Gusto "Viola" was awarded Excellent, CK and Best Female 3. Viola currently lives with mom Iita.

Barbwired Diatto "Väinö" not only totally handsome, but on his very first match show was BIS1 and at his first official show at 1 year old was Best male, CERT, and BOS out of 38 dogs!

12 months old

Väinö (right) with breeder Markku (Barbwired) and Gordon (Liina's dad on left)

And last, but not least, is beautiful "Pippa"- Barbwired Dietorelle. Pippa lives in Switzerland with my very good friend Rebecca. Earlier in August, Pippa was shown twice at the international dog shows in Innsbruck, Austria where she rocked the Junior ring and was awarded 2x Ex1, 2xCACA/J, and 1x 2nd best female! It was very stiff competition as there were 7 junior females on Saturday and 5 on Sunday. To make things even better, Pippa attended the Landessieger Show (Swiss Dachshund Club Specialty) where she won junior class earning the Landesjugendsieger title and went on to win BOB and BIS1!!! 

Amazing results from the pups in this litter! Not even in the adult classes yet and they are doing fantastic on show! Furthermore, these are only 4 of the 7 puppies, so it will be super interesting to see what happens in the future.

I can only hope that Iita and Baxter share the genetics for producing amazing puppies! Maybe in the future it will be Baxter's offspring rocking the rings. Only time will tell.

Congrats to all the owners and, of course, the breeders!

Baxter's most successful trip

Baxter is finished with his show tour and coming home soon. 

Bax, BIG1 in Thessaloniki

In the meanwhile, here are his stats from his 2 month show tour:

12xCAC, 4xCACIB, 2xresCACIB, 5xBOB, 2xBOS, 2xBIG2, 2xBIG1

 He gained 4 national championships (LT, RO, SE, SRB), 2 international championships (CIB, CIE), 1 Grand Championship (SRB), Welt union teckel (WUT) championship, and has now open championships in AT, DE, HU, and GR.

He and Nikos were a great team and Baxter has gotten nothing but the highest compliments from judges and show people/friends alike. He will return to Nikos next year to finish HU and GR, but in the meantime he will be going on a diet (he was too well loved while in Budapest) and meeting with the badger this summer. I hope to have him in shape for hunting this autumn/winter. 

So excited my boy will be back home to snuggle soon!

April is Birthday month!! Baxter turns 3

So I am going to brag a little bit about my baby boy, my Seelenhund, my buddy, my Baxter. He may not be the most absolutely prefect dog (but what dog is really?), but he is so in tune with my feelings. He has always been there when I feel down in order to snuggle and give kisses and try to cheer me up. He has secured a position in my bed and my heart. Although I HATE being woken up at the crack of dawn, it is really hard to stay made at this face:

Baxter's achievements thus far:

J, SEVCH, LU-JCh, CH (SKG)-JCh, CH (SDC)-JCh, WUT-JCh 

Jugendsieger Fribourg 2013 (JBOB)
Ortenaujugendsieger 2013
Jugendsieger Baden 2013
Jugendsieger Luxembourg 2013
Jugendsieger/Sieger St Gallen 2013 (JBOB & BOB)
Kaunas Winter Winner 2014 (BOS)

Exc 1 rating in 6 countries with CAC/J (3 countries) or CAC (4 countries)

Working tests:

Germany: Sfk, Sp, BHP-G (Tagessieger)

Switzerland: WaT (full points)

Italy: SchwhK/40 (92pts, 1st prize, 2nd place in trial)
Sweden: Bloodtracking 3x 1st prize + 1x Honor Prize --> SEVCH (Swedish Blood Tracking Champion);

Grytanlagsprov Kval 2 (underground aptitude test on badger, 2nd prize)

Baxter will be spending some time this year with a handler colleague for training and a few shows in central Europe. He will be home, however, in enough time for underground training and testing this summer in Sweden. 

So to my fuzz-face, I wish the Happiest of Birthdays with as much food as you can eat and bunnies that you can chase! 

Liina's first show success!

So yesterday was a dachshund clubshow held by the Kronoberg Taxklubben in Moheda, Sweden. It was a cold, but really nice day. It was also one of my first dachshund memories in Sweden as it was the first clubshow we went to last year and the first time I had the pleasure to meet Majsan in person! Now I am of course making a name for myself, popping up on several Swedish FB pages from the show. Hahaha! From unknown to "adopted Swede."

We had a WONDERFUL weather week leading up to the show- warm, sunny, beautiful weather. Then on the day of the last solar eclipse until like 2039, it was horrible, cold, and cloudy. :( We even had flurries of SNOW on Saturday in Skåne. It made me oh, so sad. I learned my lesson from Moheda last year and knew that I had to dress like I was going to stand outside for hours on end. So on went the long underwear, hunting socks, turtleneck, sweater, fleece, etc... and at half past six I was in the car and headed to Tjorup to join in on a carpool with Eva and Marianne. Around 7:30 we were on the road- 3 women and 6 dachshunds (mostly of the mini variety) heading north. Although it was a club show, it was by no means small. There were at least 100 dogs entered, probably more. Standard wires made up the biggest percentage of dogs- 28 males and 24 females- a crazy huge number of dogs. So many dogs means a big jaktclass as that is where one needs to win CKs towards the Championship. In the male jaktclass there were 11 dogs, so very stiff competition.

It was also an exciting day as it was Liina's first show! She had been to puppy shows, but those were mostly for fun and practice, this was the real deal. It was also the first time I had her officially measured. For a while now it has looked as though Liina may turn out to be a miniature, but of course it is hard to tell when they are young. At 11 months old, she has had her first heat and has stayed roughly the same size since about 8 months. So now I can say that currently the little girl weighs in at roughly 5.4 kg and is 34cm in the chest, putting her in the mini/dwarf category. So she was switched to the Junior class as a mini. She did an excellent job in the ring and we only have to work a bit on standing nicely for the judge. She preferred to sit on the table if no food was present. Regardless we got a wonderful evaluation:

"Excellent type, feminine, very beautiful profile, dark eyes well set ears, correct bite, good neck, enough chest, well angulated front and rear, excellent bone, nice feet, compact good body. Excellent topline, excellent coat, moves very well from all directions"

She was awarded Exc 1 and CK in Junior class and we walked for BOB. There were only females at the show that day, so there was no BOS. We were placed 2nd best female of the 3 competing for BOB resulting also in a Cert! In Sweden, a CERT is a bit pointless as the dog needs at least a CK from Jaktclass to go towards the championship, but oh well. Fantastic results for the little girl!

Chilling after our ring time-photo by Majsan

Ribbons!

Me and the little girl

So of course I was so excited, but I had to do a quick change of dogs as Baxter had to be walked and prepped- ie, moustache brushed out- before his ring time. I was ready for a battle as Baxter was one of 11 dogs in the Jaktclass, many of whom we had shown with previously. So we showed our hearts out. Baxter was in good spirits, moving well, and looking great.

Part of the jakt class, including the judge asking us to start going around.

 We made the cut as 8 of the 11 dogs were awarded Excellent, then the judge narrowed it down to 5. Majsan with Jaktvallens Loke and I with Baxter walked again to try for a spot in the top 4. Baxter was chosen over Loke and we were in the top 4! Very exciting. We then did our final laps for the best male and we were placed 4th best, unfortunately with no CK, but with a very stellar evaluation. I was also happy to see a little note about me at the end.

"Excellent type and size, very masculine, good bite, good forechest, well angulated front and rear, excellent topline, well angulated hindquarters, excellent stride from the side, slightly wide in the front, excellent coat, very well shown"

I would have really liked the CK, but an Excellent and evaluation like that from such a big class is great. I am very happy to also say that in 4 out of the past 5 shows that we have gone to and I have shown Bax, we have placed in the top 4 in jaktclass. Not too shabby. He and I are making a pretty good show team. :)

My boy and I at the show

All in all it was a nice day, if not a bit long. I was very happy by the judgements and placings, happy to see old dog friends, and more happy to meet and make new ones. I had a woman tell me before the show that Liina was the prettiest dog she had seen and should surely win. Very flattering. What I love about my dogs is that they are SO calm at these shows. Both Baxter and Liina could easily sit on a camping chair instead of their kennel. They like to people and dog watch as much as I do. So great to have such laid back dogs. Hopefully more amazing things from these two youngsters in the future!

Introducing our brand new Blood Tracking Champion!

Even though the weather has been rather grey and gloomy, we thought it was best to try and do a few more blood tracking tests before the autumn turns to winter. With luck we only needed one more 1st prize, but of course the elements, loads of wildlife, and the upcoming hunting season could turn an ordinary test into something more. We made a list of recommended tracking judges in our region and tried to figure out who was available. Simon tried his first choice, Görel, who we have been to before. Although Görel thought our boy did good work and was promising, his other test with her was not quite up to par. Too many animals in the woods (deer, boar, foxes) and a ripped up path got him once 0 and one time 2nd prize. Despite this, we really liked her as a judge as she is brutally honest, but really helpful in explaining what more to work on to make the dog-and ourselves-better. That being said, she is by no means an easy judge to please and the dog really has to be good to do well with her. She claimed that maybe there were "trolls in the woods" (a bad translation of a Swedish saying) that were being mischievous and throwing us off while tracking at her place.

So Simon scheduled a test today, but I told him that if it didn't go well, then maybe it was time to try out new grounds with another judge. Well, despite a runner in the woods early in the track, a lot of fox holes, and a HUGE boar directly on the track 1/2 way through, Bax managed to pull through and earn his final 1st prize!!! Görel said that the 1st half of the track with corners was perfect and the best work that she had seen from him and that she was impressed that even though Bax was obviously flustered by the presence of the wild boar-Simon had to take a minute or two and calm him down-he managed to get back to tracking, and made it in good time to the end (25 min total tracking time).

I waited in the car because I forgot my waterproof shoes and I didn't want to distract the dog. Simon and the judge were SOOO mean in keeping the results from me until we were back at the judge's house. Oh my gosh was I excited!

So I am pleased to announce a new CHAMPION in our household:

(Svenska Viltspår Championat/Swedish Bloodtracking Champion) 

SEVCH Multi-Junior CH Barbwired Better than the Rest

Baxter and Simon after our test results!!

Standard Male Wirehaired Dachshund Puppy looking for an active new home!!

There is one male puppy left from Barbwired's "D" litter that is looking for an active home (show/trials/hunting). The puppies parents are MultiWinner & Ch Lollipop della Val Vezzeno and Barbwired Bella Bambina. The mother is our Baxter(Barbwired Better than the Rest)'s sister. Lollipop has been tested on several trails in Italy (Sp, Fbja, BhFK95) and although the other "B" littermates have not yet begun working trials, Baxter has already completed hunting tests in several countries, including Sfk, Sp, WaT, SchwhK/40, Artificial underground & Open class blood tracking.

I cannot say enough good things about Barbwired Kennel. They are wonderful people and, although a small kennel (only 4 litters total-2 of which were this year- in over 6 years), they have thus far produced top quality dogs used in show, hunting, and trials. We were happy enough with our boy to go back for more. :)

If you are looking for a very promising new member to your family, get in touch with Kennel
Barbwired: http://barbwired.fi/  or contact me for more details.

Here you can see the pedigree of the puppy: Barbwired D Litter

Lollipop winning Best male at the European Dog show 2013

Mom Barbwired Bella Bambina "Iita" with 1 day old pups (courtesy of Kennel Barbwired)