Hoorah - I managed to pass

I managed to pass my silver award with flying colours thanks to Pat, my tutor, at Cambridge Canine Education Group. We go there on most Saturdays if we aren't golfing. My owner said it was like doing physics A'Level - her not me  - knowing it all on the day of the exam and then forgetting it the next day! I had to prove how good I am getting in and out of the car (she lifts me in and I never jump out), walking by the road on a lead and never shouting at cars, and staying perfectly still like a statue for 2 minutes. The next week I was doing a 2 minute stay but had my eyes on the advanced dogs doing retrieving. After my 2 minutes I shot off and captured a huge dumbell from a St. Bernard. Everyone laughed and my owner and I were very embarrassed!

Corgi Calendars.

They chose the picture of lots of little Annikas on the beach at Sussex - the one on the bottom of this page - for September on the Corgi calendar. Barney, the golden retriever, is the only non-corgi on the calendar. Trust him to get in on the act.

My prospective puppy dad.

I have checked up on my handsome boyfriend, Ace, and his posh name is Gowerston Justin Time. He has done really well at shows. So maybe my puppies will. That would let me off being shown. Phew! I have worked things out and if puppies come according to plan they would be in early March. And that is around the time of Crufts. It would mean I wouldn't be able to go. Hoorah. I would be so ridiculously nervous being in the ring at Crufts that it would be great not to go. Everyone says it would be a great experience. My idea of a great experience is chasing a chicken or playing in the snow - not being stared at in a show ring! Yippee! This is my nephew, Tom. Hope my puppies are smart like him!

Well good news! My owner managed to win

the Cardigan Corgi photo competition, with lots of photos of me. She won a huge rosette. Actually I think it was my lovely ears and friendly personality that helped her win. The rosette she won is absolutely huge and I pretend it's mine. I will never ever win a rosette like that. You would have to win Crufts to win one of those. It is good the way she pins them on our kitchen curtains. I gather my owner is a very poor cook so the rosettes make it look as though she has awards for cookery! This is me kissing my nephew Tom!

Show time.

I had my second birthday on 21st October 2009. That means I am no longer in under age classes at dog shows. I did OK as a babe and a novice. Now I have to go in something called Postgraduate, with the big girls, many of whom are very experienced. It is quite scary. My owner thinks it is good discipline; it might be for her. But not for me. I quite like standing on the table and being examined and tickled by the judges. They usually say kind things to me. But the real champions have their ears up and tails down. I get so excited by the whole thing that I usually have ears down and tail up and wagging! Photo of Mum and me!

Trip to Wales.

I had my first trip to Wales for the Cambria Welsh Corgi Show in Welshpool. We went to stay with my owner's cousin, Ann, and husband John who farm sheep right on the edge of Snowdon. I followed John's quad bike up the mountain with two collies and two Jack Russell terriers. I knew about not worrying the sheep but I got totally filthy, mud, waterfalls, streams and a bit of duck poop. Not good preparation for next day's show. I would love to be a sheepdog and hopefully my owner might well get some sheep for the golf course. Anyway, I did do some herding when we got back to the farmyard. I brought the chickens out of their shed and then penned a naughty chicken in a corner. It stood very still and stared at me and clucked and my owner whistled a lot. I think she was pleased. I was rewarded with an egg for tea! I had to be dunked in a wheelbarrow of rainwater before we set off for the show. I won a very highly commended. I haven't had one of them before. I don't know if it was for farming or showing. I certainly had more fun than the show dogs! And was much muddier and grubbier than any of them.