Ramblings,

Yesterday was my Wire Haired Dachshunds first dog show. I wasn't really interested in showing him as a pompous show dog but my breeder asked me if I would bring him down and since I'm onc crutches, he'd show/handle him so I agreed. Yesterday I left the house for the 2.5 hour drive to southern PA for the show. It was actually a Teckel show, a German dog organization for all 3 lines of Dachshunds, short hair, long hair and wire hair. It was amazing to see all the little yappy dogs of all hair color, make and sizes. There was a total of 38 dogs in the show and more dogs around that were not showed. My breeder was hoping for a rating of very good to go along with Axel's tracking ability for breeding purposes.

Axel's never been show "trained" so Andy, my breeder walked him around for practice and get him in the right "gate" walking. He wasn't doing all that well, he's a tracker so he knows to keep his nose down. Axel was picked for me rather I picking Axel out of a litter of 8 because the rest of the litter went all over the US and I was "local" for Andy to see and perhaps breed Axel. Andy said Axel was choice from the litter.

Andy's former dog Dixie was there, she's Axel "mom". She usually wins or places very well. Well Andy sold Dixie to another woman that handles dogs very well and that lady, Sherry offered to show Axel.

She worked with Axel and I couldn't believe the transfermation.

Once in the ring Axle performed almost flawless and while the judge handled him he really bragged him. I was getting goose bumps as if I bred him...lol Well I am Axel's daddy.

Hoping for a "very good" rating, We were overwhelmed when Axel got the highest rating of "Excellent".

He then went back into the arena for the finals, 12 of 38 dogs got Excellents and of those 12 dogs that were finalist, Axel finished 5th beating his mother Dixie by 1. She finished 6th. We couldn't have been more pleased.

That makes Axel an "excellent" choice for STUD!....that's my boy.



And the judge from Germany: