Karkki is a new Nordic, Finnish, Norwegian & Swedish Champion! Thank you Karina & Peter for letting little Donut Eye come to us, we love her so much!

BOB, BIG-4 in Ylivieska Int on 17.7.2010, judges Manuel Loureiro Borges, Portugal & Zsolt Lokodi, Romania

We have a new Champion! Well it's not an IG but anyway! Hämynhäivän Murmeli, "Murre" got his last CAC at Oulu cat show on July 3rd. The following day he got his first CACIB.

(at cat shows I'm off duty!)

The following week we drove to southern Finland and paid Heidi (Hämynhäivän cattery) a quick visit. We were happy to see that Keksi is still the same happy kangaroo as before! (also enjoying the same enormous appetite as before...)

As a result of that quick visit we now have another Burmilla, a black silver shaded female LV*Silver Glory Ace Lakka from Latvia. "Lakka" is co-owned with Heidi and will have a couple of litters under Heidi's prefix.

Oh yes, Murre really is that pissed off!

In her first show in kittens in Cesis, Latvia, Lakka was EXC 1, BIV and BIS NOM on both days. Photo © tessa.lv

Last weekend at Oulu Int Karkki got the reserves, judge Rita Reyniers from Belgium. The youngsters from last year's litters were training as well, some even with all 4 legs on the ground and some ... well not.

Photo © Raine J. W. Moilanen

Best bitch, photo © Raine J. W. Moilanen

Last a couple photos of Ira's daughter Hertta 11 months:

On Saturday, Unelma & Kukka came for a visit, and in case you have never seen a blue dog, here's one gorgeousness to look at!

On both days Murre was in Siilinjärvi cat show, enjoying the hospitality of Kaija-Leena, the owner of Murre's future girlfriend. ;o) Murre got CAC on both days but boy was he sore and miaowing like a lion when we picked him up!

(ok, these photos didn't turn out the way they were supposed to...)

On Sunday, we went to an Int dog show in Rovaniemi. Once again Rovaniemi offered us, traditionally, nothing but rain and wind... Karkki got res-CAC and res-CACIB, Tira was shown for the first time but was not too fond of the weather and ended up VG 1 in junior class. Judge was Per Iversen from Norway. Photos below by Heikki Niva.

Karkki & Pancakes

Karkki, Kinttu & Pancakes

Pancakes, Karki & Kinttu

The same trio

Pancakes suffers from the same trauma as her daddy Ira did: Karkki is too fast fo them both which HUGELY bugs them off!

Karkki took part in her second LC competition in Kemi on May 30th, 2010. Once again we enjoyed a nice weather and apparently so did Karkki as well, as she was BEST IN FIELD with 257 + 256 = 513 points receiving her second LC CAC.

What a week! On Thursday some coursing and on Saturday some show trotting for the little Donut Eye. Karkki appealed to the judge Rudi Brandt (kennel Frontrunner's, DK) who placed her BOB and BIG-2 in the warm and sunny Piteå, Sweden! As for the weather, we really could not have had better luck.

Kinttu was shown for the last time, finishing 3rd best bitch. Kinttu has had a fantastic show career but from now on she will focus on training new generations how Italian Greyhounds are supposed to HUNT! Or at least how to try to... She is also the best role model a young dog could possibly have.

Photo Amanda Pettersson

Karkki took part in her first lure coursing trial in Kajaani, on 13.5. finishing 1st with 265 + 254 = 519 points and a LC CAC.

After a weekend spent in Belgium Bling is now back at home at kennel Caeles. Irishboy was acting real cool but deep inside I bet he had missed me ... Or not.

The VDH Europasieger in Dortmund is clearly becoming a tradition for me. This year, Italian Greyhounds were judged by Elisabet Janzon from Sweden and BOB was Costanza dei Raggi di Luna. Photos were taken but they will follow in the gallery later on as soon as the postman brings the memory card ...

Pancakes is back home! Below at 9 months:

At Boden Sighthound Specialty, northern Sweden, Karkki was Eli-Marie Klepp's choice for the BOB. Karkki was also BIS-4 intermediate.

Kinttu was 4th best bitch:

Thanks to Pia for the photos!

Murre was shown for the first time in kittens and was EX1, judge Yan Roca-Folch, France.

Despite the optimism in the last post, the winter is not over yet! Deep inside I knew this so I ordered new winter overalls for the dogs from Hippiehound. You can see just how thrilled the three ladies are about my newest brainwave by looking at the photo below.

Last weekend Karita was visiting us with one of Ira's puppies, Hertta. Here are some candid shots of the 6-month-old youngster:

I remember Valentine's Day as a time of light and spring, mainly because around mid February the Sun starts to carefully peep on the horizon. The outside temperature starts to rise and the IGs are able to take longer walks after a cold and dark winter. An Italian Greyhound owner cannot avoid dressing the dogs during winter and it is really not about being foppish, the dogs simply do not survive without something on them. Our wardrobe consists of pullovers (see below), jackets and overalls -all of them needed during winter!

Lucky for the dogs (and cats by the looks of it...), in Finland almost every home has a place to warm up in:

Last week Kumma, Kinttu and Karkki were starring a story in a local weekly paper called Forum24, given out in areas around Oulu. The idea was to introduce the breed (and of course a local breeder) for the larger public. The issue may be read online as well ~ click here (click 04.02.2010 and go to pages 24 & 25).

© Forum24

Yesterday at Kajaani Int Karkki was 2nd best bitch with a CAC and a res-CACIB which will be confirmed to a CACIB. The judge was Manola Arnetola-Boggesi from Italy.

The best friends from last summer, Karkki and Ra-Ra Ira

A new year ahead of us, shall it bring us all lots and lots of good moments and success!

The thing that we are especially thrilled about is that Rommi & Bling's honeymoon seems to have been successful, but there is still a few weeks of wait left...