We go thru a process before each show... I don't know if you can really see how muddy Gunnar is in the picture below. We had a lot of rain over the previous couple of weeks and he had taken full advantage of it. ;-)
He had just started shedding prior to the last show and his groomer had done a good job of pulling out his loose undercoat then. I've been collecting some of it since and she pulled more out after his bath on Wednesday before this show.
But those puppy-fur saddle bags were hanging tight on his hips.
I spent way more time than he would have liked on those saddle-bags the next evening, but I vanquished them. Then I gave him a pre-show groom so Saturday would require less time.
Even though our ring time was a very-easy-to-get-to early afternoon, I wasn't exactly sure where I was going, so I went down the night before to set up. I feel like I've done this enough times now that I'm pretty-well prepared.... but there always seems to be something to learn. ;-)
Unlike the last show where we had a snow storm and I was trying to keep the Giant Fluffy Puppy clean and dry, FlatIrons was hot, humid, outside without shade, and I was trying to keep him cool. What a difference 6 weeks can make. ;-)
Listening to advice from one of our conformation class coaches, I brought a cooler with ice water and a rag to keep Gunnar's nether region cool. Fortunately, the grooming area was inside and air-conditioned. I also added an umbrella to my show equipment so we could make our own shade ring-side.
There were 2 other Tibetan Mastiffs entered. Gunnar won Winner's Dog on Saturday, but had a limp on Sunday as we were going into the ring and was dismissed for being lame.
I don't know for sure when the injury happened, but he got excited to see a few people on Sunday morning. So most likely he did it during some merry-making that morning.
The diagnosis is a minor sprain to his wrist and he is on House Arrest for another week or so.
3 comments:
The poor dear! He does look rather handsome though.
I would have a hard time not hugging him, like, all the time. What a great dog. Congrats on the Saturday placement!
I hug him all of the time.... to the point that I am accused of having a favorite. ;-)
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