Dog Show: Greeley Kennel Club, 2022

 Whelp, it's been a while since I've had a dog in a show...

Ramen and I went to Westminster last summer (2021), which was an amazing experience.

I had entered Wilma in the Greeley show a couple of months later (August 2021), but she had a cough the morning before, so we decided to keep her at home.  Kennel Cough is typically not serious, but it is highly contagious and we did not want to be the source of an outbreak.

Then our move started ramping up and we unexpectedly lost Ramen to cancer a few months later in December (2021).

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Wilma and I went to a few classes in the recent Spring (2022), and I helped a friend with her puppies at the Laramie, Wyoming show in May (2022).

Laramie was my first time anywhere near a ring since losing Ramen.

While I was very happy to be able to help my friend with her new generation, I was feeling very sad and emotional about Ramen not being there to compete.  He just loved showing so much and it was our thing that we did together.

Then Ramen's sister, Aspen, got sick and we lost her in July (2022) to a different cancer... heartbreaking.  But at least we knew it was coming and took the opportunity to spoil her.

Add in a long work trip and a couple of injuries... and well, it's been a while.

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I'm finally in a place where I can go on this journey with Wilma, and not regret that Ramen is not here to participate... So first up is the Greeley Kennel Club Show.

Wilma and I started going to class again in early-August (2022) and I felt happy about getting ready to compete.  We practice at a couple of venues; one indoors and one in a nearby park.

She really enjoys going to class and seeing her doggie and human friends, as do I.  :-)  The different venues provide exposure to different surfaces, dogs, judges, and potential distractions.  All good stuff in my book.

The day before the show, I took Wilma to Tractor Supply for a bath.  They provide everything.... shampoo, towels, high-velocity dryer, warm water, and a tub for about $10.  Even though we brought our own shampoo, this is seriously a great value for the do-it-yourself-er.

Then I went to the venue to set up our grooming space and help a friend organize trophies for another event.

Late August in Greeley is typically hot and we show outside, generally close to noon.  So I had been preparing ice, fans, and cooling mats to help keep Miss Wilma cool.

This year, however, we had earlier ring times and cooler weather, coupled with excellent use of shade by the Kennel Club.  It was quite comfortable.

Wilma showed extremely well and was willing to work in the ring, even when she was tired... from watching where we'd been on the drive over.

And keeping an eye on what everyone else was doing.

On the last day, she barely started to relax.  

It's hard for a guardian who wants to be aware of everything that's going on.  :-)

Wilma was awarded Winner's Bitch (WB) all three days.  This is the best, female, class dog of the day.  Class means non-champion.

She also received Best of Winners (BOW) on the first day.  Meaning she was also the best over the boy class dogs that day.

On the second day, one of the class boys won Best of Breed, so he was also BOW and no boys were present on the third day so BOW was not awarded.

We also had an impromptu Judge's Mentoring Session.  We answered questions, discussed the most important characteristics of the breed, and let the Judge-in-training get her hands on Wilma.  Educating people about Tibetan Mastiffs is probably one of my favorite things to do.

Wilma watched where we'd been the entire way home, even though she had to sit closer to the front because the grooming/kennel equipment was in the way-back.  lol.

Finally, she was delighted to visit with her alpaca before I put her to bed for a good, long, nap.  :-)

Wilma now has 3 points toward her Championship Title and we have a couple of things to work on before the next event.

The Greeley Kennel Club Show is one of my favorites.  It was the first show I ever attended.  It's convenient to our location and the venue is excellent.  This year's Saturday Group Competitions were broadcast live on AKC.tv and available to stream now.