OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW!

Well 2008 is just about over and 2009 just around the corner. Best wishes to everyone, hope it is a guid yin. I'm not waiting up for the bells with my shortbread, whisky etc to welcome the 'first foot', I'm off to my bed as I am working tomorrow and have to get up at 4.45am!!! Give me a thought as you toddle off to your beds probably the same time I get out mine LOL. Here's to you all.

Merry Christmas

Merry christmas everyone. I hope you all have a nice day and santa is good to you. Try not to eat and drink too much [vbg]

It's a BOY!!!

I am an aunt again....sister-in-law gave birth to a bouncing baby boy on tuesday 28th October weighing in at 7lbs 6ozs. Mother, son and daddy doing fine. His name is Ruairidh and he is gorgeous!

Calm before the storm

It's been rather quiet on the show front recently for me. Midi has decided to change his coat completely and looks a right scruff-bag! He will be chilling out (excuse the pun!) meantime till new one arrives.
Our Papillon Club had a successful seminar recently. I helped out with that which took place in the middle of my nightshift week...which seemed a good idea at the time!! Staying awake for 26hours is no longer funny.
So glad to be having a break from the wet weather, dogs hate it as much as I do! But by-gum has it turned cold!! Least it's dry...for the moment. Snow is forecast. Holly hates getting her feet wet never mind anything else. It's a struggle at times to get her out the door, she loves her comfort.

Romar show trolley

Hi everyone, I have a Romar show trolley for sale. 4-berth with all terrain wheels which can lock in place. It has holder for umbrella, 3 handle heights and waterproof cover. It is about 18 months old and hardly been used. In excellent condition. E-mail me for more details.

Midi

Pipistrelle Midnight At Barallan (aka Midi). He is 11 months old now and this foto was taken at Border Union, his first championship show. He behaved remarkably well considering there was loads to sniff and look at! lol. He was placed vhc in the puppy dog class.
We trotted off to Blackpool the following week where it was very windy but stayed dry thankfully, again he was placed vhc.
One thing I did not miss while out the ring was the very early morning(or middle of night time) rises !! Oh hum, the joys of showing dogs.


photo taken by JDP

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to Sally and Abbie yesterday, 10th, pictured here chilling out on holiday in Chester. They are now 14 years old!! Extra treats all round. They couldn't see what the fuss was about!

New Kid On The Block

Meet Midi...our youngest addition to the 'family'. He will make his debut at a championship show next month. I am looking forward to having some fun with him, it has been sometime since I have had a puppy to show. Many thanks to his breeder, Claire Ann Ahern (Pipistrelle) for entrusting me with this lovely boy.

Honorary Papillon!

Meet Holly the hooligan. She is not quite a Papillon but she does try! For those not too sure she is a Chinese Crested Powderpuff. I've always loved them and got the chance last year to bring her home. Holly is now 16 months old but grown a tad big for showing unfortunately. She is your typical dumb blond (sorry blonds) but adorable and daft! Holly loves the papillons but they do not return the feeling. They tolerate her but they are not fools and know she ain't no papillon.

Wicked Witch Of The West

And this is Poppy. She is registered as Barallan Dark N' Delicious...think it should have been Hot N' Spicy!! Sharp as a tac as they say and constantly on the go. It seems she wants to be leader of the pack, and that includes me but we agree to differ on that one! Her mum was Bunny and her dad, Errol.

The Vampire Slayer

This is Buffy. She is the happiest dog I have ever known. Her tail wags in circles nonstop and she doesn't grump or snarl at anyone, not even her half-sister who constantly tries to upstage her. Buffy loves everyone just like her mum, Rosie and has the soft gentle nature of her dad, Errol. She is seven and a half years old now and I would never part with her. She always looks like she is laughing and always makes me smile. Who could ask for anything more!

Sweet Daisy-may

The look says it all!!

Daisy

This photo was taken at the Scottish club Show last year prior to going into the veteran class. She loved showing. (Liked to tell everyone she was around too!)

Simply The Best

This is my all time favourite photo of Errol taken by Jim Savage.

All Grown Up

Errol as an adult when he won his 3rd CC and BOB at Midland Counties .

Junior

This is Errol as a junior. He just loved to pose!

Pair of Aces

I could write a book about this pair. Anyone who knows me will be aware how much they meant to me and sadly both are gone. Everything for a reason I keep getting told but sometimes it is hard to see or understand the reason. But lets focus on the good times. Sunshoo Imaknight Errant Of Barallan came to me at 15 weeks from Carolyn and David Roe. He was going thru the ugly duckling stage but I fell in love with him right away. His movement was to die for! He won Best Puppy In Show first time out at the Northern & Eastern Counties Papillon Club championship show aged six and half months. The following week he won the same award again, this time at the North of Scotland Toydog Society Open show. He went on from strength to strength, won his way thru his classes and at 3 years he won his title. He is the sire of Buffy and Poppy who are still with me.
My darling Daisy, Barallan Jump For Joy was 6 weeks younger than Errol and they went to all the shows together. They were my 'team'. Daisy won well for me too, most memorable being the CC and RBIS at the South Wales Papillon Club championship show (it was the club's Pearl anniversary). If you can have soulmate in a dog then she was it. She seemed to know what I was thinking or going to do before I did! I lost her unexpectedly last year and it broke my heart, I was for giving it all up, no more dogs, no more shows etc. But the unconditional love of the other dogs and the friendship of doggy people helped me thru it. I look to the future now and getting back into the showring, altho I have been there on a number of occasions as the 'Judge' !! But that is another story.

Funny-Bunny

Adnamashan Tibbar At Barallan aka Bunny was a grand-daughter of Marti and came to stay with us. She was a lovely girl, altho could be bit of a drama queen at times! She was mated to Leo and produced my gorgeous Daisy, and later on mated to Errol and produced the wicked witch of the west...Poppy! I sadly lost her last year aged only 11 due to lymphoma of the bone marrow.

The Ladies' Man

Northlyte Galileo at Barallan aka Leo. He loved the girls! He was not shown much as I could never keep body on him, he was always on the go. He sired a couple of litters for me before being re-homed with a lovely family.

Prim and proper she ain't

Our Rosie, better known as Sunshoo Imaprim N' Potter at Barallan is now 12.1/2years old. Photo here was in her heyday when she won Best In Show at the Papillon Club 'Northern' show. A day I will never forget. We were going to Chester for a holiday (dogs too off course) and noticed that the open show was on so entered a few dogs and we were going along for a fun day. Little did we know that by the end of the day, my Rosie-posie would win right thru to win top award! Marion says she is very people friendly, that describes her to a 'T'.

Sisterly love

We must off course not forget the two sisters (and no, not ugly!!). Sally below is Barallan Sweet Little Mystery and on the right is Abbie, Barallan Angel Eyes. They are both nearly 14yrs old now and still with me. Max was their sire and dam was Cleo who went off to stay with Marion and Max.

Smooth as velvet

Barallan Red Velvet was something special. He showed his heart out for me every time, he was only used a few times at stud (dad to 7 daughters in total!) and he loved everbody he met. He could spend hours playing with his soft toys and adored our cat. It caused no end of amusement at the ringside when I used a particular phrase to get his attention!! I won't repeat it here :)
He passed away short of his 14th birthday 2 years ago now and is still much missed.

Going Solo

Barallan Solitary Man was a real character and won well enough as a youngster. I repeated the mating and this time Sophie had 3 boys and 1 girl. I kept Barallan The Jazz Singer aka Roscoe, his brother went to live with Heidi and the Ness family and the other 2 went to lovely pet homes. Solo was eventually pet homed as he was rather bossy with the other boys and become a spoiled lap dog for his elderly owner.

She was a Showgirl

Her name was Lola, better known as Ringlands O'La la. She was a half-sister to Max and Tosca and came to stay with us. Although she did well in the ring she was happier being a mum like Sophie. Her first litter produced a champion for her breeder and her next litter (sire being Max),we had 2 lovely tri dogs, one went out to america and gained his title there..Am.Ch. Barallan Pied Piper. Her final litter to Ch.Ringlands Squadronnaire gave us 2 girls and 1 boy. 1 bitch went out to Belgium, the other to Norma Staff, who went on to produce champions and the boy remained at Barallan. This was Red Velvet.

Brotherly Love

Max's brother was Tosca, Barallan Beau-Jo-Lais. He had the most gentle of natures and loved everybody. He was my shadow and dare I say, slept on the bed! He wasn't so fond of the showring so I retired him early. Max was quite happy to carry on with that side of things.

Diamonds in the rough

Barallan Mr Bojangles 'Max'. Remembered with great fondness. He went to live with my best friend, Marion. I was a fan of Neil Diamond at the time and named my dogs after his songs. Max was a great character too and went to the Rainbow Bridge aged sixteen and half years.

Next came more butterflies

Sophie was with me for nearly 17 years before she passed away. She was her own wee person and we had great fun at the shows, obedience and even tried agility which she loved. She loved being a mum and our first litter produced 3 lovely puppies, 1 boy and 2 girls. One of the girls, Heidi, went to stay with the Ness family and began their line of Chappell Papillons. Her sister, Melody stayed with me and had moderate success in the showring. Their brother, Solo did most of the winning and won a Reserve CC. Photo shows head study of Barallan Soft N' Silky aka Heidi.

Shall we start at the beginning?

It all started in 1985 when Dongays Star Appeal 'Sophie', came to stay! I wanted a toy breed to show and at home she could lounge about on velvet cushions all day...boy did she teach me a thing or two!! But I was hooked and fell totally in love with this wonderful breed.