Our Superstar Chihuahua Babies Win Big in Dunedin

Kitaco Etienne of Navarre - Best of Group

Last weekend we travelled south to Dunedin for a huge weekend of shows with our new babies in tow, ready to make their debut as show dogs.

And what a debut they made!

Steve (Kitaco Etienne of Navarre) lost out to his cousin, Eve, in the first show, but came back with such a bang in Show 2 that he won the Group!

Just like his big brother, Kevin (Kitaco Baby One More Time), earlier this year, a Kitaco Baby Puppy took the Toy Group! We were so thrilled with how well he did. Afterwards, it was suggested to us, laughingly, that we would no longer be allowed to enter baby puppies in the Dunedin shows. They were joking, of course (at least we think they were, LOL).

Steve ended with the weekend with a Best in Group, 2 Baby Puppy of Groups, 2 Best Dog, and a Best of Breed (Chihuahua Long Coat).

Not bad for a little fella who turned 3 months old last week.

And then there was Eve (Kitaco Fat Bottomed Girl), also making her show debut. She beat her cousin, Candy (Kitaco Hard Candy Christmas) in 3 of the 4 shows and 2 Baby Puppy of Groups as well!

Eve ended up with 2 Baby Puppy of Groups, 3 Best Bitches, a Best of Breed and 2 Reserve Best of Breeds!

We had also entered Brad (Kitaco Rhapsody in Blue), this weekend, who literally turned 3 months old on the Saturday, but when we took him for a practice run before the show, he kept wandering off to find spectators ringside to give him cuddles. He is still so little and so utterly adorable that we decided that if cuddles were what he really wanted, then cuddles he shall have. Brad spent the weekend barely touching the ground, being cuddled by everyone who walked past and having a grand old time. His debut in the ring can wait. There is no hurry and we are so unbelievably lucky to have such excellent prospects, that he can be a cuddle bunny as much as he wants until he tells us he’s ready for the big time.

Candy and Ben both gave a good account of themselves. Ben took 2 Best of Breeds, 2 Best Dog CCs and 4 Best NZ of Breed. Candy took the Reserve of Best of Breed in the 4^th show and Reserve Best Bitch 3 times.. She also took Best Puppy of Breed in all 4 shows, and the Best Bitch CC in Show 3, and Reserve Best Bitch in the other 3 shows.

In the Smooth Coats, Scotty made his debut as a Neuter. Sadly, we learned of a potential issue in his line earlier this year that made him and his sisters an unacceptable health risk for breeding, so we made the heartbreaking decision to cut his line completely and neutered him after he won the Best of Breed at the National Dog Show (sob). It hasn’t slowed him down at all, he’s still far too smart for his own good and had a great time in the ring, winning a Neuter of Group and a Reserve Neuter of Group, so we still get to have the fun of showing him.

The weather was very hot, and even though we were inside, it was sweltering, so we ended up with all the dogs in the car with the air-con running by Sunday afternoon.

Still, it was a fabulous weekend and we had such a great time with our “gazebo buddies”, Sam, Alan, the Chinese Crested, and Sam’s mum, Carol, with who is the best puppy babysitter. Many laughs, lots of trading prizes and lots of cheers when Alan won Best Intermediate in Show, twice.

Thanks to the South Otago and Southern Ladies committees for running such excellent shows. We will be back. With baby puppies, LOL.

Oh, and in case you are wondering what happened to Kevin, his ear flopped, which is a disqualifying fault, so we found him a wonderful family where he is now an emotional support dog for a young child with autism and ADHD.