Roxxi and Ruffian (Through human eyes)

Airedale Terriers tend to be shown really early in the morning, so dogs and handlers have to start prepping at 6 or 7am on each show day. There is a whole grueling time for each show dog to be washed, dried, prepped and tended to, and it really isn't for the faint of heart.

One thing became clear between Kimi and the show dogs around him - Kimi's attitude was very mellow and laid back, whereas the show dogs tend to be edgy and filled with a lot more spunk. His leg furnishings were thick and full like a show dog's, but because I had been scissoring them to shape, it lost the redness and wiryness. After seeing all the red and wiry furnishings, I had decided that from now on, I will be handstripping all of Kimi's legs and facial furnishings so that the color can come in rich again.

Angus is a very beautiful Brisline dog. He is owned by Sheila (another Sheila other than me) and Georgia, who owns Brisline Kennels. Georgia is a very established and respected lady in the Airedale community and I was able to watch and learn from her, and also thanks to Nancy and Marguerite, who owns Roxxi (Kimi's full littermate) who taught me insider grooming tips. There is still a long way to go, but this experience learning from the best has been a good start.

Roxxi is ready for the show ring and she's waiting patiently for her turn. Angus is watching over his girlfriend (Roxxi) from behind his handler, Nancy.

Roxxi gets prepped early in the morning. The life of a show dog can be filled with excitement, adrenaline rushes, wins and losses, treats and toys, but also a lot of hardwork, discipline and patience. Getting primped up for a show is not easy, but the efforts are worth it when a dog wins points toward the Championship title. Roxxi is now CH Blackheath Foxxi Roxxi, the newest Blackheath dog to earn her CH.

This was Ruffian's first show, and first time in the ring. He is 4 years of age, but came out of nowhere, and got placed first in his class. He later on joined in the Best of Breed show and beat many other champions to win Best of Winners. He can be considered the underdog, who came out of the boonies and beat seasoned winners. What a treat to see Ruffian win!!

Ruffian and an assistant handler waiting for their turn to enter the ring.

Ruffian and his professional handler, Amy in the ring.

When Roxxi was done with her turn in the ring, we were just hanging out and Kimi liked smelling her butt. Of course they seemed to immediately remembered each other when they first saw each other, cos their tails wagged like crazy and they kept looking at each other and staying close.

At the end of the show, all the dogs try to get treats. Roxxi waits patiently for Mum Marguerite to give her some, and Kimi got some too. He was patiently watching from the side for a crumb.

This picture shows Roxxi's full attention on Marguerite. It shows the close connection they have. Marguerite is her owner, handler and groomer.

One of the key components for Airedale terriers in the show ring, is to show spunk and fiestiness. This is a key component for the Airedale Terrier's personality traits. One way the judge tries to see this, is to get the Airedales to 'spar', they don't actually fight each other, they just stack and face each other in a 'confrontational' way to see if they back down or show spunk and gutsy looks.

Although I groom Ruffian, and I had Kimi by my side, he didn't seem to acknowledge our presence although we were standing pretty close to him. I made sure we kept our distance so that we didn't distract him from performing his utmost best. He loves Kimi to death, but on the days of the shows, he didn't even seem to notice we were standing right there. It was a big strange for me, but I think he was just zoned out.

Ruffian owned the ring when he was in it. He is muscular and tight, and beautiful. Some males tend to be slighter in build, and smaller, but Ruffian is robust and strong. He looks very masculine when compared to the smaller males in the ring. He is a very special dog and has very showy traits, and we are all very proud of his wins. He got placed 1st on Thursday, also won Best of Winners, and got placed 2nd on Friday, 4th on both Saturday and Sunday. For a dog that has never been shown before, to come into the shows and get placed every single day was a great accomplishment for Ruffian. I am really very proud of him.

Sheila