The video is not new but we just found out about it. The Chicago Boat, RV and Outdoors Show is held annually in January in Chicago, Illinois. This year, the show included a DockDogs competition for the first time.

From a DockDogs official press release following the event: "After a 4-year run in the suburbs of Chicago, DockDogs® stretched its legs and jumped into 2010 by going through the heart of Downtown Chicago and hosting it's first Midwest National competition at the Chicago Boat, RV and Outdoors Show. With over 75 dogs competing in sixteen (16) BIG AIR Waves, three (3) SPEED RETRIEVE Heats, one (1) EXTREME VERTICAL competition and four (4) separate FINALS at the historic McCormick Place, the 2010 DockDogs® National tour continued to raise the bar with more passion, excitement and intensity than ever before."

It was further reported that the dock dogs were a huge hit with the public.

The website for the Chicago Boat, RV and Outdoors Show features three video highlights from the 2010 event. The middle video, "Dock Dog in Action" shows two of the 75-plus canine competitors. One of them is Nutmeg!

Nutmeg's owner Maxine Brinker says the water was very cold. Some dogs refused to enter the water but not so Nutmeg! I've said it before and it is true: Maxine and Nutmeg have been wonderful ambassadors for dachshunds in an arena where dachshunds are very seldom seen. GO, Nutmeg!

All the dogs except Kasi went for a walk this afternoon. Later, near sunset, I took seven months old Viljo out by himself. I shot some video of him with my Flip camera. The video was very bouncy, though, because I'd walked up and down hill in snow. So I pulled stills from the video and made a slide show instead. The quality of the photos isn't great but you can see something of the qualities of Viljo!

The temperature was 25 degrees, the air was still, and we were out for about 40 minutes. When the sun went down and the moon came up, we called it a walk and headed for home.

In some of the photos, it is obvious that Viljo is following (old) deer tracks. It is not a habit that I encourage. I just keep walking and pretty soon he breaks off and comes with me. Viljo is very responsive to my whereabouts in the field. In part, this is due to his age, then again it is a habit that I fully encourage!

FC Autumn Olive von Dorndorf TD CD RE OA NAJ Wa-T BHP-G, won her Open Jumpers class today by half a second over a corgi, seven seconds under Standard Course Time! This was at the Kennel Club of Palm Springs AKC agility trial in Walnut, California.

Congratulations to her owners John Willmore (handling) and Diane Webb!

I drove three hours up to the Crown Classic show at the IX Center in Cleveland today - just so Viljo could see 160 breeds of dogs! The International Exposition Center is an enormous place. Over 3000 dogs were competing in conformation, obedience, agility, and rally - in one room - so there was a lot to see and hear. It was a really far cry from anything Viljo has seen and heard here on the Ponderosa!

One of the few downers of living in the sticks is that it takes much more effort to socialize puppies.

Well, let's see. First, I accustomed Viljo to all the noise and commotion by leaving him in his crate so he could acclimate. After that, we took short walks through the place followed by longer walks. Viljo took it all in and became very comfortable. Then he became playful.

It was really cute when we watched some agility and Viljo saw dogs 'disappear' into the tunnel by us. He tilted his head and craned his neck looking for the dogs that disappeared. Ha, ha. And while we were wandering the many booths, a guy who sells dog treats went under a table to dig around in a box for something and Viljo went under there to help him. He got a treat for that. Either it was payment for helping, or payment to stop helping, could've been either one.

Many dog lovers from the general public attend these shows and Viljo got a lot of attention. He is not really an affectionate dog with people (not with me, either) because he is too busy to be affectionate. He always has things to do! In the spirit of keeping busy and doing things, however, Viljo likes to shake hands. Children, especially, thought that was fun.  

Thanks to their agreeable owners, Viljo said Hi! to a springer spaniel, wanted to play with a beagle, was turned off by a pushy Belgian sheepdog, was turned on by a big and hairy but gentle 22 months old Otterhound (he pulled her hair a couple of times like he pulls my pant leg to greet me), played duck, duck, goose with a Bull terrier puppy, was held by kids, hugged by adults, had his picture taken a few times, chased wisps of dog hair floating on the floor, and scarfed a couple liver treats thrown by handlers in the group rings.

We were there for six hours so it was a fairly long day. Viljo didn't have to drive so rested up on the way home. After we got home, he capped his eventful day by separating wicker from the new wicker basket. It's the first thing he's ever torn up. I should've seen it coming. I thought it would be a good place to put the dog toys that are scattered all over. Viljo thought it was a toy and scattered wicker all over!

It was a great day for Viljo!

Addendum: We enjoyed the otterhound so much that I have done a little research on the breed. The otterhound has an interesting heritage and is quite uncommon. I read that only about half a dozen litters are born in the US and Canada each year.

I also learned that in lineage and vocation, Otterhounds are true hounds. Here you can read an old descriptive article, An Otter Hunt in North Wales .

And here you can hear the voice of an otterhound at only five months old!

Diane Webb sent this photo of Olive during the  Long Sit exercise on Friday, Dec 10. This was at the all-breed trial where she qualified for the 3rd and final leg of her CD obedience title. Again, Great Job, Olive! (Those who may think this is easy should try it!)

FC Bob's Babe von Knobydox, daughter of DC Nadja v Dorndorf L SE, was called back 3rd and when the dust settled after several series, Babe finished 3rd amongst top competitors in Ladonia, Texas! Congratulations to Babe, her breeder/owner Tina Knoll, and handler Stan Knoll!

FC Audi Oslo von Dorndorf, owned and handled by Stan Knoll, had an excellent day at the Saturday field trial of the Dallas-Fort Worth Dachshund Club! Congratulations to Stan and Oslo!

FC Annie Ochre von Dorndorf, owned and handled by 13 year old Laura Knoll from Mississippi, was called back 2nd and finished 3rd in a combined Field Champion stake of 36 dachshunds from all over the country! ("Combined" means that male and female Field Champions competed together in the same class.) This was for the Friday trial of the Dallas-Fort Worth Dachshund Club, Ladonia, Texas; the running of the trial actually concluded this, Saturday, morning.

Congratulations to Laura and Ochre!! Way to go!

I will let her happy owner Diane Webb tell the story:  "I'm very proud to report that Olive earned her Rally Excellent (RE) and Novice Obedience (CD) titles today at the Shoreline Dog Fanciers Association trial in Costa Mesa CA.  I can't get the smile off my face.

The conditions were not wonderful (loud, crowded and smelly building, with clumps of dog hair wafting through) and Olive was not very sharp. But she persevered and earned an 81 and second place in Rally Excellent A.  We got off to a very rocky start but Olive settled down and finished the course with a nice backup at heel and a good Honor down.  That was Olive's third qualifying score in Rally Excellent and her RE title!

Then we waited a few hours for Novice B obedience.  I wasn't feeling very optimistic, particularly when I learned we would be between a
rather nervous Terv and a Newfoundland for group stays.  We had some problems with the individual exercises (no sit on the first halt, off to sniff a spot that nailed almost every dog on the Heel Free "Slow", and an auto finish on the recall) but also some very nice moments.  The judge told us that we were qualifying but I knew those groups were coming up.

We did some warmup long sits since Olive has a tendency to lie down on sit stays.  Those went well, but when we were lining up for the Group Stays I could tell that Olive was not happy.  The Terv was absent for stays, so we were between two Newfies.  Olive wouldn't look at me and when we got into position for the sit, Olive once again refused to sit. The judge told me to "physically sit the dachshund" and I did.  And the rest is history!  The two dogs that got up during the Long Sit were at the other end of the line and the Newfies, while gigantic, were good. Olive held her Sit, went into a Down with no problem, and held the Down. I was ecstatic when the judge called "87, the dachshund" as a qualifier!

We got our trademark 3rd place with a 176.  There were 4 qualifiers out of 14 entries with 11 dogs actually competing.  Best of all, that was Olive's third Novice obedience leg and her CD title!

We are done, done, done with all-breed group stays.  I am very grateful to Olive for doing the two all-breed stays and I'm not going to push our luck any further.  I've got a few dachshund specialty trials on my list for 2011 and we'll start working hard on Open and Utility skills.  We will also be honing Olive's rally skills for RAE.

Given that we got Olive in January, I am very pleased with what we've been able to accomplish.  Olive is 6.5 and I'm really looking forward to continuing to work with her.  Thank you, Patt -- both for suggesting that we take Olive and for giving her such good foundation skills.

Our judges today were James Ham (rally) and Sharon Ann Redmer (obedience).  I thought both were excellent, very pleasant judges.  I
also learned that you can physically put a dog into a sit or down for the stays, with a deduction.  I had seen in the rules that you could do
this for the Down but I wasn't sure about the Sit.

I'll be floating on Cloud Nine the rest of the weekend.

-- Diane and FC Autumn Olive von Dorndorf TD CD RE OA NAJ Wa-T BHP-G"

What John and Diane "have been able to accomplish" since first meeting Olive in January is CD in Obedience; RN, RA, and RE in Rally; and NA, OA, NAJ, one OAJ leg so far in Agility!

That's some kind of Awesome! Congratulations to all of you!