Best Puppy!

Alexander is awarded Best Puppy at the Wine Country Kennel Club show on Saturday and got a chance to compete in the Puppy Sporting Group.  With his new Handler, Jeff Heim, he is performing better and will become a formidable show dog. I am looking forward to future shows with this stunning and robust young Labrador!

Stand For Exam

The job of the handler in the show ring is to allow the judge to see the best aspects of the dog including movement and expression. Alexander is in training for conditioning and ring presence and is learning to stand still for exam, including looking at his teeth. He is a formidable Labrador.

Misty Mountain Successful at Labrador Specialty in Pleasanton

Alexander meets up with his wonderful breeders Toni Leitao and Lorraine Yu from Misty Mountain Labradors in Washington State at the very stormy show in Pleasanton over the weekend. I have never been to a show with as much wind and rain as this show, better on Monday, but I had to hand it to the Judge who stayed in the rainy ring the entire time while judging over 80 Labradors.  Here you see Alex's sire, Zeus, the #5 Labrador in the USA who won Best of Breed at the All Breed show on Monday. In my opinion, he is the perfect yellow Labrador Retriever in temperament and type, with Alexander showing many of his good qualities already at almost a year old. When Toni sends them I will add some really nice photos of Alexander that he took at the show. Alexander will now be handled by my wonderful Newfoundland handler, Jeff Heim, who has a wonderful manner with dogs in the show ring. I look forward to seeing Alexander handled with the elegance and style that he deserves and that Jeff Heim is known for.  The lovely black bitch here is Prada, owned by Toni and Lorraine, and has a fabulous profile of a very feminine, sleek, and fit Labrador. She was Best Opposite Sex at the Specialty and throughout the weekend. We look forward to our next show at the Wine Country Kennel Club show in Napa. Alexander will be ready.

A Day in the Sun

With confidence to spare, Alexander wins his 6-9 puppy class over a very sweet and pretty Chocolate Labrador on Sunday in Dixon and takes the Best Puppy in the Classes Prize as well. There were no Puppy Groups on Sunday but we chose a lovely Pro Plan Black and Red towel for our trophy. All was going great until Alex found a huge piece of liver thrown by one of the Mastiff handlers in the ring before us. An irresistible catch, I had to try to distract Alex from trolling for more liver the entire remainder of time we were in the ring. I could tell that our Judge liked Alex's type and conformation. In the Winner's Reserve ring, Alex was a serious consideration but lost because he was fighting the lead as he was trying to find more goodies in the grass. We will have to practice gating on a loose lead as well as standing still. Perhaps next time I should use some liver so that his attention will be on me and not the grass. I will continue to train often and with consistency, but also enjoy this wonderful puppy stage which really doesn't last long. What I love most about Alexander in the ring is that he is still fearless, still confident, and stacks himself with such strength and determination. He is a dog of substance and beauty and deserves his Day in the Sun!!

Ready

Ready to swim, ready to fetch, ready to show his socks off, Alexander is much like his namesake, Alexander the Great: fearless, relentless, bold and beautiful. Alexander is ready to WIN!! Looking forward to his next shows in California, hopefully to win class ribbons, Best Puppy, and Best Puppy in Show. At only 8 months old, he is looking very mature and muscular. He is a formidable Labrador!!

Fun Show Weekend

Alexander swims away from his second AKC Conformation show with a blue ribbon for winning the 6-9 month puppy class. He is learning to stand for exam and is very comfortable now with showing his bite to the judge. Still a young puppy, it is always a learning experience and it takes some time to settle down from all the excitement of the show. We made great progress and Alex had a blast hanging out with his friends Sophie and Bella and of course, Hummer. Until the next show in three weeks, Alexander will have much to practice! For a Labrador, life is just so much fun!

Alexander's First Dog Show

Alexander wins the 6-9 puppy class at the Hangtown Kennel Club show in Placerville over Memorial Day weekend. Receiving several nice comments from the judges, he seems to enjoy himself in the ring and remains focused on me, and of course, the treats!! With a very competitive attitude, handsome stature and powerful movement, Alexander and I look forward to many more shows this year!!

Hangtown Kennel Club Dog Show

What do we have in store for us at the Hangtown Kennel Club Dog Show? Will there be a nice hotel and restaurant? Will the people be friendly? It takes place in Placerville in the Sierra foothills on the Memorial Day weekend and will be Alexander's first time in an official show along with several other Labradors from the Sierra Vista Labrador Retriever Club. Alex will be showing off his great personality and bone structure as well as his beautiful coat but will be mostly there to enjoy the company of his other friends and Hummer who will compete in the Newfoundland ring. When not in the show we will be hanging around and enjoying the wonderful dog show atmosphere. Hopefully we will be able to liven up that ghost town with some winning ribbons!!

Misty Mountain's Chariots of Fire

In concert with a Movie Theme for Alexander's litter, this title of the English movie "Chariots of Fire" was chosen for Alexander's AKC registered name not only for the imagery of the ancient chariots driven by horses, but because the movie was set in England and had to do with the first Summer Olympics in Paris. The poem "Jerusalem" was the inspiration for the original title. Alexander looks forward to his first competition and I am sure he will do well. This handsome Labrador is full of confidence and spunk.(To see a larger print and read the poem "Jerusalem" please click on the poem and it will enlarge).

For The Record

This is little Alexander when he was about 4 months old. Now at closing in on 6 months old he has doubled in size and weighs almost 70 lbs!!!(more recent photos coming soon).He is now a big strong boy with attitude to spare. Learning the show ropes after tagging along on a couple of Hummer's shows, he is now King of the Grooming Table and will show his pretty teeth and stand in a very nice stack.... for TREATS, of course. The big test will be to Stand for Exam with a Judge, and he will have a chance to practice at his first show on Memorial Day weekend as well as at a Fun Match in June. He had his first Hotel experience last weekend and was so good, I was so proud of him! After a long day at the show and a few walks in the evening, he was so tired he slept all night and followed the lead of his Big Brother who knows how to conserve his energy in an air-conditioned hotel room. He even went voluntarily into his crate for a snooze. We are making huge progress!! What I am so happy about is that he eats, anytime and everything that I give him, and he does all of his "business" outside!!

More Friends

Wired for hunting, Alexander and his friends like to retrieve and hunt water fowl. They are naturals in the water and do not even flinch when it is their turn to retrieve through the wet and deep pond. This is a Retrievers' "Nervana".

Friends

Here are some photos of Alex's littermates and friends. They are all full of fun and love the water-life. Several of Alex's friends will also find themselves in the show ring!! Alex has his first official show at the Hangtown Kennel Club show in Placerville, California during the Memorial Day weekend!

SWIMMING IS FUN

"Fetch-it-Up"

Along with several other young puppies, Alexander got a chance to swim for the first time and practice some retrievals of a bumber and a real pigeon. It didn't take but about two tries and he was happily pouncing into the water to fetch the bumper and swim it back to the shore. The activities put on by a local Labrador Retriever Club, were all for practice for the Working Certificate, just one of many titles a dog can obtain through the AKC. All of the puppies had a great time and were practically giggling with joy at their first chance to carry a bird in their mouths. We look forward to another chance to get out in the country and do what Labradors do best which is to retrieve water foul and swim.

4 Months Old

Alexander is 4 months old tomorrow! He is growing so fast and weighs almost 45 lbs already. I can hardly carry him in my arms anymore. He is walking well on a leash and is coming along well with his ring training. He has lost some of his baby teeth and is chewing on anything and everything so I have to make sure he gets the right kind of chews. He is socializing well while accompanying me to every store, park, and mall that I go to and he enjoys meeting other dogs and people. One of the biggest issues we have now is trimming nails and that is not going as well as I would like. Otherwise, he is still his independent and fearless self and tons of adorable fun. This weekend we will go to a dog show to socialize and see how all the grown-up dogs behave!

A New Meaning For "Big Brother"

Hummer immediately accepted Alexander into his home and family. He is sweet and gentle and gives the puppy wide margins in his behavior. Hummer's calm demeanor teaches Alex to be calm and confident. Recently Hummer is teaching Alexander to walk nicely on a leash and to greet other dogs and people politely. If a dog could have perfect manners, it's Hummer, and it can only benefit Alexander in his puppyhood.It is amazing how dogs communicate without words but with body language and eye contact. Dogs can learn words, but it doesn't take a sentence and mostly just a look to get their point across. Hummer and Alex share everything from bones to food bowls. Not all dogs are like this; Hummer has an exceptional temperament and is well suited to accepting another dog into his pack. Someone once told me that he was an Omega Dog, the most submissive type of dog in the pack, but I think on the contrary, he is the best kind of ALPHA, the Leader, the calm and wise Mentor and Head of the Pack. Hummer knows that Alex is a puppy and is confident in himself enough to know that Alex cannot challenge his position. Hummer is also the true Gentle Giant, the Natural Nanny with a Heart of Gold. Newfoundlands and Labradors have similar temperaments and are generally happy, content, fun-loving, and willing to please.This is probably why Labradors are one of the most popular family dogs around. I think they are a great compliment to each other and will be friends and brothers always. Alexander's positive energy is good for Hummer and they play happily together. There are a few aloof dog breeds who are content to be alone,like the Akita and maybe a strong Malamute, but not the Newfoundland or Labrador who enjoy each others' company and the company of people and other dogs. Hummer is a "giver" and knows nothing of jealousy or possessiveness. He is a teacher, a friend, and protector. Sometimes the beauty of dogs in general is their definition of Relationship. If anyone knows how to set a boundary, it's a dog. I am proud of Hummer for being such a good brother to Alexander.

The First Month

There were 13 puppies in Alexander's litter, 7 boys and 6 girls. The first month of the puppy's life is mostly sleeping and eating and keeping warm next to Mom and the other puppies. Occasionally one moves away from the pack and finds a cozy place to sleep all by himself. The puppies have different colored collars to tell them apart. Alex had the turquoise collar, one of my favorite colors, the color of Mediterranean oceans and beautiful gemstones. There is nothing cuter than a puppy and watching the many stages of growth.And there is nothing like the day you bring your puppy home!

Misty

This is MISTY, Misty Mountain's Miss Independence, and Alexander's Mom. She is a wonderful Mother and beautiful sweet Labrador. I am so happy that I got a chance to meet her when I came to take Alexander home. Misty was very attentive to her 13 puppies and she did a great job feeding them and making sure they were safe and clean. She and Zeus created some really pretty puppies and I'm sure she will continue to produce great puppies in the future.