Marahootay

December

December proved to be a quiet month on the dog front.

I travelled with Bryony to the LKA to support Ghost in the puppy class where she finished a very good second.

We are waiting to see if the breeding of Feline was successful if not we will try again next year.

We received some wonderful pictures from Gavin and Claire of their puppies Raiden and Leia enjoying the snow up in Edinburgh, which made us hope that it will stay cold and snowy for the trip to Aviemore in the new year.

As for the new year, we are hoping that it will be an exciting one for Marahootay, Hades will obviously be in the thick of it going for further titles in Europe and else where, hopefully there will be new additions and we look forward to meeting and competing again both in the show ring and on the rally circuit.

On that note, can we wish all our friends and fellow malamute lovers a very happy and peaceful new year

November

We travelled to Brandon for the SHCGB meeting and had a thoroughly good time catching up with friends.

John once again ran a four dog team of the girls and the new pups which for the first half of the race ran like trains. Unfortunately being malamutes they then discovered the error of their ways and wondered why they were doing all the work and when the musher was going to help out. So John will now have to start training them if he intends to run at Aviemore, the dogs could be a bit fitter the musher 10 years younger and much fitter!!

We are hoping to breed Feline either at the end of this month or the early part of December to an International European Champion and are keeping our fingers crossed that she will wait until we have returned from our long weekend away shopping in America at the end of the month so keep tuned for an update on whether the mating is successful.

October

We travelled to Dortmund this month to try and gain Hades some more points towards his German Championship.

We spent a lovely weekend with our dear friends Rita and Tonny and Hades gained a further point towards his title. Whooppee!!!

John competed for the first time in a 4 dog mal class at the opening AMWA event of the season at Buttersteep. His team was made up of Mushu and Feline in the lead with Meeko and Lucifer behind. It was the first time that the boys had been run over more than 1 mile and due to the warm weather conditions we had not even done any training, but all the dogs performed beautifully and had a wonderful time. Our thanks to everyone for helping to harness and line them all out.

September

A quiet month for everyone here at Marahootay. Bryony took Ghost to try and qualify for Crufts but unfortunately although placed didn't finish in the top three.

Our eldest son Dean celebrated his 21st by going out to a Karaoke bar before starting his degree at Roehampton university where he is studying to be a primary school teacher and juding from the photos, he's found his age range!!

August

Salisbury: We made our annual pilgrimage to Salisbury Plains for the Summer AMWA event. As usual Steve and Ruth had the event well organised and despite the weather being damp it was nice and warm.

The weekend was spent learning from the likes of Sue Smith about the breed standard, and an entertaining talk by Phil Dixon on equipment heckled by his numerous admirers, Sue Pateman's Saturday night quiz as always proved popular, and the fun dog show was very entertaining. Bryony and Ghost won best female puppy - well done to them both.

Junior handling was won by Leon with Dakota who worked as a professional team.

Photos with thanks to Mark Squires

We took the dogs down to the river for their swim which they all enjoyed thoroughly despite initial reservations, and I'm not sure who had the most fun the dogs or the three teenagers on the ends of the leads.

There was also a very early mroning opportunity to run Mushu, Feline, Lucifer and Meeko together for the first time.

Whether new to the breed or not this is an excellent weekend with the opportunity to spend time with friends and share several drinks and talk about how we nearly won that last rally!

Paignton: We travelled to Paignton to be judged by Kath Howarth.

Hades was placed 3rd in Open dog being beaten by the beautiful Diesel from Holland and Anne colman's Harley. Our thanks to Kath for placing Hades against some very stiff opposition.

Photo with thanks to Mark Squires

We had a lovely weekend catching up with friends and spent a very lively evening in the local pub!! I think we were the loudest table in the place and were the last to leave!

Family updates: We have had recent updates from two of our family members.

Jake [Marahootay Blue Horizon] from our 2008 Hades & Mushu litter and Gizmo [Marahootay Good Omens] from our 2009 Hades & Feline litter. Both are doing really well with their families and taking part in anything and everything from bike-rides to agility. Read and see recent photos on their pages.

June

June 7th: Following our trip to Dublin last weekend we ventured to Newbury Showground for the Southern Counties Championship show. After some heavy rain on the way there, the sun came out and we spent a very pleasant day in some excellent company.

Hades finished 3rd in the Open class beating some very good dogs.

Photo with thanks to Mark Squires

Meanwhile Meeko very professionally handled by Tracey finished 4th which was remarkable as he had no coat and was doing a very good impersonation of a siberian Husky!!

Also . . . . we would like to wish all the puppies from Mushu and Hades Litter a very happy First birthday soooo . . . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AURORA, BALOO, DAKOTA, INDIE, JAKE, LUCIFER, MEEKO, RAIDEN, SHADOW, STORM AND NOT LEAST ZIDAN for the 7th June.

May

Dublin, May 30th: We travelled over to Ireland for the European Winners show in Dublin. We had a wonderful weekend.

Hades finished 3rd in Champion class being beaten by Sue Ellis who took BOB with Louis and Ivan with King.

Meeko finished 3rd in Junior being very professionally handled by Francine.

Sarah travelled with us taking Nero who won the open class and took the reserve CACIB ticket so a very well done to all.

We spent a couple of evenings in the local hotel bar chatting and took the dogs to a mountain river after the show so that they could cool off and relax. All the dogs were fascinated by the fish swimming past their feet!! All in all with the wonderful weather, excellent company of all we met it was a truly enjoyable weekend and one that we look forward to repeating.

More photos from our trip to Dublin.

We have a return visitor this week whilst her owners are on holiday. Loki has come to stay and is driving Hades mad where she is trying to make friends with him by washing his face. Poor little lamb doesn't understand that he doesn't like it and keeps hiding under the table from her, the big jessie!!

However, Lucifer and Meeko have thoroughly enjoyed terrorising their younger sibling. Pictures to come.

May 25th: After Scotland we spent the following weekend at Bath where we were judged by Mrs H Burke. Meeko finished a very good 3rd being beaten by two of Sue Ellis's pups and was very professionally handled by Tracey who has our deepest thanks.

I then took Hades into the ring in Open Dog. Hades as usual acted the clown with me barking for food and nudging my hand all the time to be fed which amused the spectators no end!! However despite all the high jinxs we managed a very good VHC against some stiff and older opposition so a good time was had by all.

May 17th: After our outing at Birmingham we travelled north to Edinburgh to the Scottish Kennel Club Championship show, judged by Mr J Broadberry. Hades unfortunately wasn't his type but Meeko finished a very good VHC and was beautifully handled again by Francine.

By far the most fun was had by Bryony and her girls Sasha and Tia. Sasha finished with a reserve CC for reserve best bitch and Tia won the limit class, well done to them all.

We took the opportunity to catch up with Gavin and Claire and their dogs Raiden and Laiha and Feline had the chance to play with one of her puppies again which was lovely

Whilst we were up in Scotland we travelled over the to West Coast to Ayr to catch up with Zidan and his family. Zidan has grown into a huge boy with a beautiful loving temperament and is friends with all the neighbours especially if they are offering the odd biscuit!!

May 8th: Well we started May with the first show at the National Dog show in Birmingham judged by Sue Ellis.

Rita and Tonny from Holland came over with Diesel, a beautiful boy who went on and took Best of Breed. Hades finished a very respectful VHC in the Open Dog class at only 2 1/2 he looked very young against the mature and fully developed line up of dogs but was handled beautifully by John Philips for which we are very grateful.

Meeko in his first outing to a Championship show was handled very professionally by Francine and finished 3rd in Puppy dog which qualified him to go to Crufts. Way to go Francine and Meeko!

Pictures by Mark Squires - many thanks

April

We had a lovely visit from Shadow, one of Mushu's litter, who came to stay with us whilst the rest of his family went off and enjoyed themselves in Florida.

Shadow is a big softie, who likes nothing better than playing chase in the backgarden and seems to look on John as a toy! Photos to come . . .

Easter weekend: We spent a very pleasant day at the AMWA meeting at Banham Zoo watching the weight pull which was very ably won by Guiness. Sue Smith's little Sammie Gracie pulled something in the region of 13.5 times her own body weight which impressed all there.

We took Feline and she had the opportunity to play with Wayne and Bryony's Ghost which was lovely to watch, and Feline was very excited to see one of her puppies again.

April 4th: We joined our friends at the first open show of April which was the Wickford, Basildon & District K9 Society held on April 4th, 2009. The Judge was Tan Negreha (Chadlimore).

Meeko took Best Puppy and Hades finished 2nd in Open. Both very capably shown by Francine.

The loudest scream went to Denise when Dakota took 1st in the Any Variety class. I could hear her all the way back home.

March

Laiha met her new family of Gavin and Claire and their slightly older boy Raiden this weekend. Raiden thought he had found a new squeaky toy, until bitten on the ear!! Once manners had been learnt by both puppies they then became the best of friends. I'm sure she will enjoy her new life in Edinburgh.

Tikaani went to his new home with Jim and family in West Wickham on Monday after Crufts and the remaining puppy is now ruling the roost and finding her feet at home with everyone.

Crufts
Hades was still short of some of his usual coat, and the hall was packed full of spectators. John Philips unfortunately was on crutches after an operation on his knee, so Hades was very professionally handled by Gwen at the last minute. Our thanks to her for steppping in and doing such a sterling job of showing him. Unfortunately we were not placed against some excellent dogs.

The Friday before Crufts and 4 of our puppies leave for their new homes.

Loki is going home with Brook and Kelly in Basildon.

Gizmo is going to Eve and family in Loughton.

Star is going home with Julie and children just a couple of roads away from Wayne and Bryony.

Ghost is going home with Wayne and Bryony to terrorise Sasha and Tia.

February

We have had a quiet month just playing with the puppies and being visited by all the new and old puppy owners. Lots of time spent chatting and of course drinking the odd bottle of wine.

Unfortunately we were unable to enter the Shanley Challenge that we so enjoy every year and were that depressed at missing the event and getting to catch up with friends we took a drive down just to watch the fun. Sadly it was the last time this event is to be organised, and as a local rally taking up one night and two days the calender will be less rich for its demise.

In the middle of February the puppies were six weeks old, the girls were slightly unco-operative about posing for the camera. But all are healthy, happy and bouncing about.

For photos of all the girls visit our litter page.

Feline's puppies are now four weeks old, starting to move about and play with each other - and us!

For more photos and videos from their fourth weekend visit our litter page.

January

Unfortunately due to our van being off the road, we were unable to make our annual trip to Aviemore. John bitterly missed his week of drinking, eating and chatting, the only consolation was we got more time with the puppies for lots of cuddles.

Feline's puppies are now three weeks old and getting cuter and chunkier by the minute. There are more pictures on the puppy page.

We competed at Manchester where Hades was very professionally handled by John Philips. He took Reserve Best Dog against some very stiff competition and whilst losing his coat.

The judge's comments were very promising:
'I really liked him, so typical of the breed, preferred his topline but had to give way to 1 on rear movement. Although his movement was true, he didn’t quite have the power as 1. Would be interested to see him outside. RBD'

Many thanks to John for handling him.

The youngest in the puppy dog class by far it was more of a day out for Meeko who wasn't placed.

2009 starts with a bang here at Marahootay.

On January 3rd Feline had her litter of pups, 4 girls and 2 boys, all are doing very well and Feline looks very pleased with herself.

For more information on this litter visit our litter page.

On the same day the puppies from Mushu's litter with Hades had their first outing at the SWECA open show and had to enter in Junior class despite only being 6 months on ages.

Our thanks to Bryony and Francine for taking the time and trouble to show the boys. Meeko finished 3rd and Lucifer finished 5th.