Storm Chasers Retrievers

As I sit here recovering from surgery, I’m scrolling through photos of this past week and found this handsome fella doing what he loves!
Looking pretty 🤩
Arrow 🏹

We are so excited to have babies coming next month!

So excited to keep watching this guy mature!

Our handsome cheese 🧀 boy!

Woo hoo 🎉🙌
Moon is one step closer to having her health testing done! ✔️ She is 2 in November and I’m excited to have a bit of a break of up and coming prospects to finish health testing on…it’s so stressful!!!

🤣 yep! Sounds about right.

Feeling well or not, it’s a 3-day show weekend with huge entries and grooming has to get done!

Sc******ng ✔️ for my cheese 🧀 boy!!

This boy just gets prettier and prettier 🥰

The dreaded show van clean-out after a weekend at the dog show. 😅 And yes… those are crates. Lots of crates. 😂

And yes, we crate. We crate at home. We crate on the road. We crate at shows.

Why? Because their crate is their safe place. ❤️
All our dogs are crate trained, starting as puppies.

Dog shows are incredibly overstimulating - new people, strange dogs, noise, smells, excitement, constant activity and very little downtime. Our dogs need somewhere they can decompress, rest and feel secure. Their crates provide exactly that.

I’m always amazed by how many “looky-loos” walk through a show and make comments about the “poor dogs in the crates.” What they don’t see is the education and understanding behind responsible dog ownership.

Our dogs aren’t being punished. They aren’t miserable. They aren’t being forgotten.

They are safe, secure, comfortable and resting in a space they know and love.

It is our job as their owners to advocate for them and keep them safe- especially in the chaos of a show weekend.

So yes, the van is full of crates. Yes, the dogs are crated. And yes, they are perfectly happy and cared for. 🐾❤️

Now… if anyone wants to explain how to magically make the post-show van clean itself, that is the education I’m looking for. 😂

Show result posts have been a little harder for me to put together especially when they fall around the 23rd.

I drove home from Topeka yesterday, and that’s when it hit me again- I can’t call Dad and tell him about the weekend like I used to. So I just drive as the girls sleep, drowning out the thoughts with music and tears. Yesterday marked 5 months without the most amazing man I’ve ever known. I miss those conversations more than words can say.

It was a good weekend though filled with great friends, fun raffle wins, and lots of time with my girls.

Topeka Highlights:
🏹Arrow -Winners Dog
🐶 KaycE -Reserve Winners
🐾FancE -Winners
💙Memphis -Owner-Handled Best of Breed
Dalaney - 3rd in juniors both days amongst a great lineup of juniors.
Elladey - another P*e Wee entry under her belt.
Got some health clearances as well ✅