KC Name: ANTDELA BALLINA LEE
Pet Name: Wogan
Breed: Irish Water Spaniel
Born: 22/11/2003
Sire: Poetscorner Ackerley
Dam: Shannonlee Nicotania
After re-reading the previous pages I have come to the conclusion that fate has brought me all of my dogs!
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About three years ago, I decided that it was about time I started looking for another dog to compete with. Rej was four and Wilf was Wilf! I was thinking of Standard Poodles again but still didn't think much to their coats. Then I saw the Irish Water Spaniels at Crufts and found a compromise.
I now know that Irish Water Spaniels are what every poodle tries to be!!
I went to the Discover Dogs section and had a word with the people on the stand. One of the ladies had a litter at that time. They were all sold but I could go and have a look at them and meet her other dogs. As it turned out she lives not far from where Scunthorpe Show is held. I arranged to go on the way home from Scunthorpe in April. I was hooked. I asked if I could book a puppy from the next litter, but she had a two year waiting list. I asked to go on the list.
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I was resigned to the fact I had to wait. Then I was reading a local paper and saw an advert for Irish Water Spaniel pups. I rang the number. On one side of the pedigree was the line I had been waiting for. On the other it was mostly field trials dogs. They had two boys and a girl left. I wanted a boy and off I went to see them. They put the pups on the floor. One dog went and hid under the table, one clung to his mum and the bitch launched itself at me.
I don't want a bitch.
I trie
d to get the little boy out from under the table. The bitch was on my back pulling my hair. I threw a ball to see if the boys would play. The bitch grabbed it and paraded round the kitchen.
I don't want a bitch, can you put her out?
I thought p'raps the boys would be better with her out of the way. She launched herself at the gate. I thought p'raps they'll play if they can't see her. So we shut the door. She shouted very loudly. P'raps they'll be better if she came back in. She came back in. Banged the bin, knocked a chain lead off the top, picked it up and started playing tuggy with it.
I'll have the bitch!
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I had been told that spaniels don't grow up very fast. I didn't realise that they should be in a reform school until they're about ten! Wogan has been lively to say the least. Why go round things when you can go through? Why wait to do things when there's so much more to fit in? Why be quiet when you can cheer your friends on? Why leave the water pipes in the b
athroom ceiling when, if you pull them really hard, you can have your own waterfall? No, I'm not joking. An out of hours plumber's visit makes you wonder if you really do want an Irish WATER spaniel.
Wogan definitely knows her own mind and once it's made up you have a job to convince her otherwise. Her obedience training is coming along nicely. She has just started agility training. Which is being done slowly as she has no respect for the obstacles. She just launches herself at them from wherever she happens to be. Hopefully we'll be competing this year. Watch this space........
Woge looking posh after 'Auntie Tracy' had finished with her!
