Dog show weather

It looks like for the first time since I’ve been going, there will actually be nice weather for this year’s Charleston Kennel Club dog show! Weather normally isn’t an issue for the regular dogs, but the CSCLRC part of the show has always been outside (at least as long as I’ve been going). The labs don’t never really seem to mind the weather and the handlers just dress appropriately. You don’t really see a lot of the primping and preening with the labs that you see with the other dogs inside.

Weather should be nice today hitting 17°C later this afternoon. The ground hasn’t been turned into a soggy muddy mess from being soaked by rain the previous night. There’s no rain in the forecast for the weekend.

This should be a great weekend for a dog show!

Sending off The Pack

Time for The Pack to head off to its next destination in Georgia. I didn’t get a chance to take it around Charleston as much as I had planned, but at least I got to take it out with the dogs. It’s kind of neat. I’d think about getting one, but I’m pretty sure it would eventually end up in storage somewhere and be discovered again years later like this one.
One last inspection by Nala before I packed it up.
Final inspection
I also found a nice little pin at the bookstore to send along with the Pack.
Souvenir pin

Walking with The Pack

Finally a few free hours on the weekend to take the dogs out for a walk with the Pack
Out for a walk with the Pack
I loaded up the pack with my camera and a water bottle (for balance) and off we went. Nala wore the pack on the way out. She didn’t seem to mind it too much and didn’t really pay much attention to it.
Stopping by the creek
Nala’s Story: Nala is a Lab Retriever and my very first dog. We got her as a puppy from a local breeder (after doing much research) who is active in showing and hunting with Lab Retrievers. She’s a really laid back kind of dog and can go from couch potato to butt-tucking wild dog in the blink of an eye. Most of the time she’s just a big couch potato. Nala loves to play with other dogs and loves little kids. She’s also a big help with showing the way of things to the foster dogs I take on for Wild Heir Lab Rescue. She’ll be turning 6 years old in a week.
We went on one of our regular long walks up to Plymouth Park and back home. It’s a nice spot to walk out to and the dogs like to hang out on the boat launch dock.
At Plymouth Park
Hanging out at the boat launch
After hanging out on the boat launch for a while and watching the current sweep by, I put the pack on Simba and let him carry it on the trip back home. He didn’t mind it too much either, although he did shake a few times. It was probably ruffling his fur the wrong way while he was walking.
Simba wearing the Pack
Simba’s Story: We got Simba as a puppy about a year after we got Nala, because we decided she needed someone to spend the days with while I was at work. He also came from another local breeder who was also active in showing Labs (she does the dog show circuit as a judge now). Personality wise, Simba’s pretty much the opposite of Nala. Nala loves to get attention, but when she’s had enough, off she goes to her corner by the door. Simba on the other hand, will take all the attention you want to give him and then some. He’s just a happy bouncy 4 (almost 5) year old Lab. He’s always smiling and loves to be around people. He’s on the small side of the Lab Retriever standard, and on one occasion I had someone ask me if he was a miniature Lab. Simba and Nala love to play together, and for the first year they were together, it was non-stop bitey-face, wrestling and playing. They still love to chase each other around and wrestle in the back yard. Simba’s also a big help with showing foster dogs the ropes around the house.
Now to find a suitable souvenir to send along with the Pack to its next destination.

The Pack has arrived

The Pack arrived in the mail today!
The box got a thorough inspection by the dogs when I got around to checking it out this evening.
Sniffing out the box
Once I opened up the box, Nala and Simba did more sniffing and investigating
Checking out the Pack
Nala checking out the Pack
Along with the pack was a letter explaining the Where the Fack is my Pack project and a book, American Whisky Bar.
Next thing to do was try it out on Nala and get the straps adjusted properly. She wore it pretty well. She looks like she’s saying “Dad, what are you doing to me?” but to be honest, she has that expression on her face most of the time.
Nala wearing the Pack
Simba will get to wear it as well.
Nala, Simba and the Pack
With an abstract to revise and final exams on Monday and Tuesday to study for, it will be a few days before I get to take the dogs and the pack out onto the town.

Waiting for the Pack

A few days ago, I was contacted by Stacey of My Organized Lifestyle with an interesting request.

There is a dog backpack travelling the world, and she wanted to know if I’d be interested in being the next stop.

It’ll be like the Flat Stanley project, but with a dog backpack.

Should be arriving in a few days. It will be fun to see how the dogs react to having a backpack on.