UKC CH Kuroi Kao All That Jazz

Hurray for Jazz! He is now offically a CHAMPION, but it has not gone to his head!

The last weekend in July, we packed up the truck and made the drive to Westfield for Jazz's first show in about 7 months. We've been working so hard to get him into fine fettle for this. Stuffing him up with food (as much as we can, him being a VERY picky eater) to get some bulk onto my skinny boy. Classes, classes, classes. Baths - blah, he was not pleased, the blower, which he has decided is okay. Toes trimmed and teeth brushed. Our boy fairly sparkled!!!

Kat has done her job of running and wrestling and lots of play to get Jazzy into shape. He's her little incredible hulk!

Now all we needed was for him to show his million dollar smile in the ring! Jazz would much prefer to wear an eye patch and be a junk yard dog, dirty and grimmy and oh to find some poop to roll in. Heaven!

We packed tents and fans and cooler and food and crates, what a traveling road show! How people do this every weekend I will never know! The ride was long and ended with Jazzy being a little sick,oh-oh. Kat thought it was quite a lark.

Tent raised, cooler cooled, crates assembled, and fan blasting, we were ready for the day. Of course during all this there were dogs, dogs everywhere. It didn't take long with the blazing heat and humidity, to realize it might not have been the best idea I have ever had to start him off at an outdoor, 4 show, 2 day affair. Thank gawd for box fans and ice!

We did alot of walking the grounds to get Jazz to relax, and he did a pretty good job settling down. The heat though, that nearly got the better of not only him but me. I was freakin' melting. My dress stuck to me like fly paper and my stockings - let me tell you men out there you got it easy. The stockings - required to keep people from being blinded by the solar glare white of my legs - were suffocating, like wrapping myself in cling wrap, but tighter. By the time our class rolled around it was nearly noon and I was completely soaked. Jazz, on the other hand, content in front of his fan with a giant open mouthed pant going, was ready.

I was lucky enough to have my handling trainer (who was a multiple group winner with her Dobe Omar) at the show, so I was MUCH more prepared this time around than our last time in the ring. And Jazz, he knew his stuff. He did the things he needed to do and gave the Judge his winning smile and win he did - Group 1 first thing! Not bad for a former skinny 19 month old who, 3 months ago had a butt so high, you could have used it for a ski jump!

It was not the most fun I have ever had, and I think Jazz might second that! He worked hard and was the text book Akita, which won him 3 group placements in 4 shows and one Group win.

Long hot sweaty story short Jazz earned ALL his points and finished the weekend a CHAMPION.

Next show will be in air conditioned comfort little guy I promise!!!