This is Baby "Belle's" story
3rd May, 2008
This is Belle's story. Belle is our little home bred puppy from Lily's first litter. Over the last two days, three of Belle's brothers and sisters left to go to their new families. So she is is now officially resident with us, along with Lily and Zak and at the moment also Finley, her brother, as he is staying until he is 12 weeks old. She now has her own crate which she is sharing with Finley and as much as possible they have the run of the house. They have not seemed to miss the others probably because they still have each other but they are as mischeivious as having five. They are doing well with their toilet training, managing to get most of their wees and poos on the paper, just having the odd accident.
They both ventured out into our garden yesterday for the first time and were not a bit intimidated by the wide open space. They had great fun, deciding to dig up the lawn and explore the flower beds.
They both prefer curling up in Lily's bed to their own and we found Lily sound asleep in their crate yesterday afternoon. Zak tends to slope off somewhere quietly on his own. This puppy stuff is all a bit too much for him.
Belle spends a little time each day on my grooming table, practicing how to stand and I groom her gently and look in her ears, mouth and feel her paws, pads, back tail etc to get her used to be handled. She is very good for a small puppy treat but a little pickle when their's no reward in sight. She will have her ears, feet, nails and bottom trimmed tomorrow, I have been trying to do this about once a fortnight. Her coat is getting long and whispy so sometime soon I will see if it is ready to start being hand stripped.
Already we love her very much and it seems like she has been here with us forever. None of us can remember what life was like now without having the puppies.
19th May, 2008
Just about to give a big lick. Belle had her final jabs last week and also her microchip, which she did not like very much. She really cried and I had to give her a big cuddle. Apart from that there have been no ill effects from either the jab or the chip.
She still has her brother, Finley, at home at the moment, both of the pups and Lily and Zaki were a bit naughty one day last week. I dropped a pack of six cheesy sausage rolls out of the freezer as I reached in for something else. Just as I did this, the telephone rang, I answered the call and it was fairly important so I came out of the kitchen. When I could hear a commotion from the dogs, I pulled the kitchen door too, so that I could hear what the caller was saying. I returned to the kitchen shortly after and the pack of sausage rolls was now split open and scattered all around the kitchen floor, I managed to locate four whole sausage rolls, one that was in pieces and the sixth one, well your guess is as good as mine as to where that one went but there were four guilty faces looking at me. We have a house guest as well at the moment, Puppy No. 1 Zachy alias Buster has come back to us for a holiday for l0 days and along with Belle and Finley they managed to shred a puppy pad yesterday morning, the kitchen looked like it had had a snow storm. Finley had a mouthful of fluff and they all looked at me as if to say "It wasnt me!!" when I caught them charging about in the remains.
I have Belle's first show scheduled for early September 08 just after she is 6 months old, so I groom her several times a week. Her coat is changing and she has some of the outer harsher fur coming through. I have been hand stripping her little and often, different areas of her coat at different times. She has about half a centimetre of 'bristly' fur coming through. She has her nails, ears, bum, feet, eyes and tail trimmed regularly, I also thinned out the fur on her chest. She practices standing on the grooming table several times a week too and at home she does not wear a collar all of the time so that her fur does not get marked or rubbed. Belle had her first ringcraft class yesterday accompanied by her Mum and Dad, Lily and Zaki. She was a really good girl and I am very proud of her. She was a little timid but not overly so and she met lots of different dogs including a couple of St Bernards and was not a bit phased by their size even though she was the littlest and youngest there.
Belle and Finley in the garden
This picture is one of my favourites and was one of the last photos of Belle and Finley together not long before he went to his new family on Friday 23rd May, 2008.
A quiet moment 23rd May, 2008
5th July, 2008
Belle is now 17 weeks and a few days old. She lost her first teeth yesterday . Her coat has been hand stripped regularly and she now has a really nice coat coming through. Most of her puppy fluff has gone just a few whispy bits left which I will eventually pull. She has sprouted out in all directions over the past two weeks and is long and leggy. She looks a bit strange at the moment but it shouldnt be too long before she once again grows into her body.
Belle and Zak get on really well, she loves her Dad and he is so gentle with her, she follows everything he does and seems to learn from him. They, play, fight, eat and sometimes sleep together, they often share their dinner with each other. Lily is a bit indifferent to Belle, sometimes she will join in with their antics but mostly she just watches.
She still goes to ringcraft and puppy classes once a week and is a right little madam, definitely bossy and she doesnt mind how big the other dog is!
We have taken her to her first show although only to spectate as she cant be entered until she reaches six months.
We hear regularly from the other puppies and they are all happy much loved and very settled in their new homes.
A weekend away 21st June, 2008
Zak, Belle, and Lily.
Belle and Zak relaxing in the garden 5th July, 2008
5th October, 2008
Where has the time gone, our little puppy is now definitely what can only be termed a terrible teenager. She has just turned 7 months and has been a real joy to look after. She has bucket fulls of character and is a real little minx but so lovable and funny that we all love her and cant remember what life was like before she joined our 'Westie Clan'. She has been to ringcraft classes and also obedience classes since she was about 12 weeks so therefore is not a bit afraid of other dogs no matter how big. She is quite a mouthy little girl and very full of herself despite having the most adorable sweet angelic little westie face. Looks can certainly be deceiving. She is a very clever little girl and so much so that she has learnt to make out that she is a bit simple especially when she has done something naughty, she almost gives you a look that says " I cant possibly have done that". Its a good job we know what she is like. She loves to hide things and runs off with the most oddest of things and normally we find them buried in poor old Zak's bed. She has this most annoying high pitched bark that she uses on both Zak and Lily if they have something that she wants. Zak almost always gives in to her but Lily usually stands her ground. Belle tries very hard to be the boss and definitely would like to be Top Dog but Lily is having none of it and has no qualms about putting her very rapidly back in her place which is and rightly so, should be, at the bottom of the pack.
The start of Belle's show career
September 2008
We took Belle to her first champ show at the age of just 6 months and 3 days. We were both nervous. Not only was it the first show I had entered her in but it was Richmond Championship Show. We originally arranged to stay at Loseley Park for the duration of the show as I had entered all three dogs in their classes, but the weather was atrocious and at the last minute we decided to just go up for the day and take Belle on her own. When we arrived it was raining, and raining, and raining consequently everywhere was muddy, not just muddy but REALLY MUDDY. Not good with a white dog. We almost decided to go back home there and then. After a little gentle persuasion as I was by this time the only one with any enthusiasm we all decided to stay. Eventually we managed to find our way to the right marquee and then to our bench. The atmosphere was amazing. Belle was quite nervous and I was not sure how she would behave but she was brilliant. She walked lovely even though the grass was wet and a little bit water logged. She shyed away from the judge a little and was shaking on the table but I think my nerves rubbed off onto her and she was in awe of everything, the noises, the different smells, all the other dogs and also it was the first time she had been anywhere like that without Zak and Lily. She received a fifth place and a VHC certificate. We were very proud of her, and thought she was amazing for a puppy so young. Obviously being the youngest entrant and only just a couple of days over the six months minimum entry age.
While we were at Richmond I made the most of chatting to several other people with Westies and also a couple of other people with different breeds. Their advice, knowledge and help is invaluable when you first start out showing in the 'Dog World.'
We did not stay until the end, the weather was very bad and the mud was getting worse. I lost a shoe and Charlotte my daughter ended up getting towed back to our car in her wheelchair as it got stuck in the mud.
An eventful but enjoyable day was had by all.
Belle's first real success
Dover and Deal Canine Society on Sunday 5th October, was Belle's first open show and was a great success. We are in the centre of the photo.
Belle gained Best Puppy in Breed. She is 7 months and 1 day.
With the judge collecting our rosette. What a little Star!!
Lining up for Best Puppy in Show, but I think that was a little to optimistic for our first time out. But what a great experience and Belle behaved beautifully.
While we were at the show we had our first official photo taken for a well known national dog paper.
All finished for the day, very proud and looking forward to next time.
East Kent Canine Society Show 2nd November, 2008 and Hastings Limited Show 9th November, 2008
Belle was entered into 4 classes at the East Kent Canine Society Show and she was placed in three of the classes. They were All Variety Terrier classes and the entries were quite large. She gained one 4th place and two 5th, places,one in the Minor Puppy Stakes class.
This is a picture of her getting ready to try and impress the judge.
Belle's first year of showing
Belle has had a challenging but enjoyable first year in the show ring. She has achieved several Best Puppy Awards and the last was on 1st March just before she reached one year old and now has to enter the Junior Class. She achieved a Best A.V. Puppy at the Fokestone Hythe and District Canine Society Show. We hope that her second year will be just as enjoyable and rewarding.
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Belle's 2nd year
Belle at the Chelmsford and District C S - Open Show 4th May 2009
Belle took a 2nd place in the Junior AVNSC Terrier Class
28th June, 2009
Our showing of Belle has stopped over July and August, due to Lily producing her 2nd litter of five healthy puppies.
Belle at The Gravesend & Medway Towns CS - Open Show 18th October 2009
Very proud with her 1st place rosette
7th February, 2010
East Kent Canine Society Open Show
28th March, 2010
Gravesend & Medway Towns Open Show
Belle was placed 2nd in theWHWT Open Class and 1st in AV Terrier Open Class. Very proud day for her.
Southern West Highland White Terrier Open Show
Southern Counties Championship Show
Belle gained a 3rd place at Southern Counties on 5th June 2010
Belle gained a 2nd place in the WHWT Bitch Novice Class and a VHC in a Beginners Stakes Class which had an entry of over 45.
Leeds Championship Show - 24th July, 2010
West Highland White Terrier Club of England - Open Show 1st August, 2010
Belle on the move, clever girl she was awarded a 2nd place in Novice Bitch.
