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Another long trip has been made and we've come back again in one piece.
This time our destination was Stockholm and we left 2011-12-11, the day before the big NORDIC WINNER show was to take place. It's a long drive to Stockholm from the very south of Sweden where we reside, but in the company of friends we did good.
We went there together with Frida and her lovely girl Noblesse, the Dogue de Bordeaux, and Veronica who left her Dogue de Bordeaux boys at home and simply came along for the ride.
Frida's boyfriend Brice joined us in Spånga where we stayed at hotel Ibis. He had been on a job together with my Lucas but had finished so he decided to tag along. I can not say how much I missed Lucas when Frida, Noblesse, Zodd and I went for a walk to the local trainstation in Spånga to meet up with Brice... And Zodd... My oh my... He looked past Brice and waited for Lucas to appear as well.
But no Lucas... We had to cope without him.
The next morning we drove to the show and Zodd was really happy to visit the huge arena. He is a big fan og indoor shows. They are, without a doubt, his favorite type of dogshows. He is strange that way since dogs usually prefer shows out in the fresh air and are a bit "low" at indoor shows with all the noises and echos and such. He put on his smiley face and started handing out kisses to every single dog that looked his way. He was Mr. Charming all day long!
Noblesse was first up in her ring. She did ok and got Excellent with a CK (CAC-quality). When it came to Zodd he didn't do quite as well since the judge was a big fan of a different type of TM. He got an Excellent and that was it. He was placed as fourth best champion male.
I should be used to it by now but it still gets to me when an inferior dog is put up in front of a dog that is structurally so much better just because the judge prefers the type of the first dog... Quality is quality no matter what type of Tibetan Mastiff you have in front of you.
I can not see how structural problems in a dog can be overlooked and even awarded instead of being penalized. Judgements like that always leave me disappointed.

Well, in spite of the disappointment I did enjoy the rest of the show very much. Zodd set out to be an ambassador of our beautiful breed. Zodd and I walked over to the section of the show where they have stalls where the different breedclubs present their breed and hand out information.
We struck a pose in front of the Tibetan Mastiff stall and Zodd was soon the center of attention for all the people passing by. He was easy access and very petable. I stopped counting how many times he got his picture taken. There were even small children posing by his side. Zodd took it all in stride and felt the love. He gave it back too :)
He is a marvelous boy when it comes to things like that. He truly is a grand ambassador for the Tibetan Mastiff. But when people ask about him I always try to tell them exactly what it means to have a Tibetan Mastiff. It's not a fluffy teddybear that love everyone. It is a guardian and a fierce on at that. With a lot of teddybear moments of course, but the opposite of that side must never be forgotten.

It was a long long drive home after we had said all our goodbyes and see you laters! We were not home until very late and exhausted we went to bed with a few new precious memories tucked away in the back of our heads. Say what you want about dogshows but they do make for a wonderful setting where doglovers get to meet and talk and hang out. I love them!
Zodd likes them.
What Zodd really love is his home! He is no different from your average Tibetan Mastiff in that aspect.
//Sanna

 

Zodd is DKK racevinder 2011/ Danish Kennelclub Breedwinner 2011!

 

So, I entered Zodd long before I had anyone who could accompany me to this show. It's a very long drive to Herning, Denmark from where we live (1000 kilometers there and back again) so I wanted someone to tag along for the ride. Zodd isn't very chatty when it comes to long trips in the car, he often sleep his way through it, and I thought it could be nice to have some company other than Mr. Sleepy.
I was hoping for Lucas to come with me, but he was away on a job (du är den bästa, min kärlek), then I was hoping for my friend Veronica but she went to visit her future dog (newly born Dogue de Bordeaux) in Gothenburg. I asked Nina, but since our cousin was here for a visit for the first time in ages, she really wanted to hang out with him. And then my parents came to the rescue and offered to tag along. Thank you so much mum and dad! It was so very sweet of you!
So we left very early (or really late, depending on how you look at it) at 02.40 in the night/morning and started our long long trip to Denmark. I tried to sleep in the car (and envied Zodd who was snoring away beside me) but after my father made a wrong turn I took over the wheel and drove the rest of the way.
I can't say that the day started well, and I have to admit there was even a short while when I was thinking of turning back home...
Why, you ask?
Well, we stopped for gas and the pump stole the money we put in it... It was my parents money since they wanted to help out a bit with the cost. I felt so bad about it, but my father simply said that what had happened had happened and there was nothing to do about it. True enough. So we continued.
After a few stops and a lot of kilometers we finally arrived at the dogshow.
I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again - the danish kennelclub arrange the most excellent shows!!! Plenty of space in the rings and outside the rings, no crowds, clear instructions and loads and loads of space, trashbins and water for both twolegged and fourlegged. My hat goes of to them. I'm always impressed when I visit the danish shows!
The Tibetan Mastiffs went first in the ring.
There were three TMs entered. All three from Sweden.
First out was Lafahhs Varada who went in open class males. He got excellent and ck, which gave him a ticket to the competition of best male.
Then it was Zodd's turn and I found myself very nervous...
Zodd had bounce in his step and was in an excellent mood. He strutted his stuff in front of the judge, stood perfectly still after I stacked him and acted like a true professional in every way.
He really is so very easy to show.
When the judge come over she asked if it was ok to toutch him. I said "of course" and she said that it's not always "of course", but I assured her that Zodd is a very friendly boy and he proved just that when she started looking at his teeth and lifting his lips, toutching his teeth, lifting the lips on the other side. He simply stood there, perfectly calm and relaxed. I'm so proud of him.
The judge looked very serious as she told the ring secretary the critique and I felt even more nervous. But then she came over and gave us the ribbon that gave us a spot in the competition of best males as well.
And then we met up with the other male in the ring and ran lap after lap. I was totally out of breath since I was so nervous (I have no idea why it hit me so hard this time) and when we stopped and the judge came over, shook my hand and said "you are number one today" I was so happy!
Zodd was happy as well, and my parents, who's never visited a dogshow before, understood that things had gone well and came over to congratulate us. They looked so proud of our puppy and that made me so happy. It was great to show them this side of Zodd.
The female, Kyang La's Ngoma, went into the ring and got excellent with ck and we went agains her in the Best Of Breed competition.
After a couple of laps of running with our dogs the judge pointed at me and Zodd and told us he was the winner! Oh, it was such a great feeling!
Zodd had become Danish Winner 2011 and also Danish Kennelclub Breedwinner 2011 (the top winning Tibetan Mastiff in Denmark during 2011)! Yippie!!!
Since it was a long drive home we decided to go home after a short walk through the dogshow.
Zodd was, once again, very flirtatious and won several new fans, especially by the Icelandic Sheepdog ring. Oh, how the little dogs lit up when they saw him! Tails started wagging and eyes sparkled, as if he was a long lost brother. So we stopped there for a while so Zodd could chat with his friends :)
We had a photoshoot to visit before we left since he was now the top winning TM of the year in Denmark.
All breedwinners got a free photoshoot.
Zodd, who is so used to having his photo taken, was beyond bored and wondered what on earth we were doing on a podium. I really tried to make him look alert, but he was bored.
Usually it's me or Nina on the other side of the camera and he listens to us when we speak to him. It's really very easy to get his attention, if you just know the right words. The girls who had this photoshoot had no words at all, in stead they had a squeaking rubberduck. Zodd is not a squeaky rubberduck kind of dog. He is a Tibetan Mastiff and after a quick look at the girl with the rubberduck he wrote her off as just one more of those weird people with weird habits and ignored her fanatic squeaking of the duck. Haha :)
I could do nothing but smile. He is such a big personality and I love him to bits, but I'm sure that he can seem really ignorant and aloof to strangers.
That makes him even more special since I know what a big heart he really has. It's just a matter of winning a place in his heart because he doesn't show just anyone his true colors.
That's one of the best things when you share your life with a Tibetan Mastiff - you are his chosen one.
A Tibetan Mastiff doesn't just let anyone in, but once he does you've got a place in his heart forever.

The drive home was a long one, but after a few stops, a lot of kilometers, and a couple of short walks we reached Sweden and our village (I even stopped at the gas station and got our lost money back).
Both Lucas and Nina were thrilled when I called them to share the news! Zodd's fanclub was spread all over Sweden (and Denmark) as he became Danish Winner 2011, but their cheers reached us!
Thank you, my loved ones, for always being there for me! And that thank you goes out to Zodd as well. He's always there for me, no matter what. He's got everything a true friend should have and I am forever grateful to Jarmila for sending him to Sweden to share my life.
He's beautiful, from the inside and out!
//Sanna

 

Last weekend we actually went to one more dogshow, called Golden Go.
We went last year as well, but it's a very different show so I've not written about it here since the dogs are not judged, at least not the same way as they are on regular shows. It's a show for Champions and BOB and BOS dogs. That's the criteria for the entrants.
It's held at night and it's a bit fancy, so I put some sparkle in Zodd's fur, the kekor around his neck and dressed up a bit more than usual.
Zodd was a fabulous boy at the show, and he was a huge attraction for both visitors and other handlers. He got so many nice comments and so much praise that I didn't quite know how to handle it all. It's impossible to walk anywhere with Zodd without people turing heads, and as it turned out the same thing happened when we went to Växjö and the CACIB show that's held there every year.
He was admired by a lot of people and there were quite a few curious people who came over just to talk to him and me and Nina for a little while.
It's always nice to talk about your passion, and since Zodd is my big passion (if you don't count my big love in life, Lucas) I had a wonderful time. I also met a few old friends that I caught up with while Nina and Zodd hung out on the spectator stands, chillin' and keeping an eye on the hustle and bustle on the big floor below.
The perfect spot for a Tibetan Mastiff - at the top of the stands where he could keep watch over everything together with one of his slaves (that would be Nina).
Lucas was away on a job and couldn't join us on the show, but he cheered on us on the phone and by text messages :)
Zodd was the only Tibetan Mastiff at the show and he did well! The judge liked him a lot and the word beautiful was written more than once in his critique so we were very pleased. And for the very first time since I started showing Zodd back in 2007 I had the mental presence to ask the judge to actually pose with us after the judging for a winning photo! It only took me four years but I'm very happy that I finally came around to ask.
A big thanks goes to my sister Nina for being our personal paparazzi, even though she later told me and Zodd that the button in her pants gave way and she almost dropped them while shooting us, hahaha! Bless her :)

Zodd was extremely flirtatious at the show. Both girls and boys were targeted by his big, brown, soft eyes and his wagging tail.
It's so obvious that this is the season for the Tibetan Mastiffs! Now that the Tibetan ladies are in heat all over the globe Zodd is determined to find a lady of his own. So he flirts with everything on four legs, hoping for a little attention and for the zipper to open so that the gorgeous TM lady of his dreams can come out and give him a big fat kiss!
We stayed for finales, but Zodd was not the other judge's cup of tea so we left the show, happy with our wins and starving since all we had eaten all day was a snickers and a bag of peanut curls...
It was a splendid day and it was really awesome to hang out with two of my favorites - my sister and Zodd.
It's been a while (if you don't count Blekingemästaren) since Nina joined us at a show.
It really was a wonderful day in the company of wonderful friends!
//Sanna

 

This dogshow is a tradition by now.
It's not big, there are no CAC or CACIB handed out, but we really enjoy it! And so we visit it year after year. This was actually Zodd's fifth visit here, and it's obvious that he likes the place, the atmosphere and, most of all, the dogs at this place! He is Mr. Charming to every single dog who looks at him. A wagging tail and a big smile on his face! And he even tried hard to charm people for once. Maybe he's learned that people are the key to playtime with their dogs ;)
Zodd went into the ring and showed his good side and outside the ring Nina and Lucas cheered us on.
The judge knows Zodd from before (we once took a handler class that he had a couple of years ago) so he knew just how friendly Zodd is. I remember back at the handler class he was happy to meet a Tibetan Mastiff with such a mellow take on life since the Tibetan Mastiff have a bit of a rumor when it comes to temperament in the show ring, at least in judge circles. I'm sure there are plenty of dogs out there who live up to that rumor, but Zodd is certainly not one of them. He's easy going, almost opens his mouth himself when the judge want to look at the teeth, stands perfectly still as the judge squeeze his most private parts. He takes it all in stride.
And the judge today remembered this very well. So he joked with the ring secretary, telling him that this dog was ferousious and very dangerous. I laughed and said that indeed he is, that's why I had been hiding up on the spectator stand all day. I hadn't, of course. Zodd had been walking around flirting all day.
The ring secretary looked a bit shocked, but when he understood that we were only having a laugh he relaxed and joined in our laugh.
Zodd did well. He was Best of Breed (he was the only Tibetan Mastiff there this year as well) and Zodd and I were met by smiles and congratulations from both Lucas and Nina when we came out of the ring.
Since there were several hours to kill before the finales we decided to take a drive to McDonalds... Yes, once again I went to McD, even though I'm everything but a fan... But we were hungry and McD is both easy and fast. So that's where we ended up. Zodd slept in the car, conserving energy for the big ring while we stuffed ourselves with hamburgers, fries and milkshakes.
And then I got a call from Veronica (Bulten's mom) and she asked how Zodd did in the ring. I told her that he was BOB and she asked about the groupfinales. I told her they were starting at three o' clock. Then she told me she had seen on facebook that a puppy she knows had been placed in the group and I panicked, suddenly certain that we had missed the finales.
So we jumped in the car and returned to the dogshow. I was in a hurry, really stressed out and I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it from Nina and Lucas since the finales still were hours away when we returned... They were mocking me and my panic the rest of the day. At least someone got a good laugh out of it ;)
Turns out they had held the puppy group finales after the different groups were finished in the regular rings...
So we waited, waited and waited a little more before it was time for Zodd to strut his stuff.
He got a few lovely comments from the other people in the finale and then it was time to enter the big BIG ring. Zodd did quite well, I must say! He was Best In Group 3!
This is the fourth year he's been placed in the group finales at this show. He's won the group twice and been placed in the BIS twice as well (even won the entire dogshow back in 2009) but this year we were on third place. We were more than happy with this!
So when we drove home we were pleased, all four of us, even if I suspect Zodd would have loved a bit more time with the lady dogs at the show ;)
//Sanna

 

Another trip has been made and another dogshow have been visited.
And another title have been won!
Zodd is now Copenhagen Winner 2011, on top of the rest of his previous titles.
I never really planned on making a showdog out of Zodd. It all begun as a fun thing when he was young. I saw the show grounds as a perfect place for socialization and Zodd was the first pedigree dog I have owned so I simply had to try our luck!
As it turned out luck had quite a bit to do with the show business.
Or perhaps I should say - luck had quite a bit to do with the judges!
My oh my, there is a HUGE varitation in personal taste and that becomes quite obvious on dogshows.
One judge may like Zodd's type, another prefers something very different. And the amazing thing is that they all have the same standard as their starting point.
It is a gamble to show your dog to a judge you know nothing about, even if you know that your dog is close to the standard. That's just how it is. And so we roll with that in the back of our heads when we go to a show, and I do believe that goes for all handlers and dogshow fans out there.
We all hope for success, but we can never be sure about it.

Lucas, Zodd and I got up early, really really early, on sunday morning, packed our things and ourselves into the car (after Zodd's morningwalk) driven by my father. He dropped us off in Bromölla where Veronica and Bulten, the Dogue de Bordeaux, were waiting for us.
And so we left in Veronica's Opel and went in the direction of Denmark and the Copenhagen Winner show 2011.
Zodd curled up and fell asleep. Bulten kept an eye on the road, wondering where we might end up.
A couple of hours later we crossed the bridge leading to Denmark and arrived at our destination.
The day brought a great variation of weather. One moment the sun was shining from a cloudy sky and the next the clouds opened up to shower us with cold rain.
Bulten was up for judging before Zodd and ended upp with an excellent. Nice job!
When we awaited our turn Zodd and I went all over the place to hunt rare breeds to photograph. I found a few!
I now have a Thai Ridgeback, a Hokkaido and a Danish Spitz to add to my private dogbreed gallery :)
It's a bit like pokemon for me - got to catch them all ;)

Bulten was judged outdoors while Zodd's ring was indoors. We went to check it out.
Zodd likes indoor shows, but he was a bit tired and slow to show today. I did the best I could to cheer him on and I managed to lift his spirits a bit. At least well enough to get him to strut a bit in front of the judge, who saw past the naked beast in front of him and looked at the dog instead. It was so great to be able to get a fair judgement even though Zodd's lacking huge amounts of coat at the moment.
My hat goes off to judge Benny Blid von Schedvin for that!
Zodd was the only TM present at the show and after he was placed as winner of his class it was done, really.
He was Best Of Breed with CACIB and the title Copenhagen Winner 2011! I'm proud of my boy :)

We decided to stay for the finale.
I suspected that his lack of coat would set him back in competition with full coated dogs from the rest of group two, and my suspicion was correct (but of course, the taste of the judge probably had the most to do with it). But we had a nice afternoon, walking around, talking to people and dogs, and then prepping for the big ring.
Zodd made friends with a tiny Jack Russell Terrier pup and he did what he always does when he wants to get friendly with a small dog - he lie down, to be on the same level :)
The owners of the pup just laughed and when Zodd and I left the pup did the best he could to follow.
Sadly he was not strong enough to make his people tag along. You'll get there Mr. Pup!! ;)
He also said hello to a Cairnterrier and they talked about this and that before we returned to Lucas, who was waiting for us in the big hall, keeping busy with his coffee.
And so the time came and we did our thing on the pink carpet. Zodd was more in the mood than earlier. He's always liked the big ring the best. I wonder if he pretends (or knows) that all eyes are on him, or maybe he simply likes to show off his very own human being ;)
Haha, we had a lot of fun at least and trotted out of the competition with our spirits on top, just as we entered.
A wonderful day it was!
A big thanks to Veronica, Bulten and Lucas for sharing it with me and Zodd. You're the best!
And once again - thank you Jarmila for my very own monster. He is the best friend I could ever ask for.
It's a pleasure to hang out with him, no matter if we are at home or at a busy dogshow.
Copenhagen Winner or not ;)
//Sanna

For the first time ever Zodd and I went to a dogshow all by ourselves.
Usually we are accompanied by my sister Nina, but she couldn't tag along so we went alone.
We got up really early (I was actually awoken by a phonecall from Kuwait where Lucas is working at the moment) and went for a walk in the forest before we jumped in the car and drove off in the direction of Malmö, the third biggest city in Sweden. I listened to the radio and the horrible events taking place in Libya while Zodd slept through the chaos created by mankind...
We actually had friends around a lot of the time at the show since Zodd's buddy Bulten, the Dogue de Bordeaux, and his two people were there. Zodd and Bulten (who are almost dangerously much in love with eachother) had a great time and it was nice to have them just one ring over.
Bulten got excellent and was happy with that (he's almost always happy) and the judge said he still has some growing up to do. His brother on the other hand went and beat all the other DdB at the show and ended up as BOB. He even beat this years CRUFTS winner! Way to go Alfons (All Brand Bordeaux Miracle Boy)! Not bad for a male under two years to win over a whole bunch of adult dogs!
Zodd did well in his ring too! He won over the male who beat him yesterday at the specialty show (see the entry below) and ended up as best male with CACIB and Best Of Breed!
He was a pleasure to show since he was in a great mood. He had a lot of energy and a lot of mischief sparkling in his eyes, and so we bounced around the ring. He always moves the best when he's in high spirits :)
The judge liked him very much and his written critique went like this:

Wellbalanced strong male, very good expression, correct head, very good body.
Correct legs, wellset and wellcarried tail, groundcovering movement , rearlegs move a bit close, good coat, pigmentation and temperament.

We decided to stay for group finales. Well, I decided and for once Zodd had to oblige ;)
During the hours of waiting we went to McDonalds for dinner together with Bulten's and Alfons owners. It was nice! As a sidenote I want to add that I'm officially taking a step away from McD. I no longer understand how I can pay for the food they serve... It's so far from tasty it's not even funny...
I'm sure I'll fall into the "it's so fast and easy" trap again, but I will do my very best to avoid it. The only thing tasty was their chocolate muffin. I'll go back for more of those soon ;)
After dinner we waved bye bye to Bulten and his peeps and then went back to the dogshow.

This year the dogshow was held inside huge tents with big fans in the roofs that made the hot air that was pumped into the tents swirl around. It was extremely loud and noisy. I felt sorry for the puppies present, but I suppose there's no easy way to teach them that this is how we people roll.
I'm happy Zodd's got a bit of routine by now and he didn't mind the stuffy and loud setting one bit.
We found a relatively calm spot and were soon joined by a man and his Kavkazskaja Ovtjarka lady Gullevi who had just finished her Swedish Champion title.
We had a really nice chat about the similarities in our breeds, how breeds are transformed by what judges think and went over a lot of other topics. It's always nice to talk to people with "the same breed".
The Tibetan Mastiff and the Kavkazskaja Ovtjarka are very similar in a lot of ways and as it turned out they get along quite well. The two big dogs were soon curled up, back against back, on the floor while their owners chatted away.
And so we were called into the pre-judging ring.
Zodd was a bit tired of it all by then and I had to act like a real cheerleader to get his spirits back.
It worked a little too well since he went galloping into the big ring when it was our turn. Haha, I can only laugh at his antics! I feel that as long as he thinks it's funny then I'm all in. But, as a note to myself, I should probably go a bit more easy on the cheering next time ;)
We were not picked out by the judge, neither was Alfons or Gullevi. But we all went home as winners!
I have to add that having my sister with me at dogshows is something I've gotten terribly used to and I missed her all day. I really hope that she can tag along next time.
You hear that, Nina?! ;)

And as a final fun fact I want to add that it is exactly one year ago since I met Lucas for the first time. It was actually at the same show (but it was held at a different location last year) and I knew, from the moment we shook hands that he was mine for life...
It was an intense and definite feeling and it's just as strong today. It was his first visit at a dogshow and the first one I ever visited without showing Zodd (he attended the specialty show the day after and was BIS-3).
I am happy to have found this beautiful, clever and funny man and even more happy that he's found me...
I love you Lucas, jag älskar dig...
And Zodd loves you too ;)
//Sanna

 

Today Nina, Zodd and I visited the annual Tibetan Breed Specialty show in Malmö, in the south of Sweden.
This show is about an hour and a half from where we live and it's nice to visit at least one Tibetan show every year, just for fun.
Zodd got a bath last night and I was blowdrying his coat for a couple of hours while he patiently stood there, deep in thought. Let me tell you - the shedding has begun!
I had soft strands of hair everywhere last night and he left a trace of fur in the air when he ran in front of the judge today ;) This didn't go unnoticed at the show, of course, and even though his coat is in excellent condition it's true that it's not as full or thick as it was a couple of weeks ago. For some reason the shedding is always well on its way whenever there's a show around the corner.
Well, there are things more important than coat in the Tibetan Mastiff. One of them being character. This is obvious to anyone who has ever had or known or even met a TM.
Zodd was a bit bored at today's show and gave off a couple of puppy barks, the highpitched "whyyyyy are we here and wheeeeen can we leeeeave?!?!?!" barks (I'm sure a lot of you know exactly what I'm talking about).
And we did leave just half an hour after our arrival (to Zodd's great joy). I think he felt the bad atmosphere the moment we walked into the building, and man did he know what he was talking about...
Two other TM males were already present and they did NOT like Zodd waltzing in as if he owned the place (he often waltz like that) and they were not afraid to tell him.
Zodd is not every judge's cup of tea, this is known to me and not a surprise. What is a surprise, and what gives me a really bad feeling, is that the dog that was picked as the winner was quite unmanagable and ferocious, at least when it came to the other TM males...
Sure, a Tibetan Mastiff is a breed with temperament, I know this perfectly well and Zodd has his fair share, but being at a dogshow with a dog like that one is close to dangerous...
His owner had her hands full the entire time we were in the ring and I don't quite know how the judge could make out his movement since he was running on two legs while passing the third male who was resting just outside the ring and pulling the leash in every possible direction. I kept my distance with Zodd since the last thing I wanted was for him to be attacked by the other male. Zodd just raised an eyebrow as the other dog acted like some crazed animal...
I really hate being at shows with this sort of atmosphere. It's the worst kind because it infects the other dogs. I'm lucky enough to have a TM who leaves his guarding at home (where he is the most outstanding guardian) and relax when we go to shows and other events, but it just doesn't seem fair to bring him into a place where the feeling is one of animosity. He was not "turned" by the hostility and kept his cool. No growling, no dominance, no angry eyes, simply a raised eyebrow and a turned head in the opposite direction, as if he pretented that the wild beast who wanted nothing more than to eat him up, or at least maim him, didn't even exist. I am so very proud of my boy, who was the oldest male at the show and had, by the laws of the dogrealm, every right to act like he was the dictator.
But he didn't. He went with the "turn the other cheek" approach. Bless him!
And is it correct for a judge to put a dog like that as the winner? I mean, is it really?
I can see that the type of that TM (fluffy and dry lips) is one that is more often liked by judges, but is temperament and behaviour really so far down on their list of wanted attributes that they see straight past it?
No, this show was not to my liking at all. I have no trouble when another TM beats Zodd, but I do have a problem when a TM acting like the winning dog does.
I think that's the worst kind of representative of our marvelous breed!
But perhaps that's just me...
//Sanna

 

This was a wonderful day!
My sister Nina, my niece Ellen, Zodd and I left for the annual regional dogshow Blekingemästaren around ten o'clock on october 24th (no CAC or CACIB is handed out at this show). We expected it to be a long and cold day since this dogshow is held inside a manege without any heating, but the fact that it was packed with people and dogs seemed to warm up the place a bit, together with the wonderful atmosphere that's at this show, year after year! Zodd seemed to remember that too since his tail started wagging the moment we entered the building and it hardly stopped during the long hours that followed. Perhaps he thought it was best to flirt with ALL dogs in case one of them would turn out to be a lady, ready for some serious action ;)
This was our fourth year visiting this show and Zodd have been BOB every year. But the region Blekinge, where we live, is hardly packed with TMs and he is usually the only one at the show. This was true this year as well, but he met up with his great friend Bulten, the Dogue de Bordeaux, and we hung out with him and his mum Veronica all day long.
As always a dogshow is made up of 99% waiting for your turn and 1% action. We know this by now and I had some time hunting other gorgeous dogs while the judge did his job with the other breeds in our ring. Then finally it was time for Zodd. The first words the judge said when we entered the ring was "That's one magnificent boy you have there." I smiled and said my thanks.
For the first time ever I started running the wrong way, as if this was the very first dogshow I'd ever been to XD Haha! The judge had to correct me and we trotted off in the the right direction. Zodd was very easy to show and he even wanted to run today, without me begging him to. The judge Fredrik Norgren like my boy alot and he got the following written critique:
Big, powerful and full of substance. Excellent type. Massive and proportional correct head with good eyes and ears. Good topline and underline. Very good bone and paws. Hamonic angulation. Good fur. Balanced, effective movement. Good temperament!
I was more than pleased with that!
Bulten did well under the same judge and got a great critique + was BOB, so big congrats Bullen ;)
After that the six of us (including the dogs, of course) jumped in Veronicas car and drove off in the hunt for food. We were all starving and ended up at McDonalds. For once it tasted good and we sat there long after the meals were finished, sharing icecream after icecream.
When we walked out to the car we noticed a big black lump of fur in the passengerseat (the one I had been sitting in during the drive). It was Zodd who had crawled out of the space he was sharing with Bulten and he was now sleeping soundly in my seat ;) I have no idea how a 70 kg TM can fit in a small carseat, but somehow he managed just that! He looked at us with sleepy eyes and reluctantly returned to Bulten in the back of the car.
And so we returned for the finales. I was actually really nervous when Zodd and I entered the ring. I usually don't get nervous at dogshows anymore, but now my legs were shaking. The judge picked out seven dogs from group two and thanked the rest, and then he picked out five of the remaining seven.
Zodd and I got to stay in the ring... And so we ran one more round before the judge decided.
They called up the dog for fifth place, then fourth, then third...
And then there were only two left - Zodd and I + a lady and her Landseer male.
I swear I could hardly hear anything since my pulse filled my head, but through the noice I heard "and on first place, winner of group two, the judge wants catalogue number 147, a Tibetan Mastiff!"
Such a grand feeling, knowing that suddenly Zodd was qualified for the BIS finale!
Zodd was BIG-1 at this show last year too, and last year he became BIS! This year he was placed as BIS-4!
I think it's so great to come with your rare breed to a dogshow like this and make it all the way to the top!
Yes, he was the only TM at the show, that's true, but he beat alot of beautiful winners on his way to the BIS-4 placement and that makes me very proud. I also enjoy the reaction of people watching Zodd walk past. I swear there's a murmur of awe at times, and Zodd really showed his best side at this show! And the smiles and big eyes people give when Zodd and Bulten starts their rumbles! Haha, they are no tiny boys and they do love a good tumble! And that's one more thing that's great with TMs - even in a manege with soft shavings on the ground all you need is a good shake and then your dog is ready for the ring, in spite of the fact that he's been rolling around in it only moments before! The best fur in the world, so easy to get clean :)
We packed the car full of the prizes he won, said bye bye to Veronica and Bulten and drove home with alot of smiling going on all the way to the front door of our house!
Indeed, this was a wonderful day!
//Sanna

 

Early, early on saturday morning 11/9-2010 Lucas, Nina and I jumped in the car with Zodd and left for Helsingborg and the annual dogshow at Sofiero castle. We were all very excited since Zodd's breeder Jarmila from kennel Sundari was coming to the show as a visitor together with Vera and her boyfriend Honza from kennel Gangpori and their black TM girl Gokarmo Sundari who would attend the show, hunting for the swedish championtitle! They came all the way from Czech Rebublic the day before and was staying with Anita, at kennel Housedog's, who imported the first puppy ever born at Gangpori kennel three years ago - Anju Gangpori.
Zodd greeted Jarmila as if they had met yesterday. There were no leaps of joy, but a calm and collected attitude, as if he was saying "Hello my first human mum, welcome to Sweden and please meet my forever human mum. I am quite pleased with her, thanks for sending me here."
Jarmila on the other hand was soooo happy to meet her baby again after almost four years! It was a GREAT pleasure to watch her with Zodd! I suspect that only a breeder can feel that way for a dog that's been so far away for such a long time. And Jarmila's husband Zdenek had sent a kiss for Zodd that Jarmila delivered with alot of love :) It was very sweet and Zodd sends kisses back for you Zdenek!
Zodd did well in the ring. The judge is not a big fan of Zodd's type but she seemed to think he was good enough to get an excellent and with that he was best male, since the other two males at the show got only very good.
Then I went on to be the handler for Anita's girl Anju Gangpori. We went into open class with Vera and Gokarmo Sundari. The judge preferred Anju and placed her first with excellent. Gokarmo was placed as second best female in open class and her hunt for the swedish championtitle ended there, at least for this time.
Gokarmo is without a doubt one of the BEST Tibetan Mastiff females in the world at the moment. She's got excellent bone, coat, head, structure and movement! The judge called her "too masculine" but I suppose that she's used to the TMs in the north of Europe who are mostly on the light side. Next to Zodd Gokarmo is very much a female, but next to a "eurotype" male she gives a very sturdy and strong impression. Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that the "eurotype" is flawed or that Gokarmo is too heavy, I'm just pointing out the difference between the types inside our breed and it makes me sigh that judges are not aware. Well, not only that, but it seems that alot of our scandinavian judges now are preferring lack of bone and size. I can't understand why since this is a breed that SHOULD have both bone AND size... Of course this should NEVER come at the cost of structure, proportion and movement, but it should definitely be there!! I only wish that judges would read some historical descriptions of the breed before they read the standard. That would perhaps set things into perspective.
It was a new experience for me to show another TM. I must say I enjoyed it very much! I hope I will get a chance to do so again in the future, but there's nothing that compares to showing Zodd. I know him so well by now, and he knows me, so we know just which buttons to push to get some show into the ring ;)
Anju ended up as second best female with R-CACIB. Winner was Chilcoot Fanta, who also was placed as Best Of Breed because of her expression. Zodd's lips were too big ;) And I love his lips, just because they are so big! Zodd was Best of Opposite Sex with CACIB. I was more than pleased with this because that meant that we could leave the show without staying for the groupfinale. It was time to visit the beach together with Jarmila, Vera, Honza and their Gokarmo, Anita, her husband Conny and their Anju and fila brasileiro puppy Puma, Lucas, Nina and Catarina and her baby Ganzi Sundari. And Zodd, of course ;)
The visit to the beach will stay with me for a very long time! It was simply great to have Jarmila in Sweden and see Zodd flirt with his czech "cousin" Gokarmo and his old buddy Ganzi (who he hadn't met for 1,5 years)!!
We ended the day at Anita's place with nice food and wonderful conversation about pretty much everything. There were alot of laughter and smiles and happy faces!
BIG thanks to everyone for making this date happen! It's been a dream of mine, for a very long time, to show Jarmila her baby Zodd in real life! And finally it happened!
I loved how Zodd curled up beside Jarmila at Anita's place and lay there all evening long :) I love the fact that our breed can make us such sweet and dear friends, even though we don't share the same language or the same culture, the love for our breed and our dogs binds us together. That is beautiful! That is friendship!
//Sanna

 

One more day of dogshows before we returned to Sweden was what awaited us on august 15th.
It was a nice day and the best part of it was when Frida said she wanted to show Noblesse herself!
She said that yesterday's show made her realize that things couldn't possibly go any worse today, so she felt up for handling her sweet girl in the ring. And Noblesse truly is a sweet girl - she's very easy to be around, both happy and calm. And the two girls did SO well!
While Lucas, Zodd and I stood outside the ring, keeping all fingers crossed, Noblesse got excellent and was placed as third best female with CAC! Oh, the joy!
We gave our biggest applause and Zodd gave Noblesse kisses and tailwags when she came out of the ring.
Frida was overcome with joy and was SO happy that she had decided to show Noblesse.
They shared a very special moment in the ring and I have to say Frida showed Noblesse better than anyone else! Way to go, girls!
It was well worth waiting all day for!
Zodd was one of the first dogs to be judged in his ring and he did well, with excellent and R-CACIB.
It was really great to meet Kari from kennel Kyi-M-Byang and her TM girl Ransi. Zodd thought so too ;)
It's always nice to exchange thoughts about our breed with other fans and owners!
And then I went on a hunt together with Zodd and my Canon EOS 7D while Lucas, Frida and Noblesse found a spot in the shade to relax. As some of you might know I am an avid fan of photographing dogs. If this is news to you, you can always go and check out my online gallery at deviantART --->
SaNNaS!
Oh, and I found the best of the best - the Azawakh! This breed is one of my absolute favorites!
I only wish I would have had some more time to shoot them, but more dogshows will come, I hope ;)
After Noblesse's success in the ring it was time for us to leave for Sweden again and we jumped in the car after a long goodbye. Lucas was staying in Norway to work. It was no fun leaving him behind...
During our drive home Zodd could not calm down. He just kept on panting and drooling...
I got really worried, so we stopped and took the dogs for a walk and gave them water, but it didn't help.
Zodd just sat in the back, panting hard, and he usually curls up and sleep whenever we drive somewhere so his behavior was far from normal. We stopped a little bit later and I went to get more water for Zodd. He drank, drank and drank some more and when he jumped back into the car he finally calmed down, curled up with a sigh and fell into a safe and sound sleep. I was soooo relieved! We had a safe drive home, with two new NORWEGIAN & NORDIC CHAMPIONS sleeping in the back! A perfect end to an excellent weekend!
Thank you Frida and Noblesse for sharing this adventure with me and Zodd, and thank you Lucas for giving us a nice place to stay during our visit to Norway and for showing and driving us around!
You all made this weekend very special :)
//Sanna

 

As soon as my friend Frida got of work on friday the 13th of august we left for Norway! One would think that friday the 13th would be a stupid day for a 550 kilometers long roadtrip, but it all worked out perfectly fine! Zodd and Noblesse, one of his best friends in the world and the most beautiful Dogue de Bordeaux I've met, made themselves at home in the back of my trusted Toyota and our journey began!
After several hours nonstop driving we stopped at the very nice fortress of Bohus and the dogs enjoyed a walk in the stunning surroundings. Zodd got a bit spooked in the park since there were people grilling meat there. He can be very sensitive to certains smells and was more than happy to jump into the car and drive on. Our goal was Horten, a small city in Norway, where Lucas has a small apartment. Not only is Lucas my love, he is also Frida's brother, so the two of us (together with, I dare say, two of his favorite dogs in the world) were more than welcome to stay there for a couple of nights.
After a wonderful ferryride in the stunning sunset (the photo I used as background for Zodd's championposter above was taken during that ride) we reached Horten and made our way through the narrow streets to Lucas apartment. Zodd and I were very happy to see our Lucas again ;)
It was also Lucas birthday, so after he recived his gift and card and a small walk in the neighbourhood we shared a meal and then went to bed, tired after the long trip.
The morning after was the first day of a two day CACIBshow at Bjerke arena just outside Oslo and Frida, Lucas and I left with Zodd and Noblesse. I have to say it was one of the most crowded and badly planned shows I've ever been to. Zodd was a good boy, even though it was obvious to me that he didn't really like the show, and ended up as second best male with excellent, R-CACIB and CAC (I had to talk to the judge about the CAC since the handler of the winning male hadn't informed that his dog was already norwegian champion...). Zodd became NORWEGIAN CHAMPION and since he's already SWEDISH CHAMPION and DANISH CHAMPION he is now titled NORDIC CHAMPION as well! Not bad for my puppy!
Frida asked me to be handler to Noblesse and I hesitantly agreed, trying to convince Frida to show Noblesse herself because I think it's very special to go into the ring and do the best you can with your own dog, but Frida simply didn't feel up to it. The judge in the Dogue de Bordeaux ring obviously knew nothing about the breed since Noblesse got only "good" and a very strange written judgement that was as far from the truth as anything can be. It's always sad when you end up with judges like that... To travel so far and be met by such ignorance is the worst for every fan of dogshows!
After the show we went to McDonalds for a meal. OMG, the prices in Norway... MADNESS! But Lucas was kind enough to treat both Frida and myself to dinner. Afterwards we drove to visit Nils, one of Lucas co-workers, at his farm. It's paradise for dogs and together with two border collies Zodd and Noblesse ran around, playing, while we took in the stunning views!
When we came back to Horten we went down to the harbor and Zodd, having been stressed from the long and warm(!!) day suddenly relaxed and became his old self again. The trasformation took place the moment he got the salty seabreeze in his nose ;D Haha, I guess he's more like me than I knew. It's funny how you can be so far from home but still feel as if you never left, as long as you have the ocean by your feet.
I suppose that's what happens when you grow up in a small fishing village surrounded by the everchanging sea.
//Sanna

 

Together with Zodd, slowly turning into the nude TM he turns into every summer and Lucas, my love in life, I left the familiar grounds of Listerlandet and went north. Lucas and I had decided to make the trip to Avesta, Dalarna into more than just a dogshow trip. We left on june 11th and came back home again on june 15th, with quite a few adventures and fun memories in our luggage.
The first night we stayed at a very nice hotel a few kilometers from the show and had a nice dinner before we went to bed, all very tired after the 530 kilometers we had spent on the road. After a nice breakfast the following morning we left for the dogshow and met up with my friends Monika, from kennel Bod Khyi and Jane from kennel Durettos and some of their TMs. Monika's girl Bod Khyi Skarma Aquila became Swedish Winner-10! BIG congratulations!
Zodd was far from his best since the shedding was ON, but he still did well in the ring and was second best male with R-CACIB. The judge liked him and here's the written judgement he received:
Powerful masculine head, dark eyes, good eyelids, wellcarried ears, good neck and topline, wellcarried tail, wellshaped deep chest, good bone. Sufficient angulation. Good movement from the side, a bit narrow from behind. Coat ok. Well handled.
It was nice to meet some of the dogs you mostly see on the internet - for example Sierras' Viking He Who Travelled, owner of Monika. A nice youngster with alot of promise! It was also great to meet Maria again (Monika's daughter) and I only wish we had a bit more time to chitchat about this and that. It's always a pleasure to talk to you, Maria!
And so our journey continued on - we set our GPS on Älvdalen and the cabin we had booked. We paused in Rättvik where we walked out on one of the longest wooden piers in the world! Zodd enjoyed the cool and rainy weather a bit more than us humans, but I must admit it was wonderful to have the place entirely to ourselves! We also stopped at "Dössberget" (Mountain of death) where we had a splendid dinner at a very nice restaurant, overlooking the valley, a stunning view in spite of the bad weather. This place had gotten its name a long time ago when the old and sick were thrown over the edge to plummet to their death since they were no longer of use to the village. A harsh faith indeed!
Behind the restaurant was a small park with old, traditional buildings and pens with animals. Zodd made friends with a couple of pigs and was fascinated by a small rabbit, running around together with the chickens. He would have loved it if the fence would've suddenly dissolved, but there were no miracles for the poor boy ;)
We reached our cabin 200 kilometers later and took a long walk along the river before we all went to bed, quite tired, loading our batteries for the following day.
The next morning we left for Njupeskär, the highest waterfall in all of Sweden. It's located in Fulufjället's national park, an area full of crooked trees, rocks, rivers and pinetrees. A truly wonderful place were you can almost taste the magic in the crisp air! It was quite the hike before we reached our goal, but we were NOT dissapointed. The waterfall is very impressive and even though there were still ice on the cliffs around it we jumped into our swimwear, left Zodd on the bridge and hiked into the COLD splashing water! Haha, it was a thrill! It took a while to find our warmth after that adventure since the rain came falling down as soon as we came out of the rain of Njupeskär. But I'm happy we went a bit crazy ;)
We spent one more night in our cabin before we went south again. On our way home we stopped at the famous swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf's home Mårbacka. She's one of my favorite writers so I enjoyed that visit very much, and Zodd is always happy to explore new places. Lucas did his very best to find us a hotelroom for our last night away from home and finally we got one in Mariestad, a very nice city located on the shores of Vänern, the biggest lake in Sweden.
Zodd was not entirely satisfied with our hotelroom so we actually had to change it to another one, haha :) There was a very odd smell in the first room we got and Zodd did NOT want to be in there, not even for a moment!! But the receptionist was a very friendly lady and she helped us out, without any questions, and we spent the night with a content Zodd snoring on the floor ;)
The last day of travel we stopped at an old church built entirely of wood back in 1723, located in Habo. It is a very nice place with a special atmosphere.
We also visited the places where the books about Arn, written by Jan Guillou, were situated. You could almost feel the wings of time embrace you...
But, as wonderful as a trip to new places can be it's always very special to come back home again, and this time was no exception. Zodd was more than happy to crawl into his bed and fall into his safe and deep "homesleep", reserved only for his own territory. And I suppose both Lucas and I did the same! I can only say THANK YOU to my two loved ones, for making this trip into something very special for me! Kisses to you both!
//Sanna

 

Haha, yes I know I wrote that Zodd was taking a vacation from dogshows during the summermonths, but we had a small change of plans ;) Nina, Zodd and I left for Hässleholm on the 22 of may for the international CACIC show that's held every year on the grounds of Hässleholm's manor about one hour from home. This is usually a wonderful place for a dogshow, but this day was certainly an exception to that rule since it had been raining for several days before the showday and the entire area was flooded! Well, some of the visitors and handlers were lucky since their rings were on higher ground, but we were not. We had to wade our way to the ring and then squish ourselves through it, but Zodd did well in spite of that. I felt a bit sorry for the Schipperke that went before us in the ring - they are so small and the mud was really thick, so you can do the math ;)
I did not know the judge Margareta Sundqvist until after the show when I learned that she's very interested in Tibetan Mastiff and that she's even been to Tibet.
That felt special since she really liked Zodd! The written judgement was wonderful:
Impressive male with the right proportions. Excellent head, correct slanting dark eyes. Correct bite. Excellent angulation, excellent chest, excellent skin, excellent tail, excellent easy movement.
But what was even better was her comments "off the record":
It's amazing that a dog as big and heavy as him can move so easy.
And in spite of the mud and wet ground he just floats.
Wonderful words from a judge who knows the breed!
Zodd is not usually a fan of outdoor shows, but he was very calm and easy at this show. Perhaps he's getting used to the glamorous (??) life of a showdog? ;)
We met his friend Bulten, the Dogue de Bordeaux, at the show and the two boys played a bit before we said bye bye. Bulten was ready in his ring and went home quite early while we stayed for the entire day. We wanted to stay to the group finale, but sadly Zodd was shedding his wintercoat (after the show I grabbed the brush and it didn't take long to transform him from a fluffy Tibetan Mastiff into Mr. Nude) and the group judge was not impressed by that fact, but I was happy anyway since Zodd behaved so well!
It was a really good day!
//Sanna

 

This years Tibetan breed specialty show was held in the community building of Söderslätt in Vellinge. Nina, Zodd and I left early on march 21 and drove with Anita and Anju following us in their car. Anju is a happy TM living at Housedog's kennel. Zodd was very happy to meet her and when we arrived at the show he gave her several kisses, just to show his love. There were four TMs entered in this show. Two males and two females. Zodd did very well! He enjoyed this day so much and was a pleasure to show since he wanted to play in the ring. That always brings out his spark and I think the judge saw it too. He got a very nice written judgement and was placed as best male and then BOB.
Written judgement:
3 year old impressive male, nice size, full of substance and masculinity. Very good head, muzzle must not be longer but has good width and size, good expression, excellent ociput, fitting lowset ears. Nice length of neck, tiptop topline. Good front, correct chest with deepth under the elbows. Very good angles in backlegs, good bone, excellent hard structure of fur but more mane is wanted, moves very well with long steps, comes and goes paralell.
The judge was the danish gentleman Kresten Scheel. It was obvious that he enjoyed judging and the atmosphere at the show was delightful and happy all day long. Zodd was most happy about the two sacks of kibble he won and he wanted to open them then and there. He's not used to that kind of food since he eats highclass dogfood that a friend and breeder makes in a small scale, so it was like two giants sacks of candy for him =) After becoming BOB he took his ribbon in the mouth and ran alongside me, looking very pleased with himself! We then stayed to wait for the finals. We said bye bye to Anita and Anju, who left after the judging of TMs were done, and then we had some hot cocoa and sandwiches while watching the other breeds as the judge went over them. Zodd fell asleep after some halfhearted protests where he just wanted to let us know that it was not fair that Anju left without him. Nina and I ignored him and it was not long before he snored on the floor (of course not on the blanket I had brought). He got lots of pets from other dogowners and also countless comments about his lazy attitude. We then went into the finalring and Zodd was BIS-3! He was sooooo full of mischief when we ran around the ring and didn't do much else then nibble on my butt, haha!! He thinks it's so much fun getting his mum to take longer, higher and faster steps! Sometimes I wonder who is showing how ;) All in all it was a wonderful day with sunshine, applause and alot of prizes (including a bottle of champagne). Now we retire from dogshows for the summer and go back to enjoying our everyday life. But I must admit, it's nice with some glamour and sparkling ribbons from time to time ;)
//Sanna

 

We left early on friday the 8th of january for a 300 kilometers drive up into a Sweden dressed in winter.
It was the same old team - Nina, Zodd and myself. The main reason for us visiting this year's MyDog was because Zodd's litterbrother Foo Sundari were coming all the way from Estonia. We were really looking forward to seeing one of the brothers in the flesh, but I learned a couple of days earlier that they were staying at home due to extreme snow and bad weather.
We still packed our bags and jumped in the car. It was the first dogshow of 2010 and our friend Ella was coming with her boy Cenge as well. It would be a nice chance to meet friends and see alot of gorgeous dogs as well.
Said and done! We drove through the pitch black morning and arrived in Gothenburg in one piece, in spite of all the snow and ice.
When Zodd walked into the noisy dogshow his tail began to wag and his eyes sparkled. He was ON!
We found our ring, spoke with our friends and Zodd flirted with the TM girl Ransi who had come all the way from Norway. He was also happy to find his friend Arina the Rottweiler and shared some kisses with her as well. She's usually got great respect for Zodd and keeps her distance, but at that crowded place she was SOOO happy to meet a someone she knew that she went overboard trying to show Zodd just how much she loved him =)
It was very sweet!
We walked around a bit. I got to see an Azawakh and then it was time to enter the ring. Zodd had made himself at home and showed very little energy in the ring. I did my best to get him to move, but he was not too impressed by my crazy moves. He just raised an eyebrow and seemed to shake his head in sympathy.
He was the only championmale there and won his class and then moved on to the best male competition. He rocked! There were 5 TMs all in all and Zodd was Best Of Breed! I was very proud of him and he seemed quite content as well. Ella's Cenge (ok, he's not really Ella's, but she did show him. Cenge belongs to Ella's husband Peter) was second best male and got his last CAC and became Swedish Champion! BIG congratulations =D
The judge had a small chat with us about placements afterwards. It was very interesting to hear his reasons for putting Zodd as BOB. He really liked the proportions and shape of Zodd and that was the big reason for his win.
I wanted to stay for the finals, but Nina did not. Zodd didn't seem to care, he would've been happy either way.
I had to yield, but it was the last time. I would've loved to run into the big ring since that's where Zodd usually shows his very best side. Instead we went and got our prizes. I had something similar to checks (you win them here in Sweden at dogshows and can collect them and then choose prizes in exchange for them) and brought home a thermos and a phone! A great win =)
It was a wonderful day in the company of friends! I'm glad we went.
//Sanna

 

Zodd is DKK racevinder 2009/ Danish kennelclub breedwinner 2009!

 

Day three of our Denmark trip started with grey skies and a stubborn drizzle. We went to Herning and the dogshow and stayed there pretty much from dusk 'til dawn. Zodd was a good boy, once more. Well, he was a good boy AFTER we entered the show. He wore his kekor at the entry, but I had to take it off since he suddenly felt like a BIG BAD BOY in it! I don't know if it was a reaction to the way other dogs viewed him when he came struttin' in his red fake mane, but he wasn't himself at all. When it came off he went back to his cool and relaxed self again. Funny how sensitive he is, my tiny little boy ;)
When we came indoors we met Frida adn Veronica who had driven aaaaall the way from Sweden that morning. They brought with them Zodd's very dear friend Noblesse. Zodd was so happy to see both Frida and Veronica, but he never got to greet his friend since she was in the very peak of her heat. If he had gotten a chance to say hello he would have stopped eating for several days (if not weeks). He is, after all a tiny sensitive boy ;)
Noblesse sat by the ringside and cheered Zodd on! When he was in front of the judge she even whimper-barked and he was suddenly Mr. Alert! Perfect timing Noblesse - thank you!
Noblesse did very well. She was second best female with CAC and became Danish Champion!
BIG congratulations from the fanclub on Listerlandet =D
Zodd was much more on the go than he was yesterday and he showed his very best side in the ring.
The first thing the judge said when we entered was "Awesome!" And then Zodd and I ran and K-E looked Zodd over and then looked at me and said "Do we have something this exquisite in Sweden?!" And he told me he had seen Zodd in the groupfinal the day before and thought "WOW!" to himself! It was so nice to hear that Zodd had made an impression. He even asked me where Zodd was from. I have to add that this is a judge who have judged TMs for at least 15 years and seen alot of them.
Written judgement:
Excellent type. A very impressive dog. Beautiful masculine head, dark eyes. Strong muzzle. Wonderful expression, good bite. Beautiful neck and topline. Wellcarried tail. Excellent chest. Moves well from the side, a little narrow from behind. Beautiful coat. Good temperament.
Zodd got excellent 1, CACIB, was Best Of Breed and got the title Danish Winner 2009!
We stayed for finals once more, but he wasn't picked out in the top four. He was full of happiness when we ran into the beautiful big ring and wanted to got fast FAST! He even nibbled my behind, to the amusement of the onlookers ;D I could only laugh since I think the most important thing is that we are having fun when we are in the ring. Zodd laughed too and his stack was close to perfect!
After that we all jumped into the car, waved bye bye to Herning and hit the road leading back home. It was a looong, rainy and dark drive through the november night. I have never before seen so much traffic! It was almost mad. I was more than happy when we returned home to Sweden and our lazy and empty streets. I've had a sore neck and arm all weekend long and I've eaten countless painkillers. Now it's time to heal, rest and gather new strength for the upcoming year. We will not enter any more dogshows this year.
I must say it's been a mighty good season from september to november - Swedish Champion, Danish Champion, Copenhagen Winner, BIG-4, BEST IN SHOW, Blekingemästare, Danish Winner and Danish Breedwinner.
I think we can retire for the winter, without any regrets ;)
//Sanna

 

On november 6th we jumped in the car and went to Denmark, one more. It was time to visit the big island Jutland and the city of Herning, the same place where World Dog Show will be held next year. This time Zodd had a small troop of people with him - I went (as always), as did Nina, our cousin My and our friend Jenny-Ann. The car was full and while we sat there, tucked away among the bags, Zodd snored in the back of the car with all the space in the world. It was a loooong cardrive and it took us six hours to reach our destination - a cabin on a farm 30 minutes drive from the dogshow. It was a wonderful place to stay. Brand new cabin with warm floors, quiet surroundings and the best part of it all was when we met Jens, the farmdog. Jens showed Zodd around and the two boys had a good time. Early the next morning (after several games of snakes and ladders the night before) we went for a visit in Aarhus. Zodd was Mr. Cool in the big city, walking around as if he'd been there before. My warmest memory from that town is when a buddist monk walked past us. When he saw Zodd his smile suddenly went from ear to ear and he made small noises to catch Zodd's attention. And then he turned to me and gave me a huge smile that said everything words can't express. I will never forget it.
At the dogshow, some hours later, we met another TM and Zodd was thrilled! A lady TM is something he would not mind having himself, especially at this time of year. The two spoke about this and that while us owners did the same. It was very nice to chat with them since we haven't met since february.
And then it was time for the ring. There had been a change of judges at the last minute and now we walked into the ring to meet an irish gentleman. Zodd was certainly not on top - he had not eaten a bite since the day before yesterday. He had zero energy and the judge commented on that. He wondered if I ever walked Zodd and when I said yes he hardly believed me. Well, I guess he doesn't have a TM at home, they move when they feel the need, but it's rare to see them move at other times. I don't quite know how to explain such a thing for a judge though. I don't even know if a judge would believe that?
Zodd got excellent 1, CACIB and was Best Of Breed.
The rest of the day was spent walking around, just enjoying the 3500 dogs at the show. We also went to a photosession with Zodd. He is DKK racevinder 2009 (Danish breedwinner 2009) and all breedwinners got a free photoshoot in a studio. A tiny Yorkshireterrier was photographed before it was our turn and I was amazed at the owner's fuss! Every hair just HAD to be in the right place... I didn't even give Zodd a bath before we left for Denmark... The photographer was SO happy when the yorkie and owner finally cleared the stage and we enterd. Zodd is used to having his picture taken, so it was easy enough for the camera to catch him. The photos will be published on the DKK homepage sometime in the future.
We stayed all day, waiting for the finals. We sat by the ring, watching the other finals and Zodd slept in the hustle and bustle, while people jumped over him he just snored and maybe opened an eye every now and then, just to have a look. I was so proud of my boy.
Zodd is a real finaljunkie and was ON TOP OF THE WORLD when we entered. It's always so much fun to show him in the big ring and this big ring was the most exclusive and beautiful one I've ever seen! Zodd wasn't placed, but he had a great time =)
He then slept, slept, slept in the car. He jumped out and went into the cabin, ate a couple of hotdogs and then he slept again, mighty tired after all the adventures!
//Sanna

 

Nina, Zodd and I left for Växjö early on Halloween, to visit the annual Cacib-show there. That was the place where Zodd got his first CAC last year. This time 14 TMs were entered, but "only" 12 came. A HUGE entry for a swedish dogshow. Zodd was an angel, as he usually is on shows, and behaved so well all day. We went into the ring and the judge felt and looked him over. The judge was from the Netherlands and his preferance were the smaller type of TM. Zodd was second best male in championclass, with excellent, and was then placed as third best male (in Sweden five dogs are always placed in each group).
I was more than happy with this since it was clear what type of TM the judge liked best.
Joo Schepers was a very friendly judge and I liked the way he handled the dogs.
When it was time for him ro examine Zodd's bite he asked me:
"May I look at the teeth?"
"Of course," was my answer.
"Oh no, that is not always 'of course'!" He said with a smile.
I suppose that is true since TMs are quite reserved dogs.
Zodd's written judgement was spot on! It's always great to read the written judgement and agree with it.
After the time in the ring a few of us TM people met outside and had a small picnic. It was wonderful to meet our human TM friends! Zodd was quite bored by then and was not very interested in the picnic. He wanted to either go home or flirt with other dogs. Poor boy had to sit and behave. It was quite hard on him ;)
On the way home we stopped on a beach and put his kekor on. He got some freetime while I followed him around with my camera. You can view the photos here ---> october!
In Zodd's opinion that was probably the best part of the entire day. Well, except for when he tried to charm the TM girl Anju. She was not very impressed but that made her even more of a dreamgirl in Zodd's eyes.
He loves it when the girls play hard to get ;)
//Sanna

 

I never thought I would live to see the day an adult Tibetan Mastiff was placed in a BIS-final, much less be placed at the very top as BEST IN SHOW!! Well, I lived to see it and I even got to be a part of it since it was my very own Zodd who did it! What an amazing high!!
I went to the annual dogshow that's held by the kennelclub of Blekinge (the region of Sweden where Zodd and I reside) together with my sister Nina. It was raining nonstop all day and Zodd was enjoying the weather. The dogshow was held in the ridinghouse of Bräkne Hoby, as always, and there were alot of dogs and people everywhere. This is not a CAC or CACIB show, rather a show for the dogs and people of our region. Zodd was the only TM there and was awarded with first prize + prize of honor (these two combined is the same as excellent) and was Best Of Breed with a wonderful written judgement!
"Gorgeously masculine 3 year old male. Excellent head, excellent neck and topline, underline, forchest and chestdepth. Harmoniously angulated in front and back and moves paralell with vigour. Lovely temperament. Emits strength and integrity."
Judge was Karin Sjöholm Östlund.
Nina, Zodd and I took the car to visit the town of Ronneby while we waited for the finals. Zodd was happy for this break and trotted through the rain and the autumnleaves in the beautiful park of Ronneby. Nina really wanted to go home, since TMs are a rare sight in the top she didn't think Zodd would have a chance, but I wanted to stay, just because it's such a wonderful setting for socialization and happy meetings with both people and dogs. So we returned to the dogshow and went into the groupfinal. Once again Karin Sjöholm Östlund was the judge and she picked her five favorites and said thank you and goodbye to the rest. Zodd stayed... and was placed as winner of group 2! I was more chocked than anything and the very best part was when the judge came and told me that it was clear from the moment he walked into the ring earlier that day. She said "Yes, and there he is" to herself when she saw him for the first time and was so impressed by his attitude, look and manners that he was THE dog of the day for her!
And then it was time for BIS. This was the first time I have ever been in a real BIS-final, so it was a bit nervous and alot of fun! Zodd was such a good boy and followed my lead. Judge was Agneta Kappers and she viewed the ten finalists and then said thank you to us all and sent us out of the ring. And there we stood, ten nervous owners with ten stunning dogs, waiting for the results. First she called in the BIS-reserve, then the BIS-4, the BIS-3 and the BIS-2 followed and silence fell. I really didn't think for one moment that we would be called, so I stood there, looking around at the other five dogs, wondering who would be the lucky winner. And then I heard it - "And as BEST IN SHOW and BLEKINGEMÄSTARE 2009 the judge would like to see the winning dog of group 2!" My jaw dropped and I just stood there. It felt like ages before I entered the ring, soooo happy with a certain Zodd by my side, feeling my happiness and jumping, leaping and playing as we went! That feeling is impossible to put into words. It was pure joy and I smiled so hard and for so long that my face still is full of that same smile. What a feeling! My little Zodd, picked as the TOP dog of the dogshow! Amazing!
The judges, both Agneta and Inger, told me that he was THE ONE. Then we were dragged off to take photos for next years calendar published by Blekinge Kennelclub, and was interviewed by our local newspaper.
Haha, it was a rush, for sure!
Zodd took it all in stride, like the TM he is, and he was more than pleased to enter the car and curl up and fall asleep while Nina and I talked about the day and the amazing fact that a rare breed, such as the Tibetan Mastiff is in Sweden, took BEST IN SHOW. The drive home passed in a haze of laughter and smiles. The prizes filled our backseat and my BISwinner filled up the rest of the car with his heavy and exhausted breathing.
A moment to treasure forever, his calm and safe spirit wispering something to us of the splendor that is the centre of this breed, no matter where you find it - in the showring or on the plains and mountains of Tibet. It's when they let people get a glance of their essense, their very core, that they shine.
//Sanna

 

After a night of celebration and sleeping in the rented caravan we said bye bye to our temporary home and headed for the second day of dogshows in Brøndby. Zodd was not quite in the mood, probably thought he had done enough showing off yesterday, but he got his act together and forgot about the hustle and bustle around him and trotted with me into the ring. He did GREAT! The judge really liked him, she wanted a bit more mane on his neck, but it will come this winter. He's still not in his full coat. He was the only male there, and with his excellent he then became best male and went on to compete for Best Of Breed against a multi champion female. He was Best Of Breed with CAC and CACIB and also won the title KBHV-09 (Copenhagen Winner 2009)!
I was mighty proud when we walked off to the Dogue de Bordeaux ring and our friends. They missed Zodd's judgement since Noblesse was getting ready for her time in the showring =)
They were all thrilled to hear the news about Zodd and we sat down by the DdB ring to keep fingers crossed for success. Our fingers didn't do well though, the judge preferred a different type of DdB, but we were still happy that Noblesse's brother Navarro was placed as second best male and got the CAC he needed to become Danish Champion! Noblesse got Very Good. She's one of the sweetest DdB I've ever met, so gentle and brutal and funny, all wrapped up in a healthy and happy body. Congratulations to Frisda for having this adorable lady by her side! She may have missed out on the CAC this day, but she's still #1 to me and Zodd!
We spent some time by the ring and chatted with a bunch of friendly people. We stayed for the finals today as well and Zodd did good, even though I could tell he was soooo tired. The judge didn't pick him and we jumped into the car and headed for Sweden again, after a wrong turn on the freeway that is ;). When Zodd and I reached home it was already dark. He ate a tiny portion of his food and then went into his deep "I'm-done-with-showing-for-at-least-a-month-please-don't-disturb-until-then-thanks"-sleep.
It was a crazy weekend with so many smiles and laughs and new memories! Zodd's great success was only a small part of our awesome trip! Thank you Frida, Noblesse and Veronica for all the fun!
We will have to do this again soon, ok?
//Sanna

 

Tjjoheej!
Zodd is now Danish dogshow CHAMPION!
On september 19th Zodd and I left Sweden in the company of our very good friends Veronica, Frida and Noblesse the Dogue de Bordeaux, for a weekend in Denmark and a 2xCACIB show in Brøndby, just outside of the Danish capital Copenhagen. Zodd and I got up very early, left in the dark hours of morning and rode with Veronica to Frida's and Noblesse's house before we went in the direction of the dogshow.
I can honestly say I have never been to such wonderful dogshow before! Alot of space and great surroundings mixed with a nice atmosphere and happy friends made this an unforgettable day!
Zodd and I entered the ring in the late september sun and met the judge. A friendly and calm man with a great knowledge of the breed, so I've been told. He liked Zodd VERY much! I must confess I was a bit surpriced since Zodd's type is not as common as the smaller and lighter TMs, but the judge liked his substance and bone.
Peter Van Montfoort's written judgement:
"2 years and 8 months, excellent type, size and substance. Very nice head, strong skull, nice ear carriage, good stop, strong foreface. Nice eyes and expression, correct bite. Very strong neck, short strong body, welldeveloped ribcage, strong bone. Moderatly angulated. I prefer more open coat and more harsh texture. Correct tailcarriage when he is moving. Would like to see more power in back."
Zodd got Excellent, CAC, CACIB and was BOB!! Wonderful!! He is now Danish Champion =D
We decided to stay for finals and went to cheer on Noblesse in the ring when it was her turn to strut her stuff. She did well and won her class, but sadly she didn't get excellent so no CAC =(
We went for a walk, ate, met a man who was very interested in the breed and had a nice chat with him before it was time to enter the big ring. The dogshow was held outdoors, but the finals were held indoors in a big hall with loud speakers, dogs barking, people chatting and music. Zodd just slept through it all.
I was VERY happy to learn that the judge for group 2 would be Ove Germundsson. I've wanted to show under him for as long as I've had Zodd and I must say my expectations came through BIG TIME!! Zodd thought it was GREAT fun to run in the big ring, with all eyes on him and a huge smile in his face. He danced beside me, really. He showed his very best side and he enjoyed every second of it =) Not only did Ove pick Zodd to be in the top eight in the group but after letting us all run with our dogs he picked Zodd to be in the top four! Zodd was finally placed as BIG-4 (Best In Group 4)!!! Incredible! Just for fun I counted how many dogs were entered in group 2 that day - over 630 dogs! And Zodd was fourth best!
After the show Zodd and I, Veronica, Frida and Noblesse went to our rented caravan a short drive from the dogshow and celebrated Zodd's marvelous day with chinesefood, pizza, shrimpcrackers, wine and coca cola while Noblesse did her very best to hyptnotize all of us so we would put all the food in her mouth.
Zodd? Well, he slept inside the caravan, too exhausted to even join in our celebration. It's not easy being a champion ;)
//Sanna

Nina, Zodd and I left early on september 13th to visit Sofiero CAC-show. It's a beautiful dogshow held every year about two hours drive from our home. We had great luck with the weather and Zodd had a wonderful day in the company of friends he met at the show. He behaved like an angel all day long and I was mighty proud of him when we left the dogshow and drove home again.
The judge was from Hungary and didn't seem to like our breed at all. To be honest he seemed almost afraid of the dogs and acted accordingly. He did NOT like Zodd's type at all and the written judgement was not pleasent to read, even if I couldn't help but laugh at it since it was so absurd. None of the TMs got excellent (three adults) and none of the puppies got prize of honor (two puppies). That left our breed without both BOB puppy and adult BOB today. Quite sad since the dogs that attended are all well within the breed standard. And to add to that - all dogs that attended (puppies excluded) had at least two CACs from earlier shows. I will certainly never show for that judge again =)
It was nice to meet friends by the ring and Zodd had great fun with two stunning Pyrenean Mastiff ladies that he's met before at dogshows. My oh my, there was some serious flirting going on!
All in all it was a GREAT day with lots of sun, smiles and happy faces in spite of our sour judge. BIG hug to everyone for making the day shine!!
//Sanna

 

YIPPIE!
Zodd is now Swedish dogshow CHAMPION!
On september 5th Zodd and I left home together with my sister Nina and our niece Ellen for a long drive to Öland. Öland is an island off the coast of Sweden. I've been there a couple of times before, but never on the very north end and that was where the dogshow was held. Zodd was curious and his head popped up every now and then during our 300 kilometers long drive. We drove over the long bridge, made a couple of stops (to pet camels that grazed alongside the road) and then we arrived to our rented cabin. We unloaded the car and drove to "Trollskogen" - translated it would be Goblinwoods - an old forest on the northeast peninsula of Öland. We walked 5 kilometers and met very few goblins. I suppose we looked rather scary after our long trip ;)
Zodd enjoyed the fresh air, the many pinetrees and he looked quite unimpressed when we came across an almost 900 year old oak. He was probably disappointed since he had wasted most of his pee on the pinetrees ;)
He also took a dip in the sea and flirted with some cows. When we came back to the cabin he fell asleep and I could hardly wake him up when it was time for supper. The night passed quietly and we awoke bright and early to go on some adventures. There's no point in wasting time if you have a touristfree beautiful island to explore!
Firstly we went to Neptuni åkrar - a stonefield in the shallows by the small town of Byxelkrok. We enjoyed the scenery while Zodd had a slurp of the local water. He just can't see waves without having a taste. Then we drove on to Byrum's raukar - a magical place shaped by mother earth and father sea. Zodd loved it! He walked around with a very soft look in his face, almost respectful, and he climbed several of them to see which one would make the best lookout tower. He found several candidates (just check out the picture above). He would've loved to stay there for the rest of the day but since we were growing hungry and the dogshow was coming closer we had to leave. We went to have a look at Long Erik - the lighthouse on the very north of Öland, built back in 1845 and isolated from the rest of the word up until 1965. It is a wonderful place with history in every stone. After a short stop by our cabin (to eat and clean and pack up) we went to the woody dogshow Böda Sand. We had plenty of time to stroll around since Zodd was the very last dog to enter the ring. He was also the only TM. I got quite nervous when I met Ludde's owner and she told me that out of 38 Leonbergers only 4 had gotten Excellent...
Zodd almost managed to pull both me and Nina into a pond he found. He wanted another sample of the local water and had a dip while he was at it. Yup, only thirty minutes before showtime he went belly down in the dark, cool and not so unmuddy water... I could only smile at him and be thankful that I know my dog well enough to bring towels, even to a dogshow ;D
I had some drying to do and some brushing to get all the dirt out of his pants and then we went for the ring. The judge really liked him. He was quite impressed when he felt him over and said he thought he was very welldeveloped for his age. Here's Zodd's written judgement:
"Big impressive male with nice proportions. Masculine head with correct earplacement, dark healthy eyes. Good muzzle, nice neck, strong topline, high tailcarriage. Nice angulation, fitting bone. Body with good depth, could gain a bit more volume. Excellent coatquality. Moves with nice posture and beautiful spring in his steps. Champion today."
I was THRILLED! Zodd was tired and wanted to go to the car and sleep and then wake up at home. He had to stay awake a bit longer since I wanted to stay for the finals. And so we did. Zodd was picked out in the top ten of group 2, but didn't make it to the top 5. It was still wonderful to be able to show a TM in the big ring =)
The long drive home was only smiles and laughter. Zodd slept soundly and Ellen did too, at least part of the trip. Nina and I talked about our adventure on Öland. It sure was an adventure and I am so thankful to Zodd for giving us this trip. I know we would've never gone to look for goblins, climb the raukar or visited the lighthouse Long Erik if it wasn't for him. He's a wonderful, funny, clever, lazy, sweet, cute and loyal friend and guardian. Now he can add Swedish Champion to those titles ;)
//Sanna

 

Nina, Ellen, Zodd and I went for a drive into the deep forest of Småland, our neighbour region, on august 29 2009. We brought a blanket, water, some money for hotdogs and our cameras. It was a lovely day. This was our very first visit to this dogshow, but I have to say I've never been to a more wellorganized show! It was only two rings and the wait for our turn took almost all day since the judge was very thorough. Zodd made some new friends and a good time, even if his motto is "there's no place like home" at the moment.
The weather played several tricks on us and we took shelter under the big A-shape on the agility course. A perfect spot to hide from the cold drops that started to fall. It was cloud, sunshine and rain mixed all day long.
The judge liked Zodd and she had only nice things to say about him:
"Two year old male with a masculine head and expression. Beautiful neck and withers, well angulated in the front and behind. Deep, good chest with well arched ribs. Strong topline with good length and good croup. Wellplaced tail, sufficient angulations in the backlegs. Moves around in a good stride with a charisma that says 'I own the ring right now!' Very pleasant temperament."
We stayed for the finals, but Zodd was bored by then and didn't really show the same charisma as earlier ;) He wanted to go home and we left. He was only too happy to pad into the bathroom at home and curl up on the cold floor and snore his way into dreamland where all the world is made up of females in heat and raw oxheart.
//Sanna

 

Zodd was dressed in his bikini when we went to the lovely dogshow that's held in Ronneby every year, only 45 minutes drive from home. This is on our territory but we haven't entered it before, so it was a debut for Zodd - a match on his homearena so to say. And did he do well, or what?! The sun was shining like crazy when Nina, Zodd and I arrived at the show and we sat down in the shade by the ring to watch the judging. The judge was a lady dressed in a big and warm smile. She smiled every second that day, deeply enjoying the work she had at hand. Zodd was the only TM there, but that is never a guarantee for success. And this judge really picked only a few dogs that she saw as excellent. But before I knew it, it was our turn to enter the ring! The very first words she said when we entered the ring was "Haha, is he not ashamed to be in a bikini even though he is a boy?" and that was when I knew it would go ok. She said it with a friendly smile and I understood that she knew that TMs are no fluffballs during summer - they do have their bikini on =)
She was very thorough, especially with the teeth. Zodd must've felt a bit like he was at the dentist, but he just stood there while she looked at his teeth, both front and sides, twice. We did the trotting in the ring, the stacking and the waiting and then the ringsecretary came over to us with a big pile of prizes!
Zodd won his class with a CK (same as excellent) and went on in best male class, won and got CAC and BOB! I was THRILLED!!! The judge told me she held back the CACIB because she thought Zodd was too much in his summer getup, but I didn't care, I just smiled and smiled and thanked her with all of my heart. Poor lady must've thought I was crazy, but she just smiled back at me and Zodd. She told me she really liked his proportions and the harmony in his structure. Very nice to hear =)
Zodd celebrated with a dip in the local duckpond before we went home. We decided not to stay for the finals - too warm and sticky for a TM who'd rather take a dip in the baltic sea instead of floating around with the ducks. And that's what we did later - we went to the sea and had a lovely evening. After placing his new prizes on his "braggingwall" at home ;)
//Sanna

 

We went to the annual Tibetan Mastiff gathering on the first of august. It was a looooong drive to get there (190 kilometers) and a long drive home (for some reason only 170 kilometers even though we took the same road home O_o). I went with my sister Nina and Zodd and we spent the day in the company of other TM fans and a whole bunch of TMs in all sizes and colors. It was a great day, filled with sunny weather, sunny smiles, friendly and interesing conversations, swimming in the lake, excellent food and alot of cuddles with the dogs! And we entered in our very first clubmatch! The previous years the clubmatch's been too far away for us to visit, but his year we went! Zodd was an angel in the ring and the judge really liked him. He won the open class and went on to compete against one other male (International and Nordic Champion Mimayin Cenpo Ri Ta) and ended on second place. I was very satisfied and Zodd was even more so since we went straight to the lake with his wonderful friend Brummi and her mum Judit. You can find Brummi's very own homepage here --->
BRUMMI'S BLOG!
The dogs enjoyed themselves and Nina, Judit and I went for a swim in the cool water. Zodd joined us too, of course. He's always ready to get wet. It was really the best part of the whole clubmatch =)
Congratulations to the winners and BIG thanks to Brummi's dad Martin for letting me use the photo above! And also a HUGE thanks to Maija, Daniel, sweet Leona and their guardian Herman for opening their home to all us TM fanciers. It was a wonderful, wonderful day!
//Sanna

 

Well, I've learned my lesson - it's pointless to show Zodd during summer... *sigh*
This is the second show in a row where the judge said that he will get no CK (CAC-quality, it's the same as excellent here in Sweden) because of his short summercoat. It makes me a bit sad. I had hoped that a judge judging at a specialty show would be familiar with the TM and their shedding cycle, but I was wrong.
Zodd was wonderful to show and was very happy in the ring. He had fun outside the ring as well, getting to know a small clan of puppies from the swedish kennel Bod Khyi and also a bunch of other friendly dogs and people. After judging Zodd felt he had done his part and got ants in his pants. It was not as bad as in Hässleholm and one of the puppy owners was friendly enough to let him lay down for a while in their spacious and cool car. Big thanks Rizzo and humans ;)
Zodd and I drove for five hours to reach thisdogshow, together with my parents, and then spent a few days in the wonderful region Bohuslän on the westcoast of Sweden. We lived in a cabin with the stunning and dramatic cliffs in our backyard and we walked around, just enjoying the very different nature and the small fishing towns. Zodd was an angel, keeping a silent watch over the other cabins and trailers in the vacation village. He enjoyed this trip, I'm sure, but when we got back home again after four days away he was sooooo happy and went all over his yard to mark his territory. And then he slept for two days straight ;D
//Sanna

 

Zodd went to Hässleholm CAC-show on may 16th and both Nina and I went with him. It was a nice day, big clouds in the sky and not too warm for the dogs. Zodd was thrilled when we walked over to the Dogue de Bordeaux ring, hoping that his very good friend Noblesse would be there. He had no such luck since she was busy being in heat at home. And so he mourned... Yes, the rest of the day in fact...
He found the dogshow sooooo boring and wanted to go home.
Let me tell you, it was no fun at all being there with a moping teenage Tibetan Mastiff... Not even a pack of three stunning Pyrenean Mastiff ladies or a Mastín Español in full heat could cheer him up.
The judge on the other hand liked him very much, but sadly he had never seen a TM in summercoat before and held back the CAC. The written judgement was superb and I was happy about that, and Zodd was a dream to show. He turned the frown upside down when we ran in front of the judge.
All in all we had a good day, even though it was a bit exhausting holding back 64 kilos constantly trying to make a run for it... If nothing else, I got a REALLY good workout ;)
//Sanna

 

On march 28 we went to the last dogshow for a couple of months. Now is a season of few dogshows in our part of Sweden. Zodd is also in the middle of shedding all of his fur so maybe this break is a good thing? He may not look as if he has alot of fur, but it gets quite obvious that he has plenty every spring when it starts to fall off.
Zodd and I went to this dogshow with my sister Nina and our niece Ellen. It was such a friendly and wonderful dogshow with tons of happy dogs and people. These small shows are so much fun!
Zod was thrilled to find his dear friend Sonja in the crowd! This odd couple (Zodd being a BIG TM and Sonja a petit Siberian Husky) rolled around in the ridinghouse, munching on horsepoop and just had a grand time!
Zodd was FULL of mischief! He just wanted to play in the ring and the judge smiled and told me she really liked his temperament. Zodd was Best Of Breed and got a prize of honor and went on to the groupfinal where he was placed as the fifth best dog! He had a blast running in the ring with the t-shirt we won tucked into his mouth, shaking it and showing off. The onlookers all laughed at my wild and crazy boy =)
This was an unofficial dogshow, not a big and fancy one, but I must say it was by far the best dogshow this year. Let's hope each and every one of the upcoming shows will be this charming and friendly!
//Sanna

 

The only two Tibetan Mastiffs from Sundari in the top at the Swedish Winner Show 2009!
Ganzi was best male-1 with Zodd sniffing him in the rear on the second place! It was great to have our two boys in the top. Zodd was a dream to handle since his beloved friend Noblesse the Dogue de Bordeaux came to cheer us on. He felt the need to strut his stuff around, I guess ;) He wanted her to see just how handsome he can be! And it was obvious that the judge also liked him. He got an excellent written judgement:
Correct size and format. Typical head. Muzzle could be stronger. Correct eyes and ears. Strong topline. Correct tailset and carriage. Well developed chest. Good quarter angulation. Typical free movement. Correct coat, color and temperament.
The judge was Anna Brankovic from Slovenia. She was very focused on movement.
Ganzi later became Best Of Breed and also Swedish Winner 2009! BIG congratulations to Ganzi and his mum Catarina. And to the breeder of our boys, of course - Jarmila Bendová in Czech Republic! I know I speak for both me and Catarina when I say - THANK YOU Jarmila for our lovely boys!
//Sanna

 

On the 21 of march 2009, Zodd, Nina and I went to our very first specialty show. It was held in a small community building a couple of hours away by car. It turned out to be a VERY long day since the TMs were the last ones in the ring and the judge, Tuula Plathan from Finland, was very thorough. I loved this judge! She was very friendly with both people and dogs, she gave a verbal judgement of the winners as well as a written one and it was obvious she enjoyed her day very much. The breeds at the show were Tibetan Terrier, Lhasa Apso and Tibetan Mastiff. Zodd enjoyed himself very much. He is a big fan of dogshows that comes with a side of Ganzi ;) The two Sundari boys had eyes only for eachother and didn't grow tired of playing their usual wrestle/bite/tug games on the floor inside the building. They had a blast! Zodd did his best to flirt with the other TMs as well and had some success with the lady Dawa who he first met when he was still just a small pup.
Zodd did well in the show. He got a first prize and CAC-quality (it's the same as EXCELLENT, but in Sweden we have our own prizes) and was placed as third best male. The judge would have wanted less lips and firmer eyelids in Zodd's face, she told me afterwards. Otherwise she really liked him. I can understand her preferance, but I would not swap those velvetsoft lips for all the firm TM lips in the universe. I love them =)
Ganzi did better - he was Best Of Breed, got CAC and then went on to be BIS-1!!!
Afterwards Catarina and I spoke to the judge and she told us she was very impressed with the quality of the TMs in Sweden, Ganzi in particular. She had not expected such good dogs at all. She fell in love with Ganzi! She even said to Catarina "This is your once in a lifetime dog" and Catarina smiled. She's very much aware of that!
//Sanna

 

On Valentine's day Zodd and I left our home very early for a long walk before jumping in the car to drive to Catarina and her boy Ganzi Sundari (a.k.a Zodd's best friend). It was the beginning of a very long day with alot of laughs and smiles for both humans and dogs. Zodd and I got out of bed at 4 a.m and went to bed at 1 a.m the next night, both exhausted from all the excitement during our first dogshow abroad! We went to Denmark! It was a long drive, but the two boys slept in the back of the car, satisfied just to be together. The curled up against eachother and snored the hours away. We went all the way to Jylland and the town of Fredericia.
After a long walk outside the showhall we went in with the boys, all papers in order, and went over to the ring where we met two danish TMs and their owner. Well, the TMs were from Poland and Austria but now lived in Denmark. It was a very friendly dogshow and people came over constantly to ask about Zodd and Ganzi. The Tibetan Mastiff is not a very common breed in Denmark. According to the owner of the two TMs there are around 25 TMs in the entire country. Zodd and Ganzi was a BIG success with all the curious people and especially Ganzi did his very best to charm the admirers into giving him a hug or some candy. We went into the ring and Zodd got EXCELLENT and was winner of his class, then we went against Ganzi who had also gotten EXCELLENT and won his class. Ganzi was picked as Best Of Breed and we were all very happy! Zodd's mother is Ganzi's grandmother, so the win was still inside the family ;)
The judge loved Ganzi and even asked Catarina what kennel he was from. She also loved Zodd and had a big smile on her face while checking them both. We decided to stay for the finals and after another long walk (and alot of fun and games for the two Sundarians) the boys got a well deserved break in the car while Catarina and I went back into the showhall for a meal and some rest for our tired legs before we fetched our boys again.
Zodd was a perfect gentleman all day long. He made friends with a Siberian Husky girl, slept soundly by my feet, played and wrestled Ganzi in the middle of all the hustle and bustle while waiting for his nephew to enter the big ring and the finals. Ganzi did great and was picked as one of the 8 top dogs, but wasn't placed in the top 4.
It was a wonderful day and the dogs had the best Valentine's day they could ever wish for! A trip abroad with your best friend and your human is a real treat for any dog =) A BIG thanks to Catarina and Ganzi for this unforgettable day. Zodd and I had so much fun!!
//Sanna

 

Zodd and I went to Gothenburg for a two day show 5-6 January 2008. We left home on the 4th of January with Veronica and Frida - both HUGE fans of the breed Dogue de Bordeaux, and also Frida's Dogue de Bordeaux girl Noblesse, who became champion + BOB on the first day of the show and got Cacib + BOB on the second day. BIG congratulations to Noblesse! You can visit her homepage HERE. Zodd and Noblesse were good friends before we made the trip, but the became GREAT friends during the trip. They played together, ate together, went for walks together and shared bones and everything with eachother.
When we arrived we met a bunch of Dogue de Bordeaux's and their owners at an open field and the dogs had a great time together. Zodd was in heaven! He was surrounded by six ladies, all with an attitude, just the way he likes it ;) They ran around, chasing birds, eachother and sticks. They were exhausted when we left.
On the first showday Zodd got VERY GOOD from the judge, but he is too thin at the moment and even if his winterfur covers him a bit the judge could feel it and he didn't like it. Zodd is VERY picky with his food and he's now one skinny TM... It was the same on day two - the judge thought he was too thin... and it's true - he really is. But he got EXCELLENT, was placed as second best male and was also awarded a R-Cacib. He behaved like an angel in the ring, a bit bored but such a great boy =)
On the first day all the TMs and owners were asked to stay after judging because two judges were taking their exams in judging the Tibetan Mastiff. They felt the dogs all over, looked at them standing, running and writing down comments. It was like a normal judging, only more thorough. They were VERY impressed by all the dogs wonderful composure and they had nothing but smiles and nice words after we were finished.

The absolute highlight of this trip was all the people coming up to talk to me about Zodd. He made a HUGE impression! People wanted to pet him, ask questions about the breed and take his picture. Zodd was a good sport and seemed to enjoy the attention in his laid-back way.
There was this young boy who asked if Zodd was a Tibetan Mastiff. I said yes, a bit surprised that he knew the name of this fairly rare breed and so he told me he was from Mongolia and that Zodd was like the dogs in his country - the Mongolia dogs, he called them.
His eyes were shining and the smile went from ear to ear as he watched Zodd.
A lady came over, his guardian of sorts, and when he told her that he found a TM she smiled and said to me that he had been looking for them all day long. He had missed the judging in the ring and had been very disappointed. But not anymore. He told us, in his cracked english/swedish that in his country the Mongolia dogs ate wolves and they were all kept in the countyside. They were a bit smaller than Zodd, but similar enough for him to recognize Zodd as a TM/Mongolia dog. The lady petted Zodd and asked if he didn't want to pet him as well. The boy took a small step back and shock his head with a slight smile. He knew what kind of dogs they are in his country and I couldn't help but feel so much respect for this young boy.
This encounter is something I will always treasure - A boy finding home on the other side of the world just by meeting a dog. It was unforgetable.
//Sanna

 

Home again after yet another cold dogshow in the big ridinghouse of Bräkne-Hoby. Nina and my niece Ellen went with us again and we had so many layers of clothes on that we looked a bit like robots walking ;)
It was a great day since Anita and her husband Conny also came with their Tibetan Mastiff Anju (you can find her here --->Zodd and friends) and their Fila Brasileiro puppy Hataya. Zodd enjoyed the company of the two sweet girls alot and took every opportunity to flirt with Anju! Both Anju and Hataya were BOB-puppy and also placed as BIS-R in the finals! Zodd was BOB with a prize of honor. He was such a wonderful boy all day long. Happy and attentive and sweet =) Alot of people came up to ask about him, but he was unaware of the attention since his eyes were on the other dogs.
The nice surprise was the judge Bengt-Åke Bogren who had been to a judgeconference regarding the Tibetan Mastiff just the previous week, so he knew the breed. And he was simply perfect with the dogs, especially with the 4 month old Fila Brasileiro girl Hataya. It was her first dogshow and he was careful to to scare her. It showed BIG knowledge of the breed and I can only say this judge had wonderful manners =)
We stayed all day long waiting for the finals, but Zodd wasn't placed in the BIS final (there were no BOG finals - all BOB dogs went straight to the BIS). But we were all more than happy with this long and cold day!
//Sanna

 

Zodd, Nina and I went to the CACIB show in Växjö on October 31 2008. It was Halloween, but Zodd was no monster - instead he behaved perfectly and looked good to the judge! He was awarded CAC + R-CACIB by the german judge Mr. Schicker. The written judgement was great and after a bit of help from my friends we finally got it translated. "Big and strong. Strong body with proportional head. Scissorbite. Brown eyes. Strong bones. Wellplaced ears. Well developed mane. Correct tailset. Free mover."
The judge hesitated into the very last before choosing the best male. The fight was between Zodd, his friends Ganzi Sundari and Swedish Champion Seng Khri Atsi and then finally International and Nordic Champion Mimayin Cenpo Ri Ta. At last the fight was between Zodd and Mimayin Cenpo Ri Ta. We ran an extra lap for the judge before he picked Zodd as second best male.
I was soooo happy that Zodd got a CAC that I couldn't stop laughing =D And if I understand things correctly Zodd will get the CACIB because the winner was already International champion. Ohoho, it's all very complicated, but it will work itself out, I'm sure ;)
Zodd had the great pleasure of having Ganzi by his side outside of the ring. The two boys love eachother and they even kissed in public! They were joined by a spunky little Staffordshire Bullterrier lady who was all about love and games. The three of them enjoyed the day very much!
And it would be an understatement to say I did as well =D
//Sanna

 

Phu! We are exhausted after a long day in Bräkne-Hoby and the annual unofficial dogshow Blekingemästaren (translates into Champion of Blekinge). Blekinge is the province where we live. Zodd was a good boy all day, even if he did get a bit bored a couple of times and wanted to go outside to sniff the world.
Today we had the pleasure of having Nina and Ellen (my niece) with us! It was Ellen's very first dogshow. She's nine years old and enjoyed every second of it, even if the rain kept puring down outside, turning everything into mud, mud, mud... Our clothes were NOT pretty after walking Zodd (and neither was he...)!!
The judge really liked Zodd and Zodd liked the judge back. He was a bit careful at first but that passed very quickly since the judge was such a good sport and took everything in Zodd's pace. Zodd was Best of Breed and got a prize of honor as well. He was the only TM there and ALOT of people came over to ask about him. There are always curious questions and it's great fun to meet people interested in the breed.
After the judging the four of us where quite tired and drove to the city to find some food. Nina and Ellen wanted to continue home, but I wanted to go back to Bräkne-Hoby for the finals. We finally did.
It turned out to be a good decision! After a bit of waiting outside the ring we got in and Zodd was left among the final five in group 2! He was placed 4th and I was sooooo happy!! I can honestly say that the drive home was made of smiles and giggles from me! And snoring from the backseat where Zodd and Ellen both slept after an exhausting day.
//Sanna

 

Sofiero is one of those beautiful dogshows you just have to visit every year. Zodd made his debut here last year and this year Zodd, Nina and I went with our friends Catarina and Ganzi. Zodd was an angel the entire day. He and Ganzi drew attention to themselves constantly. People came up to us to pet and ask questions and our dogs just sat there, patiently accepting the admiration.
Ganzi was the first one to enter the ring and he was BOB-puppy with a prize of honor! Later he placed himself as BIS-4 puppy out of 60 something puppies! Congratulations to Ganzi, Catarina and Jarmila!
Then it was Zodd's turn. The judge liked him very much but would've wanted less skin in/around his face (my personal favorite part of Zodd). He got the judgement Very Good and beat the other dog in his class because of, as the judge put it, his excellent structure. The written description given was on the spot! No surprises here. In other words - a judge that knew what he wanted even if he was a bit on the strict side since there was no BOB or BOS today.
The judge came back several times to look at and touch Zodd. He was very pleased with his size, bone, coat and movement, he even asked where Zodd was from.
Afterwards we relaxed in the shade with our dogs, just enjoying the nice weather. Nina grabbed the camera and we took alot of photos! It would be a shame not to share them.
Just click --->Sundarilove !!
//Sanna

 

Zodd entered the WORLD Dogshow in Stockholm on July 3 2008. It was really just as much a vacation for me and my sister as it was a dogshow for Zodd. We spent a few days in a cabin outside of Stockholm, without running water, dodging ticks and trying to cover up the windows with anything at hand during the nights since it was that time of year when it really doesn't get dark in the north of Sweden.
Zodd behaved like an angel during the whole weekend and I was one proud mama!
At the indoor show (the World Winner show) he was such a wellbehaved boy - calm, friendly and relaxed. He was a dream in the ring even if the judge is no big fan of this heavier type of TM. Well, it was a beautiful dog that won and I am happy for the experiance!
Both Zodd and I met alot of friendly people and I talked about dogs, dogs, dogs while Zodd was sniffing dogs, dogs, dogs.
We had one free day before it was time to visit the Tibetan Breed show. This was a less impressive dogshow for me. I found the dogs stressed and nervous and there even were a couple of incidents where dogs fought. Even Zodd was attacked by a childhoodfriend of his... So, as soon as the judge had looked Zodd over we drove away. The judge did not impress me either. Her way to handle Zodd just felt wrong. She reached over him, patted him with a very very low and deep voice, saying "Goooood boooy" over and over. Translated into doglanguage that sounded pretty close to growling...
It was a loooong drive home (some 660 kilometers), but boy, was it great to be home again! Zodd took back his territory by barking all evening =)
//Sanna

Zodd entered the international Dogshow in Malmo on March 15 2008. It was an indoor show with alot of hustle and bustle, but all Zodd cared about was looking for other friends in the shape of dogs. The size is not relevant, four legs and a wagging tail is all he needs to be a happy boy ;)
He soon found his TM-friend Chempo (Seng Khri Atsi) and later on he met one of his girlfriends, the sweet Dogue de Bordeaux Noblesse. He sure put on a show for her, but she told him off, telling him to stop being so embarrassing - he was laying on the floor with all paws up in the air, trying to make her fall as deeply in love with him as he is with her ;)
The judging went ok. Zodd is not very happy about strange men grabbing him here and there, but the jugde got to feel the things he needed to feel to make a judgement. Zodd won his class with an Excellent. The judge was rather strict and none of the males got to compete for Best Of Breed. 11 TMs were entered in the show.
The highlights of the show must have been when the secretary of the english Do Khyi Club came over for a chat. She was very friendly and had only good things to say about my boy. And of course the Sundari gathering outside the showgrounds after the judging. Well, there are only two Sundari TMs in Sweden, but they were both present and we took some photos together.
Afterwards we took a walk in the city of Malmo. Zodd was very good, but tired. He fell asleep in the car on the way home and when we finally arrived he actually ate up all of his food! Obviously he thought I deserved some sort of reward for bringing him along on yet another adventure ;)
//Sanna





Zodd entered the swedish Newfoundlandclub's unofficial dogshow on November 25 2007. He turned 11 months old today and celebrated by becoming BOB with a prize of honour. He had a great time, but I think he would've liked it even better if the leash could've disappeared and he could've played with every single dog in the building. After a couple of short walks and some fooling around with fourlegged friends he kicked back on his blanket and observed the whole show. Ready to play, of course, if a dog walked past him ;)
The judge was a bit scary in the eyes of Zodd today. He was not in the mood to have a stranger put her hands in his mouth, but he calmly endured the rest of her examination and she said "You may not like me, but I like you. Today you are BOB."
My sister Nina went with us and took some photos/held the leash. It's great to have backup on dogshows!
Zodd fell asleep in the car afterwards and we could hardly wake him up when we got home. It's exhausting to strut your stuff in front of dogs and judges all day long I think ;)
//Sanna





Zodd entered his first official dogshow on November 3rd 2007. Zodd and I went with my sister Nina who by now is our loyal packmember while visiting dogshows. The show was held indoors and the huge room was noisy and full of people and dogs. Zodd shrugged his shoulders, as if saying "Nah, girls. Why are we hanging around here. There's alot of buts to sniff and I ain't got all that much time." And so our but-sniffing began. Well, I have to admit Zodd did all of the sniffing while Nina and I did out best to find the ring ;)
He made friends with the golden TM Seng Khri Atsi (call-name is Chem-po) and also played alot with his "enemy" in the ring Fahrenhait's F'Son-kha-pa (Call name is Moses). TM play is so much fun to watch.
The judge told me and Zodd that Zodd is a "REAL molosser" and we both feel a bit proud over his words. The critique he got was really good and he won his class and then became second best male. He was a really good boy in the ring and outside of it too, just enjoying everything about the dogshow. You know, the buts and all ;)
Yet another fun and friendly dogshow!
//Sanna





Zodd entered his first dogshow indoors on October 28th 2007. He felt right at home from the start, trying to flirt with all the other dogs, eager to get a chance to play. Too bad all other dogs were to busy being pretty and they had no time for Zodd. He is, after all, known to put one or twenty drool-lumps all over his playmates ;)
He calmed down after a while and just lay by the ring and checked out the other dogs and handlers as they ran past him. When it was his time for the ring he did great. He was really friendly with the judge, wagged his tail and looked for candy. And he usually doesn't care about strangers. I was very happy about his attitude.
It was a pleasure to be his handler, but during the groupfinals he was a bit of a wild n' crazy boy. He just woke up before it was time for the finals and when he entered the ring ALL he wanted to do was play with the other dogs ;)
//Sanna





Zodd entered his very first dogshow on September 9th 2007. A bit scary with all the noise, but as the day progressed he felt more at ease and finally he was even able to enjoy himself.
As his handler I was a bit nervous. This was the very first time showing my own dog. When we entered the big ring, in competition for "Best In Show Puppy", we had a great time together. Zodd was happy and I was probably more happy about his mood than the prizes he'd already won.
It was an awesome day!
//Sanna