Our journey to collect our new puppy, Terzo Kleo of Golden Comfort 'Terzo'
As many of you know we took off for Switzerland in mid May and spent 2 weeks there, sightseeing, attending dog shows and picking up our new Lagotto Romagnolo (Lah-Goe-Toe Ro-man-yolo) puppy, Terzo. This is a thumbnail sketch of our travels.
First off the day before we left, when I arrived at work we'd had a break in. Some idiot had broken in to steal the donation jars for the Humane Society! And then that afternoon as Cubby and I were double checking all our arrangements, a microburst of wind came up and ripped the awning off the dog runs. The awning flew over the house and landed on our two cars! A couple calls to the insurance company and one to the pet sitter got added to our last minute to do list. None the less, when 3 am Sat morning rolled around we set off for the airport with our little song "We're going to Switzerland!"
We arrived in Atlanta by the afternoon, ate lunch and waited for our next flight to Zurich. We arrived in Zurich early Sunday morning: tired but excited and began our odyssey of figuring out the train schedule. It was really EASY!! The trains are fabulous and so easy to figure out. We had already purchased our Swiss Rail passes which made it a breeze and more than paid for themselves in museum admissions, rail journeys, and saving on taxi cabs!
Plus underneath the train stations in all the major cities is a underground mall called Rail City. Grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries and chocolate shops, florists (the Swiss must certainly place a higher value on fresh flowers than we do!)--everything you could possibly want.
We spent Sunday trying to stay awake to get onto Swiss time (roughly 9 hours ahead) we went to the the Swiss National museum and walked along the river. We also made it to the church with the Chagall windows (on my list of things we had to do while in Zurich). The windows and the church were beautiful! We had booked ourselves into the Leoneck hotel (a place with a cow theme) and had dinner at the Crazy Cow Restaurant. Then gratefully.....sleep! Monday morning we took the train to Aarau, where we met up with Carolyn and Freddy Sutter. Carolyn is an American woman married to a Swiss man (and we found out that they met in Tucson too!) Carolyn is also best friends with Kate from Sante Fe who helped me find Susanne Tlach-Egger (Terzo's breeder). Since Susanne doesn't speak English, Carolyn and later her husband Fred became a vital link in our story. We spent the last week of our trip as their house guests in Liestal. It's funny, dog people are the same wonderful folks the WORLD over....I can't believe how much they went out of their way for us. Anyhow, Carolyn and Freddy met us in Aarau with Chili and Rino (their 2 Lagotto) so finding them was pretty easy in the crowd :) And then it was onto see the puppies for the first time!
I'd seen much of Susanne's place on her web site (www.lagotto-romagnolo.ch), she has a terrific puppy play and socialization area (I even saw an obstacle I'm building for our next puppies to experience!) about 5 of the 8 puppies in Terzo's litter were still there, along with his mother, grandmother, his aunt, and other assorted dogs including an old golden and a cavalier. Many of you were subject to seeing puppy pictures before we left of the two boys we had to choose from. Just before we left, Susanne decided that the darker faced male (the one we were secretly rooting for) was the pick. She did however, keep both males there for us to make our own choice. No problem! We spent a few hours playing with the puppies, communicating through Carolyn and Freddy and enjoying the dogs. Susanne made a terrific strawberry dessert for us all to enjoy. We had sent ahead a box with Terzo's crate and 2 presents, 1 for Susanne and 1 for Carolyn to thank them for all their extraordinary help. Susanne's was a messenger bag with a Lagotto head embroidered on it along with her kennel name: golden comfort.
Then it was time to go. Since we were meeting up again on the weekend to go to an FCI dog show in St. Gallen, Terzo did not accompany us at this point but stayed at his home. Carolyn and Freddy drove us to our hotel in Lucerne where we spent the next 3 days exploring. In Lucerne, we looked at Picassos and Paul Klee paintings at the Rosengart, went to Farmer's markets, looked at religious paintings rescued form a bridge that had burnt down, and practiced our German. Our pension was right near the river, Cubby was fascinated by the engineering project going on there. We also took a day trip to Mount Pilatus (named for Pontius Pilot---they think he died in one of the lakes near there). First it was a lazy ride across Lake Lucerne, then the cog wheel train up the side of the mountain (where daffodils were still in bloom) and then a cable car and gondola down the other side. Somewhere in here it became clear that Swiss food (even in small portions) was too rich for me and we began hitting markets for fresh fruits and veggies, rolls, and chicken and picnicking everywhere.....much more fun anyway :)
On Thursday, we took the Golden Pass panoramic train from Lucerne to Interlaken to Montreux. It was an all day affair. Beautiful scenery, but then all of Switzerland is breathtaking. It didn't seem *more* so, and the tourists were icky. Probably we wouldn't do that again. The bad part is when we got to Montreux, it was love at first sight and we didn't have enough of the day left to do anything! We had a hotel right on Lake Geneva (you could see France) We were already thinking that *next time* we would start our trip in Montreux and work north.
On Friday, we took the regular train up through Bern and across to St. Gallen got there by 1 pm (even though it's actually a much longer journey than Lucerne to Montreux). We met up with Carolyn and Fred (and Chili and Rino) at the hotel, along with Kate (and her dog Teo) and Robin (and her dog Roma) both from Sante Fe. Who had come from the US to show their dogs. We went to the show grounds for last minute grooming information from Susanne who touched up the dogs. We watched all the dogs being gated, and took lots of pictures too. That night we met up with everyone for Italian food, with the dogs all snug under the table in the restaurant. How cool!
On Saturday, we walked across the street from the hotel to the show site. On the surface, it looked a lot like an American show. Once inside, not at all. There are no ring gates, just tape on the floor! People literally wander in and out of the ring, and they practice in the ring before show time. There is only a "start" time, so you get early and wait and wait. I got a chance to meet the president of the Swiss Lagotto Club and hear news of various health testing. Then he asked me what the fallout was for the Portuguese Water dog people, since the Obamas had purchased one. Then much to my surprise, Carolyn said, "We have Adrienne to thank that they didn't get a Lagotto!" and she cited almost word for word an impassioned post I'd written on the Lagotto board, about why we didn't want to be a popular breed (based on my experiences in rottie-land). I guess the moral there is people are always listening! I spent the rest of the morning with Leonie Bernhauser, an FCI judge with a specialty in Lagotto. Until recently, she did all the conformation portion of their breed suitability test. Her English was great, and we talked and critiqued dogs as they were shown.
At the end of judging, Robin's bitch Roma, won best of breed and her second CACIB (they need 4 to become an International champion and the first and last must be 1 year apart)! Rino had won his class and another CAC (win toward his Swiss championship). I did some shopping at the vendors they have the coolest dog training vests there (big pocket in the small of your back---how many toys and motivators can you hide there?!) and I just had to have one ! Cubby went off to a nearby museum and I came back to watch the groups. Interestingly, they have a huge group ring (think Westminster) but most of the judging is done behind the scenes in the staging area. They brought back 3 groups at a time. The judges go over the dogs they like. When the groups were called in, each dog made a lap of the huge ring while the announcer told the crowd a little about the breed. Then the judge immediately made cuts. At that point there was a little formal judging in the ring before the placements (1-3) were given out. They announced them backwards, and right before the winner was announced they played some very formal anthem. Robin and I watched a bunch of classes that we didn't understand until later (kennel classes and brace---which for the Swiss is a breeding pair, not a matched set). Finally, it was Roma's group (Gun Dog is group 8 of 9). Roma and Robin did a great job and she did make the cut (which is huge for this breed right now).
Sunday was the Lagotto club show, with a few more entries and a plus for me: the Rottweiler's were in our same ring before us. Now I understand why I got grilled on my dogs! The Rottweilers were horrible! Most looked like they had never been on a leash before, with the bitches even worse than the dogs. Dogs were pulling instead of gaiting, being wrestled to the ground to show their bite/teeth, one even got out of her collar and ran around the ring (remember, no gates!!) before stopping in the middle to poop--- to the horror of people with other breeds. At this point, I ran over to Susanne and in my best "charades-style" German said "my Rottweilers NOTHING like this!" Actually, they weren't so much terrible as untrained. Carolyn teased me that I'd have lots of work at my door if I lived in Switzerland. Dog training is compulsory there, you get a dog you have to go to class with a certified trainer. To get a Rottweiler, you have to apply for a special license. Anyhow, a very nice male (named Al Pacino!) won the breed from the classes and he certainly deserved it. I liked several of the bitches quite a lot, but one was excused for refusing to show her bite, most did not show to advantage. We also saw the Beaucerons showing (and I liked them much more than the ones here)....they were also pretty naughty! I saw one reach around and bite his handler in the stomach---while they were gaiting around the ring!
Roma and Robin to Best of Opposite Sex in the Specialty and the female CACIB--making her 3 for 5 times in the ring. Roma will probably be the first American dog (she was bred in Italy however) to become an International champion...but she'll have to go back again in a year to get the last CACIB (given the year apart rule). Anyhow, we packed up and headed back to Liestal and Freddy and Carolyn's....Monday was the big day!
On Monday, we set out for Susanne's in Schmeidrued--after a quick stop at the bakery. Not only were we picking up Terzo, but I was to have a lesson on shearing (shaving), with poor Flarino as my guinea pig!
When we arrived at Susanne's her husband Micha, brought Terzo down still damp from his bath. He promptly fell asleep under the grooming table. Rino was put up on the table, and Susanne handed me her $600 clippers and away we went clipping off 5 months of show coat, with Cubby videotaping it all. It's a lot of German, and a lot of arms--don't know how good the video is, but the lesson was great! We worked on Rino for awhile and then broke to have pastry and coffee.
I should probably explain about the hair. In general, the breed is to be shown in "rustic" condition. Which means that it is to be in little curls---not brushed out like a poodle or a portie. So the ideal show coat is about 10-12 weeks of growth that is then scissored into a shape. For the ring, the dog needs to dry "wet"---no blow drying. And the shaping scissoring is done on a dry curled coat. Anyhow, every dog's hair is a little different. They tell me Terzo's brown hair may even be different from his white hair. Some dogs can be scissored down over and over in show season. But it isn't ideal. So that's how Flarino came to have 5 months of hair...he was going to the Spring shows. The other thing, the coat can be just fine, just fine, and then the next day matted to the skin. They call it "felting". Anyway, not fun to deal with....but sometimes what happens when you're trying to keep showing and you can't shave. Terzo will be shaved down 3 times before he is a year old (in fact I did him the second weekend back because of the heat). But gosh are they cute with that puppy fur, think "stuffed animal."
On one of the breaks, we went through Terzo's contract (in German) with a fine tooth comb. I'm sitting there thinking how hard it must be for someone like Susanne to send this puppy off to another country with someone that she has known for such a relatively little time. She doesn't ship puppies, which is one of the things I liked. I wanted to work to gain her trust, it seemed to me a "serious breeder" wouldn't send off a puppy to someone she hadn't met and hadn't check out thoroughly. And of course we both know that the contract is fairly unenforceable given the distance.
We finally finish the contract, and Micha starts bringing us "stuff" for the puppy. Easily $100 worth of goodies. Collars, a European style leash, all sorts of toys, a bed (which is then rubbed all over his Mama Klea, and 25 pounds of food! Susanne finishes up Rino, and we take a lot of pictures and head back to Liestal!
Back at Carolyn's, Terzo gets a collar on for the first time---and has a temper tantrum. Carolyn describes him as a "little hippy puppy" whose been running around doing pretty much as he pleases for the first 10 weeks of life. That night will be his first in a kennel too. The first trial run is another screaming temper tantrum. The good news is that if he can see you, he settles down. And so we are actually able to sleep through the night, though it didn't look good originally. Will he be able to ride in a crate on the plane without screaming like this????
Tuesday we just bum around the house. We take Terzo on a walk into town, and despite the fact that he's never been on a leash he does pretty well. (We take lots of treats!!) We do have to carry him part way back, as it's a little too much for him. But then he takes a good nap in the crate--HURRAY!
On Wednesday, we go off to the vet to get a health certificate to fly home. Teo and Roma are getting tested for JE (Juvenile Epilepsy). Though Teo is from Switzerland, he was imported just before they identified the gene for the disease. Roma (from Italy) is from untested parents. Because of Carolyn's involvement in the Swiss club, their blood samples can go in with the Swiss dogs (2x per year) and they'll know their status (clear or carrier) by September. Terzo doesn't need to be tested as both his parents are clear, so there's no way he can be a carrier. Yet another thing Susanne did for me, she went out of her way to breed to dogs with A hips, clear patellas, JE clear, and clear eyes.....so that we'd have every chance of having a healthy dog. Micha drove Klea clear to Holland for the mating with Terzo's sire, because there wasn't a dog in Switzerland that Susanne felt made a good match with Klea and had those superior health clearances.
We all go to lunch in nearby Rhinefelden (literally on the Rhine, with Germany on the other side of the river). Afterwards, we stop at Roman ruins that were discovered during a housing development. They've been restored and really something to see, amphitheater and all. Wednesday night, we go to the pet dog class that Carolyn takes Rino to. It's pretty fun actually, and I see a couple of activities that I'll use in classes back home.
On Thursday, we take a day trip to Bern to the Einstein museum. It's probably an hour ride, and he does just fine. In fact, the motion of the train seems to be calming to him. He spends time in and out of the carrier and does not have a screaming fit! LOL We have to take turns going into the museum, so that someone stays outside with the puppy. A couple German tourists think I'm Swiss because of the dog, and we work through maps with lots of patience to get them on their way to the Bear Pits. Kinda cool! The museum is pretty neat too, I think I've got a pretty good understanding of E=mc2, though high school physics is a looong time ago! Bern is the town where Einstein did his most inspired thinking and figuring. I leave thinking there's probably a neat little play in there somewhere. We eat at McDonald's....where a combo meal is 12.90 Swiss Francs (a Swiss Franc is roughly .90 dollars) I had hoped for American coffee, no such luck. I could have had a beer though!
And then it's Friday morning, and time to go. Carolyn and Freddy (aka the best hosts on the planet) take us to meet the 5am train to Zurich. On the way, we meet a sweet American girl who holds Terzo while we get our suitcases under control. She's off for a weekend in Italy and works as an au pair near Zurich. At the airport, we zip through duty free for cheese and chocolate to take home. And then it's time for the looooong first leg home. Terzo does great on the way to Atlanta. And pees and poops on the tile floors several times on the way to customs....good thing we brought paper towels and saniwipes! In Atlanta, we're supposed to have a 4 hour layover, but it turns into 6. By the time we get back to Tucson, we've been up for nearly 28 hours straight.
Thank goodness we came back on Memorial day weekend. 3 days to recover just barely handled it. And can we brag? Not only did we have an adventure, we both lost weight! LOL