For those faint at heart, or of a weak disposition, read no further. This entry carries a PG rating and may cause offence to those who are happy reading the less informative novel or something with a romantic twist.

We are now becoming seasoned travellers, hardened round the edges to those minor travel hiccups that occur as a matter of routine when globe trotting around Europe.

Our day starts in earnest, a great journey from Paphos to Larnaca and the smoothest of check in’s you could wish for with 2 full size Vari Kennels, 2 full on Great Danes and clothing enough to film the next sequel to “Return Of The Ice-age” I am not kidding you, Craig really must suffer with Obsessive Behaviour Disorder as every time he packs the case, you really would think he was leaving home for good. We have spare this, spare that and spare the other, just in case. Just in case what is beyond me, as all I need are my 2 signature suits, one red one yellow, my show leads and a pair of shoes I can run in without fear of them coming off in the ring as they once did during a lap of honour for a Reserve Best In Show, oh there I go, title dropping again. Well you better get used to it as there are quite a few titles to drop over the next few paragraphs, some of which I hope like us you will raise a glass to our trusted and most loyal companions, “THE GREAT DANE” “cheers” and enjoy their success as we have done.

So now fully checked in and I have to say, Cyprus Airways have now really got our travel arrangements down to a fine art. They are kind, caring and very compassionate when it comes to check in. They take our request, they process the paperwork with the minimum of fuss and they happily apply their 50% discount on the dogs very own frequent flyer card. Yes we have our very own “DOGGIE FREQUENT FLYER CARDS” a great little initiative set up by our local Kennel Club Of Cyprus and our local airline carrier, Cyprus Airways.

All boarded and bound for our first stop over in Frankfurt, we settle back and get ourselves focussed on the time ahead. I have never been a big on board reader, going more for people watching or just staring out of the window wondering even after 40 years of flying and 25 years running my own travel agency chain, just how do they keep those aircraft in the sky. Before long our four hour flight is on descend, our seatbelts are safely fastened and the mobile phones left on in peoples pockets start to ring the tune similar to that of the local bell ringers practise night down at the local school hall.

The arrivals lounge at Frankfurt airport is one of the largest I have seen in many years. It is a very impersonal sort of place and you can almost cut through the tension and vibes the staff give off. Craig & I quickly get in to our routine, him for the luggage, me to sort out where the dogs will come in from, to reduce hassle and stress for the dogs. I approach a gentleman in uniform, asking in a very polite manner where I would be likely to collect 2 very large dogs from. He pointed me in a direction on the other side of the arrivals hall without speaking a word and only half lifting his eyes from the local newspaper he was engrossed in.

“Hello” I said to the gentleman I had been directed to,

“Do you speak English”

“I have just arrived on the Cyprus Airways flight from Larnaca and wondered if you would be so kind as to assist me, telling me where I can collect 2 very large dogs that accompanied us on the same flight”

Again pointing now in the very opposite direction, I realised things here in Frankfurt were going to prove a little difficult. Patience is a virtue I told myself, stay calm and all will come good. Off I went, back to the other side of the arrivals hall, once again to approach the gentleman in uniform I had first asked the question to on first arriving. I am now beginning to feel a real sense of inappropriate behaviour, rudeness and a lack of care for pets and live stock. I asked if it was possible to speak with a supervisor of the arrivals hall as my thoughts as a passenger where that I was not getting the assistance I required, I therefore needed the intervention of a little more authority, somebody with a little bit of care and compassion. Actually, care and compassion are two things we found totally lacking at Frankfurt Airport, but undeterred we pursued our investigations with a different approach, this time interjecting with a few demands rather than polite request as we had already unsuccessfully tried. Nobody seemed in a position to either want to help or be in a position to help and with 2 dogs anywhere in Frankfurt Airport at this time, my patience was running out. The uniformed figures disappeared and we were left wondering what our next move was. A strange country, a strange airport, 2 dogs missing and not a sign of help anywhere to be found. Suddenly, on a conveyor belt the speed of lightening, our 2 dogs arrived, both about to crash in to each other if action was not taken immediately to stop the belt. When the request was made we were greeted with,

“we can’t make the belt stop”

Not quite the favoured response, especially as there was a red stop button the size of a soup bowl right next to where the guy was standing. Craig did just manage to catch the button with his foot as all hands were full trying to stop the cages banging in to each other, the belt came to a halt and 2 very, very stressed Great Danes emerged. After a short time of composure, we collected our things, balanced them precariously on the odd shaped trolleys and passed our way to the customs hall.

Now!!!!!!!! You have to imagine the scene. We are 2 guys dressed very smart, we have 2 of the largest Vari Kennels balanced on top of very odd shaped trolleys, in other words, we were really struggling to make any headway in direction, one way or the other. On top of that we each have a Great Dane out of the cage and walking by our side, in addition to all our luggage, that of my O.B.D partner who has packed for the Siberian winter and another case full of dog grooming equipment to service the entire dog show. It was only then did we realise that the first confrontation we had encountered with the unhelpful official on “bulky item reclaims” was making his way to the customs official. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, whatever makes me think our encounters with these surly officials is far from over.

“Good Morning” I say in a jolly way,

“How are you this morning” Oh yes, I forgot, these are men in uniforms at Frankfurt Airport, they are not paid to be polite, respond in a kind way or indeed show that they have a side to them that is less robotic than an Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator film extra.

“I want to see in that case” he says pointing at the case, not on the top of my luggage mountain, but the one at the very bottom. You’re having a laugh I thought to myself, but not wanting to disappoint, I asked for assistance to remove it from the pile.

“That’s not my job” he said in a raised voice.

“No, I fully appreciate that it is not your job, all I am requesting is a little assistance so I can fulfil your request. As you can see I have 2 very large dogs, I am trying to manoeuvre a very odd shape luggage trolley and you wish to see, not the case on top of my pile, but the one at the very bottom, so without wishing to appear rude or disrespectful, I would say that you are trying to be obstructive in your demands”

“PUT THE CASE ON THE COUNTER” he now shouts,

“DO IT NOW OR YOU WILL BE ARRESTED FOR OBSTRUCTION”

Oh I thought to myself, this man really does have an identity problem, or very small genitalia, both of which usually require a uniform and a position of power to counter balance the problem. I wasn’t about to question the size of his genitalia the mood he was in, so I thought it best to pamper to his identity problem. I turned to Craig and asked that I hold his dog whilst he picked up the Vari Kennel, removed the luggage from underneath and presented it to the now very irate and very audible customs official who by this time had gathered round him his working colleagues with equally sizeable identity problems or matching miniature genitalia. As Craig lifted the Vari Kennel, the water from inside the drink bowls spilt on the floor and as Craig went to put the requested suitcase on the counter, he slipped, lost his balance, fell in a direction of the customs officer and then all hell broke loose. Zac jumped in to the air thinking this was a game, we were surrounded by 8 uniform clad custom officials with CS Gas pointed towards us, semi automatic guns focussed on both Craig, myself and the dogs. Craig was then pushed head first into his luggage and secured in handcuffs and the area was cleared of all passengers. What then followed was the biggest nightmare I have ever encountered in my entire life. Craig was marched away by 4 of the 8 officials; he was taken in to a room and beaten until marked. He was then strip searched, he was tested for drugs, alchol and had all his clothing removed for this process. Needless to say, their tests proved unfounded which seemed to aggravate them even more. He was then intimidated by the ring leader of this gang of airport employed thugs to a point they thought they would reduce him in to some sort of aggressive response. Fortunately for Craig, he maintained a level of calm and allowed them to continue with their beating, knowing that in a closed room full of airport officials; his alibi against theirs would not stand a chance. It is terrible that we are made to feel like this, but this is the reality of dealing with men in uniforms in a strange country. I am at this point surrounded by the other 4 guys, still with guns towards me and still with gas canisters pointing in the direction of the dogs.

“PUT THOSE DOGS AWAY NOW” one of them screamed at me, “NOW DO YOU HEAR ME”

“Yes I did hear you the first time and my dogs are not aggressive, they are show dogs, show dogs that are now getting very stressed”

“I insist you bring a VET immediately and if you do not, I will report you to the authorities”

within minutes a VET arrived, she defused the immediate situation and went to get our dogs some water. I am at this point also taken to a side room where I was checked for drugs, not only on my person, but in my system. They took hair samples, mouth swabs and wrist swabs, they breathalysed me and they went through every item of my luggage piece by piece. They knew by looking at our tickets we were transit passengers with three hours to connect to our onward flight to Zagreb. I knew their game and I knew what was going to happen and that was, unfortunately they had made such a spectacle of themselves, they had now to justify their actions.

“WHICH CASE BELONGS TO YOUR FRIEND” they demanded.

“He does not have a case, we are sharing a case. We are going to a dog show in Zagreb, we have a connection in 3 hours and all our things are together”

“We will take you to your connection, you can get your flight and your friend will stay here until we have finished with him”

That’s very strange I thought, “On what basis are you keeping my friend”

“ASSAULT” they replied.

“OK” I said, “Let me explain to you. My friend and I have travelled together, I was there at the time of the incident and there is no way that it can be classed as an assault, so unless you have incredible witnesses, backed up by supporting camera evidence, I really think you are making a very big mistake. We both leave together, or we both stay and if we stay, you then have the problem you have created with our dogs that will then have exceeded the time allocated for them to be in the air travelling. This is now clearly about pride and about money, so let us now talk to the airport Police, the official Police on the airport, we are all very tired and this whole situation is getting quite out of hand. If we do not get to speak to the official airport Police then for sure we will be pressing our own charges. Within minutes the airport Police were brought in, statements were made various options were offered and to be honest, at this point, with 2 dogs in tow, a show to attend and a no win situation (uniforms tend to stick together) I asked how much they wanted for us to be in a position to leave. A figure of £500 was quoted, we were escorted to the cash machine, they took our money and we had literally minutes to get our onward tickets to Zagreb and continue our journey.

We sat on the 1hr 30minute flight from Frankfurt to Zagreb, exhausted and angry that we had allowed the situation to pass without pressing for further action. The reality of the situation is, when you are in this situation and you know people have a point to make; you are never ever going to win, so the easiest option is to agree and walk away. So many people are behind bars and in prison cells for crimes they did not commit and it is easy to see why. Here we were two guys, travelling smart, being polite, drug & alchol free. Our only crime was that we probably portrayed a lifestyle that many in their position dream of and envy. Jealousy and resentment set in, they try to intimidate you by fear and when you do not submit, they create a situation they know will cause problems, i.e making you miss your flight.

I am convinced from a feeling at the very bottom of my psyche, the reason they were insistent on knowing which case belonged to Craig was so they could plant something in there wholly inappropriate and illegal. They just made too much of a big thing about which was his case and wanting to know where his things were. We will never know and we will never get to the bottom of the mystery, but from our point of view FRANKFURT AIRPORT BEWARE stay away at all cost, do not give your business to Lufthansa the local carrier and handling agents as we found them to be totally incompetent in their care for dogs, they had a general disregard for passenger welfare and their arrogance, intimidation and obstructive behaviour is not something fare paying passengers wish to encounter. That is opinion based on our experience and it is for you to take note and make up your own choice, all we can do is guide you as we have experienced.
We will NEVER travel Lufthansa based on this experience, we would NEVER travel through FRANKFURT based on this experience and when it comes to travelling to shows with our dogs, we have learned direct services are the only option we would consider for the welfare of our dogs.

Arrival in Zagreb was a huge relief; the airport staff were in complete contrast, helpful, polite and genuinely interested in why we were visiting their country. We had arranged transport through a local guy Kruno Canic http://www.eco.hr/ I have to say, in my search, this guy was the only one who came to my assistance, except that is for a friend Anti Lucin who we had met previously at a show in Athens and in his limited time frame managed to come up with some suitable alternatives, thanks to Anti for that. Anyway our guy Kruno, who you would best describe as a facilitator, not only found us the perfect vehicle, but instead of having to negotiate our way around Zagreb over the whole 4 days, he provided a driver who collected us at specified times, drove us to our destination and collected us when we were finished. We could not have been more delighted with his service, he was on time, and he had a local knowledge second to none. For those of you reading my site, ever deciding to visit Croatia or any region within a 500kl radius, give this guy a call. He will organise hotels that are dog friendly, he will transport you and your dogs or he will get you transport, he will point you in the best direction for making your trip enjoyable and hassle free and he is always on the end of a phone which he can even supply for your duration, to save on those overseas charges when you need only to make internal calls. He even visited us at the show, brought his family along for support and took some of the nicer photographs whilst I was in the ring with Heidie & Zac. Special thanks to Kruno, Renea, Dominic for their support and assistance.
We drove to the hotel, it was dark, it was late and we were all very tired. On entering the hotel, the strong smell of painters varnish engulfed the reception area; two painters were busy trying to make use of the time when there were no customers about and there were cloths and ladders everywhere. We checked in and were directed to our room. A small 60’s style room that had seen better days and not really in keeping with a standard of accommodation either Craig or I had been used to. The most important thing was, we could at least feed our dogs, take them for a much deserved walk and just collapse in to the bed which filled four corners of the room. We were so tired and so hungry, we had actually passed the point of resistance, we fell in to bed and not a murmur did anybody hear from us until early the next morning.

It was a lovely crisp, sunny autumn day, the dogs had been fed, watered and walked and we had satisfied our hunger by taking a full cooked breakfast. We then decided to explore the surrounding area in the hope of getting a feel for Croatia. A few kilometres in to our walk we passed a beautiful hotel, new in design and adjoining a selection of very upmarket shops. The hotel was called Hotel Antonovic Zagreb. Craig went in to check availability and to see if they had any policy on the acceptance of dogs and we were shown promptly to a selection of rooms by one of three very polite, able and conscientious reception staff members. We decided to go for the larger room, although more expensive than originally quoted, it was more than adequate for our needs. There was a lovely health spa, business facilities a lovely restaurant and it was very central to the main town. The gentleman on reception even provided us with a vehicle large enough to transport our dogs from the hotel we would check out of, back to this new and impressive hotel. Within 45 minutes, we had returned to our original hotel, packed our belongings, paid our bill and checked out. We were transported courtesy of the new hotel back to the Hotel Antonovic Zagreb, we unloaded the luggage, moved in the Vari Kennels and then collected the dogs, taking them in and up via the public areas as quickly as possible so as not to cause disturbance. Just as we were about to enter the room the guy from reception came up to the third floor and informed us, the manager of the hotel a Mr Goran Kartelo had seen the dogs and told his staff to advise us the hotel did not have a policy for dogs, this was despite being clearly told by three staff members a price per night in addition to our own cost and actually accepting the booking, even after seeing the dogs. I could not believe what I was hearing. Here we are, having being moved out of our previous hotel by the Hotel Antonovic Zagreb on the understanding that our booking was to be accepted, now we were being told that that confirmation was not now valid and that we would have to leave. I am now starting to wonder, was it the size of our dogs that people took a dislike to, or had we suddenly turned in to some sort of football hooligan look a likes. After a long and very in depth debate with the manager there was no way he was going to change his mind and back down. He had completely undermined the decisions taken by three of his staff in front of them, he had realised his position was now in question as the directive and pet price had obviously come from somewhere in his establishment and as a compromise offered me the use of the transporter van which would be left out on the street for my dogs to sleep in whilst we enjoyed the facilities of the hotel. My reaction to that was of pure horror and disgust. I would have slept in the van myself first before subjecting my dogs to a night on the streets in the back of a van where crime is not the lowest in Europe. How dare this obnoxious and very rude man even suggest such a thing. I asked if he had children to which he puffed up his chest and proudly answered,

“yes, I have children”

“then may I ask, would you be happy letting them spend the evening in your van, out on the streets for just an hour, let alone a full night”

“ no” he says “and I do not know how you can compare my children with your dogs”

well that’s actually very easy when they have a parent with such little knowledge of animal welfare and customer care to look up to as a role model. The three reception staff were at this point in total embarrassment, more for the reaction of their immediate superior, the gentleman they were supposed to rely upon for direction and support and here he was making a complete fool of himself for all to see. The head receptionist kindly called another hotel who were happy to accept our booking and who looked beyond the dogs we had managing to see it as a financial gain along with any free advertising this booking would create by word of mouth bookings through our UK based travel agency business. We moved quickly on to the Best Western Premier Astoria Hotel in the town centre. A beautiful hotel and a General Manager any company should be proud to employ. She was accommodating to our needs, sympathetic to our experiences at the Hotel Antonovic Zagreb and was very quick to correct any of the wrongs this rude and very unprofessional man had tarnished his country and his profession with. Our stay there was most memorable, the kind staff were quick to ask how our day at the show had gone and there were numerous photo calls with staff members and our Danes. I have to say, realising his unprofessional manner may do him more harm than good, that same evening he appeared at the Astoria Hotel in an effort to redeem himself and extend an apology for his unacceptable behaviour. It’s nice to see that at least some people know when they are wrong and they have the backbone to go out of their way to try and put it right. Our thoughts on this are such that, in Croatia, make sure you get it in writing as what is said is not always what is done, this was the advice given by our facilitator Kruno. Or as we later discovered, let the likes of the facilitator do it all for you to save confusion or misunderstanding.

Saturday was an early start and we needed to be at the show arena and checked in by 0800hrs. A great venue and my first impression was how very organised and how very professional it all looked. Three very large show arenas, indoors and set out in such a way to allow access all the way round the edge which was home to pet shop units and show memorabilia. It actually reminded me of a mini Crufts and I was surprised to see just how many dogs were filing in through the gates. Outside there were motor homes in abundance, all sizes from the over night size to the week long stay deluxe look at me I have loads of money type. We found our spot away from the ring as this had been over crowded by Doberman and Rottweiler owners, not a good mix with a Great Dane when fighting to get in to the ring. Our cages set up, our dogs settled; we sat back and watched with anticipation. Classes were large, standard was high and a sneak peak at the other Great Danes left us a little nervous. There were 32 Great Danes entered in the book and it looked like our biggest competition certainly on paper was the Polish World Dog Show 2006 B.O.B World Champion. The Great Danes eventually came to their slot shown in colour groups and then set up against each other, Best Of The Best.

Zac was first to be shown and as predicted he sailed through his various classes. Proud as punch we then entered the ring with Heidie. Heidie has always liked to be shown, but these last few occasions she has been more content cuddling up to Zac and wondering when it is they two will be getting it together and having a family rather than performing in the ring. She presented well, her move around the ring excellent, her stack was first class, then he asked to see her teeth.

“TEETH HEIDIE” I say sternly so she knows what is expected of her. That was it, memories of the judge in Bulgaria must have come flooding back to her.

“No way” she must have said to herself, you poked a pen in my mouth last time and it hurt, there is no way you will do that to me again.

“GOOD GIRL HEIDIE, TEETH”

“no, I have told you, I am not going to show you my teeth, so there”.

“COME ON HEIDIE, TEETH, GOOD GIRL”

“good girl me all you want, there is no way I am showing you my teeth, so lets get this thing over with and let me get back to my cage, its far to busy, its far to noisy and I have other things on my mind like when I am going to come in to season”.

“OK” the judge says, “round the ring once, forget the teeth.”

Off we go, round the ring and in to a perfect stack. The judge comes over, shook my hand and we get Best Bitch Open Class, but she missed out on being given an excellent critique and the possibility of Croatian Champion. Well young lady, that’s what you get when you start to play games, the judges are not impressed and you really get what you deserve. So we are now left with B.O.B to decide and yes it was our Zac and as I thought, the Harlequin World Champion who with her numerous other Champion titles was a force to be reckoned with, especially as she was being handled by a very competent and very experienced professional handler from Croatia, points in his favour immediately I thought. We both stood with perfect ease, the bitch being show on an extended lead, Zac as normal solid as a rock. Once, twice, three times round the ring, like a gazelle he moved.

“Stack”, “move”, “up”, “down”, “stack”, “round the ring again”, the judge demands. This was exhausting, not only for the dogs, but for us handlers. The judge moves in, he takes a final look and then shakes the hand of the winning Great Dane Best Of Breed handler and do you know what, I am very proud to say, that handler was none other than “yours truly Paul Bainbridge from our very own Apollodane Great Danes” YES we had done it, we had taken the title B.O.B and we had taken it from under the very nose of the Polish World Show World Champion. We were delighted to win and we were over the moon to have accomplished it with such stiff competition. I went over and shook hands with the other handler and I went over to shake hands with the owner, but more importantly it was our Zac who deserved all the glory as he really did out perform and show what it is he is really made of.

Now we have the long wait to the Group, always an opportunity to catch up with friends and send text messages back home to inform of our success. There we sit, minding our own business and thinking to ourselves how very quiet it was considering there were Groups to do and a Best In Show. We strolled over to the Secretary and asked where the Groups were being held and at what time, to which we were told, they had started about 1 hour ago in another hall adjacent to the one we were sitting in patiently. A mad dash followed by a selection of grooming aides, we ran as fast as our legs would carry us in to the hall. It was massive and absolutely packed to the rafters with people and dogs. Finding a steward we asked in a panic,

“Could you please tell us when Group 2 is on”

“Immediately after this she said, this is Group 1”

wow, we had just made it, one of the problems we have found showing in a strange country were the local language is not your own mother tongue. Group 1 went in and Group 2 was at the ready, the Great Dane Hildydane Zsacharias at the very front. I learned my lesson long ago, our Zac likes to show how he can move, so I need to get in first to show him to his best potential. A woman with a Dogge Argentino came to the front and said,

“may I go in first as my dog is a little vicious and does not like dogs in front of him”.

“No absolutely not” I replied,

“my dog is also vicious and needs to be in front”.

My dog was bigger than hers so she was not about to argue. The fact that Zac stood there with not an aggressive bone in his body made me feel a bit of a fraud, but in these shows, “you gotta do what you gotta do” in order to showcase your dog to its best potential. I stood there waiting for group 1 to be decided and just happened to ask the steward

“who was judging group 2″.

“It’s the German judge” she said, “the one that was judging your class”.

Oh my goodness, how fortunate is that. This is the guy that placed me over the World Show Harlequin World Champion. I asked,

“how many were in my group” to which I was told

“41 in the group and your now on, please run round the ring and the steward in the ring will tell you were to go”.

The applause is always gratefully received, especially in a foreign country were competition is stiff. I ran until my little legs would run no more, Zac showed himself a treat and as I passed the row of judges I heard a lady judge say in a loud voice

“ I love the colour of your suit”

We stopped at the full circuit, got ourselves in position and made sure that we angled ourselves sufficiently enough to be seen from all corners of the auditorium. Each dog came in, each dog presented in a similar manner, our Zac, well he just stood his ground listening for the occasional goat bell which Craig wears round his neck just incase Zac decides to drop his ears and take the relaxed approach. One tug on the bell, the ears go up, his eyes alert and his stance like a tiger about to jump on his prey.

“STAND ZAC, GOOD BOY, STAND” “ZAC, SHOW”

He responds to every word, every sound he familiarises with us is there to give him reassurances we are still in sight and his body is firm and taught, muscled from the summer of exercise, swimming and running. This is pay off time, the proud moment seeing him standing there knowing he knows what he is supposed to do. Once again we are asked to run around the ring and once again like the Lipizzaner horse he resembles, he trots around showing himself with the utmost pride and then we go in to show mode again. The group of 41 I can see being reduced. I don’t know what exactly it is he is throwing out as my nerves will not allow me to absorb such detailed information, just movement. Now we are down to 7 left in the ring, the lights burn down like a forest fire creeping towards you, I feel beads of perspiration trickle down my face,

“come on “ I say to myself, “I am going to dissolve any moment”, and then the announcement comes,

“third place “THE GREAT DANE” how happy were we to hear we had done so well. We jumped in to the air, we gave an almighty thump into those burning lights with joy and we ran to take our place on the winners box. As we both stood for photographs, I did as I always do, turned to the camera and as I smiled, under my breath I said “ thanks to our mentor for having faith in us”

Our time for today was over. Craig had done his bit in making sure all the dogs are fed, exercised and cared for before we arrive. He makes sure the dogs are ready for their classes on time and he makes sure that whilst we are in the ring showing, we are doing so to the highest levels. If we are not, a quick glance in his direction soon puts me right. We are a team effort you see and although the ring work is my domain, none of it is possible without his hard work and efforts. He says he is happy with the saliva towels and the groom shine and he is so proud when we are both having our photos taken.

So home we go, packed up and ready for another day tomorrow, only this time, more dogs, more Danes and a different set of judges to impress.

Sunday we headed back to our spot from yesterday. You get very superstitious and convince yourself it was the place you were sitting or the cloth you took in to the ring that helped you get first place the day before, so trying not to break tradition, you do things in much the same way once again. Today we were showing much earlier and the number of people seemed to have doubled from yesterday. Ring side was very busy, to busy in fact, the entrance often being blocked to get in to the ring for your class. Add to that the fact we could not understand the language, often meant we stood bemused at what was going on. It’s a little like understanding sign language if you are deaf or hearing impaired, you take on different qualities of the events going on around you. We have now mastered this and feel very relieved when our class is called in the sequence we have worked out. Heidie showed much better today, a judge clearly observant in animal behaviour, taking his time and getting the dog to pamper to his needs. Heidie showed her teeth as though she had just walked out of the dentist from a clean and polish, but today we have one very noticeable difference in her showing, that of her handler. Today Craig decided to come from behind the scenes and try his hand in the ring, It’s not entirely new to him having shown a little in Sydney when we were going through our induction with the master of all ring techniques Hildegard Schliefert. What you learn with her you will never forget, only because she would kick your backside the next time in the ring if you got it wrong ☺ Craig stood in the ring until instructed to move, he constantly showed Heidie even if he was not being requested to do so. His time in front of the judge was announced, he moved forward, he stacked beautifully, a little wide on the back legs, but a quick indication from me standing on the ringside soon put matters back in hand. He was asked to move the dog round the ring, he was asked to move her up and down and then finally he was asked to stack her and present her to the judge. The judge walked over to complete his critique, he took one final look and the winner once again of the Open Class was Hildydane Hildas Heidie, only this time Craig had achieved what I hadn’t and that was an excellent critique, a CAC & CACIB and the most coveted title of all Croatian Champion. Bravo to Craig, applause from all around the ring and applause to Heidie. As Craig soon found out, your moment of glory is short lived, he had to get out of the ring to make way for some serious competition (ME) I am not having him pinching my job, if I do who will be the saliva towel man ☺ Zac struts his stuff once again, sails through his class’s and once again is down for B.O.B. Unfortunately though, today was not Zacs day, B.O.B was not in his grasp and so we settled the weekend with both Heidie & Zac becoming Croatian Champions, both taking the additional title of Zagreb Winners, Zac had achieved B.O.B and both had taken away CAC & CACIB. The best reward of the weekend was that we had qualified Zac who started life on the other side of the world, first in Sydney then moving to Perth before his resting place here in Cyprus for CRUFTS 2007, so hopefully if his Rabies injection results are correctly timed we hope to see him there making a name for himself along with all the other quality Great Danes some of which we had the privilege of seeing last year.

So the titles now read over the past 6 weeks in 4 countries
BULGARIAN GRAND CHAMPIONS
CROATIAN CHAMPIONS
GREEK CHAMPIONs
CYPRUS CHAMPIONS
BULGARIAN CHAMPIONS
BALKAN CHAMPIONS
ZAGREB WINNERS
APHRODITE WINNERS
INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION
MULTI GROUP WINNERS
BEST IN SHOW WINNER
Add to that previous titles of
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION
RESERVE BEST IN SHOW WINNER
BEST GREAT DANE CYPRUS

Our next show is on Saturday when we enter the double show in Athens. Zac is already qualified as Greek Champion so for him a B.O.B would be nice with CAC & CACIB. For Heidie she is just two CAC short for her Greek Champion, so full concentration on her this weekend and everything crossed.

We have really enjoyed the shows we have been to and we have seen many different levels of entrants with many styles of showing. What it has taught us is that our love of Great Danes is growing each day and what we are in the process of doing with support of the FCI and the Kennel Club Of Cyprus is set up the Great Dane Club of Cyprus with a view to improving the breeding programme and implementing strict codes of conduct which are to future benefit of the island.

We returned via Croatian Airlines again another very helpful airline, booking us, our luggage and our dogs all the way through from Zagreb to Larnaca without having to worry about collecting them in Frankfurt. Upon arrival once again in Frankfurt however, that same level of arrogance, that same level of obstruction and that same level of unhelpfulness was there to greet us. Once again the information Lufthansa ground handling supplied was less than reassuring, they once again lost track of our dogs, nobody could give me information as to their whereabouts and nobody really seemed to give a damn that I was travelling with 2 very large sized dogs, confirming my thoughts that FRANKFURT AIRPORT AND ITS STAFF has to be rated one of the most unhelpful airports anybody would have the misfortune to travel through in my opinion, so once again, for peace and convenience, stay away at all costs and use other airports and other carriers where ever possible if you really do care for your dogs as much as we do and do not want to go through the experiences we encountered.

Please continue to enjoy our site, please pass on our link to your friends to enjoy and we look forward to sharing our news of Athens sometime next week. Thank you for taking the time to read our show news, we will see you back here soon. X x