A late Christmas gift: Beli - Ambeloui de l'Esprit de Bonté!- became Polish Youth Champion. What a beauty under the Christmas tree!

Puppy joy at kennel Barbedoux! The seven puppies from Toutes and Eton are now 3 weeks old. In this video you can see Brigitte feeding Braille, one of the smaller puppies, who needs a little extra. It is such a cute sight!

Barbet Whoopi came to see us together with her sweet daughter Bambi -  a fawn coloured Barbet! What a sweetie! Look at how different the four Barbets are looking posing nicely in the grass - Moët wavy, Whoopi small curls, Yatzie big curls! And still they all have that same wonderful Barbet character!

Beli loves the snow in her  home country Poland. Beli's family keeps her fur ungroomed, brushing it weekly, and it looks really lovely - wavy and rustic.

Moët got Res CAC today at the Wijchen show with excellent critics. Well done my sweet girl!

Dec 13 we Swedes celebrate the martyr Saint Lucia from Syracusa, Italy. All children dress up in white robes, star hats for boys, glitter and candles for girls. Then we sing, sing, sing and eat lussebullar and peppaarkakor. It is a way to bring light into the darkest period of the year and to remind the world of Christ's coming. This year I arranged for SvtWorld, and could watch the Swedish Lucia program that is on at 7 o-clok every Dec 13. This year there was a huge choir procession in the dome of Uppsala and a Lucia with Indian background I think - beautiful. I made the living room as cosy as can be with a fire, candles and prepared the traditional lucia buns - Yatzie loves them! A very "gezellig" morning indeed!

Two days of snow here in Holland! I do not know who was happiest about it - me or the dogs :-) ! Yatzie and Moët were racing about on the open fields and in the snow covered bushes. Then relax for half a minute, eat snow snow and then off again!

Sinterklaas and three Zwarte Piets came to visit tonight and brought sweets for all the dogs. Yatzie tried to steal the sweets from all the others (she is fake pregnant and only thinks about food), Moët who met Sinterklaas for the first time found him and the black faced boys extremely scary and disappeared (had to carry her down from upstairs sweet thing) and Saartje was busy eating all the ginger cakes Sinterklaas had thrown on the floor -  she is a labrador and never misses a chance to fill her hungry stomach! Sinterklaas is the Dutch version of Santa Claus and he always comes on Dec 5! Read more about him on my blog from two years ago: http://www.barbetyatzie.se/2010/12/03/zwarte-piet-arrived-1690207

The Dutch beaches can be enjoyed all around the year. On a sunny fall day it even gets crowded!

Nikki - a malteser living with Barts mum in Spain -  came to visit for the first time. Yatzie and Moët were fascinated by this sweet, lively and playful dog. She normally lives with 2 Berner Sennen and 2 other dogs so she is used to big company! She was not at all afraid of the big Barbets - and they totally fell in love with her! And so we all did! Moët and Nikki played for hours! I suggested we keep her here with us but no way - not for a milliion pounds said Ineke. And I understand her! NIkki is a very nice dog!

A forest in full fall colours and a Barbet: Is there anything more beautiful in this world?

I do not know how other families with many dogs do it - but when we go away for a weekend I always bring the dogs! It is not easy to find a place where: 1. three dogs are allowed 2. it is nice and cosy 3. there is nature nearby 4. you're are on the ground floor with your own entrance 5. it is affordable. But sometimes, after hours of searcing on the Internet you find that perfect place! Like last weekend that we spent at  Villa Beaulieu  in Bergen, north Holland. The first night we were in a one-roomer - see how cosy it was with dogs all around the bed! The days after we had more space, our own kitchen, three terrass doors and just an amazing time. The dogs love to spend all day together, is it on the floor nearby us, on the lap like Moët always wants, in the restaurant or out in the nature! And of course I love it too!

Yatzie climbs trees like a cat! Yes, she is actually on the trunk of the tree on the picture (even though it looks like she is on the ground behind it!). She balances there patiently, crabbing hold with her claws, while I take the picture! The trick is to place some sweets in the tree and then you can be sure she does all that she can to get them! She learned this as a puppy and loves to climb in trees and search for sweets. Moët tries to do the same but does not have the same focus as Yatzie, she is still very "jumpy" and puppy-like, and falls off easily.

Some people thought the above photo was a trick photo. So I add shot from another angle to convince you that Yatzie is really on that trunk!

A playful 13 months old Grand Danois made a big impression on both Yatzie and Moët! Moët, who always wants to play with every dog, did her very best to answer his sweet play invitations, but somehow he was just soooo big it was too scary for her. She tumbled around under him, and in the end found refuge by me!

Champagne (now Basil) was the liveliest of Yatze's puppies, he also stood out from the rest with his white chest and paws. He stayed a week longer than the others to get some special education from Yatzie who worked a lot with him and his manners. At the Club match I saw him for the very first time after he left the nest, and it was such a joy to see what a sweet dog he now is. He is never dominating other dogs, says his happy owners, he plays well and listens good too. His fur is thick and more curly than that his brothers and sisters. Enjoy a few pictures of the only brown male from Yatzie's nest.

Today both Yatzie and Moët participated in the exhibitions of the Dutch Barbet Club. 47 Barbets were shown! First time for me in such a show and it was amazing to see so many Barbets together. I have not shown Yatzie for a long time, and in hard competition she scored third place in Open class! I am very proud of her! Moët had great critics, but was still not placed amongst the best 4. The only thing the judge saw as a minus was that she could be wider over the breast which should come with time.

The greatest joy today was to see another three of Yatzie puppies! Missy (Tsarine) and Basil (Champagne) for the first time since they left the nest! Our wild teenager Charley (Henriot) was also there and had very good critics (though not placed amongst the 4 best). Missy is a lively and playful girl and Moët and she had so much fun playing together. Unfortunately I have no good photos of her since we were in the ring together and the rest were all blur... Missy also got Very good as qualification, but she still needs to grow a bit wider. Thanks to all of you puppy owners who met up today!

Yatzie and Moët came along to watch Bas playing football. After the game I let them loose for a moment and they ran around wild and free on the green grass, all the boys of the team running after them!

Moët today did her second show at the international dogshow De Utrecht with a fantastic result! She won 1st prize in junior class (Excellent) and 2nd (reserve CAC) in the competition. I am so proud of her. The judge wrote:

• Good neck and top lines
• Good angulations front and backpaws
• Perfect bone structure and compact feet
• Correct eye colour
• Correct bite

The BOB was given to Rose, Gladys da Capo - a beautiful Barbet with a rare mixed beige/brown colour!

Barbet Yatzie and Moët in the mud puddle! What is more delicious than a fresh zip of muddy water after a long wild run in the forest? And why not immerse in the mud as far as possible!

Even though my ambition is to groom my dogs myself time is scarse and I do not do it perfectly yet. So I asked my Barbet friend and groomer Brigitte Waller to help fix the dogs up for some upcoming shows. I was glad to see that Moët behaved so well on the table. She almost fell asleep while Brigitte was working on her feet! When it comes to Yatzie she is on heat, and caught much attention from Brigittes stay-over Barbet - he is supposed to be castrated but it did not show :-) ! I have never really seen Yatzie's fur so blown out and puffed up before. It looks so funny. But after a first dip in the water it was back to her normal soft curls! As a reward after many hours on the grooming table the dogs and we had a nice walk in the sunny fall weather. Nice to see so many Barbets running free together!

At an Open Day at our neighbourhood vetclinic Yatzie and Moët (as well as I!) met a skunk for the first time. They were very curious when the skunk was in his cage but when it was close to them they found it a bit scary!

Some things you may not know about a skunk:

A skunk does not smell unless it needs to use its precious weapon - two glands with sulphur containing chemicals. The odor of the fluid is strong enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers. Skunks are reluctant to use this weapon, as they carry just enough of the chemical for five or six uses and require some ten days to produce another supply. In the wild they live 1-3 years but as a house pet they can live 10-15 years. They are cuddely!

First time in an agility tunnel!

First time in an agility slalom!

Learning "Forward" with a sweet on a cone.

Animal Day! The dogs deserv something extra, said Margot, and found a lot of yummie things in the fridge to make a treat. The dogs gathered in the kitchen with her and were sooo curious, especially Moët. Once the treats were ready the dogs enjoyed them outside in the garden - and it was well worth waiting for!

Today was a lovely sunny day and the dogs and I spent some time in a forest in Almere. After rallying around both Yatzie adnd Moët desperately need to drink, always, and were very pleased when they both found a puddle of fresh yummy water that you also could lie down in to cool off! After such a dip it is important to keep distance to avoid the shake that always follows :-) !

After the refreshing walk I visited Whoppi to admire her 9 newborns, now three weeks old! Sweethearts! Whoppi is doing well even though she is rather tired still. Follow the puppies as they grow on Judiths blog! All puppies have homes already!

We got some more pictures from the puppies as they turned 1 year. This is Missy (Tsarine) who lives in Limburg, south Holland. She looks so much like her mother! Below Clifford (Cliquot) in Sweden that got a birthday hug from his friend and a special treat for his big day!

Beli (Ambeloui) in Poland on her 1 year birthday! Irek sent us an update telling us of her latest achievements which includes 4 gold medals in dog shows and excellent performance in her favourite sport agility! He says: "Beli loves agility more than anything. On the track she's extremely excited, focused and runs through all obstacles on the highest speed." Bravissimo Beli!

Moët, Charley and mother Yatzie celebrated the birthday all together at the Zuidbergs I had to go to  Sweden :-( ... Martijn made a special treat for them. See how good they behave waiting for it! For the rest Moët and Yatzie love to spend the time by the enclosure for the rabbits and hens.  Not a dull moment! But at the end of the day it is nice to just cuddle on the sofa!

HIPP HIPP HURRAY!

Today the Champagne litter de l'Esprit de Bonté celebrates 1 year! Happy Birthday to all of the happy, sweet and beautiful dogs from Yatzie and Chico! Above a collage of the most recent pictures of the ten dogs who are living in Holland, Sweden, Finland and Poland, watched over by the proud parents!

Yatzie and Moët will once again stay a long weekend with Charley's sweet family in Julianadorp, north Holland, while Bart and I go to Sweden. I spent some hours there today with them to let the dogs get used to each other again before leaving them there. They felt at home at once and the sister and brother started immediately to play wildly!

Great to see Charley fullgrown! He has a strong male appearance, with an amazing thick wavy fur. Just like the other black offsprings from Yatzie and Chico his fur has a beautiful brownish tint. He is 60 cm high and weighs 28 kgs without being overweight in any way. Just a sturdy Barbet. Moët, newly groomed, looked so small beside him with her 20 kgs and 53 cms height. Charley is a male version replica of Yatzie. He even makes the same snurking sound as she does when he is enjoying being petted or wants some attention. The fur on his head is straighter than the rest of the body just like her. His character is very friendly, jolly and playful. He loves his family and is very cuddely like most Barbets. Enjoy the pictures of the family!

Free music: Danosongs, The art of Gardens

For the first time I have groomed Moët myself! Yatzie I always shaved but now I am going to try to learn the art of grooming with scissors. I bought a professional - very expensive - pair of one sided thinning  scissors. In that way mistakes do not show so much! It takes longer though. First I brushed her out totally, got rid of the mats with a matting knife (the yellow and blue on the picture) and blowed through the fur with my water blower. With the wooden wide toothed comb I brushed up the fur and then started cutting. I found it very difficult! It was hard to know how much I actually did cut off. Looking at some pictures and a sketch I have made with the help of some groomers' advice I tried to shape her into a "Barbet shape". Kept the hair on the legs long, neck and thighs shorter. Most difficult was the neck and the face/ears. Well, here is the result! Not too bad for a first-timer maybe? But still loads to learn! Afterwards Moët enjoyed a nice tumbeling around with Ollie!

The weekend was so hot we took off to a nice lake, where dogs are allowed (Kleine Plass, Maarssen). Yatzie was happily jumping off the pier to get her beloved orange water dummy - but after a while we lost it. She took it to a safe place I think. Normally she can find everything she hides but after search - retrieve excercises for half an hour we both gave up... My good friend Maaike and Yatzie are always cuddeling so sweetly I had to take a photo of the two!

What I did not know was that the waters were infected with parasites and the day after my whole body was covered with red, itchy spots called Swimmer's itch (badklåda, swemmers jeuk). Nothing seems to help to calm the itching. I am going crazy from it. Tips are welcome! I do not think I will ever swim in a small lake again... The kids were not affected and after some studying on the Internet it seems that my sunscreen lotion must contain unsaturated fatty acids that are a stimuli for the parasites' penetration into the skin... Thank God the kids did not use the same sunlotion!

Moët is crazy about water! Every day she gets into the water at least three times. In fact, as soon as she sees water she is in it! She swims around for a moment and then gets out all soaked and happy!

A traditional Dragonboat festival was held in our neighbourhood today and Bart joined one of the teams. It was an amazing late summer day, with clear blue skies and 30 degrees! We took the doggies with us and found a place in the shade. Dogs weren't really allowed so I tried to keep a low profile but it was hard cause they love to play with each other. They could also swim nearby to cool off. Bart's team did the fastest races out of all the boats but in the final got only a bronse medal. Deserved Gold!

Yatzie today achieved her first official hunting diploma, won silver in her level and received this beautiful trofé with the fantastic result 57 out of 60 points! Around 40 dogs participated in the exam, on level 1 to 3. This was Yatzie's first exam ever and I am very proud of her performance! Level 1 exam includes lay and stay out of sight, follow leashed ad unleashed, send out and flute in, retreive a dummy from land and water and search and retrieve with a dummy out of sight (forest). She did everything steadily and without hesitation. The exam was organized by the Nederlandse Organisatie vor Jacht & Grondbeheer. Congratulations and hurray for Yatzie!

Hunter (Chandon de l'Esprit de Bonté) had a happy summer and sent us some pictures!

I received news from Finland during the vacation and Meru (Cristal de l'Esprit de Bonte) has passed the Finnish spaniel hunting aptitude test (SPA)! Congratulations and well done girl!

This time of the year one must not miss the beautiful moors covered with heather in the Hilversum area! We spent the morning there with Brigitte Waller and all her dogs. She just started up a Dogwalk service, Dog's Furry Tales, and all together there were 7 curly dogs running around - and getting lost - in the heather! Yes, Matz, an 8-month old puber male took off for some tempting girl we guess! Luckily we found him rather quickly. Moët layed down to rest, only her head sticking up, which caught the interest of both Fraise and Mouse who went to give her a kiss!

Today was the final hunting training session for Yatzie for this season. A sunny evening perfect to take a few shots!

Moët was Best Barbet female and thus received her first CAC in Rotterdam today. This was her first show and I am so content with her performance. She is such an easy dog to work with; stable, makes contact, follows. We had only done one ring training, just the day before, but she ran perfectly by my side. And even though she dislikes to have her head touched (like many dogs) she accepted the judge's hands checking her teeth and ears etc. These are the words written by the judge:

• Typical and harmonic
• Beautiful head
• Beautiful top and bottom lines
• Correct angulations
• First-classy movements

Congratulations Moët! And congratuations to Cousteau von der Leibrücke who received the BOB!

A whole month of vacation without blogging but with sooo much to share! The most fantastic news - Yatzie and Moët were the honoured bridesmaids at Bart's and my wedding in Lapland on Aug 11!

We have just arrived back home and connected to the Internet world again! I will be sharing photos and stories from our wonderful weeks in France, Norway and Sweden step by step as time allows.

Most of the beaches in France unfortunately seem to be forbidden for dogs. One late evening however, while the sun was dissappearing in the horizon, we passed this empty beach and decided to let the dogs enjoy the sand and the water. They really did!

The coast line of Bretagne is steep and cliffy. Very adventurous for a dog walk!

Our vacation house in Bretagne exceeds all expectations! It is a paradise, not only for the dogs! Below you see the joy dance of Yatzie and Moët the moment we arrived! The house is surrounded by untamed forests and wide fields of grass and different crops. No cars around so the dogs can be loose and we can relax. Yatzie keeps a good eye on the surroundings and runs off barking, followed by Moët, as soon as something unusual is heard or seen. One day a deer passed over the garden. Behind the wooden gate lives a little goat that very seldom shows up. He has his own goat house but most of the time he is hiding chewing in the high grass. First days here were sunny enough but then we have experienced quite some rainy days.

Moët has found some new favourite places in our garden - she digs a whole in the soil underneath  the shade of bushes and small trees. There it is cool and cosy! Now you understand why she always is so muddy!

Whoopi, Yatzie and Moët are high diving into the water after some dummies. Yatzie is convinced she is going to get two - at the same time. And she succeeds! When she can't get the second one into her mouth she pushes it in front of her with her body!