Gleanntan Skye Terriers

News - 2010

An Overview of 2010

2010 completes the ninth year of sharing our activities through this website. Maida, Roxan and I are grateful to have had another year where we could share our passion and commitment to the Skye Terrier and to the Gleanntan program. April 26 brought profound sadness as we said goodbye to our friend and mentor, Gleanntan Cofounder, Ben Nolan Dale. We took comfort in knowing that Ben was reunited with Donna and so many of their beloved Skyes. Both Ben and Donna will always be carried in our hearts.

GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", who is owned by Gary and Lynn Wolf of Slidell, LA completed 2010 as the #1 Skye Terrier in the U.S. (breed points). His end  of year total was 3 group wins and a total of 16 group placements. He was handled by his breeder/co-owner, Michael Pesare. On the way to these accomplishments, Mick earned Best of Breed at the Potomac Skye Terrier Club Specialty in April and at the Great Western Terrier Association/Skye Terrier Club of America Supported Entry show in California in June. Mick earned his Grand Champion title and was the second in the breed to do so. He earned the first Award of Merit at the STCA National Specialty and was Select Dog at the Hatboro Dog Club show in October.

GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" was the first female Skye in the U.S. to earn the AKC Grand Champion title. During the STCA National Specialty Weekend in October, Glinda was Best of Opposite Sex at the Hatboro Dog Club show, the Devon Dog Show Association show and the STCA National Specialty/Montgomery County KC

Two Gleanntan Skyes earned their AKC Championship titles in 2010 - Ch. Gleanntan Wonderful Wizard of Oz - "Gus" in April and Ch. Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya" in November.

Roxan's Gleanntan Desperado - "Henley" earned Winners Dog/Best of Winners for a 4-point major at the STCA National Specialty/Montgomery County KC.

Our puppies from Tony x Glinda's litter all went to wonderful homes - to people who we are privileged to call friends. "Tara" went to Carol Fink in Yountville, CA; "Lilly" went to Trond Storsveen in Oslo, Norway; "Roscoe" went to Hazel and Geoff Proud in Cumbria, England; "Harry" went to Beth and Brent Willis in Blue Springs, Missouri; "Teddy" went to Barbara Shickley in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Levi went to Carrie-Ann, Christopher, Iris and Solomon Jordan in Indiana.

December 31 - Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl - "Lilly"

We received news during the holidays that Trond Storsveen's "Lilly" (Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl) competed in her third show on December 30 and she earned her second CC. The judge was Mona Selbach from Norway. Ms. Selbach is a former breeder of Chows and Bichon Frises and is close to be an all-rounder. Here is what the judge wrote in her critique of Lilly: "Well developed junior. Well developed head. Good bite. Nice expression. Well placed ears. Good angulations. Good neck and topline. Well placed and carried tail. Moves well. Nice coat and colour."

December 19

Roxan had Gleanntan Desperado - "Henley" (Ch. Gleanntan Gotitxactlyrite x Ch. Gleanntan Goldminersdaughter) entered in two of the Crown Classic shows at the IX Center in Cleveland, Ohio. At Saturday's Richland County KC show, Henley earned Winners Dog for a point and Best of Winners under judge Thora Brown. At Sunday's Western Reserve KC show, Henley earned Winners Dog for another point. The judge was Mr. Robert Shreve.

At the Lehigh Valley Kennel Club show, the Skye entry was 2-2-1-0. However, a few of the Skyes were absent so the competition consisted of one class dog, 15-month old Gleanntan Showstopper - "Teddy" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) owned by Barbara Shickley and one special, GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" owned by Gary and Lynn Wolf. Teddy showed nicely and with composure. I am pleased with the way this youngster is maturing. Best of Breed was awarded to Mick.

December 12 - Chambersburg Area Kennel Club

Maida and I had a few Skyes entered in the Chambersburg Area Kennel Club show in Gettysburg, PA. We were joined by friends, Travis Wright and his "Truvy" and Barbara Shickley and her "Teddy". The entry was 2-2-1-0 and the judge was Mr. John Simm filling in for Karen Wilson. The class dog was 14-month old Gleanntan Showstopper - "Teddy" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) owned by Barbara Shickley. The other class male from another breeder was absent. The class bitches were 14-month old Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) owned by Gleanntan and 2-year old Gleanntan Laughter Through Tears - "Truvy" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) owned by Travis Wright. The single special was GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee!) owned by Gary and Lynn Wolf.

Best of Breed went to Mick. Winners Dog and Best of Winners (1 point) went to Teddy handled by Maida. Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex went to Truvy handled by Travis.

Thanks to the members of the Chambersburg Area Kennel Club for putting on another nice show that is a credit to the community.

December 9 - New photos of NORDJW-10 Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl - "Lilly"

Two new photos of Lilly from the Nordic Winner Show. Thank you to Lilly's owner, Trond Storsveen. Lilly is sired by Ch. Finnsky Gladiator out of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch. She is just over 13 months old in these photos.

December 8 - American Kennel Club Breeder of Merit

On October 21, 2010, Gleanntan was granted "Breeder of Merit" status with the American Kennel Club.

November 30 - New photo of "Harry"

November 29 - The Maryland Turkey Cluster

Maida and I had Skyes of our breeding entered in the Maryland Turkey Cluster at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, Maryland.

Friday's show was the Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club show and our entry consisted of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" owned by Gary and Lynn Wolf, two-year old Gleanntan Laughter Through Tears - "Truvy" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) owned by Dr. Travis S. Wright and 14-month old Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) owned by Gleanntan. Best of Breed went to Mick and Winners Bitch/Best of Opposite Sex went to Moya. The judge was Robert Clyde.

Saturday's show was the Chesapeake Kennel Club of Maryland and the entry went up by one - our three plus a class male of another breeder who was entered in the Open class. Today's judge was Lorraine W. Bisso. Our entry consisted of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Gleanntan Laughter Through Tears - "Truvy" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed went to Mick. Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex went to Moya handled by Maida. It was a joy to see Maida take Moya on the final "go-round" with Moya making a very pleasing picture in sidegait. This win gave Moya the final point that she needed for her AKC Championship.

Sunday's show was the Upper Marlboro Kennel Club and the entry was GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Gleanntan Laughter Through Tears - "Truvy" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed went to Mick. Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex went to Moya under judge James Frederiksen.

Monday's show was the National Capital Kennel Club and the judge was Robert Hutton. Our entry was GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Gleanntan Laughter Through Tears - "Truvy" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed went to Mick. Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex went to Truvy. Mick also went on to earn a Group 4 with the #1 Dog All Breeds - the Smooth Fox taking the Group win.

November 27 - Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl - "Lilly" - Nordic Junior Winner - 2010

Today, we received exciting news from our friend Trond Storsveen in Norway that his girl "Lilly" - Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) earned the title of Nordic Junior Winner - 2010. Lilly earned this title at the Nordic Winner Show which is the Norwegian Kennel Club's largest show of the year. The judge was Birgitta Hasselgren from Sweden.

November 14 - Major for Gleanntan Goin' to Show-Me

Today at the Ozarks Kennel Club show in Springfield, Missouri, Gleanntan Goin' to Show-Me (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) earned Winners Dog and Best of Winners for a 3-point major. Harry is adored and handled by his owner Beth Willis. We are over the moon for Beth and Harry!

November 7

Today at the Bartlesville Kennel Club show in Joplin, Missouri, Gleanntan Goin' to Show-Me (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) earned Winners Dog and Best of Winners proudly handled by his owner Beth Willis. Congratulations to Beth and Harry on Harry's second point!

Maida and I were at the Back Mountain Kennel Club shows in Bloomsburg, PA this weekend. Our entry consisted of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and 14-month old Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed both days went to Mick and Best of Opposite Sex both days went to Glinda. On Saturday, Mick made the cut in a strong terrier group.

November 3 - First show for Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl - "Lilly" in Norway

We received the happy news over the weekend that Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl - "Lilly" was entered in her first show in Norway. Lilly is owned by Trond Storsveen and we had the great pleasure of spending time with and getting to know Trond during the four days of the Montgomery Weekend.

Lilly was shown at the NDK's National Show at Dal (Oslo) Norway under judge Mrs. Brenda Banbury from England. Trond said that Lilly was confident and happy in her first outing and she earned a CAC (champion quality).

Mrs. Banbury's critique of Lilly stated the following: "Good length of head, black ears with good fringes, strong topline, good length of ribs, tail well carried, coat developing well with furnishings, sound on the move."

November 3 - Middleburg KC

We were at the Middleburg Kennel Club shows in Leesburg, Virginia last weekend. These shows are one of the final outdoor shows in this area for the year and the weather can be quite variable. But, we have been very lucky this fall and once again the weather cooperated with bright sun and reasonably warm temperatures. We entered just one of our Skyes, GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda". In the terrier group on Saturday, Glinda made the cut under judge Judith Franklin. The following day, she also made the cut under judge John T. Ward.

October 28 - New photos of Henley, Glinda and Mick

October 25 - Mick Group 3 on Saturday and Glinda Group 1 on Sunday

Maida and I were at the Gloucester County KC and the South Jersey KC shows this past weekend. The shows are held in Buena, New Jersey. Although the weather at this time of year can be a bit unpredictable, the weather was beautiful with very reasonable temperatures and bright, sunny skies. Our entries consisted of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and 13-month old Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya".

On Saturday Mick earned Best of Breed and then a Group 3 under judge Sue Weiss.

On Sunday, Glinda earned Best of Breed and then she went on to win the terrier group under judge Lydia Coleman Hutchinson! According to my research (source: TerrierTribe - Group Placements), this was the first terrier group win for a Skye bitch in just over two years. Group placements for Skye bitches are something special. I couldn't help but reflect upon this show weekend eight years ago (2002) when Glinda's dam, Ch. Gleanntan Grandxpose - "Emily" also took at Group 1 at the Upper Potomac Valley KC show.

Glinda showed so well for Maida in the breed and then for me in the group. She was having a fun day. Below are a few photos taken by Maida of Glinda in the group ring and in the Best in Show ring.

October 17 - American Kennel Club Meet the Breeds

Maida and I participated in the AKC Meet the Breeds event at the Javits Center in New York City. We participated with four of our Skye Terriers: Ch. Gleanntan Gottalookatme - "Boz", Ch. Gleanntan Givembusybee! - "Bea", Ch. Gleanntan Wonderful Wizard of Oz - "Gus" and Gleanntan Defying Gravity - "Elphie".

Below is a compilation of short video clips that Maida took during the day:

October 12 - Skye Terrier Club of America Annual Awards - 2009

The Skye Terrier Club of America held its Annual Awards Dinner on Friday, October 8 where the club announced the award winners for 2009. Gleanntan Kennels earned the following awards:

- BREEDER OF THE YEAR
- Top Producing Sire - Ch. Finnsky Gladiator, bred by Kennel Finnsky and owned by Gleanntan Kennels, Reg.
- Top Producing Dam - Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee! bred and owned by Gleanntan Kennels, Reg.
- Skye Terrier Winning the Most Points from the Puppy Class - Ch. Gleanntan Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- New Champions: Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme!; Ch. Gleanntan Glorious Legacy; Ch. Gleanntan Gale's Grace
- New Performance Title: Ch. Gleanntan Going For The Silver, CD - Companion Dog

October 12 - Skye Terrier Club of America National Specialty - Montgomery County KC Weekend

From Thursday through Sunday of last week, Maida and I attended four shows, culminating in the Skye Terrier Club of America National Specialty at Montgomery County KC. Thursday's show was the Morris & Essex KC show; Friday was the Hatboro Dog Club show; Saturday was the Devon Dog Show Association show and Sunday was the Montgomery County KC show/STCA National Specialty. Joining us for the shows was our friend Carol Fink who owns "Tara". Also coming in on Sunday for just the Specialty was our Gleanntan partner and friend Roxan Rohrich.

Our entries all four days consisted of the following: GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and 12-month old littermates, Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya" and Gleanntan Gottamakereservations - "Tara". Roxan had Gleanntan Desperado - "Henley" entered on Sunday.

Below is a brief summary of the awards that our Skyes earned:

GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" earned Best of Opposite Sex at Hatboro (Friday), Devon (Saturday) and at the STCA National Specialty/Montgomery (Sunday). She was skillfully breeder/owner handled by Maida Connor.

GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" earned SELECT Dog on Friday and the first Award of Merit at the STCA National Specialty/Montgomery on Sunday. Mick was breeder/owner handled by myself (Michael Pesare).

Gleanntan Desperado - "Henley" was shown just one day - the STCA National Specialty/Montgomery on Sunday and he earned Winners Dog in a field of 7 class dogs for a 4-point major. He was breeder/owner handled by Roxan Rohrich. Henley went on the earn Best of Winners, handled by Mary Norton-Augustus.

Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya" won the Bred by Exhibitor class on Friday.

Gleanntan Gottamakereservations - "Tara" won the 12-15 month bitch Sweepstakes class at the STCA National Specialty/Montgomery on Sunday.

October 4 - Wine Country Circuit shows

This past weekend, I was at the Kanadasaga Kennel Club and Finger Lakes Kennel Club shows at Sampson Park on Lake Seneca in Romulus, New York. These shows are part of the popular Wine Country Circuit of shows in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. This is a breathtakingly beautiful area and it was a pleasure to return to these shows for the first time in 13 years. The last time I attended these shows was in 1997 when I joined Donna Dale for a couple of the shows of the circuit. This was the year that Ben and Donna were just starting to campaign Ch. Mariquita Flashxclusive - "Edi".

Maida had a work commitment this weekend but we entered Barbara Shickley's one-year old youngster Gleanntan Showstopper - "Teddy" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) and Beth Willis entered Teddy's littermate, Gleanntan Goin' To Show-Me - "Harry" I also entered GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". The total entry both days was 3-0-1-0 -Teddy and Harry in the 12-18 month class and Mick in BOB. There was one additional class male entered.

On Saturday, Winners Dog for 2 points went to Gleanntan Showstopper - "Teddy" and Reserve Winners Dog went to Gleanntan Goin' To Show-Me - "Harry". Best of Breed went to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick".

On Sunday, Winners Dog for 2 points again went to Gleanntan Showstopper - "Teddy" and Best of Breed went to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". Thank you to our Cairn Terrier friend, Diane, for showing Teddy.

The group competition both days was intense with a number of excellent terriers and their professionals handlers from the West Coast, the South and the Northeast. Most of these dogs are making their way to Montgomery and one could already feel the excitement of Montgomery in the air!

It was great fun to see Beth Willis and "Harry" again. The last time I saw Harry (and Beth), was the day he went to live with Beth and Brent and the boys. He was just a 4-month old pup at that point. What a treat it was to see him as a mature and incredibly beautiful one year old. Below are a couple of new photos of Harry.

September 27 - Valley Forge KC

Maida and I were at the Valley Forge KC show on Sunday, September 26. This single-day show was fairly small (850 dogs) but it still attracted a number of the top terriers (Sealy, Kerry, Scottie, etc.). Our entry consisted of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed went to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch and Best of Opposite Sex went to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! Glinda also made the cut in the terrier group under judge Edna K. Martin. There was also a Bred by Exhibitor group and Group 3 went to Gleanntan Symphony in G.

September 24 - New Grand Champion - Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch

We are proud to announce that Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch (Ch. Gleanntan Going For It x Ch. Gleanntan Grandxpose) earned her Grand Champion title on September 4, 2010. "Glinda" is the first female Skye Terrier to earn this title and the 4th Skye overall. Glinda was handled to her title by Maida Connor.

September 24 - Six Gleanntan Skyes earn invitations to 2010 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship

Yesterday we received an invitation for 6 of our Skyes to the 2010 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship show that will be held on December 4-5, 2010 in Long Beach, California. Our six Skyes include: GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick"; GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda"; Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee! - "Bea"; Ch. Gleanntan Glorious Legacy - "Mackenzie"; Ch. Gleanntan Wonderful Wizard of Oz - "Gus" and our beautiful Finnish import, Ch. Finnsky Gladiator - "Tony".

September 21 - HAPPY ONE-YEAR BIRTHDAY Harry, Roscoe, Levi, Teddy, Lilly, Moya and Tara

September 21 - New photos of Moya

September 18 - Lehigh Valley KC

Maida and I were at the Lehigh Valley KC show today in Macungie, PA. The judge was Lydia Coleman Hutchinson and the Skye entry was a total of 4 in the following breakdown 0-1-2-1. Our entry consisted of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". The additional Skye was a male Special. Best of Breed went to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! and Mick also made the cut in the group under judge Gary Doerge. Winners Bitch went to Gleanntan Symphony in G from the 9-12 month Puppy class. Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch. We were not able to enter the Sunday show due to a scheduling conflict.

September 18 - Roscoe's first show in the UK

September 13 - Altoona Area Kennel Association Shows

Maida and I were at the Altoona Area Kennel Association shows in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania this past weekend. The cooler weather made for two very comfortable and pleasant days at the shows.

The Skye entry on Saturday was a total of 8 in the following breakdown: 0-5-2-1 under judge James Ham. As it turned out, there were two class bitches and one male special absent. Still, though, there was good competition in bitches with one 9-12 month puppy, one 12-18 month puppy and one Open bitch. Our entry consisted of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". On Saturday, Best of Breed went to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! and Reserve Winners Bitch went to Gleanntan Symphony in G from the 9-12 month Puppy class. Select Bitch went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch.

The Skye entry on Sunday was a total of 5 in the following breakdown: 0-3-1-1 under judge Frank Washabaugh. Best of Breed again went to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! and he later went on the a Group 4 in a field that included Margery Good with one of her fanstastic Sealys and Michael Kemp with his Lakeland. Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch. Gleanntan Symphony in G took Winners Bitch from the 9-12 month Puppy class for a point. We are delighted with how Moya is maturing. In four shows over the past two weekends, Moya has earned Winners Bitch three times for two 4-point majors and 1 point.

September 6 - Tonawanda Valley KC Shows

Maida and I were at the Tonawanda Valley KC shows this past weekend. The shows were held in a very picturesque part of upstate New York. The site was in Albion which is northwest of Rochester and a few miles south of the shores of Lake Ontario.

We first attended these shows in 2001 as we were just starting to campaign Ch. Gleanntan Grandxpose - "Emily" following the passing of our mentor, Donna Dale. In 2004, I attended these shows with Ben. We had just had a litter of Skyes and Maida stayed home with the 3-week old pups. Ben offered to join me on this road trip as we were campaigning Ch. Gleanntan Going South - "Rebel".

This year, our entry consisted of GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya".

The Skye entry on Saturday was a total of 11 - 1-5 (2-2) 1 with one Special and the Veteran absent. Our judge was Mr. Ralph Ambrosio who substituted for Madison Weeks. Winners Bitch/Best of Winners from the 9-12 month, Puppy class (for a 4-point major) went to Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed and Group 4 was awarded to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". Best of Opposite Sex was Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda".

The Skye entry on Sunday was a total of 12 - 1-6 (2-2) 1 with one Special, one class bitch and the Veteran absent. Our judge was Mr. Tom Parrotti. Winners Bitch from the 9-12 month, Puppy class (for her second 4-point major) went to Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed was awarded to GCH. Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". Best of Opposite Sex was Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda". Mick went on to earn a Terrier Group 1. This was Mick's third group win this year!

August 31, 2010 - Dog Days @ Gettysburg College

Last evening Maida and I took two of our Skyes to participate in the first night of "Dog Days" at Gettysburg College. As a member of the Gettysburg College staff, Maida was invited to participate. To quote from the Gettysburg College website: "Dog Days" is designed to use pets to help welcome students to Gettysburg College. During the first three weeks of classes, college employees are encouraged to bring their dogs to campus for "Dog Days." Students are invited to meet the dogs and their owners. "If you get to know the dog, you can get to know the person," said Kathy Bradley, Director of the Health & Counseling Center and Associate Dean of College Life, who dreamed up Dog Days. "If a student has one connection on campus - from a custodian to the president - we're more likely to retain that student. And it addresses students' homesickness and well-being."

We first participated in this most enjoyable event in 2008. We returned in 2009 and now, we are participating in the third year. Last evening, we took two Skyes, Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee! - "Bea" and Gleanntan Defying Gravity - "Elphie". For the next visit, we'll add Ch. Gleanntan Gottalookatme - "Boz" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya" to the mix.

Rather remarkably, a number of students who we first visited with three years ago, attended last evening. Some who were sophomores are now entering their senior year at Gettysburg College. We will be participating again on Thursday and then again two days next week.

August 27 - First AKC championship point for Gleanntan Goin' To Show-Me - "Harry"

We are very proud to report that 11-month old Gleanntan Goin' To Show-Me - "Harry" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) earned his first AKC championship point today by going Winners Dog at the Topeka Kennel Club show. The judge was Mrs. Robert S. Forsyth. Harry is adored and handled by his owner, Beth Willis. Harry is Beth's second Skye and her first show Skye. Today's show was Harry and Beth's third time in the show ring. Congratulations to Beth and Harry!

August 25 - Gleanntan Gulliver's Travels to Dolphaz - "Roscoe"

August 25 - New photo of Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl

August 15

Maida and I were at the Penn Ridge KC show on Saturday and the Harrisburg KC show on Sunday. The Skye entry both days consisted of our two Specials Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" and Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and our 9-12 month Puppy Bitch Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". In addition, our friend, Barbara Shickley had her 11-month old puppy, Gleanntan Showstopper - "Teddy" entered in his first show weekend. I must also note that this was Barbara's first time back in the ring in approximately 30 years!

 Best of Breed went to Mick and Best of Opposite Sex went to Glinda on both Saturday and Sunday. Best of Winners both days went to Moya. On Sunday, our junior handler friend, Rachel, took Moya back into the ring and she presented Moya skillfully. Rachel has handled Moya a number of times since the Bucks County show in May and they are becoming quite a nice team.

August 12 - Roscoe

August 1

Maida and I were at two shows in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania this past weekend. Saturday was the Lackawanna KC show and Sunday was the Bald Eagle KC show.

 The Skye entry on Saturday was 0-2-1-1 consisting of our two Specials Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" and Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and our 9-12 month Puppy Bitch Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". The other class entry of another exhibitor was in the Bred by Exhibitor Bitch class. Winners Bitch went to Moya for a point; Best of Breed went to Mick and Best of Opposite Sex went to Glinda. Special thanks to our friend Rachel, a talented junior handler, for holding Mick and for taking Moya back into the ring on Saturday.

 The entry on Sunday dropped to our three - Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed went to Mick and Best of Opposite Sex went to Glinda. Mick also was one of 6 to make the cut in the group. Special thanks to our friend Susan for holding Mick prior to judging and to West Highland White Terrier breeder/exhibitor. Jody, for taking Moya back into the ring.

July 27 - Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" earns his AKC GRAND CHAMPION (GCH) Title

We are pleased to report that GCH. CH. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" recently earned his Grand Champion title. He is the second Skye to earn this prestigious new AKC title and the first breeder/owner handled Skye to do so. Here are the requirements of the title from the AKC website (all of the following required): Twenty-five Grand Championship points; three majors won under three different judges; at least one or more points won under a fourth judge; must have defeated at least one other AKC Champion of Record at three shows.

July 18 - Shawnee KC shows

This past weekend, Maida and I were at the Shawnee KC shows in Berryville, Virginia. We had three of our Skyes entered  - Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and the puppy Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya".

On Saturday, Best of Breed went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda", presented by Maida. Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". In the Terrier Group, Glinda went on to earn a Group 3 in an entry of about 80 terriers. The breed and group judge was S. Candace Way.

On Sunday, under judge Billie (Kneale) Kellogg, Best of Breed went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" and Best of Opposite Sex went to Glinda's 10-month daughter, Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Mick went on the take a Terrier Group 2.

July 17 - Photos from Great Western Terrier - Gleanntan Gottamakereservations - "Tara"

July 10 - Brief video clip of Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch in the terrier group - July 4

July 6 - Photos from the Great Western Terrier Association shows

July 4 - Bushy Run KC shows

We were at the Bushy Run Kennel Club shows in Western Pennsylvania for the July 4th weekend. Maida and I entered three Skyes and Roxan entered one of her Skyes so we had four Gleanntan Skyes in competition. Our lineup included Specials Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and the puppy Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Roxan had her Open dog Gleanntan Desperado - "Henley". The total entry was 1-1-2-1 with one absent.

On Saturday, Best of Breed went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" and Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda". Best of Winners went to Gleanntan Desperado - "Henley".

On Sunday, Best of Breed went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" handled beautifully by Maida. Maida has been working hard with Glinda and Glinda is in the shape of her life. Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". Best of Winners again went to Gleanntan Desperado - "Henley".

Here are a couple of photos of Glinda in the terrier group.

We also took new photos of two of Tony (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator) and Glinda's 9-month old pups.

June 28 - Great Western Terrier Association - Skye Terrier Club of Southern California Specialty

Maida and I had the good fortune to attend the Great Western Terrier Association - Skye Terrier Club of Southern California (STCSC) Specialty show in Long Beach, California. The Skye Specialty was held on Saturday, June 26. The following day, Sunday, June 27 featured the same entry with the entry supported by the STCSC as well as the Skye Terrier Club of America.

I first attended Great Western Terrier in 1997 when I traveled to California with Donna Dale. Maida and I attended, without dogs, in 2000. Our first Great Western with dogs was in 2001 when we entered "Emily" - Ch. Gleanntan Grandxpose just three months after Donna's passing. Maida and I returned in 2002 and 2003 and then missed a few years. This year we decided to enter to have our Gleanntan Skyes represented. We also looked forward to the opportunity to show the 9-month old puppy of our breeding who is owned by our dear friend, Carol Fink. This was the inaugural showing for Carol's "Tara" - Gleanntan Gottamakereservations.

Our entry consisted of Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" who is owned by Gary and Lynn Wolf. We also entered Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda". Our third Gleanntan representative was Glinda's 9-month old daughter, Gleanntan Gottamakereservations - "Tara" who is owned by Carol Fink.

On Saturday, June 26 at the Skye Terrier Club of Southern California Specialty, the entry consisted of 19 Skyes with the breakdown of 2-7 (5-5). Best of Breed went to a handsome California-bred male who was BOB at this show last year. Best of Opposite Sex went to a recently finished female also from California. The judge then awarded the Select Dog (AKC Grand Champion major) to Mick, Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! and the Select Bitch (AKC Grand Champion major) to Glinda, Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch.

In the classes, this was the first outing for 9-month old Gleanntan Gottamakereservations - "Tara" and she showed beautifully. Tara earned Reserve Winners Bitch from the 9 to 12 month, Puppy Bitch class.

On Sunday, June 27, the entry was supported by the Skye Terrier Club of Southern California and the Skye Terrier Club of America. The entry was the same group of dogs - 2-7 (5-5). This day also featured the Sweepstakes competition for the youngsters - entry of 1-3.

In the Sweepstakes competition, Gleanntan Gottamakereservations - "Tara" earned Best of Opposite Sex to Best in Sweepstakes.

In the Regular classes, Gleanntan Gottamakereservations - "Tara" again earned Reserve Winners Bitch. It is worth noting that the Winners Bitch winner on Saturday was a lovely bitch from the Bred By Exhibitor class with Tara going Reserve. On Saturday, the Winners Bitch went to another nice bitch from the Open class with Tara going Reserve. We are delighted that Tara competed well against the Winners Bitch winners in her first two shows.

Finally, on Sunday Best of Breed was awarded to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". He also earned points towards his AKC Grand Champion title. After the judge selected her Best of Opposite Sex winner, she then went back to the large group of Specials lined up and awarded Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch with Select Bitch, giving her major points towards her AKC Grand Champion title.

Below is a short video clip of Tara in her first ring outing. The clip will also give you a sense of the beauty of the unique show location at the Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, California.

June 20 - Another Terrier Group Win for Mick

Maida and I were entered in the Bryn Mawr Kennel Club shows this past weekend with three Gleanntan Skyes - Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Mick took BOB and Glinda took BOS under judge Michael Dougherty. In the terrier group competition, judge Dougherty had many nice dogs to choose from. What a thrill it was when Mick made the first cut for the final "go round". After that, Mick was put to the head of the line and he went on the win the Terrier Group.

June 12 - Duffy earns his CDX Title!

We are proud to report that on Saturday, June 12, "Duffy" - Ch. Gleanntan Going For The Silver, CD earned the final leg for his Companion Dog Excellent title. Congratulations to Judy and Duffy!

May 31 - Memorial Day Weekend

Maida and I were at the Memorial Day Weekend shows in New Castle, Pennsylvania this past weekend. We greatly enjoyed spending time with our friend and Gleanntan Kennels partner Roxan Rohrich who had her young male "Henley" entered.

Saturday was the New Castle Kennel Club show and the Skye entry was 2-3-2-1. Winners Dog and Best of Winners went to Roxan's handsome two-year old Gleanntan Desperado (Ch. Gleanntan Gotitxactlyrite x Ch. Gleanntan Goldminersdaugther). Reserve Winners Bitch from the Puppy class went to our Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed was awarded to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" who is owned by Gary and Lynn Wolf & Gleanntan. Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda". We were delighted that Mick went on to earn a Group 4 in an entry of 155 terriers under judge Mrs. Barbara Dempsey Alderman.

Sunday was the Trumbull Kennel Club show and the Skye entry was 2-1-2-1 with 1 absent under judge Alice Watkins. Winners Dog went to Gleanntan Desperado. Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best Puppy was awarded to 8 month old Gleanntan Symphony in G. This gave Moya her first Championship point. Best of Breed again went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! and Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch. Glinda is in the best shape of her life after having her litter last September. She is showing consistently well for Maida. It is a joy to watch Glinda in the ring with her full maturity and her remarkable resemblence to her dam, Ch. Gleanntan Grandxpose - "Emily".

Monday was the New Castle Kennel Club's second show. The Skye entry was 1-1-2-1 with 1 absent. Winners Dog and Best of Winners went to Gleanntan Desperado. Winners Bitch went Gleanntan Symphony in G very capably handled by Margery Good's assistant, Sarah. Best of Breed again went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! and Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch.

Here are a few photos from our weekend:

May 10 - Bucks and Trenton Weekend

Maida and I were at the Bucks County Kennel Club and the Trenton Kennel Club shows this past weekend. Fortunately, a late ring time enabled us to drive to the beautiful Bucks show site on Saturday morning. As we drove down Route 32 along the Delaware River from the north, I couldn't help but reflect on the first time we attended this show seventeen years ago. In addition to being held at a beautiful show site, Bucks is one of those special shows because of its long tradition and its focus on the breeder. This year, the Skye entry consisted of three of our Skyes (0-1-1-1) - Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick", Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and 7.5 month old Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya".  We needed an extra hand on Saturday so we enlisted the help of Rachel, a junior handler friend, who did a very nice job with Moya. Mick took BOB, Glinda took BOS and Moya was WB. As the day progressed, a strong cold front swept through and the winds became very strong. By the time the group started, everyone was watching the tents and wondering if they would hold up to the gale force winds. Of course, the strong winds also make it nearly impossible to present a Skye to his best advantage.

On Sunday, we were at the Trenton Kennel Club show at the Mercer County Park in West Windsor Township, New Jersey. While Bucks is more of a breeder-focused show, the Trenton show always attracts a very large number of spectators. From the moment we arrived and started grooming, we were visited by folks with at least a curiosity about the Skye. One couple that visited actually own a Skye and they asked many good questions about grooming/coat care. The Skye entry at Trenton increased by one - a class male not of our breeding. The show was delayed by an hour due to the sustained high winds. Under an Australian judge, Mick took Best of Breed, Glinda took Best of Opposite Sex and Moya was Winners Bitch. Moya also went on to earn Best of Winners handled by our Bedlington Terrier friend, Joan. I was very pleased with the way Moya showed. She is a pretty, very typey girl with excellent sidegait. The terrier group was the last group of the day and with the delay in judging it was about 7 p.m. before the group started. The temps continued to drop from the 50s to the 40s and everyone was struggling to stay warm. We did not get home until after midnight.

May 2

Maida and I were at the Wilmington Kennel Club and Penn Treaty Kennel Club shows in Bear, DE this past weekend. These two shows were our first outdoor shows of the season. We had just two of our Skyes entered, Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" and 7-month old Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". The dogs showed well both days. On Saturday, Mick was one of 6 to make the cut in the terrier group. There was also a puppy terrier group on Saturday and Moya earned a terrier puppy Group 2.

We greatly enjoyed visiting with our friend Judy Fatzinger and her Gleanntan Skyes, "Duffy" and "Gertie" at the shows and at her lovely home in Bear, DE.

Below are a few photos from the weekend:

April 25 - 36th Potomac Skye Terrier Club Specialty

Maida and I are home now after participating in the 36th Potomac Skye Terrier Club Specialty, followed by the Old Dominion Kennel Club and Baltimore County Kennel Club all-breed shows. I cannot begin this report without first sharing the heartbreaking news that Ben is facing a serious health challenge and it has taken a turn for the worst. This is particularly hard because Ben is our family as was Donna. Our weekend at the show was consumed by having to focus on running the Potomac Specialty while at the same time presenting our four Skyes in the ring. Throughout each day, Ben remained in our constant thoughts and prayers. We also visited with him at the end of the Saturday and Sunday shows.

On Friday, at the 36th Potomac Skye Terrier Club Specialty, Best of Breed was awarded to 3-year old Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee!) owned by Gary and Lynn Wolf of Slidell, Louisiana and breeder/co-owner handled by Michael Pesare. The regular classes judge was Gary M. Vlachos. "Mick" also made the cut in the group. In the Sweepstakes competition, Best in Sweepstakes was awarded to our 7-month old bitch Gleanntan Symphony In G - "Moya" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch). The Sweepstakes judge was Kathy Schwabe.

At the Old Dominion KC show on Saturday, Best of Breed again went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" under judge Barbara Dempsey Alderman. "Mick" also was one of 8 in the final cut in the group. Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda". Reserve Winners Bitch from the Bred by Exhibitor class went to Gleanntan Defying Gravity - "Elphie" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch).

At the Baltimore County KC show on Sunday, Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" repeated in his Best of Breed win under judge Thomas Parrotti. We were also delighted that our Bred by Exhibitor bitch Gleanntan Defying Gravity - "Elphie" earned Winners Bitch for a 4-point major and she also went Best of Opposite Sex over her dam Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch.

I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Travis Wright who superbly handled his littermate to "Mick" - Ch. Gleanntan Gaelforce - "Cooper" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee!) each of the three days. "Cooper" is maturing beautifully and moves with impressive power and happiness.

April 20

Maida and I were at the Harrisburg Kennel Club show on Satuday, April 17 and the Mason Dixon Kennel Club show on Sunday, April 18. The Skye entry both days was 3-3-1-1 with quite a nice entry of class dogs and bitches in competition.

The breed judge on Saturday was Billie Kellogg. We are proud to report that Winners Dog from the Bred by Exhibitor class went to Gleanntan Wonderful Wizard Of Oz - "Gus". This win also gave Gus the final points that he needed for his AKC Championship. Winners Bitch and Best of Winners went to Gus' littermate Gleanntan Defying Gravity - "Elphie". Reserve Winners Bitch went to our 7-month old puppy Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Opposite Sex went to Gus, Elphie and Moya's dam, Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch. Best of Breed went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". Mick went on to earn a Group 3 under judge Ken Kauffman. The total terrier entry was 195.

The following day's judge was Dr. Gerard Penta. Reserve Winners Bitch again went to our 7-month old puppy Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya". Best of Breed again went to Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" and Best of Opposite Sex went to Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch.

April 11

Maida and I were at the Shenandoah Valley Kennel Club show today. We had three Skyes entered, 7-month old Gleanntan Symphony in G - "Moya", Gleanntan Defying Gravity - "Elphie", and Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick". Elphie earned Winners Bitch. Mick earned Best of Breed and then went on to earn a Group 4 in field that included a Border Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier and Scottish Terrier that are all ranked in the top 3 in the U.S. The Scottie, who is currently ranked #1 in breed points won the group.

This was Moya's first show and it almost turned out to be a disaster. We had an 8:30 a.m. ring time and Moya was first up for Skyes. I placed Moya on the table and the judge began to go over her. Since this was her first show, I steadied her by supporting her head from under her jaw. In a flash, the table collapsed onto the judge's foot. Thankfully I reacted quickly and Moya never dropped nor did she even realize what had happened. Thankfully, the judge was OK but he did have to have his foot iced to minimize swelling.

It was a beautiful day in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley. The weather could not have been nicer. Although the judging was indoors, the grooming was outside and the Skyes enjoyed some outside time sitting in the grass.

March 30 - Duffy earns his second leg towards a Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title

On Sunday, March 28, Judy Fatzinger and "Duffy" (Ch. Gleanntan Going For The Silver, CD) participated in back-to-back shows hosted by the Lower Camden County Dog Training Club in Hatfield, PA. Rather than paraphrasing Judy's wonderful account of the day, I thought I would include it as written.

"As we came into the ring for the morning show, the judge remarked what a beautiful dog Duffy is. Duffy sat instead of dropping on the recall. Otherwise would have qualified. Between shows he made new friends for the breed. At any of his shows or show'ngos people are always interested in watching him in the ring as they've never seen a Skye before. They also think he is cute, which he is. Outside of the ring people want to say hello and he's only too glad to oblige and give kisses. One man who was showing a Golden said he thought it was great to see the rare breeds in obedience. He also has a Clumber Spaniel but never thought about obedience. Maybe he will now. There are also people who have to ask what breed Duffy is.

Between shows we went outside and practiced our drop on recalls. It must have paid off as he got the job done. The afternoon judge complimented Duffy on his drop. When he does drop he drops like a rock unlike some dogs who take a few more steps and then drop. The judging was done in ascending jump height order so he was in the first group of stays. The group was a miniature Dachshund, a French Bulldog who placed in the morning show, a number of Corgis and Duffy. Duffy was the only one in that group that qualified.  Of the 32 dogs that were entered, just four qualified and Duffy was one of the four to qualify (4th). It doesn't get much better than this!

One more leg to go. We are entered next Saturday and Sunday at Howard County Fairgrounds. Wish us luck!

March 28 - Western Pennsylvania Kennel Association shows

Maida and I were in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the Western Pennsylvania Kennel Association shows at the David Lawrence Convention Center. The Skye entry on Saturday was 1-4-3-1 with one male special absent. Our entry consisted of Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - Mick, Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - Glinda, and Gleanntan Defying Gravity - Elphie. I am pleased to report that on Saturday, Mick earned Best of Breed, Glinda earned Best of Opposite Sex and Elphie was Reserve Winner Bitch from the Bred by Exhibitor class. Mick also went on to a Terrier Group 3 under judge Lydia Coleman Hutchinson. On Sunday, the Skye entry was 0-3-3-1. Elphie was Reserve Winners Bitch. It was an enjoyable weekend, particularly because there was a nice entry of Skyes both days.

March 21 - Happy Spring!

March 20 - Duffy!

We are very proud to report that today, at the Delaware County Kennel Club show, Ch. Gleanntan Going For The Silver, CD - "Duffy" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee!) earned his first leg towards his CDX title. Duffy and his owner Judy Fatzinger have been training with the same group of dogs for the past two years. Judy noted that this group of dogs consists of 3 Labs, 1 German Shepherd and Duffy the Skye. It is quite an accomplishment that Duffy was the first of his training group to successfully attain his CD title and he is the first to earn a leg towards his CDX title.

March 20

March 14 - Monticello Kennel Club shows

Maida and I were at the Monticello Kennel Club shows in Milton, New York this past weekend. Milton is just across the Hudson River to the west of Poughkeepsie, NY. The shows were held at the Hudson Valley Sports Dome which was quite a unique facility for a dog show - the high-quality astro turf was terrific for the dogs. The Skye entry was 0-0-1-1 - Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - Mick and Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - Glinda. On Saturday, Best of Breed went to Mick and Best of Opposite Sex went to Glinda. Mick was one of 6 to make the cut in the group. The breed result was the same on Sunday.

The shows also provided wonderful opportunities to introduce two of Glinda's 6-month old pups to the show environment in a very positive way. Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl - Lilly and Gleanntan Symphony in G - Moya spent about four hours on Saturday visiting with friends and their dogs. Our friend, Bridget, enjoyed visiting with the pups. Bridget is a talented junior handler who has handled some of our Skyes. On Saturday, she earned Best Junior Handler with her Smooth Fox Terrier.

On Sunday, as Maida and I were leaving the ring with Mick and Glinda, one of the ringside spectators asked if she and her husband and her austistic son could visit with the Skyes. The young man was about 16 years old and his parents shared with us that he has a major interest in dogs. His mother said that he reads everything he can about dogs. We spent about half an hour with them as they visited with Mick and Glinda. They asked many good questions about the breed and also about the shows.

March 10 - Remembering Donna Dale

Today is the ninth anniversary of Donna's passing. Donna remains in our hearts every day and her loss is still difficult to grasp. We hold onto many wonderful memories including the day captured in the photo below.  We were all beaming with pride on this day in 1996 when our first Skye from Gleanntan, "Fiona" earned her AKC Championship. I invite you to listen to "Harpsong" by celebrated Irish artist Moya Brennan.

March 7

Today, our friend Travis Wright visited and we were able to get a group of new photos of the Skyes. Although the weather was quite nice with sunny skies and temps in the 50s, the wind was strong and the Skye coats were flying. Despite the winds, it was still valuable to get new photos of the 5 month old youngsters as well as Elphie (17 months) and Cooper (3 years).

March 6

Yesterday, Maida and I received a group of photos from our friend Carol. I thought I would share our favorite photo of the series. This is Carol and her much loved "Tara" - Gleanntan Gottamakereservations (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch) - born September 21, 2009.

March 5 - Read Across America 2010

This morning, I made one final guest reader visit to a local elementary school close to the office. This was a smaller group of students which provided the students with more one-on-one time with the Skyes. For this visit, I took Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee! - Bea and the male puppy from Glinda's litter, Gleanntan Gulliver's Travels - Roscoe. After initial introductions, the kids sat in a semi-circle around the Skyes. Roscoe made himself right at home, rolling over on his back for his obligitory belly run. Like his father, Tony, Roscoe also enjoys giving enthusiastic kisses. The kids found this very amusing.

March 2 - Read Across America 2010

This morning, Maida and I had the privilege of serving as guest readers at a local elementary school as part of the National Read Across America Celebration. This annual event is held on the occasion of Dr. Seuss’ birthday and it is designed to inspire children and teens to read.

We have been participating in this event for the past five years. The first two years we visited with just one Skye, Ch. Gleanntan Grandxpose - “Emily”. Emily set the standard for high-quality, gentle interactions with the kids. More recently, we’ve participated with more than one Skye. This year, we decided to take Emily’s 5.5 year-old daughter, Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee! - “Bea” and Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch’s 5 month-old puppy, Gleanntan The Goodbye Girl - “Lilly”.

We arrived at the school at 9 a.m. and noticed that all of the kids and their teacher were dressed in pajamas. We learned that they were having a pajama read-athon which is one of the activities of the Read Across America Celebration.

Maida and I waited with Bea and Lilly outside of the classroom as three 2nd grade classes were assembled. Shortly after we entered the classroom and were introduced to the kids, one of the students remarked that she remembered our visit two years ago with Emily, Bea and Mackenzie - even remembering that those three Skyes represented three generations. To think that this student remembered this two years later was just amazing!

I provided a bit of background information on the Greyfrairs Bobby story and then shared how the Greyfriars Bobby book was important in our early introduction to the Skye Terrier. I then read Ruth Brown’s beautifully illustrated children’s version of Greyfriars Bobby.

After finishing the book, I asked the children by a show of hands, how many had watched dog shows on TV and almost every single child enthusiastically raised his/her hand. One child noted that her mother didn’t care for the shows, but she still tried to watch because she enjoyed them so much.

The questions were excellent this year - "Are they related to the Scottie and the Westie?"; What were they bred for? Do they shed? The kids were very respectful and this made for a very positive outing for the youngster, Lilly. Many of the children - boys and girls - asked if they could hold Lilly on their laps. I stayed close to Lilly during this period and occasionally talked to her to remind her that all was OK.

We could not have asked for a better visit. Our Read Across America classroom visits give the kids a brief glimpse into responsible dog ownership and how responsibly bred and well-socialized dogs can be good canine citizens. The visit hopefully inspired the kids to read more about dogs in general.

February 28

Maida and I were at the Saturday and Sunday Rockland County Kennel Club shows in Suffern, New York. We first attended this show in the mid-1990s and the last time we showed here was in 2003. It has been a few years - but we enjoy this show venue. We also like the fact that this show typically draws exhibitors from our current mid-Atlantic region as well as exhibitors from New England. So, we had a chance to visit with old friends from New England as well as friends from our area. We had two specials entered, Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" and Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" and this constituted the Skye entry (0-0-1-1). Mick took Best of Breed both days and showed nicely in the group.

February 25 - Mick and Glinda's Westminster photos

February 18 - New photo of Glinda at the Garden State All Terrier Show

February 17 - 134th Westminster Kennel Club Show

Maida and I have just returned from New York City after participating in this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. This year, we had two Gleanntan Skyes entered, Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" (Ch. Finnsky Gladiator x Ch. Gleanntan Givemebusybee!) who is owned by Gary and Lynn Wolf of Slidell, Louisiana and our own Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" (Ch. Gleanntan Going For It x Ch. Gleanntan Grandxpose).

The Skye entry consisted of a total of 7 Skyes, including the top five ranked Skyes in the country (2009). The breakdown was 5 males and 2 females with one female absent. The judge this year was Mr. Peter J. Green. I have always had the highest regard for Peter Green, first as a fellow terrier competitor and more recently as a judge. I looked forward to having this opportunity to show under him at the Westminster KC show.

There were three awards available to Skyes on this day - the top prize of Best of Breed; Best of Opposite Sex; and a single Award of Merit. We are thrilled that Glinda earned Best of Opposite Sex, handled by Travis Wright, and Mick earned the Award of Merit, breeder/owner handled by me (Michael Pesare).

Glinda was shown to her championship by Travis Wright in April, 2007 and she showed beautifully for him despite the fact that she has only recently returned to competition after a break of nearly 3 years. Mick is a young son of our beautiful Finnish import, Tony, out of Bea. Mick was shown lightly in 2009, completing his AKC Championship in September, 2009 and he completed last year as the #5 Skye in the U.S. (breed points).

The show was particularly enjoyable because Maida and I were able to share the Westminster experience with friends. This was the first time that Mick's owners were able to see Mick in competition. Also joining us this year were friends Ernie and Jan Kowalec from Calgary, Canada who were attending their first Westminster show. We also enjoyed spending the full day on Tuesday in the benching area with fellow Skye exhibitors. During the 9 hours in the benching area, we all fielded a steady stream of visitors with the full range of "frequently asked Skye questions". Having multiple Skyes in the benching area also allowed us to give one or two a break from the nearly continuous visits to the benching area.

We didn't have too much free time during our visit but we were able to spend a portion of Monday walking down Fifth Avenue to the "glass cube" Apple Store and then we spent a few hours at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum. We also enjoyed dinner at Carmine's in the Theater District.

February 13 - Garden State All Terrier Show

The Garden State All Terrier Show was held at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, New York. The total Skye entry was 2-2-0-1. However, there were a few absent so the final entry was one class bitch and one Specials bitch. We had the Specials bitch, 5.5 year old Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" (Ch. Gleanntan Going For It x Ch. Gleanntan Grandxpose) returning to the ring on a limited basis this year - less than 5 months after her litter of 7. Fortunately, Glinda's pups were easy on her coat and we worked hard to bring Glinda back to full bloom. Glinda completed her AKC Championship in April, 2007 and she was not shown in the intervening time until a couple of weeks ago.

Glinda earned Best of Breed. I was pleased with her showing in the breed and the group. Now, we are getting ready to head to New York City for the Westminster Kennel Club show.

February 9 - First Shows of 2010 - Mick Group 1 and Group 2!

Maida and I were at the Erie Kennel Club shows last weekend. The Skye entry was (0-0-2-1) and consisted of Ch. Gleanntan Comeflywithme! - "Mick" and Ch. Gleanntan Glindathegoodwitch - "Glinda" as well as one additional male Special. On Saturday, Mick earned Best of Breed and Glinda earned Best of Opposite Sex under judge Marieann Gladstone. Mick then went on to earn a Terrier Group 1 under judge Ms. Marjorie J. Underwood. The following day, Mick repeated his Best of Breed win and Glinda repeated as Best of Opposite Sex under judge Mr. Robert D. Black. Mick then went on to a Terrier Group 2 under Mr. Black. Mick is owned by Lynn and Gary Wolf of Slidell, Louisiana and co-owned by Gleanntan.

February 3

Four of the seven pups from our September, 2009 litter are now with their new owners. We are delighted that "Purple Boy" - now known as Gleanntan Showstopper - "Teddy" is now with his new owner Barbara Shickley and "Green Girl" - Gleanntan Gottamakereservations - "Tara" is now with her new owner Carol G. Fink. "Dark Blue Boy" - now known as Gleanntan Goin' To Show-Me - "Harry" is now with his new owners Beth and Brent Willis and family. "Light Blue Boy" - now known as Levi is now with his new owners Christopher and Carrie-Ann Jordan and family. Two more pups will be going to their new owners in 2010 and one girl, Gleanntan Symphony In G - "Moya" will stay with us.