Click on the Herding button to read Jack's article "My Road to an HT Title".

 

After Dark Instant Karma HT

Breaking News "After Dark"!

December 2011

Happy birthday to Sparkle, who turned 4 this month!

A very special shout out to Karen Barrat and Miller, Karma's sire. Karen and Miller came in first place  in the 20" class at the  AKC Eukanuba Agility Invitationals in Florida. Isn't he handsome?

 

 

 

November 2011

Jack and Karma are now herding junkies and are laying plans for their PT title. I'm so proud of them both since the HT title was the first AKC title for each of them. Special thanks to Tracy and Katlynn Carlton who run the Second Chance Ranch and their sheep! Tracy invited Jack and Karma to work sheep at the Detroit Kennel Club show in March. This is one of the few remaing benched shows, and always draws a big crowd. We need to let the public know that Beardies are more than just a pretty bearded face!

October 2011

Well, Cowboy was right. The trip to Maine was indeed the mother of all road trips! So glad the old guy was able to join us for another National Specialty. We left Michigan on Thursday and the rain followed us to New York and then into Massachusettes for the herding trial. Jack did a great job with Karma and Sparkle (in the rain), and all their hard work paid off. Karma Q'd in the am and pm trial earning her an HT title. Sparkle was a bit more behaved in the pm trial earned her first HT leg. Next on the agenda was agility (in the rain). We had lots of fun, but no Q's. I believe some has a photo of Sparkle doing a piroette on the teeter. More rain as we drove to Kennebunkport to the Colony Inn, the host hotel. Karma and Sparkle did Rally (in the rain), and Sparkle earned her 2nd leg towards her RN. Karma had way too much fun bouncing around the ring and trying to play with the lead. No Q for you! Guess we need more practice, practice, practice. Finally, the weather broke and we had some sunshine for the conformation show. Sparkle showed well in the Open class, but did not place.

Lobsters were plentiful, and the hotel staff was very gracious. Our compliments to the Maniacs for hosting a wonderful show! Coudn't make it to the show? Check out the herding and agility photos at www.karenhocker.com and conformation and candid show photos at www.chetjezierski.photoshop.com.

September 2011

Happy birthday to Chase and Zoe who turned 8 this month; and please pass a piece of cake to Karma who turned 2. Practice, practice, practice; the BCCA National Specialty is at the end of the month. Cowboy refers to the trip as the mother of all road trips.

August 2011

Happy birthday to Sunny who turned 12 this month. We we at the vet's office for a checkup and I overheard a tech say "She looks good for an old lady). Pretty sure she was referring to Sunny and not moi :-) . Slow month for shows, just enjoying the end of summer. Jack and Karma are into herding big time, and taking lessons whenever they can.

July 2011

Where has the summer gone? Another road trip to Lake Huron so the dogs could get some beach time. Karma should have no problem with dock diving next year at Beardie Camp. We had glorious weather over the 4th and many people were out walking the beach, several of whom commented on the "diving dog". I'll be adding photos to the gallery soon. All the dogs went into the lake, even Cowboy! Thanks to Bob and Margaret for letting us come up every year with the dogs. We always have a great time.

Ready?
Go!

This past weekend was the "One Guy (Jack), His Wife (me) and Some Chicks (Tracy Carlton, her daughter and some of Tracy's herding students) Weekend". We spent two days on Tracy's farm working the dogs. At 15 1/2 Cowboy, was thrilled to enter the field and herd the sheep. He was a bit slow, but still knew what to do. All the dogs were happy to walk around the farm, which includes sheep and horses. At one point, Tracy put us to work. We all went into the pen and used our dogs to hold the stock while we worked to worm and trim hooves. You mark the ones that are done with spray paint so you can keep track of the stock. Well, when you combine the heat, several women with a sense of humor and a can of spray paint, you end up with some "interesting" symbols on the sheep! I taught an informal yoga class outdoors on Sunday moring to loosen everyone up after Saturday. Chanting and laughing "Baa-Ram-Ewe".

Kudos to Jack, who is doing a wonderful job training Karma on the sheep.

June 2011

Packed up the RV and headed up to Traverse City, Michigan, for a wonderul three day weekend show. Had fun catching up with old friends, and we split the points. Sparkle went BOW on Friday! Congrats to everyone who placed and won! Earlier in the month we competed in my club's agility trial with Chase and Sparkle. Since I teach yoga on Saturday mornings, I only entered on Sunday. Chase took 2nd place in Open STD for another leg. Sparkle came very close to a Q on both runs. Not too shabby, she does show promise.

May 2011

Jack and Karma spent a weekend with Simon Leaning at a herding clinic in North Branch, I was only able to audit a session on Sunday. Simon can really get into a dog's head and has an easy going and gentle nature, which comes through in his teaching methods. Come back soon to see the photos!

April 2011

Team Sparkle (Maryann, Michele and Sparkle) did well at the NCBCC Regional Specialty in Maryland. Sparkle was shown by her breeder, Michele Ritter (Britannia) and myself on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. She placed every day in the Open Bitch class, and on Sunday, breeder/judge Arlene Rubenstein award us RWB. The NCBCC hosts a great show weekend with a delicious lunch and wonderful trophies. Always great to get toghether with Beardie people!

February 2011

Karma the Cover Girl! Beauty & Brains!

Here is Karma herding with Jack. This photo was taken at Beardie Camp when Karma was 9 months of age.

Click on the picture of the brochure below to see a larger version.

Guess it pays to be the teacher's pet. Karma's photo was used in the brochure for "The Second Chance Ranch", where we take herding lessons. Jack and Karma braved almost a foot of snow today, but neither of them seemed to mind a bit. Several people watching actually got to witness their first Beardie Bounce. I overheard someone say "Is that a Beardie Bounce? I"ve heard about them, but never actually saw one before." Always entertaining.......

Interesting in herding lessons? www.comebysecondchanceranch.com

More exciting news this month!

This February, the American Kennel Club invited us to join the AKC Breeders of Merit program. Breeders must meet the program's qualifications which include the following:

Shout out to Sunny, who earned her ROMAX title!

January 2011

Congratulations to CH After Dark Seventh Star, RN AX MXJ OF, and owner Jenny Scheytt. Zoe also earned her VX (Versatility Excellent) title from the Bearded Collie Club of America. Belated congratulations to Estrella's Solamente Mia (co-bred with After Dark) who earned her RN title at a very young age (beating her mom by a couple of months)! Mia is a puppy from the Zoe x Miller breeding. Nice job to all the girls.

December 2010

Happy Birthday to Sparkle, who turned 3 on 12/12, she is looking very mature with her stunning black coat!

The month is off to a good start. Sparkle, Britannia Sparkles After Dark, was BOW at the Ingham County Kennel Club Show in East Lansing on 12/4/10, earning a few more points to her championship title.

Here's our 2010 holiday greeting card. Best wishes to your pack from ours!

November 2010

Congratulations to Murphy (Zoe x Miller) who earned his CGC and TDI! Apparently Murphy got extra credit because the gentleman using the walker in the required TDI exercise fell, and Murphy gave him some "kisses" to make him feel better. Beardies are always a crowd pleaser.

Beardies on Board? Then you need this standing Beardie emblem for your car. Details and photo under Items For Sale. Half the proceeds go to the BCCA.

October 2010

What a glorious time we had in Colorado at the BCCA National Specialty Show. It was a trip a remember, including the fire which made everyone evacuate the hotel in the middle of the night. The Beardies seem to enjoy the early morning trip outdoors. Sparkle decided to come in season, so she couldn't compete in agility or rally. Chase was awesome and took 2nd place in Novice Fast, and 3rd place in Open Standard, but a refusal in Excellent JWW cost us a leg. On to rally, where Chase earned his third leg, giving him his RN and qualifying him for a Versatility Award from the BCCA. I entered the photo on the home page into the annual photo contest and took home a first place blue ribbon!

Congrats to the Zoe x Miller puppies who placed in the regular classes and Sweeps! Another shout out to Brie, Mia, Packer and Razz who earned their HICs.

September 2010

Happy Birthday to Chase and Zoe who turn 7 this year!

Happy Birthday to the Zoe x Miller puppies who turn 1!

Karma you will remain a puppy until I say so. Happy Birthday Special K!

Got Pumpkin? Be sure to read my latest article about the pharmacy in your kitchen. It features some natual alternatives for caring for your dogs.

August 2010

Happy Birthday to Sunny, who turns 11 this year!

Another trip to the lake this month, and everybeardie had fun swimming in Lake Huron. Hard to believe summer is almost over, but that means it will soon be time for the Bearded Collie Club of America 2010 National Specialty Show in Loveland, Colorado. Come back for breaking news.

July 2010

Wow the month flew by! We had fun at the Michigan Regionaly Specialty hosted by the Great Lakes Bearded Collie Club, and followed up with a weekend show in Monroe. Both Sparkle and Karma came home with placement ribbons. As for me, I spent the last two weeks of July earning my certificate to teach yoga. Somehow we managed to sneak in a quick trip to Lake Huron, where we learned that our Beardies are part fish. (I think Sparkle and Karma have webbed feet). Check out our summer fun photos.


Karma and Sparkle, Lake Huron

June 2010

So far, we've been having fun and it isn't even officially summer! Chase got his second leg in Open JWW with a fourth placement, and two days later we were off to Beardie Camp. There is always so much to do and the people at Purina Farms are the best. Jack and Karma went into the sheep pen, and came out with an HIC (Herding Instinct Certificate). She and Jack made quite a team, looking like they've done it a million times although it was the first time Karma even saw sheep! Sparkle qualified for her CGC (Canine Good Citizen). The weather was hot, so I was really looking forward to dock diving. I got to hop in the pool with Chase and Karma. Cowboy, age fourteen, was a very happy camper and participated in the "running of the Beards". They next day I treated him to a canine massage. We paid tribute to Checkers by launching two purple (his favorite color) balloons at the memorial service. Sunny enjoyed the couch and the air conditioning in the motor home. This year, I was the instructor for Beardie Puppy 101 at camp. Take a peek at the PowerPoint presentation.

May 2010

Girls, girls, girls! Packed up the RV and headed off to a weekend show, and a good time was had by all. Sparkle, Britannia Sparkles After Dark, went WB and BOS both days. Not far behind was Karma, After Dark Instant Karma, who went RWB both days, and took a Group 3 at the B Match on Friday night. Everyone is looking forward to the next road trip in June - Beardie Camp!!!!!!

April 2010

Happy birthday to Cowboy, who turned 14 earlier this month. He still acts like and thinks he is 5, and we enjoy every minute of it. Congratulations to Sparkle, Britannia Sparkles After Dark, who was BOW and BOS at the Saginaw Valley Kennel Club show on the 10th. Aside from the dog show news, we're all very happy spring is finally here!

January 2010

Sadly, we said our final good byes to Checkers this month. He was our first conformation dog and an awesome agility partner. I'd like to say that I taught him a lot, but to tell the truth; Checkers taught me a lot more. He will be missed.

THE BEST PLACE TO BURY A DOG

"There is one best place to bury a dog.
"If you bury him in this spot, he will
come to you when you call — come to you
over the grim, dim frontier of death,
and down the well-remembered path,
and to your side again.
"And though you call a dozen living
dogs to heel, they shall not growl at
him, nor resent his coming,
for he belongs there.
"People may scoff at you, who see
no lightest blade of grass bent by his
footfall, who hear no whimper, people
who may never really have had a dog.
Smile at them, for you shall know
something that is hidden from them,
and which is well worth the knowing.
"The one best place to bury a good
dog is in the heart of his master."


--- Ben Hur Lampman ---

December 2009

Happy Birthday to Sparkle, who turned two years old this month! Check out this year's Christmas photo. Hint: It helps if your dogs are taught to "sit" and "wait", and a pocketful of treats also comes in handy. Karma, just three months old, behaved like an angel. Happy Holidays to all!

November 2009

The puppies have all gone to their new homes and have settled in nicely. All but one share their home with other Beardies, but that's just a matter of time. Riley, After Dark Living The Life Of Riley, was featured in a wonderful story that appeared on the front page of the Herald & Review (Illinois). You can read the story online by clicking here.

October 2009

We all had a great time at the Bearded Collie Club of America's National Specialty! Chase and Sparkle showed their versatility by participating in herding, agility, rally and conformation. We came home with some lovely ribbons and a few brags.

Congratulations to all the winners!

September 2009

Happy Sixth Birthday to Chase and Zoe (9/21/03)!

Great news: Zoe's puppies have arrived! We have 7 puppies — 2 black females, 1 black male, 1 brown female and 3 brown males; all were born 9/7/09.

Sire is MACH CH Colquhoun's No Time To Relax MXF NAC HIC, aka Miller, and for the record Zoe is CH After Dark Seventh Star OA AXJ CL2 RF HIC CGC. Miller's CHIC # is 57021 and Zoe's CHIC # is 42937. This is a co-breeding with Zoe's owner, Jennifer Scheytt. Inquiries welcome!

Look here for more puppy pictures!

Be sure to check out the Articles page to read "Play It Safe"!

June 2009

I always look forward to the Up 'N Over Agility trial held the first weekend of June, because to me that means summer is finally here. To add to my delight, Chase brought home two rosettes - first place in Novice Standard, and fourth place in Open Jumpers.

The following weekend we traveled to Chicago for the Chicagoland Regional Specialty, where Sparkle was awarded first place in the 12-18 month bitch class in Sweeps. Thank you breeder/judge, Leslie Papa!

Is there anything better than the smell of puppy breath? If all goes as planned, that wonderful scent will be here in early September. Zoe is the mom-to-be; check out her web page for photos and pedigree. More information as it becomes available. Please contact me for the details.

May 2009

Sparkle took Reserve Winners Bitch in her first MB-F Virtual Dog Show!

More good news.......

We call her Sparklelicious, but on May 16th at the Genesee County Kennel Club Show, the judge called her Best of Winners. Our little girl is growing up to be a lovely bitch!

Sparkle BOW at Genesee County Show

April 2009

My personal life demanded a brief hiatus from the dog show world, but our first month back out was terrific. My Sparklelicious girl earned her first points at the Saginaw Valley Kennel Club show, putting her officially "in the game". We traveled to Maryland for one of our favorite shows, the National Capitol Bearded Collie Club Regional Specialty. The club hosts a wonderful event and it's always great to see old friends.  Chase and Zoe were shown in the BOB competition, and Sparkle showed in the 12-18 month class. I have to say one thing about Sparkle, she is consistent! She earned 2nd place in Sweeps in a large 12-18 month bitch class, and was awarded the same honor in the regular classes. The next day, Sparkle earned the 2nd place ribbon again  in the 12-18 month bitch class at the Old Dominion show on Saturday. In addition to winning some "pie" money, Sparkle enjoyed spending time with her extended family. Check back later for photos (thanks, Chet) and the judge's critique.

In other news, Zoe (and her mom, Jenny) decided to join some friends for agility after the show on Friday in Maryland. Zoe earned her AXJ and NF title with a first place run in Exc A JWW. Although she appears very demure in the conformation ring, Zoe goes full throttle when she runs agility! I'm pretty sure that's the only time I've ever heard her bark.

Be sure to check out Sparkle on the MBF virtual dog show this May!

December 2008

I received my Christmas gift a bit early this year. The photo that graces the home page of this web site won second place in a photo contest sponsored by Drs. Foster and Smith, an online pet supply retailer. To view the winning photos click this link.The Beardies will have fun spending the prize, a $200 gift certificate for dog merchandise. MORE TOYS! In addition, we are now eligible for a trip to Disney World (without the dogs). Sending you warm wishes for the season and sharing Sparkle's Christmas wish......

Our Christmas card from After Dark:

Sparkle Bearded Collie custom Christmas card design 

 

November 2008

You have to check out the special interest page of the web site. We're going green After Dark, and you will be surprised to learn what we did with all that "dog hair". Of course, the real work was done by Martha Emery in Green Valley, Arizona, I just supplied the material. Rather, I should say -- Cowboy, Checkers, Sunny, Chase and Sparkle supplied the material. I am now the proud owner of a lovely hat and scarf made from a blend of Beardie hair mixed with hair from Shetland and Corrledale sheep. Unfortunately, we were only able to capture two of the "donors" for the photo shoot.

October 2008

Sparkle and I finished our third agility class, and she is coming along nicely for such a youngster. At the end of the month, Jack/Sparkle and myself/Chase attended a "Meet the Sheep" event. It's delightful watching the Beardies turn on to the sheep. Trust me, herding is a lot harder than it looks. We signed up for some lessons in November. Check out the photo of group herding -- Chase, me, Zoe and Zoe's Mom, Jenny Scheytt. You gotta feel sorry for that brown sheep!

September 2008

We entered a local show that had an entry for Best Puppy and I'm glad we did. The Sparklelicious puppy was awarded a Group 2 on 9/6/08.

August 2008

The After Dark crew acquiited itself well at the BCCC National Specialty. You can read Zoe's critique on her page.

Here is Sparkle's Sweeps critique:

6-9 Month Female, 4th place: Britannia Sparkles After Dark. Lovely dark bitch, expressive dark eyes, balanced on the move when she chose to cooperate. Slithgly lacking in terms of forechest and depth of chest when compared to the other three. (Sparkle's litter sister finished 2nd in this class.)

Sparkle's Regular Class critique:

Junior Puppy Bitch, 2nd place: Britannia Sparkles After Dark. Litter sister to #1 (the first place finisher) and similar body lines, plainer type with lovely head and nice dark eye, moved well but carrying her tail a little too high.

July 2008

Proud to announce that Chase is now a Canadian Champion! Am/Can CH After Dark Follow That Star NAJ HIC CGC earned his last two points in Sarnia over the holiday weekend.

 

Sparkle, Britannia Sparkles After Dark, made her show debut at the BCCA Great Lakes Regional Specialty show in Michigan on July 4th. Handled by Jack, Sparkle took 4th place in a very competitive 6-9 month bitch class.

June 2008

We all had a great time at Beardie Camp, especially Sparkle since "everyone loves puppies at Beardie Camp"!  Thanks to Grandpa Chet, Sparkle experienced cherry pie! It doesn't get any better than that. Chase worked the sheep in the big pen and earned his HIC from Ann Witte. It was heart warming to see all the rehome/rescue Beardies at Beardie Camp. A special thanks to all the other instructors who donated their time at Beardie Camp, I'm sure all the participants are grateful so many Beardie folk are willing to share their knowledge and expertise.  Thanks to Dan Landiss, you can enjoy some photos from Beardie Camp,visit his web page at.
landiss.info/misa/beardiecamp/index2008.html

On a personal note, I'd like to thank the day care crew who did an awesome job watching over the Beardies left in day care.
 

May 2008

After a brief hiatus from the agility ring, Checkers and I went to the Bearded Collie Club of America agility trial hosted by the Wild Weavers in Grove City, Ohio. We made the trip with our friend Jenny, and her two Beardies, Maggie and Zoe. Checkers hasn't competed since October of 2007, when we attended the BCCA National Specialty, but he managed to Q in five out of six runs! He earned his Open JWW Preferred title, as well as his Novice Fast Preferred title. Zoe, came home with the biggest ribbon, earning the HIT award (highest scoring Beardie at the trial) thanks to her Open Standard run. We were tired, wet, dirty and very happy!
 

April 2008

Well, it was a long ride to the Carolinas Regional Specialty Show, but it was worth it! CH After Dark Seventh Star NA OAJ, aka Zoe, received the #1 Award of Merit from breeder/judge Chantal Andrew. The photo is now available on Zoe's page.

Happy Birthday to Cowboy! He turned 12 years young on April 5th.

Maryann's latest article, Smoking is Bad for You (and Your Beardie), has been added to the Articles area.

Sunny earns a ROMA title since two of her offspring have earned agility titles. Thanks, Chase and Zoe!

CH After Dark Follow That Star, NAJ (Chase)
CH AFter Dark Seventh Star, OA, OAJ (Zoe)

Maryann has successfully completed the ABCs of Breeding home study program and received the Breeder's Education Certificate (suitable for framing) from the American Kennel Club.

AKC American Kennel Club Breeder's Education Certificate

March 2008
It's a girl!

We have a new baby, and she is Sparklelicious! Such a big name for a little girl, so we just call her Sparkle. To learn more about our newest "star," visit her web page.