March is here! Meteorological spring (now there's a mouthful) began on the 1^st, and the clocks are ready to spring ahead. Just as I was getting used to some light on the Eastern horizon before 7am. So SAD. Pretty soon it will be warm enough to get a shovel in the ground and start planting!

Welcome to the new home for our consolidated events calendar.

Click on the + to expand the section of interest.

There have been changes in CKC Obedience going forward in 2025. No more separation of the H & 18 streams in Open, everyone is back to a single stream. We have a new reference card available to summarize the required exercises for training. More details…

We are no longer making the full CARO rally sign sets, however for those who have the 2022 sets we do offer the new signs for 2025 so you can stay up to date. More details…

Spring is considered by some to have arrived on the 1^st of March. Others wait until the second Sunday of March when the clocks move ahead, others wait until the equinox to declare the arrival. All I know is that I have to start Spring cleaning now inside, because if I wait until it is nice outside I will be outside.

Thought I would take some time to share some of my cleaning tips and favourite mixes. So much on the Internet is dubious in safety and in science. First rule — Do not mix vinegar with anything. Use it straight up or diluted with water, that's it that's all. It works just fine on it's own and anything else added will compromise performance or safety.

I do combine bleach and washing soda. It is a safe combo that works well for mold/mildew removal on hard surfaces, the bleach does the quick kill and the washing soda leaves an alkali residue that acts as a deterrence. 2 cups of water (500 ml) with 1 tbsp (15 ml) bleach and 1 tsp (5 ml) washing (no, not baking) soda. Stir to disssolve, put in a spray bottle and label it.

For cleaning finished wood surfaces like doors and millwork, I mix Murphy's Oil Soap and Lestoil to clean, disinfect and treat wood surfaces that won't be rinsed. They are both water "soluble" oils and compliment each other. 2 cups of water (500 ml) with 2 tbsp (30 ml) Lestoil and 1/2 tbsp (7.55 ml) Murphy's Oil Soap. Stir to disssolve, put in a spray bottle and label it.

Happy cleaning!

February has not been nice for weather, but if you keep the trials small then there are fewer issues. Our CARO trial in February was just working class, and only 25 runs but some people still managed to achieve some major milestones.

Congrats to Willow (Beatrice) and Luna (Sarah) on claiming the top CARO Working Class Champions title. Unofficial results are available, February here (PDF).

We have our first CARO trial of the year all wrapped up. The weather you expect from January, rain and warm one day and the bottom falls out of the thermometer the next. Thank you to Judge Whitney Shaver for coming out for a full slate of regular classes, and to everyone who participated and helped move things along at a reasonable pace so we could wrap up just about when it got dark.

Unofficial results for January, Click here (PDF).

We had our first CKC trial on the first weekend of the year. Scent Detection for the Poodle Club of Canada, with Judge Nathan Clarkson. Fortunately we had a very nice day, although cold. A few light snowflakes early in the morning, then the sun came out in time for the Exterior tests in the afternoon. Very well attended, especially in Masters division. The best part is that we wrapped up just before the Sun went down, and no one had to do any searches by candlelight.

Unofficial results for December CARO are still available,
Click Here for the Regular Class (PDF).
Click Here for the Working Class (PDF).

Poodle Poetry & Pynky

Poodle Poetry

Some poodles are black,
some poodles are blue.
tariffs are painful,
but we'll make it through.

Pynky & The Brain

Pynky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?

I think so Brain, but I didn't recognize the Wicked Witch with that orange spray tan.