Category: General

Of course, after a swim it is vital to roll in the snow if at all possible.

Finally the ice has cleared and we can really swim.

Kamu: Why aren’t we going anywhere? Travel restrictions are being relaxed, but widespread travel is still discouraged unless essential or you can avoid contact with others at the destination. Luckily the weather is getting warmer and an off grid campervan means we can keep our distance…

Every now and then Eino’s jumps over the ditches fall short and the unthinkable happens: he ends up swimming.

Kamu keeping a close eye on the geese. And hoping it would be hunting season already. And hoping that they would be geese that we could hunt…

Kamu: So this is the ditch were Luka got his legendary black coloration? Gotta go for a swim then.

Eino turns 4 years old today.

Eino: The water looks suspiciously deep… …But maybe I can get across without swimming… …I made it!

Things flatcoats find and return, part 352352.

Happy May Day!

It’s finally starting to feel like the endless November that masqueraded as winter has ended and spring is finally here. Maybe we can count last winter as a fluke and get back to having four seasons?

Topi’s ideal walk: swim, roll in sand, repeat

Let’s play king of the hill!

Eino: Are you coming yet?

Searching for inspiration. After almost 16 years of daily images, there are times when we feel like we are running out of ideas. But at the same time, we know there are many good photo opportunities all around us, we just need to slow down and find them.

There are some hidden snowbanks left, but these are the last chances for Topi to roll in the snow after a swim.

Happy National dog day (in Finland) from Kamu and the rest of our pack. By the way, head to our Instagram for a video greeting.

Kamu: Oh, look at that! A tasty morsel of goose poop.

A swimming flatcoat is a happy flatcoat.

The pointing dog points! Although we are not exactly sure at what. P.S. Take a look at our Instagram @thelifeofjalo later today to see the video from which this screen was taken.

Kamu: Finally the big ditches have melted enough to really swim in them!

Eino: Nope. Still too cold.

Exploring the shoreline

Maybe I can touch it just a little bit… Just a little bit… A little bit.

Eino: There’s water.

Topi after first swim of the year

The one who wants to stay dry footed

Older one showing an example

This is something Kamu loves to do… Collect pieces of ice

Swimming hole

Topi’s determination to swim

Topi digging a hole for swimming Topi digging a hole for swimming Topi digging a hole for swimming

Treasure hunting

Melted spot in the shore line! Are we able to swim in here yet?

Chilling

Today marks 14 years since the most golden of the goldens Kassu went over the rainbow bridge

Jumping into the weekend like…

Senior of our pack

The fields have no snow anymore but thick forest has still some.

Remember to be alert today 😉

Remember to keep the safety distance. Remember to keep the safety distance.

Eino: I’m a gundog too!

Sitting pretty

Kamu with a laughing expression in his eyes

That muzzle keeps getting whiter and whiter

Not a lot of snow anymore but the ditches are still frozen

On the ice

The red one deep in his thoughts

Old barn

Yesterday marked nine years since we lost the namesake of the blog, Jalo, to the nemesis of every flatcoat – cancer.

King of the hill

If you can climb it, climb it

Our senior Topi

Looks like they have a bad hair day

Let’s keep the elderly and those otherwise at risk safe! Today Finland will be enacting, for the first time in history, the Emergency Powers Act to limit personal freedoms and give the authorities more power to fight COVID-19. “Certainly and understandably you will at first be worried about those near to you. But in the…

Topi’s very, very furry neck

Kamu and his smaller girlfriend

Kamu and his bigger girlfriend

Young ones can run as fast as they want, I’m doing it in my own speed

Seeing double

Kamu 2 years 3 months & Topi 10 years 3 months

How many dogs can you see?

Saying hi to our neighbour

Like a painting

Topi the hurdle horse

Intensive look

All together Two ten years old

Kind-hearted giant in the world

Ritu says hi to you all!

Pampula and Ritu came to stay with us for a couple of days

Happy 1st of March

Soft afternoon light makes beautiful backgrounds for posing

Two flatcoats – but where’s the setter hiding?

Well boys… let me show you… how it’s done.

Found a ditch but how do I get in?

Sulo was born 13 years ago. Happy birthday to the rainbow bridge.

Frosty chest

One brave raven who likes to run our dogs around

Moody afternoon

Spring weather is here – two months early

Kamu: What so funny?

Kamu at Saint Isaac’s Cathedral

Kamu doing some sightseeing in St. Petersburg

We spent the last weekend in St.Petersburg. Kamu was Best of Breed in both shows and got 2 CAC’s. This means that he can apply for the RU CH, RKF CH and FI CH titles! He crowned the day by winning Best in Group! We spent the last weekend in St.Petersburg. Kamu was Best of…

Sunday mood

I found a ball. Snowball.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Stuck in the ditch

Flying over the ditch

Is this a better hair day then? –Eino

Finally it’s starting to feel like winter. We’ve had snowy days, sunny days and grey days. But at least we’ve got snow on the ground.

Does this count as a bad hair day?

Ten years ago Ramin jumped into our car in southern Sweden with this little one in the car with him. And Topi is still running towards us at full steam.

I huffed and puffed and blew the tree down. –Kamu

Peek-a-boo

That head profile

Hello.

Yesterday was our pawversary. Two years ago we picked up Kamu and he joined our family. Yesterday was our pawversary. Two years ago we picked up Kamu and he joined our family.

Posing on the frozen lake Ok, let’s go!

Let’s run, run, run!

So much space to run and explore on the frozen lake.

Shades of winter

One has something and others want it from him

Eino and his treasure

We have spent (and will spend) a lot of time building this new dog house.

Today would have been Luka’s 14th birthday. Not a day goes by when he isn’t in our minds.

Chrystal clear ice

Curious muzzle

The tongue

Watching the surroundings

Peaking behind the stone

Walking on ice

Water installation art by Kamu

In three different directions

A sip of water

When horizon dissapears

Watch out on the ice – it’s slippery and treacherously thin in places!

Two posing, one a crouching tiger

Hanging out

A new show year has started. Kamu was 3rd in a working class.

Yesterday Kamu became a dad. Dam is FI & LT Ch FI & SE TrCh Flatkiss Hottest Go-Getter “Hulda”. Photo Kennel Flatkiss

Coffee table conversations

Eino: Is that another raincloud I see coming towards us?

Things that flatcoats find on walks…

This is what it has looked like around here for over a week now. Wet and gloomy. And no snow. And it is extremely slippery.

Post-swim roll in the snow. Who cares if it’s -15°C.

Seriously. We want our winter back.

Kamu: Please, could we get some real winter weather back?

It’s raining outside, so we will unashamedly keep posting pictures of a sunnier and more snowy time.

We are trying to ignore the erratic winter weather we are currently having and still reminiscing of the sunshine and cold winter days during Christmas.

Happy New Year from all of us!

Frosty setter

Frosty faced Topi

Frosty faced Kamu

So how was your Christmas?

Topi’s favourite gift from Christmas past

Christmas mood

Got some presents

Christmas is time to be with the loved ones and to remember those who are no longer with us.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

So many beautiful Christmas lights in St. Petersburg.

Kamu: This is a good looking entrance. How about we build something like it at home for me?

That’s the Hermitage in the background. The flatcoats would probably love being able to run in a house that big, but just thinking of vacuuming the dog hair from all the rooms…

An evening stroll along the river Neva

Kamu: Pretty please with sugar on top, can I go swimming? Kamu: Okay then, I’ll settle for kisses if I can’t go swimming.

And since we only had Kamu with us in St Petersburg, be prepared for a series of Kamu in Russia. And since we only had Kamu with us in St Petersburg, be prepared for a series of Kamu in Russia.

Last weekend we took Kamu to St Petersburg in Russia for a few dog shows. He got two more Russian CACs and a reserve-CACIB. So not a bad weekend at all. Last weekend we took Kamu to St Petersburg in Russia for a few dog shows. He got two more Russian CACs and a reserve-CACIB.…

Don’t you just hate it when your ears come and cover your eyes mid-leap?

Master and apprentice

Fresh powder is so much fun!

Flying snow. The best treat ever!

World’s sweetest and kindest dog Topi turns 10 years old today. Grattis lilla gubbe.

Trio

Putting up some Christmas lights

Eino’s favourite game, someone chasing him.

Kamu spent his second birthday at a dog show. Excellent and second in working class but nothing more today. The hunt for the last Finnish CAC continues. Kamu spent his second birthday at a dog show. Excellent and second in working class but nothing more today. The hunt for the last Finnish CAC continues.

Our little boy Kamu turns 2 years old today.

Eino: Umm…She didn’t throw anything, did she?

All of them: Come on, throw it already. Pretty please!

3…2…1… We have liftoff!

Eino’s opinion of Santa’s elves trying to catch him being naughty.

Eino: I know that Santa’s elves are watching me

It appears that we have to work on the boys’ sit-stays a bit more…

We have snow again!

Nobody home There is an old tradition in the Finnish countryside that when the inhabitants aren’t at home, they leave the broom in front of the door. Of course, this is from the time before locks, but still in the countryside some older people may use it. Hopefully in addition to locking their door.

Seeing double (there was another black one running just outside the frame) Someone stole all our snow for a bit over a week so it’s been dark and not good weather to photograph anything that moves…

There are moments when we see from his eyes that he’s getting old. But he does his best so that we wouldn’t see it.

Setter in the bushes

Photographing dogs isn’t always so easy. Here’s one who’s been photographed and two other lens hogs.

Eino’s goofy face

You have some treats, I can smell it

Dude.

Eino wants to play… And off they went.

Who has walked here?

How are you doing?

Mr White Muzzle

Different shades of brown

Have a nice weekend!

Sniffing the reed

Lost in the frost?

Always willing to pose

Topi 9 years 11 months

Frosty weather

Marching home.

Eino wants to play.

And we got snow.

One posing, another one sliding down the hill One posing, another one sliding down the hill One posing, another one sliding down the hill

Stuck in a stone hole

Devil’s field

A beautiful hut in the middle of the forest

Three little fellows

So deep in the forrest that sun doesn’t reach it’s rays there

Eino camping Eino camping

Waiting for winter

Even though temperatures are around water’s freezing point someone doesn’t want to end swimming season.

Setter in a leaf bed

“Why there’s no flame in that candle?”

Golden forest

Brownie

Watching the world go by

Autumn colours

Autumn is a wonderful time to photograph dogs with all of its colors.

Anna and Ramin were traveling for some time on hot sunny beaches and all we get is cold rainy beaches. But who are we kidding? As long as there is water we are game.

Heading home

It’s been two years since we lost the joyous light (núr in Farsi/Arabic) of our life, Luka.

It’s time to fly!

Eino: Who left this unattended box here?

Kamu at 1 year and 10 months

Eino at three years and 5 months

Topi at nine years, 10 months.

Don’t ask. We have no idea how Eino twists himself into some of the positions that we manage to capture on camera.

Following the scents of the geese. Like every autumn lately, the fields around our house are taken over by huge flocks of migrating barnacle geese. Unfortunately, they are protected species here.

Eino: Who got sand in my eyes?

This probably sums up quite well what the retrievers think about our (humans’ and the setter’s) opinion that many of the “treasures” they find are gross.

This retrievers’ finds, part 5505.

Typical Topi

The fields are finally free to run around in!

It’s a bunny ball!

What’s that in the air? Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

We completely forgot the blog’s 15 anniversary in September while traveling, but this is the 5500th post. If you’ve got the time, why don’t you take a scroll down memory lane? 😉

The things retrievers find, part 5499.

Here’s Núr, the 2007 Ford Transit that Anna and Ramin converted into a campervan during the winter/spring/summer of 2019. This is a sneak peak. We are currently working on getting some kind of photographic van tour made while working on other projects as well. We’ve also got quite a bit of footage of the whole…

This brings to a close the pictures we have of our Baltic tour. Are you interested in seeing pictures of the campervan we built for our travels?

Forests around old military installations have always been fun places to explore with the dogs. Something each generation of our dogs has experienced from the time we lived right next to an old Finnish military base to our latest travel around the Baltic.

Which door would you try to use to enter the bunker?

Tallinn – the last medieval old town on our Baltic tour.

Topi: Seriously. Can this be my food bowl from now on?

One wolf. Or maybe three?

Eino was a real hit and had a huge fanclub in Riga old town. We don’t know why, but he just did.

There’s all kinds of neat paintings on the walls in old towns. Also, we were asked to model for some random tourist/photographer here…

Eino: I’m tired. Can I get a ride?

A random bit of street art from old town Kaunas, Lithuania.

Kaunas castle, we shall call you Eino Castle from now on since your colors match.

Topi thinking of stealing that stick…

Dusk and the Baltic Sea

Surfs up! This was the first time Kamu got to experience bigger waves and he handled them like a champ.

We had to take a new kissing picture under the Polish flag. He’s grown a bit in a year and a half, hasn’t he?

Kamu guarding the coast of his birthland

No trip to northern Poland can be complete without a visit to Hel.

Between the shows, we walked around the old town of Kolzrberg and let the country bumpkins see a bit of a larger city.

Last weekend, while in Poland Kamu was in two dog shows and was BOB in both and also got CACs on both days. On Saturday he was also BIS-2 working dog in an all breed show. Last weekend, while in Poland Kamu was in two dog shows and was BOB in both and also got…

After Germany we drove into Poland and Kamu got to revisit the land of his birth.

Germany wasn’t rainy, but it was very windy. Kamu was also wondering if a kitesurfer would be easy to retrieve.

The Baltic Sea tour continued on to Germany and a visit to U-995. While seeing a real Kriegsmarine U-boat was awesome, the boys prefer swimming to submarines.

But Denmark did have this fun and tasty stuff called seaweed! But Denmark did have this fun and tasty stuff called seaweed!

From Sweden we made our way into Denmark. Which was mostly rainy and very cloudy.

Sightseeing near Topi’s birthplace. Our visit to Miss Mallory’s HQ and Topi’s breeders Annica and Anders was magical and it was hard to continue our trip.

Topi: So this is the country of my birth…

The adventure continues. On the ferry from Naantali to Kappelskär, Sweden.

On Saturday Kamu was in two shows in Vyborg, Russia and got two CACs and was BOB both times.

Just casually hanging out in Finnish nature for #tongueouttuesday

We are hot again, can we go for another swim?

While Anna and Kamu were in Russia, the rest of us enjoyed walking along the Saimaa canal.

And if a route to the bottom can be found, you can be certain that at least the dogs will be wet. And if a route to the bottom can be found, you can be certain that at least the dogs will be wet. And if a route to the bottom can be found, you…

At least every now and then you can find a spot where you can catch a glimpse of the water down below…

Finnish canyons… Just like most other place in Finland, they are covered with trees and finding photogenic scenes is quite a challenge.

Kamu serving as quality control for Anna’s social media

Walking along remnants of ancient glaciers

Time to go down

We got hot after all this climbing

Enjoying the views

Exactly 15 years ago, the founding members of our pack Kassu on his 11th birthday and Flippe on his second.

At the top

Yesterday the ducks mainly flew high or far, but Kamu did get to retrieve two birds.

Land of thousands of lakes

Climbing upwards continues

Kamu 20 months old. His hair starts to show family connections to Topi.

Taking a little break

Showing off our beautiful country

Climbing a lots of stairs

Beautiful nature

King of the rock

Walking in the magical forest

Topi navigated us to exciting new adventures on beautiful forest paths…

Sorry for the late update, Topi has been busy navigating us towards new adventures.

The small little things

“Loves me, loves me not, loves me, loves me not…”

Kisses to bro

I can smell something interesting there!

Smile, it’s Monday again!

Kamu got res-CAC yesterday. Kamu got res-CAC yesterday.

Setter in a rye

Which road should we take?

Kamu: I have a plan for these flowers… 😉

What does any self-respecting retriever do after a dog show? Why go for a swim of course.

Eino: Someone stole our summer, so I’ll just lie here and take a nap. Three days ago it was +30°C, today, it’s +9°C…

Yesterday Kamu was 2nd best male and got res-CAC! Yesterday Kamu was 2nd best male and got res-CAC! Yesterday Kamu was 2nd best male and got res-CAC!

The bum and his rose There’s a classic Finnish song about the bum and his rose, a roadside flower called fireweed pictured here.

The Swede and summer flowers

The namesake of this blog, Jalo, was born 15 years ago today. Now all four in this picture – Luka, Jalo, Sulo and Flippe – are across the rainbow bridge watching over the current pack.

Nap time, part 2

Nap time

So, summer weather is here again, but where are the bilberries?

Kamu is following in Luka’s footsteps with a strong and visible tail whip every time he gets game or a bumper in his mouth while swimming.

There’s a bumper out there somewhere!

Trying to watch TV with Eino…

A close up

Hello everyone!

Catch or miss?

Kamu went to his health examination and his hips are A/A, elbows 0/0 and knees 0/0

Topi and an ever present toy

We are working on a project that has kept the mailman busy. Eino is the official inspector of each and every one of the packages.

Kamu in a kissing booth

Flowers are blooming

Eino retrieving… and returning

There’s a hay in my eye

All those pretty flowers

Another dog show yesterday Another dog show yesterday

Found another one!

Hiding in the bushes

Working like a pro at the age of 9 1/2 years

Funny faced brownie

My name is Topi and I have a huge coat. I’ve been hearing rumours that the humans might give me a total hair cut so that I would be more comfortable during summer.

Eino’s tongue show

Guardian of the stairs

Yesterday Kamu passed his hunting qualification test and got international working certificate! “General appearance: In pleasing co-operation with handler and completes the tasks with good attitude showing good retrieving tendencies.” Yesterday Kamu passed his hunting qualification test and got international working certificate! “General appearance: In pleasing co-operation with handler and completes the tasks with good…

Eino loves bathing in the sun

Flower boy

A bit more training

Kamu is clearly planning how to steal a rosette from the judge’s chest.

Sunbathed Eino

Guardian of the car

Summer boy

Happy Midsummer to everyone!

You and I

Siesta time

Mr. Red has become quite a hairy ball

Tired guardian of fire wood

Tender moment

Setter council?

I wanna go for a boat ride, where’s my driver?

Fast retrieves… & happy returns

Red on a red carpet

Topi turned 9 1/2 years yesterday

Boys help to gather fire wood

Rockclimber

Yesterday Kamu was 3rd best male and got res-CAC! Res-CAC somersault Yesterday Kamu was 3rd best male and got res-CAC!

Back to work

Found a stick

Eino and a bed of flowers

Water training

Training with Kamu

The day when you realise that your little friend is getting old

Eino running around with a bunny dummy

Kiddo practises with a fake bunny

“Dear retriever, would you like to carry this rabbit for me?”

Topi works like a pro

We took “mama” for a walk

Focused swimmer

What do you have there?

Kamu did it again! He was Best male, BOS and got CAC

Kisses to everyone

Joy of jumping

Jump master

Sitting and listening

Reflections

Topi the senior

Kamu did it again! He was Best male, got CAC and was Best of opposite sex! Kamu did it again! He was Best male, got CAC and was Best of opposite sex!

Ditch hopping

One swimming and one lens hog pushing his head under water

Water has warmed up a bit so Eino swims too

I swim everywhere I can

Spring fun

Kamu had a wonderful weekend in the show ring: On Saturday Class win & 3rd best male On Sunday Class win & 3rd best male & CAC Kamu had a wonderful weekend in the show ring: On Saturday Class win & 3rd best male On Sunday Class win & 3rd best male & CAC

Happy Mother’s Day!

Kisses to you. (See the other pic for close up) Kisses to you