MrsD

Yes, in Qld you do have to pass (well get 150 points) in a novice sweepstakes before entering novice. As for coming from interstate, my initial reaction was that you would follow the rules of the state you were trialling in. So Qlders who go to a trial in NSW don't have to do a sweepstakes first. However then I wondered if it matters more about where you have to apply for your title. My gut reaction is that yes, you would need to do a sweepstakes, but then if you have already entered a trial in NSW & got a leg how could they enforce that? And so what makes that situation any different? :D Confused? You will be, after this episode of "ANKC ruling bodies can't govern to save their lives" :D . Sorry Im not much help :D . I suggest you call the CCCQ & check :D . Edited to add - Don't worry I did it for you, according to the CCCQ if you come from interstate you do not have to enter or pass a sweepstakes to enter a novice trial.

Whitka - awwwwww doesn't he look pleased with himself :cool: . Tony - what a great acheivement with Xena at Flyball, congratulations . And I hope you do well at Frisbee, Im not sure if we'll be there now, I doubt it as we have to move office at Eddie's work.

Fabulous news Janba, congratulations ;) :D :D - go the sheep herding dogs .

:D ;) :D :thumbsup:

;) :p :p Go Chill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;) :D

I know, but FP have you tried instead of doing it like heeling with the lead in a class etc do it offlead & play the throw the food game with her? I saw it on a DVD that PAX lent me - I can't remember the name of the lady but she does some great work with the dogs & they don't even know they are doing heelwork . I think training a new behaviour ie working at heel offlead & doing it as play would be alot easier than breaking down barriers if she has put them in place already doing heeling being dragged around at the end of the lead. (I hope this makes sense ;) ) ETA - the lady's name is Joanna Hill .

So if I do C.C.D. I don't need to do the novice sweepstake? I like to start from scratch, so I'd like to do my C.C.D. Currently I'm attenting Teamwork Dog Obedience for the puppy classes. But once we've finished with puppy school we'll change to the Pine Rivers Dog Obedience Club. I'm also a member of the Gundog and tracking Club which conducts trials as well. You need to do the novice sweepstakes whether or not you do CCD. So here in Qld it goes CCD, novice sweepstakes, novice, open UD, UDX or just novice sweepstakes, novice, open UD, UDX. I don't know of anyone at Pine Rivers off the top of my head who you could use as a mentor, sorry! I've been out of the trial ring too long . DogDudes advice in his last post is excellent . ETA - the sweepstakes thing is technically a test to see if you are ready for Novice (you have to get 150 points), but it is mostly so that the trainee judges have somewhere to actually practice their judging while they are training.

That's correct, however CCD is optional & you can go straight into CD (Novice) if you feel your dog is ready for it. But as I mentioned before, here in Qld you do need to do a novice sweepstakes before you compete in a novice trial whether you have chosen to do CCD or not. If you look in your Dog World from the CCCQ (if you are a member) you will see some clubs hold sweepstakes - they are run exactly the same as trials, only differences are that the judges are on the Trainee Judges panel & you only need to get 150 points to qualify. Once you get 1 qualifier of 150 points you are able to enter normal obedience trials at novice level. As far as I know Qld is the only state to have sweepstakes & you only need to do it to progress into Novice - not any of the other classes. What club are you attending? If they are an affiliated CCCQ club & hold ther own trials, what DogDude is suggesting is finding someone who's training methods you like & using them as a mentor to help you to get to the level you want to get to.

I havent been in here for so long, but congratulations to all those who have had recent successes . Shoey, congrats on Eddie's qualies, well done . (seems weird to be talking about my husband being so well trained ;) ). No successes or brags from me ;) - well unless you consider Whisper starting to work sheep a brag , considering she's 9 months old, it's not really, is it? :D

I agree most dogs are not mentally ready for trialling at 6 months old. You also find that quite a few that do start early tend to burn out quickly & don't tend to still be around when the dogs are older. To the OP, I'm not sure if you are asking about the age or what class they can start in, with the new rules you can now do CCD before you do Novice/CD or you can choose not to & go straight to Novice. Just remember that regardless of whether you do CCD or not, in Qld you need to do a Novice Sweepstakes before you can enter Novice at an obedience trial. HTH

Other - Optimum & I'm extremely happy with it, my dogs look a million dollars .

Well done Leanne & Shamus

Hope you had a good time guys, sorry we couldnt come as we had a doggy dancing seminar on for the whole weekend, will see you at the next one hopefully (ML, I STILL have your books here, hope we catch up soon!)

I was thinking of joining ADAC as well so I'll see about ADAA Thanks that helps alot okay another question who is the controlling body for QLD?? Canine Control Council of Qld - CCCQ

OMG - both my dogs are superstars & have their pic on show .

Kelpie thing here too - Jarrah spends his whole life trying to lie on top of things. He sits on top of the towers of bricks & pavers we have in the yard for the landscaping, the back of the lounge (I think he used to do this at ML's place too!), lies on the top step of our staircase & sleeps on a wooden bench/settle that we have outside the back door. I think it is because they have been bred for certain characteristics for so long & one of them is backing sheep as someone else said. Doesnt matter if your dog doesnt actually back (Jarrah won't have a bar of it either), the instinct to be up high & see what is going on is still there.

I had to laugh at some of the answers - a piece of grass is about as weird as a piece of alfoil . Here's a question for those whose dogs will work for obscure things - do your dogs work for them because they perceive them to be a treat (ie food) or a toy? And once the dog has had the reward once, would they still want to work for the object? Emm, it only came about because I was sitting on the lounge when Jarrah came in to see me & I happened to pick it up off the coffee table & he started offering me behaviours because he saw me pick it up. He perceives it as a toy & because I have it, it's high value, so if I threw it for him he would retrieve it & start offering behaviours again if I didnt give him commands. It's not specific to alfoil as FHRP mentioned earlier in the thread, it's anything that can be considered a toy ie anything that can be thrown really.

Bit like the difference between Jarrah & Ebony . Although to be fair, she does work for food, just no toys. Last night I trained Jarrah with a piece of screwed up alfoil (it hadnt had food in it or anything) - now that is working for anything! Doesnt matter to him what it is - if I have it, it's high value. .

What sort of things will your dog work for? Food or toy or anything else?

First I taught him to target my hand with his paw ie his left paw, my right hand. Sitting & then standing. Then I asked him to lift his paw, but kept my hand just out of reach for a few seconds so he learnt to just stand there with his paw hanging. Then comes the hard part of getting him to hold it for longer balanced on 3 legs & then hopping, for this I have started putting my hand back & just resting his foot on my finger whilst he hops as it is very hard on the dogs muscles until they get used to it. Pretty slow process for the last stage that we are at now, but we're getting there .

Apart from the usual sit drop come etc Jarrah can do - High (walk on back legs) Spin/Twist Walk back (away from handler) Turn back (stand in front facing handler, turn & back up between legs) Fig 8 around legs Leg weave (handler walking) Round (circle handler) Through (circle 1 leg) Foot touches (hand, feet) March on the spot Limp (lift one foot & walk on 3 legs, we're currently working on the walking with this one) Crawl Roll over Mat Over Plus he will basically retrieve anything that I indicate. Heaps more, can't think of them right now .

A friend of mine trains with the Awesome Pawsome - they are addicted!

Richard Curtis for me, I have been to one of his doggy dancing seminars & he was brilliant, loved loved loved him. Not only is he a great trainer but a great communicator, a fabulous motivator & makes the learning process simple. Im off to Steve Davies at Camp Tailwaggers in July (that's right isnt it PAX? ) . Still thinking about Sue Hogben.

Link - Australia's 1st herding champion ha beat me Risyntira ETA - that's my baby's mum ;) .

Black Dog with the inner pouch here too & I think it's great. Worth the money. I bought a cheap one (don't know what brand) for Dagboy from someone at a stall at Mary Ray & the pin on 1 side that makes the top open & shut keeps falling out on him .