MrsD

I agree, great find for $30 & a 36" crate will probably still fit her when she's fully grown unless she's an unusually large build for a BC. My kelpie (male) & BC (female) both have a 36" crate.

That's 2 from 2 that I agree with you on now Willow :laugh: .

I agree with Willow, I think she was probably trying to be helpful.

To start crate training a puppy I would probably start out with a metal one & then add a soft crate later if you want to. I don't know how big Bostons get but basically you want one that is a bit longer & taller than an adult dogs height/length. Petshops & places like that often have huge markups on things like crates, I'd be looking at ones online even second hand ones on eBay etc (that's how we bought all of our crates - online).

I have never read Susan Garrett's book but that is absolutely correct, the reason that my dog loves his crate so much is that I have conditioned him - because if you go into your crate, then you get to come out & PLAY! . He will lie in there all day sleeping & just lounging around, but as soon as I open that door - BAM - he is ready to work. It's amazing the amount of drive that you can build up by putting them in a crate :) . Jozlyn, that looks very similar to mine, the only thing I would say is that metal crates can be heavy if you have to lug them around all the time, in the future think about getting a soft crate as well, they are much much lighter to carry if you go somewhere & then you can leave the metal one to use at home. ETA - you can get metal crates with plastic inserts or metal inserts, both have some advantages & disadvantages, I guess it's up to you to work out which one would suit you best, I have both metal & plastic trays & I'm happy with both.

You don't *have* to have a crate - but by gosh, it is handy to have a crate & a crate trained dog not just for agility but for a whole heap of reasons. My kelpie loves his, he's not particularly big (bigger than most show kelpies though) & his crate is 90cm long.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Cool :D I'm thinking of heading up that way for the two-dayer in November as well, if you guys are going to that. Yep, will definitely be at Dayboro, we take our caravan up & camp for the weekend .

Thank you BC4ME, his best behaviour showed the tiniest chink in the armour when he bit the cane once instead of going around it :laugh: . But in general he was a very very good boy! Schatzi's Mum, next year's Grafton trial, for sure! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Thank you Schatzi's Mum! :D

Lollipup, there is a leash free fenced area where you can put the dogs while you set up if your dogs are friendly, or if you have a cabin you can put your dogs in the cabin yard while you take your gear down. If you are just going as a day visitor, you can leave them in the car while you carry your crates across from the carpark to the training area & then just go back & get the dogs.

:provoke: don't you read the posts on the DWD yahoo email list Tassie? :p :laugh: Didn't have to...had a secret source rofl....but you need to brag here for those that don't have "the knowledge " ;-) A secret source :laugh: . OK, for those that don't know, Jarrah & I got our first leg & second place in Advanced Freestyle yesterday at the Brisbane Royal ( <-----me doing the happy dance :laugh: ). Thanks to BC4ME for me to do it, it was my first trial in 10 months & our first trial in the advanced class & I nearly pulled out altogether because I didn't have my new advanced routine ready, but in the end I did my intermediate routine (with much ad libing because I forgot most of it :laugh: ) instead.

I did "We will meet again" for our HTM itermediate level and gained a pass and first place in both the AM and PM trial. I didn't wear the same skirt as the last time, cause I had found a lovely green skirt, which was more to the period :) wore the same blouse, but had white gloves (the lace ones got stuck on the flowers) and a white hat this time round You weren't the person who split their skirt open up the back for the second trial, so they could move around better, were you? :laugh: Congrats on your results! :thumbsup: yes I was :) so was you the nice helpfull person who let me know why I got marked down for the coustume? I slit the skirt lining but it then rode up a bit too high lol No that wasn't me, that was Angie, but she told me about it yesterday & said how great your routine & costume was, great job!

Was it the breeder Coogie? Or just somewhere like a petshop etc who wouldn't really know? Sounds weird to me if they were all supposed to be from the same litter, AFAIK kelpies don't come in merle colours & BCs don't come in red & tan! ETA - dancinbcs, that is interesting, I know you can get tricolours but didn't realise they come without any white.

:provoke: don't you read the posts on the DWD yahoo email list Tassie? :p :laugh:

I did "We will meet again" for our HTM itermediate level and gained a pass and first place in both the AM and PM trial. I didn't wear the same skirt as the last time, cause I had found a lovely green skirt, which was more to the period :) wore the same blouse, but had white gloves (the lace ones got stuck on the flowers) and a white hat this time round. You weren't the person who split their skirt open up the back for the second trial, so they could move around better, were you? :laugh: Congrats on your results! :thumbsup:

Here it is: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/tv-and-video/video/watch/30107466/dr-harry-dancing-with-dogs/1416633/ Obviously I must be blind, or maybe my glasses need cleaning!

Kallistar, did you eventually find the link? If not, it can be found here - Better Homes & Gardens DWD Segment

Evil woman PS!

Jarrah (kelpie) is a total couch potato most of the time. Like Jules's BCs he has a good off-switch. He goes to bed when we do at midnight & will happily sleep until lunchtime if you let him, he will sleep all day in his crate & go out to the toilet before bed & still be waiting at the door to come back inside 2 minutes later :laugh: . Our GSD isn't particularly active, she's coming up for 9 so has slowed down a lot in the last few years. Whisper (BC) & Jonty (sheltie) are pretty active, they spend most of the day outside & nights in their crates.

Well the Ekka is less than 3 weeks away & there is no way that my new routine (Advanced Freestyle) will be ready in time. I was going to just pull out but I am just thinking that I may do my Moulin Rouge routine instead, better than pulling out altogether. *fingers in ears* la la la la la LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Don't want to hear how great Kamal was cos I ended up not being able to go . On the other hand congrats to Tassie on her qualies & titles, same for BC4ME, wtg girls! Sheena, Richard is one of the best teachers & presenters I've ever had the pleasure of seeing, I've been to 2 of his seminars & they were absolutely brilliant.

You've got some really nice stuff there PS, great job! And I can't believe that you have that many busts & display racks, where on earth did you get them all from?!?! :laugh: ETA - BTW, this is the correct link for the FB page Little Gifts

I sure do! :) Good to see you again :) Good luck at CT on the weekend, sadly I couldn't come down for the trial as we've got other commitments. And to meet your puppy who is a puppy no more, he wasn't even born last time I saw you I don't think! Thanks Maree, hopefully the new one will be just as good (& hopefully the dog & handler will have improved too!)

Have only just seen this thread, I don't come into the Training forum very often now, but I'm glad I did tonight! Are you coming up for Kamal? Wooo hoooo, haven't seen you for so long, it will be great to catch up Barb! Jarrah got his Intermediate freestyle title in November last year (thank you to Judge #2 BC4Me for my perfect 20/20 for musical interpretation! ) & we haven't done any work at all until this weekend because we were away for 5 weeks at christmas in the UK & I have been very slack. But I put in my entry on Friday for Advanced Freestyle at the Royal in August, so I thought I had better get myself organised & do some work. :laugh: I went to see a friend today to get some ideas for my new routine, she told me she didn't think I needed help :laugh: , but I convinced her that I did & now I have so much stuff to learn it's scary . I will keep you posted on how it's going. Steve was a fantastic presenter, thanks Maree for suggesting that we should go & see him . I presume he's going to Victoria then, not that you're coming to Qld? Hiya Schatzi's Mum, don't know if you remember us but we met you when we were doing herding & we went to a trial at GI. Hubby has a GSD & I have a red kelpie, a sheltie & a BC (she was only a puppy when we went to GI) .

That's interesting to know!

Favourite breed for me is definitely kelpie (medium size, good looking, intelligent, quick learners, adaptable, loyal, faithful, good at problem solving, I could go on forever) but I do love most of the working breeds. Least favourite for me are probably bull terriers & boxers.