MrsD

The email address .au comes back as an error too.

Well yours might have got to the right place sparky - I got a polite email back from [email protected] (as posted in the first post) pointing out that they are in the San Fransisco area :) . Try again!!

I'm still wondering why you would have to say "back, back, back, back"? Do you say "heel, heel, heel, heel" or "fetch, fetch, fetch, fetch"? I freeshaped for months without using any other "objects" so all my dogs freeshape using their bodies alot, mine have more problems using an object than learning how to flick their ear, scrape the ground or turn their head from side to side!

That first routine is a watered down version of the routine she did at Crufts the year before where she won both the UK & International freestyle competition.

Ahhhh, that must be why I was mixed up . For the OP, we have 2.5 acres so I can train where ever I want - & that is usually in the dining room, on the toilet or sitting in front of the TV .

We were talking about obedience/agility clubs and I think the club I train at is near you? That might be what got you mixed up Ahhh do you train at BAD?

Nope, just tell the people u can only attend the ceremony. ETA if it was close friends I would skip the trial and attend but if it was not such close friends then I would do the trial. Also have you RSVP-ed yet and now need to change your RSVP? If you have not RSVP-ed yet then that would be ok, however if you have it may seem a bit rude to now change it. No I'll be going. As much as I love trialling and am dog obsessed, I do recognise when a certain behaviour would be classed as extreme (ie. skipping a wedding reception to go to a trial ) Just highly bummed is all!!! Love night time trials I missed my cousin's wedding many years ago because I was entered in an obedience trial & chose to go to the trial rather than the wedding :D :D . Edited to clarify - I told them I wasn't coming from the start, I didn't RSVP that I could attend & then not turn up or anything. But I was in the bad books with my mum for a long time for chosing a trial over my cousin's wedding .

Hey MissB, completely off topic but what area do you live in? For some reason I thought you lived near me? Greenbank ;) OK, definitely not near me (although at least it's the right side of town ), I don't know what made me think you lived near me!? I must be imagining things!

Hey MissB, completely off topic but what area do you live in? For some reason I thought you lived near me? ETA - PM me if you don't want everyone to know .

Awwww, I'm actually pretty shy & very anti social, the only place you will find that I talk to people is at dog stuff so don't feel bad . I have to add, I have a new mentor now after the weekend . ETA - you know all of us from the weekend now & we are all interested in training (although some more than others )

Fantastic DB, I thought it was you, Sharon who is the one who instructs the class down there is the secretary of the DWD club & lives just around the corner from me, I hope you get involved because it is such a fantastic sport & I think you & Razzle would be great at it .

Fantastic pics Maree, god those shoes look so awful, they are the ones I use when I dance & I forgot to put my ordinary trainers in so had to wear those ones all weekend . Steve you'll be happy to hear that I've managed to get my BC Whisper tugging again already with the leather on the pole, she was even happy after a few minutes to take the soft leather end of it like a normal tug with me holding both ends of the leather, woooo hoooo, thank you! ;)

Who was it who said they were interested in doing DWD when they talked about what their dog had done on the Saturday morning? Was that you Dandybrush?

He's back to normal this morning, phew, he really had me worried last night, he's mouthed toads before but usually he just wipes his mouth all over the grass & froths a bit & he's OK. Last night seeing him like that was scary. BC4Me, I was so happy with him, he didn't growl almost the whole time like he normally does & when he's had a go at people before before it really is obvious that he's not happy, he always snarls as he lunges & he goes for the face but last night was different. The vet had been wiping is gums over & over & over again & he just turned & had a little snap at his hand, no growling or snarling, just a snap to say "OK, I've had enough now!". And all this was without a muzzle or anything, the vet was really good & he understood his whole psychology thing & he even recognised when he was going to snap before he did it & was ready for it which was a huge difference to most of the other vets we've seen there. Huski, don't give up, we all know she can do it, I'm glad Steve could work through it with you, you'll get there yet . ETA - great pics!

Thanks huski, MissB & BD, he seems almost back to normal again, the vet says that the poison is very rapidly absorbed but also rapidly expelled, the main thing is to rub their gums & the inside of their mouth with a wet chux & get as much of the poison off the gums as possible. When he was at home here before we took him down to the vet he was walking around with a really stiff gait, was wobbly on his legs, was panting really hard & had his head down & his ears down flat, had really staring eyes & was frothing at the mouth, Dagboy did the chux thing in the car & by the time we had been at the vets for about 15 mins (the vet continued to wipe his gums while we were there) he started to look alot more alert & within another 20 mins or so he was almost back to normal. So remember, if your dog ever gets hold of a toad, wipe their mouth out with a wet sponge or chux or paper towel!

I've only just worked out who you were MissB - sorry, don't mind me!! Winter is absolutely adorable & sooooooo cute! And I agree with Huski, so many fantastic dogs with so much potential - yes, including Quinn BQ, she's an awesome little dog, us dancing girls were saying so this afternoon when you were working her, so it must be true .

Only home an hour & Jarrah was at the vet for cane toad poisoning, $150 later we are home & he's resting in his crate - the joys of owning a dog with a high prey drive . You'll be happy to know that he only snapped at the vet once Steve, the vet was really great with him & he suggested bringing him up & getting the vet nurses to give him a treat etc as well. I just thought I might have had a chance to do it BEFORE I had to take him to the vet next for real :D .

I would do it this way too, but then my dogs are very high drive & are very turned on by free shaping, with a lower drive dog &/or one who isn't experienced at free shaping it would probably be more difficult. :shaping: I also agree about patting, Jarrah is the same.

We've just got home, all absolutely exhausted so this will be quick. Steve was fantastic, thank you for all the answers to my (many) questions Steve, I felt a bit like the woman who you described who's dog had so many problems it was like Munchausen's by proxy :D , we have so many things to work on with him & my other dogs now too. ;) I learnt heaps, it's fascinating listening to Steve's knowledge & so many times I found myself nodding as I thought "Ooohhh now I know why that happens!". Hopefully when you come back next time Steve you'll be impressed by our improvement & you'll get to see our DWD routine . ETA - go the dancing dogs!! ;) :D

Actually you will see most of us at camp tonight :D .

We have a gentleman up here who competes with a Pomeranian in UD and at our last club trial he ended up leaving the ring owing points! My mate Selby .

It would be horrible for you to be the only person there with scruffy dogs, so as a kindness to you, and at great personal sacrifice, I have decided that maybe I will not get up early tomorrow to bath all of ours, but let them stay dirty instead. (Like hell, it's hard to stay in bed with a pair of size 9s planted in your back)

My first mentor was Lawrie Knauth (most Qld obedeince people will know him), he was the chief instructor at our obedience club when I first started obedience way back in the early 90s. He was a fantastic mentor, always pushed me & never took second best & I think he's the main reason that I am such a perfectionist with my dog training. We still keep in contact & have a catch up whenever we see each other at trials, the Ekka etc. Even though I no longer train in the same style as he does, I will always look up to him & admire him for his dedication & loyalty to his club (Logan) & those of us who he trained to be good handlers. Now I have a few people who I think of as "mentors" Steve Davies from Sydney is one, & Maree Field (DWD) is probably my other one. Both I have met though attending seminars/workshops at Camp Tailwaggers.

Yep 2 more sleeps til Friday, 3 'til the actual workshop

I want to know how you can keep her clean until Friday - Friday will probably be "wash the dog" day for us, otherwise they would all be filthy again before we even got there .