B-Q

Same, couldn't have it any other way. lol

This is what I'm wondering about. I want her to defer to me first. Like when outside the yard aswell. She can be quiet shy and I'm wondering if she is going through a fear period atm. I've done so much work on her loose leash walking and I can already see her "switching off" when we're out and she's stressed and just forging forward like Buster does. Its not extreme and I probably only notice it because I'm with her so much but I do notice it. I don't generally like using terms like "dominance" or "pack leader" but I feel like she doesn't recognise that resources are MINE until I give her the okay. Which is really what I am aiming at. Does that make sense?

I think Casowner's questions are very relavant. I adore a lot of LGD's, particularily Ovcharkas but I will unlikely ever be able to have one simply because I am so not designed to own them. They are incredible dogs though.

Thanks guys, I'll up the obedience and nilif first because I figure anyone I talk to will tell me to do that first anyway. Mac is just coming into heat as well which might be messing with her a bit? When I say I'll do more nilif its not like she has free run as it is, she has to sit and stay before we go out the front door or front gate (mainly for safety), before she eats, before she leaves her crate but she hasn't had to ask to get on the bed before now.

Quinn's a smooth Border Collie. I'm still yet to have someone guess right when we're out and about.

I need some advice on an issue that is cropping up with Quinn. I'm finding her turning into a bit of a bully, particularily around Mac (my sisters 5 year old dog) and particularily around food. When I say bullying I mean hard stares, posturing and mouthing her legs. Quinn is fed in her crate, she has to sit and wait while I put the food in, close the door and then watch me till she gets the okay. But if I have food in my hand and we pass Mac she'll bully Mac on the way past. Tonight she did it in the loungeroom over a plate of OUR bread we had on the ground, usually Mac just steps aside and ignores her, today she cowered into the ground. She tried to come up and do the same hard stare at Buster and he completley ignored her, doesn't look uncomrfotable or anything, but Buster is pretty sure of himself. I've found Quinn will also rush over and give Mac a hard time if we are telling Mac off for something. Something as simple as "Mac, out!" will bring Quinn in. I've also noticed then sometimes when we go to bed at night, if she gets up first she'll block Buster from getting up and he won't get up till I kick her off. I don't know how to approach this. If I should send her to a mat everytime, tell her off or am I worrying over her just sorting out where she sits in the order of things. Should I just enforce tough NILIF for a while and see how things go? Should I get professional help at this point? Mac is incredibly submissive, she's happy for anyone else to be the boss. My mothers dog (PTS 3 months ago for aggression issues) started beating her up at about 12 months old despite her never giving him a reason to and if the same stuff starts happening again I don't know what I'll do. I've been trying to do everything right to raise her well and I don't know how to deal with this. She's very shy in so many aspects but she's being a pretty arrogant 8 month old.

I've always loved Busters super expressive face, I took these the other day because he was being particularily cute. He's talking at me in this one. And Quinn. She favours an expression of sheer intelligence. And this one. "do not like!"

Point Cartwright is a nice beach aswell, long, straight and not overly crowded.

My plans for this Sunday just got cancelled so I can make it now Quinn can be pretty shy when meeting new dogs/people but she does warm up and I think it would be a good experience for her so long as she can get out of the way when she wants to. Plus i'd really like to meet some DOLers.

I'm all paid up. Really need to buy a soft crate to travel with Quinn. I'm crossing my fingers hoping she's not going to come onto heat that weekend. If someone can't otherwise make it they are welcome to share a cabin with Quinn and I. Look forward to meeting other DOLers after a few years on here.

OMG. Pyr's are another breed on my 'must own someday..' list That list is getting long OMG!!!! I'm sitting here with my family eating dinner. I read that, looked at the site and yelled that they were imported and we were going to have a litter in the country this year. My sister and I started yelling, my brother looked at us a bit weird and said it almost looked normal until we both fist pumped and yelled "YEAH" at the same time. MUST meet some now.

Koolie? Smart, social, trainable, athletic. I'm sold on BC's reserved personality but I'd love a Koolie one day.

We've got a couple of paddocks free up here aswell if anyone needs somewhere to put a couple of horses.

I'd love to, but I'm going to the Gold Coast that day. If we cancel that I'll bring Quinn down, I've been hanging for a Sunny Coast meet.

I like BC's energy, I love how Quinn has to be involved in everything I do. She likes to be busy and with me. I like that she is more in tune with me than anyone else. She's attached to me and will always be in the same room as me but doesn't always have to be on my lap. Mum asked me recently why I chose a BC over another working type like a GSP or a Vizsla. I thought about it and I like BC's seriousness, I like that she does everything efficiently and effectively just to get it done and move on. She's so responsive to me but not really interested in anyone else. She also has her dopey side, she's so blank sometimes it cracks me up. I was sure a BC was a good match before I got her, now I'm positive. I can't wait to have more.

Pretty much everyone I know is surprised we let our dogs inside, or they assume they are little dogs because they are inside. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Safe on Sunshine Coast. Won't be flooded.

This happened to Buster on christmas morning. It scared the crap out of us, I gave them breakfast of kibble and some leftovers from the restaurant I work in, Quinn got fish, Mac got chicken and I gave Buster the big lump of steak because "he always chews so I won't have to worry about him choking" A few seconds after putting his head in the bowl he dropped his head down, walked into a chair, fell over and started kicking his legs. My sister screamed for me and by the time I ran over he was just lying like normal looking a bit cautious. I thnk he just choked, I'm glad we didn't have a disaster. ETA: The steak was straight out of the fridge, maybe thats why.

I'd like to do it with Quinn this year. http://www.flickr.com/photos/57719295@N03/...57625610522287/

Been thinking on these for a few days. I picked these three. I've only been stumbling around with my DSLR for about a year and its been very rewarding and frustrating. Anyway, I'm just glad I have these shots of my two. Especially the one of Buzzy.

Quinn had a couple of relapses during her housetraining. I just upped her supervision for a few days (closely watched, crated or leashed to me) and increased her amount of time outside, onleash so that she couldn't get distracted. Plus I praised her more when she did right. It did take a couple of months but she's very solid now. She's the first puppy I've been responsible for housetraining and I had plenty of days where I missed oppurtunities but it all coms round in the end if you stay consisent.

I wouldn't leave mine either. We flooded in Katherine in 2006, it wasn't too drastic and we go to higher ground to stay with a friend (6 dogs, 1 cat, 1 bird, 2 rabbits and 6 people in a 2 bedroom house) We knew a woman that got caught in the '98 floods, she got as many fo her horses off her property as she could, the rest went onto the upstiars floor of the house with her to wait it out. Another friend we knew spent 2 days on their roof with their family and their dog. You do what you have to to keep your animals safe, noone else can tell me its more important to just get the people out.

White GSD's/ROtti's/APBT's will have their brain outgrow their cranium and "snap" Quinn must be a crossbred. No full BC's look like her. and my favourite "she has some sheltie in her because of the blue eye yeah?" ...yes... because only shelties get blue eyes and she resembles them so much in ever other way. And over and over and over again. "Can she see with her blue eye?"

I feed a mix of mostly raw, some homecooked/leftovers (I work in a restaurant - its conveniant) and a small amount of decent quality kibble. They're all healthy and happy. I like that it keep them versatile in what they can eat, if they need to have kibbl;e for a couple of days they arn't going to have any adverse effects.

She's gorgeous, keep us updated on her. I am really interested to see if Quinn takes to it or not.