aquaticmalamute

Is Show training at Hillsborough still on Tuesday nights at 5pm? When Nikki was doing it the times changed with the season (later in Spring/Summer, earlier in Winter) But now that Carolyn is doing it i'm not sure.... Last time I went was last year in Winter, and it was at 5pm. Does anyone know if it's still at 5pm now? I'm not super keen on doing a 2hr round trip to find out i'm late or that it's not on

Woot! I'll be a 7D owner soon too! I just bought it for my birthday (too bad I can't play with it till then), though not as cheap as the DWI site ($1197 today). Still it wasn't too shabby @ $1400 including shipping and tax. A month ago I posted asking about which DSLR to buy, and, well this is the verdict. However... OH got a promotion at work and said I could buy my other choice as well after Christmas, so not only will I have upgraded my ancient 20D to the 7D, but will be the proud new owner of a 1D Mark IV

KJA you're pretty good at making things a bit clearer ;) I do like the 7D, and it's nice to hear someone other than my completey non-camera savvy OH tell me that I should get the cheaper camera. Everything you said does make sence! The 7D will probably way outlive it's reccomended life, as my 20D did. The 1D is heavy, and I do alot of hiking in the wattigan mountains. Plus we just got back from Hawaii where my camera went everywhere with me, and honestly after a 3hr humid hike in the mountains lugging my 20D around it felt like it weighted 5kg, i'm just picturing how uncomfortable I would have been if i'd done it with a 1D! I do have a habit of just chucking my camera in my bag as a last minute rush-out-the-door decision, I would imagine i'd be thinking twice about grabbing a 1D on the way out the door... Oh and yes, I really really need a new lens (not really, but there are plenty that i'd still like to get!). I just need to come up with a way to convince the OH that I need such and such a lens, even though he thinks that they all do the same thing and that i've lost the plot ;)

I'm in desperate need to update my old camera. My 20D is just not cutting the mustard after exceeding it's reccomended shutter count (50,000 shutter count life) by probably 200,000 photos. Adding to that, my flash gave up the ghost a few weeks back.... I've decided that I really need a new camera, conveniently my birthday is just around the corner ;) After much consideration with the OH we are stuck on two cameras. I want the 1D Mark IV, he being the penny pincher he is wants me to go for the 7D. I do like the 7D, don't get me wrong, my step-dad has one and it is nice to play with - however it's set out completey different from my 20D, which will be a bit of a learning curve. Though I figure that'll be my problem no matter what camera I decide on... The 1D draws me in by the high ISO capabilities, the fact that it does 10 frames per second and the 300,000 shutter life . Image quality seems very nice too. The fact that it doesn't have a built in flash doesn't bother me as I have my speedlite I can use. The weight of it isn't an issue either... The 7D, is half the price. It doesn't have as high ISO as the 1D, but I read that the 1D isn't that fantastic at a high ISO anyway... Shutter speed is 8fps which really isn't too shabby (is 10fps really that much more??). The shutter life of the 7D is HALF that of the 1D.... If I want a camera for my birthday then I can get it (7D), otherwise i'd be waiting untill next year for a new camera (1D) - and I don't know if I can go that long without a camera! (imagine all the end of year birthdays i'll miss, and not to forget christmas!). The way I see it, I take so many photos i'd really need to buy 2 7D's to get the same life out of it as I would one 1D. The 10fps really does appeal to me as I take alot of horse and dog photos, and trying to get the perfect movement/stacked shot is a bit of a pain with fewer frames per second. I guess I really want to know, does anyone have the 1D Mark IV, what do you think of it? Is it really worth the extra $3000, especially for someone who doesn't make any money out of photography, and has it as a hobby only? I honestly don't mind waiting to get a camera that I want, but if the 7D isn't THAT much different I don't see the point of spending $3000 more than I need to (imagine what other lenses I could get with 3 grand! Ok, probably ony 2, but 2 lenses that i'd want to buy anyway). Any insight, or an outside opinion, would be greatly appreciated

Kirislin - thank you for your suggestion, I have not checked out photography on the net yet, but will do so now I've asked my question on APF but am yet to recieve a response. I've also looked at reviews and sample photos for each lens and am finding it difficult to narrow it down to the best two. At this point in time I think I have decided on the 10-22 and the 24-105 L, the 17-40 is nice as well, but the other two lenses would have that one pretty much covered. Linda - My kit is as follows: 18-55 II, 28-105 II, 50 f1.4 II, 100 f2.8, 70-200 f4 L, 100-400 L IS and a 580 EX II flash and 2 x II extender. Alas I cannot shoot my own wedding so I am hiring a prefessional photographer, but i'll be passing my camera to family to take photos and I'd like to take some myself as well. The lenses that I buy would mainly be used for landscape, but it would be nice if they were versatile enough for some portrait shots too. I guess i'm wanting to know if anyone has used these lenses and what they think of them? Or if there was another lens that I haven't considered but should?

Hi all, We are going to Hawaii in a few weeks to sus out locations for my wedding in September. I am looking to purchase a couple of lenses for both trips and am after some reccomendations. We are looking at three Canon lenses : 10-22mm, 24-105mm L and the 17-40mm. We will mainly be shooting beach, volcano, mountain and waterfall scenes, and of course, wedding portraits in September. Does anyone have any preferences or reccomendations on which lenses would be best and why? Or can someone suggest an excellent lens that is not on the list? Thanks in advance

Ok, now you all have to excuse my complete lack of show attire, I was designated groomer for the day and was roped into doing brace at the last minute Getting ready to go in the ring. I just used my normal show leash and clipped it onto the loose rings of the dogs' snake chains. Gaiting... Stacking the two dogs, luckily I only had to adjust one rear leg. Note I put the bigger dog on the outside, and the smaller bitch on the inside. We didn't win brace that year, but we did however win the Brace Tream at this years Specialty (same pair)

Oh you're so making me dig out those photos again aren't you Bjelkier Be right back!

Esky, the reason for getting a puppy harness (as opposed to an adult one) is that they are adjustable, so that as your dog grows and fills out you won't need to continually buy a new harness. We bikejor recreationally, and have done so for years. It's actually quite easy to train for, especially if you incorporate the commands into your daily walks. We only run ours in Winter as their form of daily exercise, and go 15klm. Here is a short video of one of The dogs usually gallop for the first 3 or so klm before settling down and gaiting the rest of the trip.I get my ganglines from Windchill (though I am learning to make my own), but the necklines and harnesses I make myself as they only cost about $5 each in materials. You should be able to start taking Esky on short runs, as you are on the bike you can pedal to take the strain off her

My dogs breeder regularly runs her Mals with bull breeds (Staffies and Bull Terriers) as her mum and sister own these breeds. They get along quite well (reading body language etc), but as always it depends on the individual dogs.

I thought you were looking for a Malamute? Or are there two movies in the making?

Ooo, that's a proactive coping style indicator. Thing with proactive coping styles is they aren't very flexible. The animal tends to have one way of dealing with anything that is out of the ordinary and one way only. Sound like Boh? YES!!!!! So that's what you technically call it! I'll be doing some research on that! Googleing 'anxiety' and 'routine' didn't bring me much relevant information. I was the same with my lifestyle, never been a routine person and frankly found it VERY hard to change when the vet told me Boh NEEDED routine. We forced ourselves to start up a routine with the dogs and honestly it's been the best thing that we could have done, literally saved our sanity. Except on the days the routine slips and Boh goes into destructo mode, lol!

Sorry to hear about Champa's destructive behaviour. My boy is very similar and has tested the nerves on more than a few occasions! Infact his breeder commented to me not long ago that he is lucky he is with me, because if he was with a different owner that wasn't so patient he would have been through the pound many times by now I even offered (half joking half serious) him back to his breeder, who flatly refused My boy is diagnosed as having anxiety and is also not allowed to consume meats (is on a fish based diet). His anxiety as far as we can tell is hereditary, and coupled with his scatter-brained reation to meats he is one of the most difficult dogs I have ever met, or had the not-so-privledge of owning. He is also VERY routine orientated, one thing out of the ordinary and the place turns to shambles. Another thing that you mentioned that Champa does that my boy does is watching your every move, and the instant you are out of sightm BAM! the little prick destroys something or beats the crap out of my old girl (overly boisterous playing). The dollar amount of things he has destroyed in his short 2.5yrs is in the thousands. It is quite stressful and you have my utter most sympathy! As an example, a month or so ago his routine was disrupted. On a Fridays I wash him in preperation for a show. He had a small hotspot on his cheek and I was unsure if i'd take him to the show, but washed him anyway. I decided to go to the show and toddled off to the vets with him for a Cortisone shot and Apex cream, and came home. In the morning he wasn't much better so I decided to not go to the show. I left him at home and went out and visited my family. WELL! He was bathed and ready for the show and i'd gone without him! Not part of his routine so decided to trash the place didn't he? List of things I came home to that evening: Wooden retaining wall was chewed the entire length of the top rail around the patio (a good 30m) and no less than 16 new holes emerged in the lawn. He broke into the 'people only' part of the yard which is barricaded off with electric fencing, and trashed the entire part of the yard. He undermined the AC fan box, ripped out ALL the wiring under the dog trailer and ripped the plug off, chewed the tap off my 1000L IBC tank letting 1000L of saltwater (for my marine fishtank) flow into the yard, ripped towels off the line and shredded them, destroyed 5 of my soft rubber horse buckets by ripping them and chewing the handles off each and every one. He also chewed the hose in half and dragged it across the lawn and pissed on EVERYTHING! Pissing on things I find is the most offensive thing he can do. The entire length of the house and garden shed, clothesline, dog trailer, hydrobath, pushbikes, 200L feed drums and a garden bench got pissed on Moral of the story is you are not the only one that feels that way towards their dog, a small minority of us out here deal with it too. And in my books it's OK to feel that way towards the dog, it's human nature. Just so long as you vent and get it out of your system and move on. See if you can visit with a behaviourist, not that I feel they can do much to stop the behaviour, but they will help with setting up a routine with your dog to hopefully decrease the anxiety problems, and thus the ammount of destruction. ETA: My boy is also a happy go lucky dog, never had any reason to get anxious over anything, yet has anxiety if his routine is disrupted or loses the plot on the wrong foods. He halso gets exercised with 15klm of either running with the bike, or backpacking in the mountains around our house daily.

Name: Kodi Nickname: Kodmiester, Tart Breed: Alaskan Malamute Gender: Female (desexed) Age: 10.5 years Picture: Where did you get them from? Reputable registered breeder. How often do you exercise your dog? Daily hour+ play. Do they know any commands? Sit, Stay, Stand, Down, Hi 5, Hi 10, Under, Over, Bow, Beg, Speak. Compete in any dog sports? No Favourite treat: Any and all Favourite toy: Stuffed Tiger Funny habits or quirks: See below. What's their personality like? Insists on being the centre of attention with guests and comes up with creative ways to get a laugh out of someone - eg grabs her back leg and spins till she falls over. Otherwise she is a very laid back and mellow girl. Do they get along well with other dogs? Yes, however with other bitches she can be a bit hit and miss. Are they scared of anything? Thunderstorms - This is my fault as I developed an anxiety after OH started working nights and I was home alone during storms. Kodi was fine with storms till 7 years of age. What training methods do you use? Positive reinforcement? Corrections? Positive, with occasional fair and firm corrections. Name: Bohden Nickname: Bohzo The Clown Breed: Alaskan Malamute Gender: Intact Male Age: 2.5 years Picture: Where did you get them from? Reputable registered breeder How often do you exercise your dog? Either a 10klm bike run/sledding or a 15klm walk with backpack with 5kg of weight, daily. Do they know any commands? Stand, Wait, Look, Move, Back, moves each foot on command, all sledding commands. Compete in any dog sports? Conformation Showing, Sledding, Backpacking and aiming to compete in Tracking. Favourite treat: Home made oven dried fish bits. Favourite toy: Plastic plant pots. Funny habits or quirks: Puts his head and front feet in said plant pots and pushes himself around the yard with his back legs. What's their personality like? A complete doofus and a real puppy at heart. However he has an evil streak and if for some reason his routine is disrupted he will trash the yard with gusto. He is a very sensitive dog in regards to his routine. Do they get along well with other dogs? Bitches yes, dogs no. He will however 'work' happily side by side with another intact male. Are they scared of anything? The garbage truck, but only when out on a walk - he has no fear when sitting in the yard looking at it through the fence. What training methods do you use? Positive reinforcement? Corrections? Positive, with firm but fair corrections when needed.

I think you'd be better off with a 70-200 as previously suggested, the 100-400 is just too big, especially in a small field. Here are a few pics from our local Ag show with my 70-200 (much better place to get horsie pics without getting into trouble). The horses were in a fairly big sports stadium and it was very rarely that I felt I would have needed a longer lens. Please excuse my over-processing though - someone got a little carried away while editing

I never said you did, you admit that it contributes but believe that enviroment is more to blame. (correct me if I got this wrong) I'm saying that yes, the way the dog is brought up plays a big role - BUT you would be more successful in having a well adjusted dog if it didn't have a genetic history of aggression. Dogs with aggression in their lines need to be managed appropriately, and if allowed to express their aggressive potential by bad/lack of training and containment then you start to have problems. No, this is not a reflection of genetics, I agree it stems from poor leadership. With proper leadership you have taught your dog to be respectful of you, this has nothing to do with genetic aggression. It's the need for a pack leader which EVERY dog needs, regardless of genetic background. Genetic problems such as a bad temperament are quite common, but not every dog out there has temperament problems stemming for its ancestory. It's purely based on bad breeding practices. Bad temperaments can be bred out. Then I'd assume that means you won't breed from your dog? You assume correctly There is now way in hell I want another one of him gracing this earth. Yes, he is 1/3 of his way to his grand championship but no, this does not mean he is worth breeding from - conformationally he is lovely, all bar his short upper arm however movement is not affected as he has wonderful reach and a solid topline. He has enquieries from breeders to use him, but he is not available for stud. They have been given semen from his uncle to use, who has a great temperament.

Hmm, many trainers/behaviourists you talk to about aggression would disagree with you that the majority of dogs that display aggression were simply born that way. The vast majority of aggression is fear based and when you consider the number of aggressive dogs out there, ranging just about any breed, that's a hell of a lot of dogs just "born like that". I find it depressingly naive and quite honestly terrifying to hear that people think the majority of aggressive dogs were just born like that, with no influence from the environment in which they were raised All dogs are born with the ability to display aggression. I have to stick up for Bindii, as she makes a very good point. I don't intend to discuss this any further than this post, as I know you have a very strong opinion Huski (which you are entitled to) and are quite happy to drum it into everyone else without considering that just possibly the other person's differing opinion might just be right. I firmly believe that behaviour (good or bad) is predominantly genetic. Granted alot is learnt, but a dogs behaviour and how it deals with situations is based on its genetic profile. A dog who is genetically aggressive can either end up in the right hands and be either trained to contol its aggression to a certain extent, or kept in a situation where it never has the opportunity to express or learn its genetic potential. Or it can be placed in the wrong hands, who either exploit it's natural tendancies or simply do not understand/lack the knowledge to know any better and the dog is allowed to develop a behaviour that it was born to exhibit. Outside factors such as upbringing are a huge influence as well, but a learned behaviour can be controlled with proper training. Inherited behaviour can only be curbed to an extent, and I believe (and have read) that it can never be trained out of a dog. Please take my own dog as an example. He has had a near perfect upbringing. Socialization daily with different breeds of all ages and sexes, never had a bad encounter with a dog or a person. He was always a worrier as a pup, cautious in new situations, refused to deficate on strange land etc. I never sooked/coddled/paid him attention when he got anxious, I went along like there was nothing to worry about - he was rewarded for relaxed body language though. He has what you call 'fear based aggression' but his is not learned, it a fearful dispositon that was inherited. At about 8 months a switch flicked. He would whine (loudly) when he heard a nosie, if he didn't instantly know what it was it would set him off. Strange dogs would turn him into a screaming mess and he would lash out aggressively as he didn't know how else to deal with the situaltion (obviously flight wasn't on the agenda and he chose the fight route). He diverted his aggression onto my bitch who was in easy reach, opposed to the strange noise on the other side of the fence or any dog that wasn't in easy reach. To an extent his DA is learnt, how he made the decision in the first place that this was they way to deal with his anxiety is obviously stemming from his genetic background. We were baffled as to why he behaved this way, untill his sires owner (in Europe) admitted that my dogs sire is 'a worrier'. So much so that she isn't interested in her dogs progeny at all. We have been working with a behavioural vet to help him with his anxiety. And if I don't follow our routine to the Tee we start having problems again, he is a very sensitive dog, in fact the last week we have had a house being built next door and there are strange people wandering around there all day. Yep, out of routine and we are back to square one - no matter how hard we try, getting him to learn to relax is a slow and hard slog - trying to teach a dog to exhibit the opposite behaviour to one that is so deeply ingrained genetically isn't for the 'average pet owner'. I personally know of a few dogs (one in particular has sired over a hundred progeny), who is incredibly human aggressive, and it's showing itself in the offspring, in alot of them - now try and tell me that these pups are all learnt to become aggressive and it has nothing to do with genetics. Now this is a breed that should NEVER show aggression to humans, if so it should be desexed and removed from the gene pool (IMO). These aggressive puppies are quite widespread in location, in a relatively rare and human friendly breed. Like I said, dogs who have aggression in their genes should be placed in knowledgeable homes who can control the dogs effectively and understand that they will never be 100% reliable. Aggression is genetically ingrained in alot of breeds, many breeds of which should never be so - it is not a suprise to learn that so many dogs out there are aggressive. Bad temperaments run rampet in BYB dogs, and even sadly in some show lines (temperment should never be sacraficed in a breeding programme, no matter how successful the dog is in the ring). That said, the problem lies at the other end of the lead. People shouldn't breed dogs with bad temperaments and place them in the average 'pet home' with people who have no clue how to manage a dog who is potentially a ticking time bomb.

I haven't picked up my camera in months, despite having all intentions of joining in on the challenges However I did manage to get my act together and get some shots of our Fallow Deer, Bambi.

Great to hear that they are both thriving! I'v also been checking in every day to make sure the worst had not occured Try weighing her in an icecream container (with a facecloth in the bottom) on your kitchen scales

Boh gets washed before every show, so he is done weekly throughout Autunm/Winter/Spring but is never washed if we don't have a show on. Kodi is lucky if she gets washd twice a year, once is the norm for her, sometimes once every year and a half.

Bub is just gorgoues! The father would have to be something with alot of coat - i'm going to guess a Border Collie or the likes. See how the pup's coat has a 'wave' to it? In Malamutes this type of coat in a wriggler pup is a fairly big indication that it is going to be a wooly/longcoat, and not short double coat like the standard asks for

Just a shot in the dark, but I think I recall seeing a photo of Buffy (she's gorgeous BTW ) lying on the tiles - she has a reflection. Are your tiles gloss? and is she trying to dig at her own reflection?

Ahh, I come from Kurri Kurri so would go a different way to you. I turn off the Pacific Hwy at Tomago (just over the Hexam bridge) and go down Tomago Rd/Cabbage Tree Rd to Williamtown Airport. Do you know Richardson road that goes under the freeway and follows the edge of Grahamstown Dam? I think it's the first exit off the freeway Raymond Terrace/Nelsons Bay. There are two ways you can go: 1. Follow Richardson Rd right through to the big roundabout at Campvale, and turn left onto Medowie road. Follow Medowie Rd to the next roundabout and turn left onto Ferodale Rd, then left again at the next roundabout to the showground. 2. Follow Richardson Rd past the picnic grounds/pontoon at Grahamstown Dam and turn left onto a pokey little road that continues along the shoreline, this road is Grahamstown Rd. Take the first left onto Fairlands Rd and follow it to the end. It Tee intersects onto Ferodale Rd - turn right. Follow Ferodale Rd untill you hit the first roundabout and turn right into the showgrounds As for shade, there is plenty of trees along the edge of the showground, but nothing on the field (the show is held on a footy oval). ETA: Bring mozzie repellent! They are really bad in the afternoon and into the night.

Oops! Sorry AS I forgot to quote you Thank you for the compliment! She is my first Mal, Kodi, and will be 10 this year, boy time flies! The first dog (and my avitar) is my current show boy, Bohden, who is just shy of his second birthday. The last pic in my sig is of my second Mal and introduction to showing, Flinne - he passed away at 7 months of age, and would have turned 3 in April