The Spotted Devil

Definitely check with the club as to their requirements as perhaps interpretation is important. In retrieving trials most game used for marking is of a subdued colour - the dog sees it clearly against the sky BUT it shouldn't stick out like the dog's proverbials on land or water. But when training we want SUCESS so white is ok provided it's not a bright sunny day.

Probably best to check with the club - in Vic the club now supplies standard dummies for all dogs which is a great idea. Just a note regarding your red dummies - when we are training for marking we never use red dummies as dogs are red-green colourblind. Combination white/black dummies are the preference as they will show up against dark or light skyline or trees. And you want the dog to have 100% success rate at marking the depth of the fall and retrieving the dummy using their eyes.

I use it with my own dogs and hundreds of others….from puppies to shelter dogs. The way I have done it is to not reward a specific behaviour, that is, don't always reward a drop or a sit or a step backwards so they understand that you are not rewarding the behaviour per se but their choice NOT to mug your hand. If they keep offering the same behaviour, simply don't reward it and they will tend to try something else. It may also help to move on and put the treats on the floor to trigger a different behaviour. I hope that helps :)

SG will open registration after the last video.

Yes, you really need someone else to throw for you and in a variety of cover. The dog needs to look forward (not at you!) and learn to "mark" the depth of the fall. It is VERY deceptive when you add undulations and cover and the dog has to learn to compensate accordingly. There are some early videos of me doing marking work with Em on my You Tube channel - I'm on my phone but I think the link is in my signature. Yes, the heel work and recall is definitely the easy part!

Welcome Misteri! Unfortunately I can't give you any specific advice about the venue - but the thing about the tests is that they can vary quite a bit so it is important that your dog can retrieve across varying distances, terrain, cover and water. Do you have any training groups near you? Or let us know what training you have done thus far.

I know the breed. I hope I am the one to breed her. I'll have a long list of names I like. But I still won't name her until I know her. Em was "Rosie Puppy" (for her mum) for a week before I settled on a name.

Very old thread I know but Zandona trailers appear to be out of business (website down and advertised phone number disconnected). Anyone have alternatives to Puppy Bars in case the wait times are still long?

There is also prophylactic surgery that can be done I think.

Hi Bernie22. I can't answer for Bernese Mountain Dog specifically but the research shows that sex hormones promote the closure of growth plates for long bones. That is, if you desex the dog before sexual maturity (which is also before the dog has finished growing) growth plate closure is delayed resulting in a very slightly taller dog - significantly different in statistical terms but only very slightly different in long bone length. Where the problem lies is we don't know how this affects hip joint laxity and hip displaysia. There are no conclusive results either way and the research available (for and against) is flawed. Personally I would not desex a large breed or performance dog before it has finished growing BUT it is always a case of weighing up the costs/benefits. There are risks to leaving animals intact as well. I would also speak with your girl's breeder as some issues will run in lines. Good on you for reading as much as you can. I can't help you with the bloat aspect.

I had a pup in one of my puppy classes. Awesome dog absolutely loaded with potential. I think the young owner was in over his head.

raja - if you get to the pointy end and need more support I am happy to post a message on the AussieDals list.

raja - there were similar issues in NSW recently I think where the only BAER machine available was in disrepair! It does not make it easy for folk like yourself who are trying to tick all the boxes. I know the Dally Club in Vic really rallied around a particular country vet clinic to do the testing and advertise in the newsletter. That seems to have been a good outcome for all.

I don't think BAER can test for selective hearing :laugh:

Not at all! It's great to hear about your journey! The golden rule is simplify, simplify, simplify. Try starting with one jump using your "run home" command (I use "GO") - send him over to get the treat from the target mat and then call him back to you for another treat/tug.

Yes - and I can't recall where I heard this but there also seems to be an in utero effect (as well as genetics) on inner ear pigmentation. Parents should be tested before breeding and puppies should be tested at 6-8 weeks. Indiscriminate breeding may well be a large part of the problem.

I don't know anything about ACD deafness but I am aware of the piebald gene in Dallies. Whilst mode of inheritance is not clear my Zig's breeder (amongst others) BAER test and never use a unilaterally hearing dog let alone a bilaterally deaf dog in their breeding program and they rarely had any issues in the end. Their vet was stunned! They also select for dark eyes and don't bother about the odd patched puppy popping up as both of these attributes are associated with lower incidences of deafness.

E+H - I hope you get it sorted! Another idea is to teach him to target his leash (hanging on a pole usually) at the end of the run. But yes, run to a target at the last jump and then back to you for another reward is a great idea.

No. Williams was a much respected breeder, judge, and fancier in the UK. She is stationg that Labs in the UK were crossed with Greys . . . and in other places she suggests other hounds. The US scene is/was different, as breeders were not typically landed gentry (with packs of dog that do get mixed) and the rules of field competition were/are different. Thanks SG - that makes sense. As I said earlier I thought we were discussing American field Labs specifically.

I agree with you - how else do breeds develop with a healthy genetic variation but to have infusions from other breeds. But I thought we were specifically discussing American field bred Labs and why they are more leggy. My mistake perhaps. And I am a huge fan of the outcross actually - LUA Dalmatians being a case in point.

I've always acknowledged that competition can change dogs if performance titles are all that is taken notice of. That's the nature of competition. I took my Springer rough hunting last weekend so I could begin to understand her natural ability. Do those who suggest that US type field bred Labradors are the result of Greyhound crosses also suggest that pedigrees have therefore been falsified?

SSM - it's not the speed per se but that is a by product of an intense desire to retrieve and run straight lines to the retrieve no matter what is in the way (water, cover, terrain etc). Also, the dog has to be able to mark the fall of the game, that is, judge depth incredibly well. Whilst there is no doubt training involved there really needs to be a large genetic component - looking back at my own dog I now can see that she showed quite a bit of natural marking ability as a very young pup. Put simply, dogs who won US field trials were bred to dogs who won US field trials. You don't get marks for "speed"...most points are allocated for line out and slightly less for line back, plus delivery, steadiness, peg work and style, eagerness and action. You get pinged for handling (especially on a marked retrieve) and disobeyed commands. As I think Maddy said (apologies if I'm wrong), why on earth would you add Greyhound to the mix to increase a dog's desire to retrieve and tackle water?

And those of us not going expect LOTS of updates and photos please!!!

Em struggled with weaves at the last Nationals - tough environment! I'm sure you've got plenty of people giving you advice but can I suggest that you don't stop and re-do the weaves if your dog misses them or pops out. Just keep running

To return to the OP (again!)…have I seen overweight dogs in the show ring? Yes. Have I seen overweight dogs compete in agility, obedience and retrieving? Yes. Do I think it is representative of an entire breed or an entire dog sport? No. Is it my responsibility (as someone who comes in contact with a LOT of pet dogs through my study/work) to educate pet owners as to what constitutes "normal" weight and why I keep my own dogs slightly lighter than pets? Absolutely. I'd never own a Stafford (just not my type of dog) but every time I see WIW's photos I am just WOW. Fit and balanced and, in fact, ripped. Same with the vast majority of show dogs I see on DOL. I can understand folk are unimpressed when generalisations about ANY breed or ANY sport are made.