The Spotted Devil

Tassie - you better let me know if you come to Melbourne. Or else!!!!!!

Probably the other thing you need to realise is that most small breeders would be lucky to cover their costs so haggling on price doesn't come across too well. For many people it's a hobby and a passion and they want to know that a puppy's new owner will care more about the puppy than the price. Just like they do :) As others have suggested pick up the phone and have a chat :)

I've already got the Nationals page bookmarked and checked google maps.....keen or what IF I have a different vehicle by then my aim would be to go via a place in NSW that does awesome 4WD drawer fit-outs.....would be 12 hours for that first leg (would probably do that over 2 days). Then another 7.5 hours to QLD. Not that much different to driving straight through. Mine are really good about long drives etc.....we do a bit of camping with them on top of the regular trials so they just settle in and rest in preparation for the fun bits at the other end!

Very tempted to go - had such fun last year. I'm not sure what my work situation will be by then as hopefully I'll have my "piece of paper". My preference is to drive up.

Yes I've got a couple as well :laugh: I love them because my cats have a super feline ability to open food containers and this is the only bin they can't Never not funny watching them try though :D

No idea AD. I just run :laugh:

Thanks BC :) To be honest I'm just grateful he was happy to get out of bed for the photo shoot :laugh: Bless him but he doesn't mind a sleep in after a big weekend!

Any breeding needs careful consideration. Line breeding is not a scientific term but it's one I understand when breeders use it. Inbreeding (including line breeding) does limit genetic variation - it can work for the good or the bad. Same with outcrossing - it can introduce nasties that can't be tested for. Nature plays some awful tricks and breeders can only do so much. Then there's environmental factors...

I think it's Barney Products Ph: 03 9308 4366 They advertise in our club newsletter every month and that's the only details I have - give them a call and ask if they did the Dalmatian Nationals Coats :)

Raya, we have someone from the Dally Club who makes coats to order - Zig won 2 at the Nationals and I think they are lovely.... If you are interested I will search out their details :)

It's so easy to get stuck on accuracy in trials. Yesterday I made myself accountable - told people ringside to slap me stupid if I babysat Miss Em. Yes, she had a few faults but all anyone commented on was how fast she covered the ground. Win :D

RS, I think in terms of training you need to break things down such that the dog learns to do things with speed and accuracy from the get go...which is why I like 2x2 weaves so much. In training, simplify. In trials, run like hell :laugh:

My Em took off after a rabbit in the forest one late afternoon (turns out her recall disappears a month before coming into season). I was out there until it was pitch black with a torch and a whistle and walked everywhere....finally she came trotting towards me on the exact same path/area that she took off from. I've been watching this thread - such an awful situation with a better outcome than I expected. Really hope it gets even better.

I understand where you're coming from.....the first time Zig missed a JDM pass because of time (less than a second!) I was soooo disappointed. Watching the video back he ran beautifully but was taking big, wide loopy turns which was costing him seconds. My handling was a bit crap also. I had a few private lessons, got my decel cues sorted out and he's never missed out on time since (until yesterday, but I blame the heat!) I also worked on tugging, enthusiasm and all sorts of things which perhaps I wouldn't have bothered with as much had he got his passes more easily. So I'm grateful in a strange kind of way :laugh: Some of the best handlers I know aren't that fast - they teach independent obstacles and move to get into positional cues. I'm noticing my ability to do that with Ziggy now that we're a more experienced team - I send him "out' and step into position - it's so much better than running myself ragged!

You're right. What would I know?

This is done more often than you think. I know of many breeders who have left an option open for an undesexed bitch in a Pet home to come back and have a litter if the new owner wishes. Some even show dogs that live full time in family homes, in my opinion there isn't much difference between a well cared for house dog and a Show dog. At least I believe there shouldn't be. :) I am curious as to why a pet owner would agree to keep a dog under these conditions - is it very common? On the surface it would appear that it only benefits the breeder - what benefit to the pet owner. Unless they are getting the dog for free and the breeder is picking up all vet expenses etc its hard to understand why anyone would do it? It would depend on the breeder but they may be repeat puppy buyers, the puppy may be reduced in price, the breeder may take the bitch back when in season or when the owner goes away, the puppy buyer might receive a puppy from a litter and the breeder may well pick up the vet fees for all breeding related expenses including health testing - when the breeder and the puppy buyer have a good relationship it can work out really well for everyone.

I'm working nights at the moment Tassie, which makes training much easier. So many people told me they do the same thing with their subsequent dogs even the really, really good trainers/handlers - assume they can do stuff without teaching it properly. I have to slap myself on the back of the head and remember that Zig started agility TRAINING at the age of 2. Em is only 2 and a half AND has been training hard at retrieving AND hasn't trialled in agility for 5 months AND I've been overseas for 2 of those

Funny - I don't think anyone has condoned resource guarding. Rather they have pointed out that suppressing a puppy's ONLY method of communication is not wise. Changing the emotional response of an animal to having something of value removed is possible provided you ADD something of equal or higher value. I can't see the cat doing that.... Train the cat not to approach the puppy or supervise them. Simple.

Good on you TO! It was an awful day for trialling....unseasonably hot and muggy for April with a temperamental breeze and little shade near the rings. Ziggy really felt the heat but tried his Spotted heart out as per usual. From 6 runs he had 5 clear rounds but went just over time in two of the Masters Jumping courses. It's been a long time since that's happened but he was definitely running more slowly and wasn't turning as sharply. He picked up a very nice 2nd place in Open Jumping (an awkward distance challenge over a broad jump and into the tunnel but he read my shoulders and took the right entry!) plus a 4th place (2nd place 600 height) and 5th place (1st place 600 height) in Masters Agility from around 40 entries. The cycling and swimming seems to have paid off as he bounced out of bed this morning. Wish I could say the same for me!!! My aim for Em was to run HARD all day, have fun and never mind the quallies - she didn't drop her head and sniff at all which is great progress as my handling often leaves her a bit worried. She wrestled with me, played tug, did nose touches, spins and said hi to lots of new people and dogs. Had some really good advice from people I respect who picked up on a couple of things: 1) I'm still running her like I would an experienced dog - not giving her enough time to find her weave entry, for example, before either running off or babysitting. 2) She is having FUN. I need to stop worrying about her. 3) Enter her in less runs. She is finding the sharper angles and unfamiliar seesaw in Open confidence sapping even though I run with her and don't expect her to do the distance challenge. Less is more and all that. 4) She is jumping REALLY early. High but early. And seems to do so more in trials so is smashing jumps. Will go away and do some grid work with a trainer I really respect.

I recall going through this with my Dally at a similar age but he was marking. Turns out Mr TSD was absorbed in something and didn't notice Zig's (very subtle) indications that he needed to go out on one occasion and it quickly became a habit. Went straight back to "puppy training" ie out every 30 min (alarm set!) and confined when unsupervised and he was back on track in no time at all. Good luck!

The Dally club has one coming up - the schedule is on the DCOV website. If you have trouble finding it let me know :)

3 cats. 2 dogs. I train/give advice on both for a living. All get on famously - one cat wrestles with the dogs and grooms them. All fed separately in peace and quiet. If the dogs need to be fed later I put the cats away for 10 min. My cats are little pigs. My dogs have learned to defer to me if a cat slips through but I suspect that reflects our working relationship and the fact that I remove the cat immediately. The dogs trust that I will look after their interests. It's the cat that shouldn't be approaching the dog and my dogs certainly would never approach each other's or the cats' food under my supervision. To be honest I get grumpy when the cats try to pinch my dinner and certainly don't let them saunter off with a lamb chop in each paw!!!! I'm too busy to consistently train the cats at meal times so I manage them :)

Just a side note....Dallies shed like there's no tomorrow. 24/7. Brilliant dogs though :D I run mine in agility and obedience - more than capable but slightly more of a challenge. The Pointers I see are much lower key and softer than GSPs but the latter are more working type dogs bred specifically for field/retrieving trials....very intense.

Mr TSD had the cheek to play golf on his day off :laugh: so I've lined him up for more marking drills tomorrow. Today, I started with a 3 leg lining drill on the oval with 3 piles of dummies - one at the far end, one to the left and one to the right. Sent her for the back pile first. A bit of a wonky line so I stopped and straightened her up with a right back. No problem. It was a bit warm so decided to break things up so she didn't get tired too quickly. Set her up in the middle of the three piles and sent her left/right/right back/left back until she'd picked up all 6 dummies. Left backs were weak so I gave her a rest and then worked on just them.....took the verbal cue out and just gave the signal. If she didn't turn the correct way I stopped her, moved in closer and cast her again. Took a bit to figure it out - I think I've been giving extra hints with my body language - but she finally clicked and turned correctly on the last 3 dummies.