The Spotted Devil

Compact gazebo easily fits lying down across the back seats of my X-trail. Dogs in the back. If I'm carrying a youngster in a crate on the back seat I strap the gazebo in vertically against one door. It's a tight fit but it works. If I had 2 crates in the back seat I'd lie the gazebo across the top. I've just spent the weekend camping with 2 dogs and pup so I'm pretty good at filling my car...it's like playing Tetris!

Even then, still a risk! Determined dogs are determined! Yep. We recently repaired the fox proof pen again. We had forgotten to Emmy proof it. We had also neglected to Ginny proof the surrounding fence!

Scatter on the lawn, package up in cardboard boxes and stuff in Kongs with a little soft, mushy food to make it more difficult. A little frustration is ok but it should be more about foraging behaviour than anything.

What size? Oztrail compact seems to fit ok - although mine is probably 7-8 years old.

Alive but traumatised. Em would retrieve them over and over and over...

Dizzy is on lysine daily for the rest of his life. As soon as I stop he gets sick so it really does work.

Totally agree with this statement! I find it annoying when people say stuff like "it's so much easier for you because you have a slow/fast/small/large dog". It's better to focus on your own performance than to worry about how supposedly easy it is for other people. It's hard for everyone just in different ways. Yes!!!!

Yes another vote for Cottage Kennels :)

Can you video? Often there's something going on that you can't "see" when you're training.

Okay I'm a dumb dumb. last few ribs at head end or bottom end? What am I supposed to be feeling for? You're not dumb! Just run your hand along their ribcage and if you can feel at least the last few ribs at their back end it usually means they're a good weight :) . Okay my old boy (13) I can feel every rib. I know he needs to be checked. I like to keep him thin though because he has arthritis. Middle dog I can feel the two end ribs. New dog (5kgs and 8 months old) I can't feel any ribs. Therefore I am overfeeding her. Thank you :) And it's really important to run your hands lightly over the ribs - I have had numerous clients poking their dogs vigorously and insisting they can feel those last few ribs! Once you show people they are very quick to understand the look and feel method - and then come back each week proudly showing how their dog is slimming down :)

A standard might be ideal but that doesn't account for the build or fitness of the individual dog. Weighing per se is objective but we know it doesn't translate well to "ideal body condition." Just like the amount of food required to maintain an ideal body condition score will depend on the quality of the food, the activity of the dog, the health of the dog and the metabolism of the individual dog.

Lisa - make sure your dog TRULY understands what "heel" means. I like to take the static position out of the equation. Throw a treat "get it" in any direction and (provided your dog knows this game) as they come racing back I either throw them another treat to up the excitement and unpredictability OR ask them to flip into heel position.

Appearance and hands on is way more important than weight in my opinion and I encourage people to use a Body Condition Score to assess their dogs. I only weigh mine for the purpose of medication. ETA: Yes, pet obesity is a considerable welfare issue in pet dogs and cats.

I use a combination of set ups depending on the people and how well I know them or they know my dogs. Crates, pens, outside and behind baby gates are all options but they'll also settle on their beds pretty quickly once the excitement of arrivals has died down. Currently I have 2 adult dogs and 2 puppies so it does require a little juggling!

Once a day generally for the adults although they do get training treats at some point. Baby pup gets 3 meals a day but that can be a bit random as sometimes she gets a meal spread out on training. If I feed a morning meal to the adults it's usually so I can add supplements or to give them a snack before trialling so it's usually pretty small. There was a very small study that suggested once daily feeding at night may be better for Dalmatians in terms of reducing the risk of uric acid stones which was my initial motivation. Em really liked what having a litter and lactating did to her food intake :laugh:

And it must be quite hard work to get a dog who's so active to that point. They would be working off much more than the average house pet so they must be feeding a heck of a lot. Yes and no Steph - unlike a dog in the field they might only do a couple of competition runs on a weekend once or twice a month. My first priority is strength and fitness with my dogs and I squeeze training in around that....long walks in the dark and the pouring rain aren't fun for me but sometimes it has to be done!

I get even more pi$$ed off seeing overweight dogs competing in agility, retrieving etc. There's no excuse.

I'll PM you :)

She did indeed Tassie :D Oh me of little faith

It's funny how things work out! Jim went off to his new home last Thursday and they just love him - being super good around the kids, old dogs and cat and enjoying training already. My friend and colleague held a soft spot for Jim since he was 5 weeks old and was so chuffed that things worked out for her family timing wise that she took the plunge! So Ginny and Sir H are having fun on their socialisation outings...first time in the big dog car crate and they wrestled all the way out and back :laugh: Sir H is taking it all in his stride as we try to find his perfect home... Whilst Ginny is working out how much she can get away with!

Yes it's a tough call - but it's about relationship building I guess. Technically, with the time and money I put into my pups, I am subsidising someone else's puppy. I don't put all that effort in and just hand them over unless I'm quite sure it's a good home.

Must have the storage capabilities of Dr Who's Tardis.

Agree. Relax. Enjoy. Welcome to puppies! 100% agree putting the crate next to your bed. When he cries quietly put a leash on, don't say anything, carry him outside, let him toilet, pick him up and pop him straight back to bed. So the trip itself is ONLY about toileting not play time. Make sure he is warm enough. It is very cold without your litter mates even if you have plenty of blankets. I use a Snugglesafe for my pup - works a treat. Toilet training can take some weeks especially for babies with tiny bladders BUT I guarantee he will be quicker than a human baby!

I get such a thrill running my Dally and I know plenty of people enjoy watching him run. We even show up the BCs sometimes - pretty fun to do in a very competitive state! I enjoy watching the BCs run and I have a few favourites in Vic but they're just not the dog I want to live with.