Gayle.

It was a discussion on how dogs can be bred to a standard but still look completely different from each other (see the groomer ruined the pom coat thread), and I posted the Seven Wonders pic to illustrate. Seven dogs all bred to the same standard, all show dogs, and all different. And of course, as happens anytime someone sees Leo, he got a whole new chapter to his fan club.

Congrats Gayle. What other Aussie's were there? Chris Webbs girl Piper, who won BOB. A Dykinta dog, a blue merle. A Jadziah black tri dog. A black tri bitch owned by Les Mathieson but shown by someone else. An Owjedoo bitch, a Tayona bitch, can't think of the other one (I think it was a black tri dog), I gave my catalogue to Chris to keep. There were 4 dogs and 4 bitches. None went any further.

No, let the dogs coat adjust to the climate. I would not clip a GSD ever. Their coat provides protection from the heat.

We're going to ferny rainforest and river setting, plus an old railway trestle bridge amongst tree ferns. I'm really looking forward to it.

Here are some more pics from the same photo shoot. These were taken at Kilcunda in South Gippsland. Leopuppy and I are doing something similar in a few weeks but in a different location. We drew a sizeable crowd that day with lots of people wanting to take photos of the dogs. And the dogs were so beautifully behaved. None of them were allowed to go in the water, and they all just did as they were told. None annoyed any other and their manners were impeccable.

They are really great dogs to have as a pack, they love to play rough and they love to play with other Aussies. They are also scarily smart, but so far they haven't figured out that their combined brain power might get them things and places they never would have thought of on their own. They tend to be independent thinkers....independent of each other, thank goodness, or we'd have had the great escape times four recently when Ripley figured out how to climb a 160 cm solid gate.

Group 5 BIG Border Colllie RUIG Belgian Shepherd Baby in group GSD Intermediate in group Sheltie Can't remember the rest. But my boy Isaak got his first points with a 9 pt challenge and runner up of breed. He doesn't get shown much, so I am really really pleased with todays result.

Our local pound had a very rare Coton Du Tulear cross one day. I cracked up when I saw the listing, they obviously had a breed book and they used it to label the dogs impounded and they'd picked a small white fluffy as a Coton Du Tulear cross. I wonder where the purebred Coton came from to make the cross! LOL!

Pretty sure there are some Havanese breeders on DOL but I can't think who. Check the breed pages, there will be contact details there.

I don't think there are any Coton breeders here. Is it even recognized by the ANKC?

Some breeders have the hips and elbows x-rayed after the pups are born because registration of the pups requires hip scores to be provided. There are no requirements to NOT breed the bitch if the scores are too high.

Not all rare breeds are expensive though. Rare doesn't always equate to desirable and sometimes breeds are rare because few people want to own them.

Where are you booked in? I need to do some training too, we are going to train for our first started title seeing as the short one now has her PT title.

I like the idea of taking entries on the day. I don't enter many shows due to the distance I have to travel for most of them, but there are occasional weekends when I wish I'd entered because of the weather, or just feel like a dog day out. I've had one breeder tell me she wouldn't sell me a show quality puppy but then I've had two tell me they certainly would (and they have matings planned that really interest me).

It would be Park Lane, it's on the Princes Highway between Morwell and Traralgon.

Breed clubs could also aim to distribute current or back issues of their newsletters. I know our club newsletter is filled with interesting things about dogs in general and Aussies in particular.....as well as contact details for committee members and the URL to the club website.

Testing and x-raying is one thing, using the data to make good decisions about which dogs to breed with is another.

Part of the problem at the moment is that ANKC sanctioned events are really only made known to ANKC members. Preaching to the converted! And yet look at the RSPCA annual walk, it's heavily advertised in all media and pet owners show up in droves to take part. If they know about it, they'll attend. Maybe not in huge numbers at first but if it's made "user friendly" then more will come the next time.

BB, I have a spare bedroom and bathroom you are welcme to use, if you like. It's not flash and you'll be surrounded by my daghters junk, but it's clean and comfy. We're in a little village about 20 minutes from Morwell. My only request would be that your dogs sleep in the car or trailer as my dogs would probably keep us all awake if we had 5 or 6 strange dogs in the house.

To be honest, I don't think changing the actual show is the answer....dog shows are what they are and they are the same the world over. It would be nice, however, if they were made more accessible and more "user-friendly" and understandable for visitors. I agree it would be nice if the features of various breeds were explained or made more obvious, but not all breeds have exaggerated features (most of the gun dogs, utility dogs and herding dogs are quite "normal" looking) but I think that can come about with more and better publicity for pedigree dogs.

Personally, I think they need to do more dog activities in areas the public go to. In some states (Vic and NSW, don't know about the others) most shows are held at specific venues that the public just don't know about, and have no reason to go to. Big Day Out for Dogs, for example, is held at KCC Park......if they want the general public to be interested, why not hold it in the city or in a suburban park where non-dog people or pet owners go. Cos they don't go to KCC Park. I also think that the ANKC needs to employ a media person with a high profile and get them talking on TV and radio about the benefits of buying pedigree dogs. Get out and flog it, talk about good breeds for families, good breeds for working people, good breeds for sports enthusiasts, good breeds for first time owners, good breeds for agility, obedience, herding, lure coursing and any other dog activity that involves pedigree dogs. Good breeds for first time show people. And how shows work. How they are used to keep the breeds pure and honest and looking like they are supposed to. They need to do the same as what the designer dog voices did for mongrels...they need to make pedigree dogs the preferred option.

I played numerous sports with no issue, but the higher and more competitive it got, the bitchier it got. When I was competing with someone else for a place in a team, especially a state or Australian one, it wasn't much different to a dog show. But perhaps I was unlucky. ETA: My brother played soccer for a local club as a junoir and the crap that went on there between parents was worse than anything I've seen at a show. Just thinking, are entries dropping at similar rates all around Aust? Or are some states better than others? I haven't had nearly as many bad experiences as Gayle has, but I show the same breed. Does state have anything to do with it? In my breed, only one and that was in SA. In general, a small handful directed at me, but I tend to watch and listen a lot and the things I see and hear just make my hair curl. Ringside tantrums, nasty comments etc abound. But I expect that's always been the case, I honestly don't think that's why numbers are dropping. Growing up, I had parents involved in various things such as the local greyhound racing club and the golf club and I had a gutful of it then. They were just bloody feral and I now have a really tiny amount of patience for adults who act like schoolgirls, then deny they did anything wrong. The comments on here that really make me sad are the ones from new showies and visitors to shows who complain about rudeness directed at them by dog show people, and that is absolutely uncalled for. In no way, shape or form is it ever OK to be rude or abrupt to someone showing an interest in your pastime, especially when it's conducted in a public arena. And the comments happen time and time again, so many times that really, you'd have to think that maybe there's a problem there.

Mine is one dog, only one. It shouldn't be that hard or confusing for anyone. But I'm making it easier in future, he's being transferred into my name only.

Wrinkle your brow and raise your eyeborows, both of them if you must, but it happened. And I think you are the one with your head in the sand saying "no no no no no" denying there is amything wrong. Instead of blindly defendng what is a dying activity, how about admitting there are some parts that could bear changing and an image that's in desperate need of a polish and a positive spin? For what it's worth, I spent many years involved in junior sport, firstly with a husband who was a junior football and cricket coach, then with my own four children playing and competing in football, cricket, indoor cricket, basketball and gymnastics. And never did I see or hear the nasty and childish behaviour I see and hear at dog shows. And not by the juniorr contingent either.

I have never owned any of those breeds, but can I just say that I think collies are amongst the sweetest, prettiest dogs ever? I often sit near them at dog shows and they are just delightful, gentle souls, and so, so beautiful.