Sayreovi

Great information, I am wanting to do my own website soon so have noted down all suggestions of what to do and what NOT to do as well! :p

A Toller wouldn't be suitable. They are very active, body and mind, and 30 minutes a day isn't enough. They need to spend time inside guranteed not just when it's suitable. They are excellent family pets and learn extremely quick but also push and push and push so might not be suitable for a newbie owner, very much a "I will do it, but what's in it for me?" type of dog :) Plus no chance of getting one this year :)

I have a neuter and from now on will only enter a show that offers the neuter class :) My other two dogs are titled and don't need to be shown anymore and showing isn't my type of sport anyway. My neuter still needs a fair few points so I enter all 3 just cause :) He is an excellent type, easily got his champion title entire (not with just 6 point challenges either :p ), he adores showing and is in great condition!

I would try chicken frames, cut in half, if she doesn't particularly like the fat on wings. Lately I tend to feed more minced chicken frames then proper frames as it takes up less room in the freezer so I can buy more! Would she eat that if it's slightly frozen? How is she with offal? Or hearts? My dogs all adore hearts (yuk! LOL) and even the usual picky one is quick too eat his, so they get one once a week considering it's muscle meat. ETA; just gave a quick read and you already feed offal :)

Depends on the breed, but I am drawn towards reddish/orange dogs :D Helps that I own Tollers who only come in those colours :) Don't think there is any colour I don't like.

Not sure if I will be able to do this year My girl might be having a litter around June/July and she is the only one I have who can do it (boys are too old now ), will have to see :D

We had random ones start about 9-9.30 and the ones at midnight went forever! My usually terrified one was unusually calm and after putting on his thundershirt and putting him in his crate, he went straight to sleep. Woke occasionally if it was big and close but still accepted food and remained calm Which was great as most of my attention was on my brothers Stafford who I am looking after, only a baby so never seen/heard fireworks so I was preparing for anything! He was good though, a few "what's that!" cries but calmed quickly :)

Well I don't coddle my dog but I will answer anyway :) I am trying to avoid the big state of panic and try to do as much distraction as possible by any means to avoid it. If me getting down and giving him a bear hug distracts him enough to think 'wtf' and take his mind off listening for the bangs then that's what I am going to do. What you have done is basically what people are saying to do, don't just shut them away and ignore a very distressed animal but try a few different methods to get a better result. This is for fireworks only though, thunder he will bark at but only if it's close and there is always someone home to put him in a crate or calm him. I was getting no where with ignoring him and allowing him to get so stressed he would be shaking and crying, sure it may make some dogs worse but if all people have ever done is ignore their dog and it's not working, then surely trying something new and different would be worth a go?

Agree with this. One of mine is terrified of fireworks and I can't go any where on NYE. What works best for us is putting his thundershirt on, putting him in a soft crate and play music or watch TV too distract a little. I don't coddle but am always right near him to soothe if he is looking worried. I always reward calm behaviour and if he is stressing heaps (if there are loud ones nearby) I always sit on the floor and wrap my arms and legs around him, effectively bear hugging him all the while talking softly and giving him treats. It calms him down so much, much more so than when I spent the first times years ignoring him :) Depends what works on each individual dog. My other two could care less and will just sleep through it if he is calm.

Agree. If we followed that no one who works full time could ever have a puppy. For the record both of mine were left alone as I had to work full time and both are perfectly toilet trained, happy dogs with no seperation issues. Exactly. I would love to stay home and raise a puppy, but too actually buy one and provide things, people do actually need to work full time especially if it's just one person. Plus just because someone is home, doesn't make them any better of an owner/puppy raiser than those that work.

Plush Puppy products here :) Love the smell and what it does, it's expensive but worth it :)

Beautiful puppies!! Love the little domino girl

Its a waste of money IMO I was with PIA for years with 2/3 dogs, first time I ever made a claim they wouldn't pay it saying it's now not covered (hadn't received any correspondence saying this, or that it went from 100% cover to 80%) Was costing an arm and a leg having the highest coverage with 3 dogs but thought it would be worth it. Bloody ridiculous, I won't be doing it again and while it's a good idea in theory I always tell people to research first to find out exclusions. I have a credit card I can use in emergencies now.

I suggest reading the book 'Structure in Action - The makings of a durable dog by Pat Hastings' May answer why experienced agility folk are saying this........ No one is saying they CAN'T do it, of course they can, people are saying that they aren't extremely suitable.

This. Everytime I post this on Facebook people just don't get it, and that it's somehow wrong that I don't want to buy a pound dog.

Lovely too see him! I've adored them forever! Very surprised that a bitch wasn't brought in instead of 2 males, but congrats, can't wait too see more photos

Nova Complete his neuter title Enter at least one tracking trial Maybe give Rally a go Most of Darcys are carried over from last year Darcy ADX JDX FM RN Jovi ADX JDM GDX SPD SD FM RN ET and planning on her having her first litter in among all that too!

Alot better this year than last, even though it felt like there was less stalls but more people? I had my own little breed stall for Tollers and they did me proud. The amount of people who continually walked into my gazebo, past a trolley and chairs, to go up to the pen with three dogs in it when there appeared to be no owner around was astounding! (I was either going to the bin or talking to someone just a few metres away) What ever has happened to decent manners? I really need a shirt that says "yes they are purebred retrievers!" :laugh: It's kinda insulting being at a purebred event and sitting at a breed stall with 3 dogs and having people come up and read the breed name and then say 'ohh they look like they are mixed with Borders' or 'what's in them?'

What: My dogs get a variety of food, at the moment they are fed raw food. They get minced up chicken frames, whole chicken frames, lamb flaps, offal, eggs, sardines and anything else that is laying around. They are on black hawk as well but they really only get that when we are away or I am being lazy and haven't defrosted food Why: They look great on it, and it's cheap. One of them is pretty hard too keep weight on and would need to eat a whole bowl of dry food to maintain it but would never eat that much, with raw food he is actually happy to eat as much as I give him :) He still gets about 500g of food a day (he is only 18kg but very active with a fast metabolism), which is more then my other two combined :laugh:

Umm might want to check your facts before getting all high and mighty. :) Labs (purebred registered Labs) can actually have brindle and sometimes tan points. Here you go; http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/mismarks.html

Well 2012 trialling is done and dusted for us! Unfortunately I didn't acheive any of Nova or Darcys goals......next year Was focusing on Jovi a bit as she will be out a fair bit next year as all going to plan she will have her first litter :D Jovi: ADX - Only got her AD, one fault wonders in agility unfortunately. JDX - So very very close, only one more pass needed. Last trial she got 2 out of 3 possible passes and was just one second over time for her title run (was a very hot day so understandable :)) AFCH - Got it very easily! Finished the year a National champ and out of 6 comps, her team came 1st in 5. CD - No way! :laugh: CH - Got this as well :) If we have time do a little bit of retrieving training - No time We also had a go at gamblers and she has 2 passes in that, need to wait till it's offered again (games are hard to come by down here :S) So she finished up Ch. Sherbrooke Living On A Prayer AD JD AFCH, not bad considering it was her first year trialling.

Great job yesterday TSD! Your pup is gorgeous, can't believe how soft he was :laugh: It was kinda strange, Jovi liking him so much, she can be so picky about who she likes and takes forever to warm up to dogs so I was a bit confused about her playful reaction too him Good idea about running ahead for the weaves, might try that instead :p Had a great day yesterday, Jovi got her 3rd pass in novice agility for her title! Plus she got 2 more excellent jumping passes, nearly had a third (and her title) but was one second over time! My fault as I didn't run it the way I wanted and being in the wrong places at the wrong time, though sorta glad as we aren't really ready for masters! This was only our third excellent trial so was going through it too quick :laugh: Had our first crack at open agility as well. Should not attempt to do something new and challenging on the last run of a hot day :p so even though we had an hour break before that run she was very much over it when out in the sun. So will have to wait till it's in the morning and she is ready and raring to go! Going to work alot more on drive over summer and hopefully a few more trials next year before her first litter :D

It is more the name being read out at trials that I don't want. You know what my issue is with the breeder. They rarely read them out anyway, well in my case they haven't. Maybe because I've had the only Toller and you can't really get her confused with anyone else, but I love my girls rego name (I picked it myself :D) and they've only read it out I think once I wouldn't think it would have mattered much, because regardless of personal feelings they did breed the dog, so did produce a dog that is able to be trained and trialled and should be awarded recognition. That's just my opinion though :)

This is the "bible" for Tollers. Written by two of the most well known breeder/owners in Tollers, it covers all sections and is a very interesting read. I always go back to it :) Given we have a fairly new breed, they cover the history of the breed in most countries and it's fascinating seeing the very first registered Tollers (though some aren't my cup of tea!) Thanks for the Whippet book recommendations, I will get my Whippet one day :p

Don't all breed standards say male dogs "should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum." ? Yeah and a fair amount of them will also state full dentition as well but you can get away with it, if it clearly looks surgically removed. Testicles should fall under that same "rule" but not sure if they do I currently show my older boy who is missing a front incisor and a premolar due to an accident, haven't had a judge say anything so far.....but he is a rare breed, over 10 and is shown in neuter so maybe they don't care enough to question it?