pawsaroundoz

Oh yes! Naturally I am always keen to have a yarn with other Whippet people, Greyhound people too.....Having had a long assosciation with Labbies and previously with Golden Retrievers too (many moons ago) I am always keen to have a chat with their owners and the dogs too! I also enjoy chatting with other owners and dogs who are 'on the road' in a motorhome or caravan like me, there are quite a few of us who travel with our dogs, many are full timers too. Annie

I have not long been back in Victoria and as busy studying this year have not shown but will be re joining dogs vic for 2013 and changing my dogs pedigree over to Nueter and then we will be entering. In Darwin small numbers at most shows across all rings all catogories but they hold neuter classes at most shows! annie

I don't 'do' facebook but having just relocated to Victoria am keen to show Connor (he was being shown in breed but I had to get him desexed early this year) would love to keep showing in but in nueter as I can only have the 2 dogs and it will be years before I have another pup. In NT there are class 18's at almost all shows! Annie

Any Rally O happening in Gippsland area or reasonable travelling distance?

Homeless comes in many forms. Yes there are the street people, there are also those that live in cars/campers/small motorhomes....those that have dogs in the main I find look after them really well and in many cases better than some dogs that have 'homes'. Quite often a homeless person is socially isolated and if they have a dog that dog is their best friend, warmth, sanity provider, the sole provider of tactile communication with another living being...I could never deny any person who cares for their dog to the best of their ability the relationship they have with their dog...if I were in a position to assist anyone in that situation in any way I would always choose to do so. I say all this because it is all very close to 'home' at present, Clancy connor and I are living in my motorhome full time - we have just had to leave Darwin, where I have lived and worked for the past 7 years plus, I still had work there but due to some upsetting personal circumstances I had lost my living space and Darwin is just to expensive a place to live and rent a place on one's own. I have worked all my life and certainly did not expect to become (in effect) homeless in the conventional sense at 58 yrs! Luckily I have some wonderful friends who are generous beyond words, true angels. I know that I intend to volunteer in the homeless sector when I have sorted my life out a bit, I doubt if I will ever own a home in the traditional sense again but I do have the motorhome and my 'boys' think of it as home now and feel safe and now they are much loved wherever we are. Annie

Hi Mum to Shelley I am special person to Clancy and Connor, also Whippets but grown up ones! They grew up without cats in their lives....until now! At present I am staying with a friend and whilst we are in our motor home we are spending some time in the house or off lead on the property so the boys are having a crash course in cat toleration (cert.1) Last night whilst my friends were away in town the boys and I sat in the lounge with both cats as well as the Whippet Grand Dame and the IG-the boys were kept on leads initially and practised long down stays....both cats survived, as did the boys. Annie

So sorry to read of your loss Griff,and what a lovely tribute your daughter has made for you to treasure. Loving thoughts fly your way as I know it is always so much harder at Christmas, at least I think so. Annie

Tassie Do you know if the Rally O will happen at the Trial in Hobart in Jan.? I was hoping to see the mock in Launceston but when I called up for directions I heard it would not be on. Annie

Hi Weibritty Have they still got any at those prices? Like Whippet size perhaps? Annie

Yes! My dog walk time is just so precious to me, it is when I do my best thinking, it is when we (the boys and I)have our fun, we train and play lots of games. It is when we chat with other dog people if we are lucky enough to meet some. At present in Tasmania with the boys in my motorhome and travelling for another 3-4 months - this time is so good, to enjoy my boys at such 'close quarters' and 24/7 for such a long period of time. annie

I am in tassie right now and for next few months but wish you all a very successful rally - will be thinking of you all and the greater community and all of our dogs and the dogs to come too.... The organisers of this deserve all the praise and all of our assistance too. annie

Clancy Whippet created a new way to welcome me home about 18 months ago (he is 6 yrs) he comes around behind me and walks between my legs and the stops and stretches his neck up for a good chin rub whilst he gazes into my eyes upside down to tell me he is pleased I am home! Connor Whippet has the odd habit of sticking his nose up my shorts whilst we are walking! But being down here in Tasmania on holiday from Darwin and it being a trifle err 'fresh' I am now wearing heavy duty jeans so that has foiled him! Annie

Clancy, Connor and I arrived in Tasmania this am. Too tired to begin exploring today so just chilled a bit right here in Devonport - tomorrow we start exploring in town.... Hallo to all Tassie Dolars! Annie

I love every part of every day with my boys, but early mornings are special when we have our morning cuddles and bonding session! Then when I get up I do my stretch sessions and the boys both stretch out on the bed watching me (and probably laugh at me!) I also love the tail wags and happy dances I get when I get back from work/shopping/fetching the mail/putting the bins out.... I just love my boys to bits! Annie

Clancy does not like fireworks or the really intense wet season storms, is also absolutely petrified of the ginormous Buddha that sits outside a house on one of our walks. Connor is still scared of other dogs (since Christmas after an attack) but he is slowly getting better! Connor hates those articulated skateboards,if you know hwat I mean....it's like he does not know which way to go to get away from them! Annie

Hi mytwo westies and everyone else doing the same thing! Me to! I handed my notice in a couple of weeks ago and friday is my last day and then I am giving myself the luxury of 6-7 months off work before I have to start looking again! The Whippets and I are doing a road trip and we are going to spend 6-7 months enjoying each others company! Are we not the luckiest people to have this time to share with our dogs?!! Annie

Clancy, Connor and I are about to hit the road for about 6-7 months, we will be pulling out of Darwin on or about Saturday 20th August and heading in a generally southerly direction, we will be doing it all a lot slower than we usually do that trek, this time it will be a restfull, sight seeing trip from day 1! Love to catch up with any Doler's on the way down, maybe in Tenannt Creek, Alice Springs, perhaps in Port Augusta and the Clare Valley where I want to do some walks. We will be passing through Adelaide then heading across for the Whippet Ch. Show in Victoria. Then we are going to see if the motorhome floats, yes Clancy and Connor have their passports at the ready as we are going to Tasmania where we will wander around for about 4 months, hoping to catch up with a lot of dog people there! Our motorhome is called Pawsaroundoz, if you see us say Hi! Annie

My training friend Sue and her Alaskan Malliemute and I have started doing a bit of Rally O as our training work outs on Sunday mornings, just the two of us - I have Whippets, our dogs seem to be really enjoying this, far more than regular obedience! I am really looking forward to being in Tassie in early October > late Jan. as I hope to see some Rally O in action! Annie

I have only recently discovered SG at the moment through the free webinars and as a friend has just done recallers from things she has told me and I am loving the way sg works - what i have done thus far with my dogs is working for me and if it was not for the fact we are off on the road for 6-7 months in just a few days time I'd do puppy peaks too even though there are no puppies on any of my horizens right now! annie

Thoughts are with you GayleK, I too have been down this path a few weeks ago losing Carlin McBeth and I know and feel your loss and your pain and the sadness and sense of loss that all our Dolers are feeling. Love to all Annie

Good Luck to everyone tonight and Saturday! Hopefully Connor's paw will improve all week and he will come out to 'play' next week-end, hope so anyway as it will be our last shows in Darwin for a few months as we will be off down south to discover Tasmania (yeah I know someone already did that, bit I have not been there yet)... Annie and the boyz

I consider that I have been very fortunate over the years, when I got my Goldie Wellington his breeder Mary became a friend and she was a great mentor for both bringing up baby and for obedience and general dog thinking! Later when I moved to Victoria and got my first Labrador Crash's breeder was a great mentor in anything and everything Labrador - and for anything and everything retrieving there were so many people....the Halls, Uncle Jack, Noel, the list goes on.... I have always thought that one can often get a great deal of assistance or even a new idea from the most unlikely of places, way back years ago we were at a training week-end and discussing the mysterious workings of our dogs minds (lol) when one of the triallers partners, who did get involved in the dog work and usually did not get involved in the talk either said out of the blue 'oh for goodness sake, you are training, lighten up and make it super fun for your dogs' that is something I will always remember! I'd like to say an enourmous thank you to everyone here and everywhere that I have ever picked up a good idea or a new method or some encouragement from! THANKS annie

Thanks Sooz!

Around last Christmas my then 18 month old Whippet was rushed at by a Pit Bull X, knocked over with enough force to break a couple of ribs and winded - I stepped in before there were bites as well, after that he was very scared of just about any bigger dog and even some his size. I have been using a variety of training routines and the Black Dog version of the halti. This morning I took Connor to a Pets Day out for Animal Awareness Week, there were a fair few dogs of many varieties as one would expect, granted they were mostly on leash and under control, although the amount of control varied and 1 rather foolish woman did come with her dog but without a lead??? I was so pleased with Connor! He handled it all very well, became a little nervous 2-3 times but a quick 'yes' and he looked at me and forgot the other dog....I was very pleased with his responses. Annie

Hallo Mocha You are one little cute guy!