Cleo's Corgwyn

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi and Pembroke Welsh Corgi - they were allowed to interbreed as a Welsh Corgi when they were first recognised by the kennel club, until the Cardigan breeders sucessfully campaigned to seperate them again. Cardi's are bigger, longer, have a different ear set, smoother coats, and a wider range of colours allowed, and they are quite different temperaments.

Troy has a basic guide in the photography forum. The best way is to upload the photo to a free online photo hosting account like flicker or photobucket, then copy the tags the site prives for images into your post (it should start with IMG, I think) Sorry, just some quick advice, but I hope this gets you started!

I saw a couple walking 2 dacshund x staffys near home the other day. They were very peculiar looking dogs - but kinda exactly what you would expect that cross to look like! I didn't get a chance to ask more as they were both carrying on, and their owners weren't game to bring them near my dog!

yeah, I'm sure I'd enjoy it, but I'd rather actually try letting Shandy near some sheep, before comitting her to a full weekend! She's only ever seen sheep in pens, and I know she's a herding breed, and does exhibit herding behaviours, but its still a pretty big comittment if you get there and find your dog has absolutely no aptitude with stock...

Maybe try PMing Trisven; she's involved in Dog rescue in the area. I hope you find someone!

Perry's Mum, are there any one day schools coming up, or basic intro type things? I'd still like to try Shandy, but don't necessarily wish to commit to 2 whole days, if she isn't going to enjoy it!

Hi DalGirl, and good luck. There isn't a universal set of hand signals, but I think most people use both hand signals and voice commands. For stand, the usual signal is a hand swept down in front of the dogs face, with the palm facing the dog. I use a closed fist, moved in the same fashion, as I find this differentiates it from a 'drop' command, where the palm faces the ground, and a 'stay' command, which can look very similar. But I have a hobbit pawed corgi, so I have to reach down much further than people with tall dogs, which does remove some of the mvement from my hand signals!

Yep, all fruit and vegies are considered treats here. She even recognises citrus fruits before they're peeled and will follow you out of the kitchen with a whole mandarin, begging all the way. The only thing we've found that she won't eat is mushrooms!

Claire, there's 2 fully fenced off leash areas in Canberra, with a 3rd on its way The TAMs website has a good listing of all the off leash sites, try Here The two existing ones are on Lake Tuggeranong and Lake Ginnindera, at Belconnen and the one at Lake Gin does have a playground quite close. I hope you can make it to one of these and have fun! A lot of the dog obedience clubs have exercise grounds that their members can use, so that's also worth keeping in mind if you were thinking of joining an obedience club locally.

Oh dear, shouldn't laugh, but it IS nice to know that it happens to others! My girl got her first 2 CCD Q's in her first trial, so, full of bravado, I decided to try another double trial in the middle of packing and moving. Already unsettled by all this activity, it also turned out to be a bit hot for my Welsh princess, and she was definitely lacking in enthusiasm. First trial, she did OK, until we got to the downstays. Then an idiot decided to play with his dogs right next to the ring. Several other dogs broke during the down stay, but my girl held on, and was one of 2 dogs clear for the down stay - only to break in the last 5 seconds! I could have cheerfully killed that guy! So, we persevered for the 2nd trial, still hoping for that last Q, and after a lack lustre heel pattern, we made it to the recall, normally something she does perfectly. She sat, stayed, I turned and called her, and she cocked her head and looked at me perpexedly, like she'd never heard the word 'come' before in her life! You've got to laugh somedays! Keep your fingers crossed for us though- we're having another go in just under a fortnight!

I'm glad that you enjoyed it too. I think its something that can be confusing for owners. I'll pass the comments onto the author.

Leanne has been posting these articles on our dog bulletin board at work, and this one struck such a chord with me, that I asked her permission to share it with you here. If you wish me to pass any constructive comments back to Leanne, please PM me, and I'll pass them on to her. I thought this was an interesting insight, and useful for both puppy owner, and those of us who have dogs who know how to discipline puppies effectively at this stage... Paws for Thought 20: Puppies 2: The Puppy License and its Loss Many pet owners are quite shocked to find that suddenly at about 4 ½ to 5 months of age adult dogs will appear to ‘turn’ on their cute and adorable puppy….it also comes as quite a surprise to the pup! So what’s probably going on here? Puppies go through a particular period of socialisation between 3 to anywhere between 13 and 18 weeks of age (depending on who you listen to) during which they need to learn as much as they can about the world they are going to be living in and the people and other creatures that inhabit it. It’s also a critical period for learning about being a dog and what is and is not socially acceptable in dog communications and interactions. Future posts will delve into this critical period – there is just so much to share about the world of dogs : ) This period is critical for developing positive relationships with other dogs and development into a behaviourally healthy dog. Research shows that puppies who are isolated until 16 weeks of age are more likely to display fear in all sorts of situations and be the recipient of aggression from other pups and dogs. They generally seem unable to develop normal relationships with other dogs – it’s like they don’t learn the language through lack of experimentation and practice (otherwise often known as play). The scary thing is that when talking about isolation we’re not just talking about being locked in a solitary cage but also any other means of restricting the pups experience of the world so puppies that don’t get to socialise and play with other dogs of all ages (and sizes, shapes and colours), puppies that are raised in sub-standard breeding arrangements and highly sterilised and sterile kennels and pups that spend time in a pet shop window or just locked into a back yard or laundry. All of these can lead to a wide range of potential issues with a pup and its development but the focus of this post is specifically dog-to-dog social development and the end of this special development period. Puppies up to 4 ½ to 5 months of age appear to have something called a ‘puppy license’ – something that allows them to be an absolute pest to older dogs without repercussion. You see puppies being down right rude in dog terms doing things like jumping on older dogs, stealing food and toys from adults, barking right in the face of an adult or worse still humping them – and the adults just seem to put up with it, and even expect it – at least well socialised dogs do (dogs with good dog communication and social skills). However at about this age the license expires as the puppies hormone levels change and they develop psychologically. Adult dogs now start to insist on the puppy controlling their behaviour and being more respectful in their interactions – and this comes as a shock to many puppies who ignore the more subtle signs until an adult dog (maybe their best pal at home, a friend at the park or a total stranger) snaps back – figuratively and sometimes literally. The adult dogs might: · Bark (roar) at an adolescent displaying inappropriate behaviour. · Plant the adolescent’s face into the dirt with a well placed paw (something my boy was doing to other younger and over the top puppies at only 12 weeks of age – and which caused some distress until I figured out what was going on). · Knock the adolescent with their muzzle or mouth. · Snap at them. The messages might be relatively peaceful and quick or they might appear and sound like a major scuffle if not full out fight – and the adolescent will generally be doing the majority of the screaming. But if there are no wounds then do not panic – now or the next time you see or meet this adult dog or any adult dog, or your adolescent will pick up this fear from you and act on it. This does not mean that you should put up with inappropriately socialised/skilled adult dogs or other adolescents bullying and picking on or terrifying your pup – so if you are concerned, if blood is drawn or punctures made then seek professional help. Adults will also tend to self-handicap themselves less and instead play with more of their cunning, strength and brute power – now they might knock the adolescent over, pin them or stand over them. Any of these can cause the adolescent to scream or run from the scene giving high pitched yelps that cause us humans concern and often end in sanctions for the adult so that the conversation between adolescent and adult dog is not completed but rather interrupted by us with the adolescent getting off lightly – and sadly not learning the lesson as quickly as they would have if these interactions were monitored but only intervened in when either dog is in likely physical danger. The adult dog is also more likely to then try to get in and teach this cocky adolescent a lesson more quickly next time, therefore escalating the situation needlessly. If the adult dog gets the blame and is therefore removed from the dog park, class or home needlessly, removing a well socialised dog with clear communication skills from the social group and therefore reducing the number of well socialised dogs that other puppies, adolescents and dogs are likely to come across and learn from. It is critical that the adolescent dog gains experience with adult dogs and learns to control himself, communicate clearly and interact in a socially acceptable way. Without this experience the pup grows to become an under-socialised dog – one that is likely to attract or cause altercations in the playground (park, footpath or any where else they meet or come within sight of another dog). If as an owner of a pup you get to the point of considering stopping dog contact please call for professional assistance immediately rather than socially isolating your pup – and if you’re not happy with the answers and approach you get keep looking. It appears virtually impossible or at least very hard work and a long term project to make up for the lack of this experience when the brain, body and psychology of the pup are programmed (ready) for it after the event (in later life). It seems that male pups are particularly prone to being put in their place. It’s almost like they are suddenly wearing a sign on their back that says ‘kick me’ – and they are but the sign is six foot high and flashing red – it’s a surge in testosterone that every dog in the area can recognise much more easily than any sign and it seems to say ‘put me in my place before I get out of hand – I’m super male!’ Male testosterone levels start to rise by 4 to 5 months of age and reach their maximum at about 10 months of age before falling back to their normal adult levels at about 18 months of age. An adolescent male pup can have levels that are 5 to 7 times greater than adult levels, so you can understand your male pup is under extreme hormone attack (far more than any teenage male human) and that this can be a difficult time for them and therefore you – but one that you can both live through, particularly if you have some understanding of what is going on. As puppies, both male and female, approach adolescence, they may be continually harassed by adult dogs – sometimes so subtly that you might miss the signals from the adult dog but should see a change of attitude in your growing furball. Adult male dogs will often target in on the adolescent male and make his life quite stressful. Luckily this particular phase is usually short as the pup quickly learns what is acceptable – showing active and exaggerated appeasement signals to adults. While I might have made this change over period sound particularly scary you need to remember that this is about puppies learning how to control themselves and behave more politely and this takes time and experience. The adult dog’s role is to help the adolescent learn the social rules of interaction and while they will be forgiven mistakes at the beginning they are expected to get with the program pretty quickly as they gain more experience – and letting them have that experience with safe and well socialised/adept dogs is our role in this piece of their development. It’s VERY important that pups learn to talk “dog” and interact with dogs of all kinds and ages so that he or she can become a great communicator, peacekeeper and teacher of future generations as well as the life of the party. What are your experiences with the puppy license and what your puppy managed to get away with? What are your experiences with the change that occurs at the expiration of that license? References · Barbara Handelman – Canine Behaviour. A Photo Illustrated Handbook. · Ian Dunbar – Dog Communication at http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/dog-communication · Ian Dunbar – Social Hierarchies at http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/social-hierarchies · Turid Rugaas – The Puppy and the Young Dog. About Growing Up at http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=2 Also check out: · http://www.examiner.com/x-10785-Nashville-...6-Puppy-License · http://rufflyspeaking.wordpress.com/2009/0...eparating-play/ · The Diary of Raising a Hearing Ear Dog - http://hearingeardog.blogspot.com/2007/11/...s-expiring.html

Deelee, I'm so happy to see you getting such joy out of dog ownership again. Its a great way to build up a bond with an adult dog, especially with the more 'working' breeds, who seem to get such a buzz out of doing things with their humans!

I got my girl as an 18 month old ex show dog. I went looking for a dog with potential for obedience and agility, and she's everything I could have asked for. She's way better socialised than I'm sure I could have managed if I'd had her as a puppy, with people and all kinds of dogs. I paid $400 for her, which I considered a very fair price. The breeder I got her from knew that she had a lot of potential, and would enjoy being busy and mentally stimulated, and I'm eternally grateful that she decided to give me the chance to take this girl into the next stage of her performance career, after retiring her from the show ring. She did what she believed was best for the dog, no matter how much she loved her.

I went through some similar thought processes when picking my current dog. I wanted an easy to train breed that would enable a relative beginner to dog sports to do OK, with all my trainers flaws, plus one who would fit in with our lifestyle and living arrangements. I narrowed my searchlist down to a handfull of the medium sized herding breeds and gun dog breeds, but in the end, and in consultation with my OH, who had to live with the dog as well, we got a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. It was interesting to see how highly placed the corgi's were in the AKC listing, as my girl has done really well for me, as a 'learner dog'. My last dogs were Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and my cardi girl has been a dream to train by comparison, and genuinely seems to enjoy doing things for me. Its also been fun to trial with a breed that's little different (in Australia- as you can see by that AKC list, corgi's are more common performance dogs in the US) but best of all, she fits in so well with us too! Good luck with finding the right breed for ALL your requirements!

I actually saw a girl at the dog park today who looked a fair bit like him - she was a known great dane x boxer

Ah welcome to the world of the slightly unusual breed. My favourite has been my wonderfully radar dish like, prick eared cardigan corgi, confidently and loudly identified as a basset hound cross! I don't have a problem if people ask me what she is, or even ask if she's a cross (usually a cross) and I have my little explanation spiel down pretty much pat. Here's my "basset hound cross"... and for good measure, one her with one of her favourite boyfriends, BJ's basset, Jester

I met this guy at the markets onthe weekend, and he gave me a flyer - its called Fancy Feathers and Fur. They're also going to stock toys and accessories and Royal Canin and Hills. It will be walking distance for us as well when we finally move into our new house.

i think you hit a bad run there, LucyCharzie! We competed in our first CCD trial last weekend, and everyone was very supportive. I was the only one competing with a smaller dog, and several people said how nice it was to see a different breed competing. I hope you stick with it - they really surprise you sometimes!

Thanks Terranik, FHRP and Rubystar, and yes, FHRP, that was us - I'm off to check why my profile has reset itself to qld! Sorry to hear you scratched, but the later afternoon classes were pretty sad to watch as the weather came in again, and the good dogs kept breaking the stays!

We competed in our very first trials (AM and PM) today, and my clever Shandy managed 2 CCD Q's, including a 2nd place, under very difficult conditions, including cold, wet weather and lots of moving dogs during the down stays. We need to do some more heeling practice, but I'm so proud of her!

I've been in contact with Tony via email, and can pass on his address if anyone else wishes to make contact. I think it sounds like fun (and weaving with a cogi is easy! :p )

I checked again, and found the application details for the August trial, so I'll contact them tomorrow. Luvsdogs, I'll keep those things in mind when we do start trialling. Shandy is pretty good on turns (having a short legged dog probably helps here) but I know her biggest downfall is me as a handler, and I'm working on that!

Thanks Everyone! FHRP, I'll try and get along to the trial this weekend, I'm sure that will help. I've stewarded for an agility trial, but not an obedience trial. I might offer on the day, if they find themselves short. I train at Tuggeranong at the moment. I have the ACTCA journal, and have checked the website, and the next trial coming up is the 29th August, but I can't find entry details anywhere. If I can't make that one, the next date is 10 October, which is a long time to wait, if you're keen to start!

Well, last week, we managed to pass graduate level obedience (I think CCD?) - yay for my clever Shandy! Our instructor said that our score would have been a respectable score for a trial, and thinks we should give it a try- Plus our club won't let us move to novice triallers class without a pass at a trial. So now we need to find an obedience trial to compete at. I have all our rego numbers sorted (ACTCA and Shandy's rego is in my name) and I'm trying to find out how to enter a trial that's coming up at the end of next month (they don't have forms listed on the ACTCA website, so I have to get a hold of someone at the club). Can someone give me an idea of what will actually happen on the day, as such? Do I need to bring anything? Will a trial just be like the test? Any words of advice or wisdom?