Cleo's Corgwyn

I was very lucky with my pup that my breeder was happy to give me first pick after her show pick, knowing that I wanted temperament for a potential performance dog first and foremost. I knew the breed and the lines in this litter, and had a clear idea of the temperament I was looking for. I temperament tested all the boys in the litter, following the FOCUSed puppy version of the test and while my puppy was not what I had really hoped for in looks (colourwise), he is marvelous temperament wise; completely fearless and outgoing. The breeder and two other experienced breeders had assessed the litter before I did, and they all knew that he was the pup for me, even before I did a formal temperament test. So either way, I would have got the same puppy.

My two big online recommendations are the Dogstar Daily website (and Dr Ian Dunbars free ebook downloads) and the Kikopup Training videos. Dr Sophia Yin also has some good stuff on her blog on puppy training. The barking is entirely natural for a pup experiencing so many thing for the first time. Relax, distract him, and reward/ praise as soon as he's quiet. Use a quiet word (I used a whispered 'hush'). Biting at kids when excited is also very natural. Teach the kids to 'make like a tree' when he starts nipping. ie, they should withdraw, stand up, and tuck their arms in tight around their bodies, so there's nothing for him to grab at, and only start interaction again when he quietens down. So any form of nipping ends the game and the fun. It's a lot of new stimulus for a baby. Good luck, they are so much fun at this age.

I grew up with Ridgebacks; my family bred and showed them. We also owned Boxers and a Whippet at various points. When it came to choosing my own dog, I wanted a breed that would enjoy doing obedience, and after developing a short list of gun dogs and herders, I fell in love with the Cardigan Corgis, and now have two of them. They're both performance dogs, and train and compete in several dog sports. While I wouldn't necessarily rule out another breed (if the right Lappie comes along, for example, I'd probably be tempted) I already have plans for my next Cardi! I can't imagine life without my clever little clowns

Yep in HTM, the dog can be on the left or right side of the handler, facing forwards or backwards, or across the front or back of the handler, facing left or right. For a starters routine, a couple of 'good' heel positions is better than trying to cram too many in. The dogs shoulder should remain level with the handler's leading leg. In Freestyle, any combination of tricks you can set to music works!

That's all that matters, Jodes. We all know that we go home with the best dogs at the end of the day, even if other people haven't had the chance to see it! Good luck.

Jodes, I'm not teaching on Thursdays at the moment, so give me a yell if you'd like me to come out and give you some extra pointers tomorrow night....

I went with the second vaccination at 10 weeks option, as I think socialisation is too important to put off until after the 12 week mark

In Canberra, BDOC definitely offers Rally O classes (Sundays after 10am) and BDOC and ACTCDC are the only two clubs to offer Dances with Dogs (DWD) classes.

It's a Pupkus double motor one. I'll inquire about repair prices, and weigh it up. Thanks for the advice, all.

That's what I'm afraid of... Still probaly cheaper than user the DIY hydrobath option, long term.

I bought a second hand Force Dryer 18 months or so ago, and recently when I went to dry my dogs, the motor started smoking and stopped working. With two Corgi's starting to go into their spring coat blow, I *need* to get this fixed. The company that makes them charges $75 for a basic service, and that may still be my best option, but has anyone ever got a local appliance repairer to look at one? I'm in Canberra, if that makes any difference.

Ian Dunbar's books are great. I'd also suggest Dr Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 Days and Gwen Bailey's Puppy book.

yep, pretty disappointing; and that they thinking offering the same discount for a six month purchase as for a one month purchase is an acceptable substitute!

Is that at Erskine Park, aka Orchard Hills lol? Except for going to the Dogs NSW open day I haven't been to anything DWD related this year due to ill health. I'm contemplating going with a friend to have a look see. :) Yep, we're competing there, whatever they're calling it! I think there's about a dozen of us coming up from Canberra, including quite a few new starters. We had a dress rehearsal tonight, and there were some great looking routines!

Yep, waaay to long for a baby, and remember that corgis are incredibly smart and strong personalities, and you have to make it fun for them. My Cardi pup is now 10 months old, and has a lot more duration, but I still train in relatively short bursts and use play a lot. If he has a favourite toy or game, get it out, play a little, then ask for something easy, like a sit. Mark the behaviour when he does it, and reward by playing again. Once you get the toy back again, repeat.

Loretta and Jackson were great! Such a lovely team, and a good advertisement for our sport. Ms Shandy and I are competing this weekend, just in Novice Freestyle. Four of our new starters from our club are entered as well; their first competition, so we'll be performing the important job of cheer squad and moral support!

I'd introduce on neutral ground myself, but please feel free to let me know if you need some help!

Way to go Tassie and Canine Coach! Such amazing achievements, and such a testament to the bond you have with your dogs.

One of the advantages of trialling is that most of the people there are crazy dog folk, so no one feels like they stand out! Daisy- I trial in Rally, and Obedience in the ACT< and I'm happy to introduce myself. I'll PM you.

I think that ACT camping is reciprocal for other states, but make sure that you book through DogsACT, and not EPIC, since they have a cheaper rate for dog shows, apparently. We camp at Erskine Park for DWD comps and workshops, and we've been there once when there was a show on, and there still seemed to be plenty of camping sites, although the early arrivals at dawn were a bit much! I don't think it was a huge show though, so give them a call and check. We've always found them very helpful.

done, but no Cardigan Corgis either! ;)

I had both my Cardis with me, since I had to travel a fair distance, and didn't have anywhere to leave one. Denise was amazing; inspiring, informative, encouraging and really made me think about my training. My older girl isn't a tugger any more, after a previous medical condition, but Denise has really inspired me to use more and different games to keep her enthusiasm up. We worked on the pocket hand and using the fly in heeling today, and she worked so enthusiastically! My nine month old boy had the time of his life, being his little social butterfly self, and we worked on some distraction exercises. Denise's thinking is that the more you teach your dog to work around distractions, the better the work you get out of them, and then distractions in the ring become almost an advantage because the dog has learnt to work harder when they encounter 'real' distractions!

If you know how to do basic knotting, it's really easy to make basic paracord dog collars yourself. Just google 'paracord dog collars' and you'll find plenty of instructions/youtube videos etc. I'm been making mine out of a double Solomans bar knot, because I like a wide collar, to be visible under all the corgi fur! I bought paracord from an Australian site (PM me if you want the link, or any other pointers) who were really prompt, but I also used some fluoro nylon string from Bunnings, which worked well too.

Yep, Geraldine was at the APDTA conference with us last year, and I know she's been working with some BAT techniques. I've heard great things about Heike, and we also sometimes refer people to the Canine Coach (Paul?). Raelene has been busy personally, which would explain why she's busy. I'm an Obedience (and trialling and DWD!) instructor at Belconnen, but all clubs in Canberra offer agility, so its probably really a question of which club is closest to you (BDOC at Mitchell, CDC at Narrabundah/Symonston or Tuggeranong at Tuggers)

Wobbly, how do you do pocket hand with a short dog? Mine a corgis, so too short to really reach their muzzle!