Silvawilow

I know they're not trials but there are some shows coming up in Benalla in January (don't know how far it is from Melb though) - they might help with exposing your baby to all the noise and excitement.

Congrats to everyone's results. You must be excited Helen, fingers crossed for you and Bella. Well we went to Warragul and although no passes I was very happy and surprised! Blush wasn't off with the fairy's, she was a bloody fairy Kiz was nuts in first run (big suprise) but I was happy with her other runs. The most bestest run of my ladies was my yellow dog Narmi. She absolutly shocked me (in a good way) she attempted every obstacle and even did the tunnel - pretty good for a baby girl who thought that running on top of the tunnel was the way to go! I realised afterwards that I was a very bad mum, she'd never even seen a tyre jump before but it didn't bother her - what a trooper! I can't wait to see how she goes once I start training her properly! Unfortunately though I got sick from the heat and had to go home after the Sat morning comp :p Bloody stupid body - I drank heaps but still got ill

Thanks for that KC. I was told that the weather at Warnambool was horrid and not good for trialling

Is anyone going? My crew and I will be there. It will be Narmi's first trial - her health has picked up and you'd never had guessed how sick she'd been. She's decided that jumping isn't that bad, so I've entered her just to see how she'll go and to enjoy handling a slooooow, calm dog Oh Kira and Blush will be there doing their thing too!

I especially want to see Silvawilow whipping the outdoor table I have a very well behaved table thank you very much Seriously though I think it was the sound of the whip and me going of my tree that stopped my girls fighting, not the table being punished. I was at my whits end and was getiing tired of having to come home every 2 hours to make sure they were both still alive (I was paranoid that one of them was going to break out of the dog run and get to the other) and thought hey why not try this Also very happy with my neighbour popping his head over the fence - we'd only been here a few months - good to know people still care about other people's animals welfare

I sorta did the same thing. My 2 girls decided that after living together for 6mths that they no longer liked each other and were having the most awful bitch fights It was very difficult to break them up (tried water, wheelbarrow, pot lids, etc) and then one day I had a brain explosion. I found my old dressage whip in the shed and went out and whipped the outdoor table whilst telling it that it was a "bad table" in my grumpy voice. Then my neighbour stuck his head over the fence to make sure I was beating up my dogs because he said I was sounding very odd and out of character They had one more fight after the table got "in trouble" and all I had to do to break it up was whip the ground and say "stop" in my grumpy voice and that was it no more fighting - my theory was the they thought that the table copped it and they didn't want to be next?

Congratulations Dogdude, super achievement

I've seen Cockers out there competing in obedeince, agility and tracking. My favourite one that I saw working was at a obedeince trial last year and he was in UD and was such a happy cheeky little monkey, a great little worker!

Silvawillow, was that with Colin Webster (aka God in this house )? MrsD you're spot on! He was great and I loved his approach and method.

I know it's already come and gone but maybe for next year? The Seymour Show normally has the high jump and I think another of the local ag shows in that area also has a high jump comp but can't remember at the moment, sorry.

Yep you're an addict, I wonder if they have "Agility Anonymous" Me also sorry KC I don't know where to find that info. Has the SA version of Dogs Vic (sorry don't know what their body's called) been able to point you in the right direction?

That's me precisely only I use "turn" rather than cross! I was worried they wouldn't know which way to turn, but in they know to just turn 'away' from me etc . I don't know my left and right at the best of times, so how will I be able to on the run and know the dog's left and right :) :D :D I've only recently introduced turn (just learned about it recently, I'm just coming out of the dark ages I tried left and right the first few times and Kiz was so smart that when I told her 'left' which was quickly followed by 'the other left' from me she knew what I really meant - I'm hopeless with left and right!

Congratulations and well done I'm just getting into herding and did a clinic on the weekend and so much to learn, took me half a day to figure the signals and commands!

My dogs are taught both finishes. I usually use the flip finish with Kiz cause when she goes behind me she tends to gawk and also cause she likes the flip and looks better doing it. However with Narmi we do the other finish cause she's not very graceful (poor love) and she looks all gumby doing the flip finish

You're flattering us Helen! Kira did alright and I was happy with all of her run except where she decided that she HAD to go in the wrong end of the tunnel 3 times. I wish I had seen Bella kissing the judge - she didn't hurt us any by kissing up to the judge ;) And it will give him something to talk about with his friends! I had a ball during the pairs and by all the noise Kiz was making I think she did too - we'll have to do it again sometime Helen! Thanks for all the congrats guys!

WOW - CONGRATULATIONS - what an amazing weekend you had!!!

For agility: Arrive after a bloody looong drive! Get the dogs out and let them go wiza and then they go back in the car so I can go, I get numbers & catalogue on the way back. I then set up creates, stakes, shade, etc and get the dogs out and put Blush in create and take Kiz for a play with her ball. Then visa versa with Blush. Before we go in the ring I will just sit outside the ring with Blush and give her hugs and pats and then get her focused on me, nice and easy. With Kiz I do a little bit of heeling and away we go For obedience it's pretty much the same routine except I don't throw the ball, we play tug or scoccer!

Well said and nicely put dogdude! I do a mixture of both methods, a lot of food rewards for my hungry dog, a lot of verbal parise/rewards and pats for my smooch dog (he is always sidling up for a smooch) and a bit of everything for Kira, toys, voice, tone, depending on the situation, i.e. how hyped up she is! My dogs all understand the meaning of the word no and my tone is very effective for when they are a bit ott.

Went to training on Sunday and set up a smallish agility course. I gave the mad black dog a few runs, still crazy dog Then I gave Denny a run or two and he worked really well, clearing the jumps nicely and not off course and he only stopped to pee once! The bestest thing was when I gave Narmi a go. Narm has never shown any interest in agility, I think her motto is "why go over when you can go under or around" My hubby has been popping her over some jumps in the yard (when he thinks I'm inside doing domestic stuff and can't see) and boy was Narm keen on Sunday. My yellow jumped all the jumps with so much enthuasim and she was very clean in doing so and surprisingly quick. Very proud of her effort!

I hear you Helen, a dog that you can live with is the most important thing! I haven't seen the Manchester run, I'll have to keep my eye out. My girl Kira isn't everybody's cup of tea, she is always on the go and needs to be challenged mentally, not just physically. That's why I got a gundog next, however I'm finding her low drive just as challenging as Kira's high drive. My Aussie's are great, keen to work but then will switch off!

rhapsodical78 has pretty much sumed up what I was thinking! If I was after a dog for agility I'd be looking in the working dog group. I have a border collie x who is very keen for agility&tracking&obedience&herding&flyball& anything you throw at her :D I also have 2 australian shepherds, they are both keen and happy when doing agility. My last girl is a gundog x who isn't really keen on agility, she does love obedeince and is loving learning tracking though!

I was at a trial in Albury in March and saw 2 tibetian spaniels competing in both the obedeince and agility rings, they were from NSW I think :D Another small working breed that was there was a Swedish Valhund (spl?), I know this particular little dog does tracking as well as obedience, lovely little dog. Of the the breeds you've listed I'd go for the cavy, seen quiet a few competing in the higher levels of obedience and agility. Good luck!

We did the Obedience workshops and they were great! I learnt a lot and now have a better idea of how to get my girly to work better. Learnt a lot of new methods! I wish I had of been there for the high drive agility clinic, Kira is certaintly high drive. Oh well hopefully there'll be another one.

We're only doing the obedience, my hubby put his foot down and said cause I'm doing an agility clinic in November and one in January that it was a no Oh well, someone in the family needs to be able to budget and it's certaintly not me As I said before, I'm looking forward to the heeling session, very excited! About to leave Shepp so I'll see everyone tomorrow.

Thanks for that, I couldn't remember how far, time wise Geelong was from where I'm staying, brains like a sieve sometimes Hope all that are going are ready for the crazy black flash! ATM heels like she's off with the pixies but when it comes to the other exercises like dumbell Kira races out for her db/ret like a bat out off hell, loves the bj, although her excited bark as she's going over can get a bit annoying, oh well at least she's happy to be out and about.