jesomil

Ha,ha,ha. Yes that cross bred Dylan!! The judges thought we were really good till Dylan came in and blew us all away. And he was a city dog like us so we lost badly to him but had lots of fun though. It was a fancy show he did. We didnt know about the caravan park till we drove past it. It looked really good. We stayed in the hotel just over the bridge but it was pretty dull and quiet at night. We will try for the caravan park next year as it looked a bit more social. My little fella was a bit young for the hill climb at 6 months but we will definately try next year. Kate.

Hi Kelpie-i, This was our second year at Casterton and we love it. We had our 2 Kelpies with us but only watched the events. We competed in the Kelpie idol last year but they didnt have it this year. The hill climb looked too hard for us but might have a shot next year. You sound like you did really well. We went to the Kelpie ball on Saturday night and had a fantastic time then the auction on Sunday and then Paul McPhails workshop on Monday. He is a great teacher. Its a really great weekend and we cant wait till next year. Kate.

Hi Kelpie-i, I saw Blue working at Casterton. He is an awesome dog. You must have been very proud of him. Amazing to watch!! Its a great day at the auction, getting to watch so many great dogs working and then seeing how they sell. Such special dogs. Kate.

Thanks Steve for a really informative weekend. I learnt some great training tips. I especially loved the info on drives and how some behaviours are triggered and why. It really made sense. Your common sense, gentle approach to training is most impressive. It was really great meeting such beautiful dogs and friendly people and being able to put faces to names. Great weekend, Thanks. Kate.

In a world where alot of people question our deep attachments to our dogs this forum is a life saver. I thought that I was going mad from the grief of losing my pup 2 months ago until i read all the stories on here. I now know that its ok to feel like dying but eventually it will get better. 7 months ago, after many months of researching and waiting, I was finally given the most perfect puppy. He was a wedding present from my husband to be. He was the best bred, from the best breeding lines I could find. He was everything i had ever dreamt of. I was going to do everything with him. We were going to get back into trialling and the sky was the limit. He was growing up to be one of the most attentive, responsive dogs i had ever worked with. We went everywhere together. On the train, the plane, into the city, out to the country. He was bombproof in every situation. You couldnt wish for a better friend. Then one day when he was 6 1/2 months old, he just wasnt right. The vet said he was a sleek, fit pup and i was being overly concerned. Then 2 days later he had a grand mal seizure. My perfect puppy was cowering in the corner drooling and showing his teeth, trying to attack every movement. My boy had gone. He then had several more severe seizures. Vet said they were the worst he had seen. He had a brain abnormality that had been slowly growing and had now tipped him over the edge. He was now severely brain damaged. We had many tests done. I had to tell the vet to kill my boy as there was no fix and he was suffering badly. I held his little head as the vet was giving him the drug. Just before he died, my braindead pup looked up and stared straight into my eyes. He held the gaze and then took a deep breath then went to sleep. His little body then started to fit and continued for 15 long minutes before his brain let go. This happened 4 days before my wedding day. I had the worst and best days of my life all in the one week. I am not sure when it will start to get easier. I still cant talk about him. I wonder what i could have done better for him. Why was such a perfect gift taken away so suddenly. My husband has now got me another pup from similar lines. I feel so guilty crying over my lost boy when i have a new bouncy little fellow. I am sure i will learn to love the new one but it will never be like how i loved the first. Part of me died with him and i still feel lost. Sorry for the long story. I just had to get it out. RIP little angel 22/6/04 - 11/1/05

I use the emu spirit oil all the time. When I moved down to Melbourne, my bully came out with allergic welts. I gave him a teaspoon a day and rubbed it on the skin. He was better within the week. It is great for any type of skin problem both orally and topically. It clears up hot spots quicker than any vet product I have ever used. Great for any itchiness, dandruff, dry coat/skin. I use it on myself too. Great for sunburn as it is an anti inflammatory. Thumbs up for emu oil!!

Hi, I spoke to the rep today who looks after the whole pedigree/optimum/advance range (as they are made by the same company) . He said that the new optimum range is exactly the same product as the principal but with new packaging. They have made the label brighter in an attempt to sell it better. It is one of the better supermarket brands, but it is still not a touch on the premium foods that are available in vets and pet shops. Jess