FHRP

QND = Qualifying Novice Dog, introduced last year. From the ANKC rule book: No wins needed just 'finshes', so keep track of them!!

Sounds like a great weekend rubyroo and mollipop!! Well done to both of you, excellent effort. Now I really wish I had been there You'll find those experienced trialers will get through Novice pretty early in the season mollipop, it happens every year. Some don't even stick around for the three wins. At least you have the QND title to aim for now

I have Pet Plan pet insurance on my youngest dog and will consider it for all future pups. Luckily I haven't had to claim much, last year I claimed about as much as I paid in premiums. If I had the self control to have a seperate account or credit card for vet bills only, I would probably do that instead. There are heaps of threads on here about Pet Insurance, a quick search will find them

The only way you can tell if she has good hips is if she's xrayed Yep, what ish said. I have heard the "it's a sign of good hips thing" too but don't believe it. A friends dog who had hd would lay frog style. I'm not sure what "sit like frog" looks like, frog dog has been the laying down with legs like whiskedaway describes. I have seen dogs with both good and bad hips do it. My boy with 1:1 hips never does it.

Oops ;) Sounds like something my boys would do :D First retrieving trials of the season this weekend in NSW, wishing I was there :D Have consoled myself with some field training instead Hope to hear from rubyroo and perhaps mollipop on the trial???

The other GSPs were probably better behaved than mine Ava deserves to be exhausted :D

Great stuff Wuffles! I assume this was BDOC's trial? I popped out briefly on the way home from field training, you may have seen me being dragged around by a GSP ;) You not in this afternoon?

Awwww, so cute! I have been lucky to play (and photograph!) a few Wrangham pups over the past couple of years, I could definitely be tempted one day!

Love it Monah, and poodlefan is already well experienced with the above by two of my "4 boys"

Necessary? No. Useful? Maybe It can and is done, but not often. Sometimes it is advantageous to be able to heel and send your dog from your right, due to location of cover, best view etc. but I have seen it very rarely. With a smaller breed like the Working ESS it may be more useful where clumps of grass may hamper their view more than the larger breeds. Maybe it's done more commonly in other states?

There's quail in the paddocks around Canberra I doubt your dog will 'point' them though A dog 'on point' doesn't necessarily have a paw up either, they just hold a staunch position indicating game, so your dog's alert stance may be his "point" for the frisbee :) If you want the paw held up, I'd work on that as I said, clicker and shaping.

I 'met' a Husky x Curly Coated Retriever this past weekend! A very different mix, had a coat that reminded me of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Put him on quail Train him to hold a paw up, that's all he's doing. Shape with a clicker.

I have several friends that keep multiple females without issue. However, on the rare occasions there are any issues with our 'pack' that gets together after training (can be quite a few dogs and includes entire and desexed males and females) 99% of the time it is between two females, both desexed and entire.

Maybe we're hijacking the thread RallyValley, better get back to Retrieving talk..... although, it does boggle my mind that in the US the dogs don't flush the birds, but the handlers do! They're doing half the dogs work! Anyway, ahem, back to retrieving!!!

As RallyValley was referring to honouring points and bracemates, I assumed they were referring to Utility Gundog or Pointer field trials We have different types of field trials for the different types of gundogs, as they do in the USA. We are lucky in Australia that our Retrieving trials, which are similar to US Retriever field trials, are open to all gundogs.

Thanks for the replies. So, although it may not seem reasonable, the conditions aren't unusual.... hmmm....

Vizslas and GSPs are very active, and certainly didn't spring to mind with your list. Unless the person sepcifically asks for an active dog, I wouldn't even suggest either breed. As for not going off hunting, many gundogs will do just that if not contained properly, they are hunting dogs! eta. A lot of what you're requiring comes down to training rather than just breed. I'd suggest getting back out to a show and seeing what breeds take your fancy and go from there.

This thread may help. although I'm not sure it's brand specific?? http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=203358

Personally I'd try and negotiate the 1 hour lunch break if you can. I take a few days off when I get a pup, but no more than a week, my dogs must learn to cope with me working full time quickly. I do not leave pups outside when very young, I worry about them being stolen or causing too much noise (which if it doesn't pi$$ people off, just draws attention to the little bundle of cuteness!). My pups are penned inside and make the transition to outside when older no worries. I am lucky that I work very close to home and can go home every lunch time. However when I lived a lot further away I still made the trip home at lunch time for the first couple of months and stayed back a little later at work to make it up. Alternatively, do you know anyone who could go in and feed and toilet your pup during the day? A friend or family member?

I am looking at submitting a few photo's of working gundogs in a competition and was reading the terms and conditions. Is this normal? I've substituted the xxx eta. I am reading this as any photo submitted, whether it wins or not can be used for advertising etc.? Right?

OK, I think I get you now I don't think I agree, but as I'm a total novice to the sport, I don't feel qualified to comment

What do you mean by this RallyValley? Because the dogs run in pairs they must be well socialised??? I think it's more a test of their temperament, a correctly bred Utility Gundog should not have any issues running with a bracemate. I doubt field dogs are socialised more than the average dog, or even as much quite often. You would be amazed how quickly dogs don't give a stuff about the other dog when it's time to find birds Polo has a very good temperament and is well socialised but I still watch him around other entrie males, I don't even give it a thought in the field (unless the other dog is iffy) 'cause he pays no attention to the dog apart from it's work. Polo was interested in romancing the Pointer bitch we've been running with lately, but again once in the paddock it's all about the birds.

mollipop, I didn't take those pics, too busy 'working' my dog! I do enjoy taking pics at retrieving trials, you'll have to enter some ACT ones so I can get some photos of your dogs Sounds like it was an interesting RATG! I really like when they use cover etc. Who was the judge?

Not a field trialer yet but I assume it means backing. ANKC field trials run dogs in braces (pairs) and when one dog goes on point, when the other dog sees it, it should straight away lock on point, backing and honoring the other dogs point. A dog must have a back to qualify in a field trial I believe.