macka

It's actually very hard to scratch the end of a lens. Why people pay a small fortune for lenses and then stick a cheap UV filter on the end of it is beyond me. IMO, don't do it! Neutral density and polarisers are fun though.

I'm not that familiar with the Nikons being a Canon girl myself, but here are the main differences between the two cameras from what I can see: D3000 10 megapixels ISO 100 - 1600 Continuous shooting mode 3fps D5000 12 megapixels - greater resolution Slightly better image censor ISO 200 - 3200 - greater low light capability (this would be a significant advantage for your band photos) Continuous shooting mode 4 fps - can take slightly more photos in quick burst for shooting fast moving objects, such as dogs! Has movie shooting capability Approx 75g heavier The two kit lenses will certainly give you a large focal range to work with, from 18mm all the way to 200mm. However they are not particularly "fast" lenses, meaning they don't have great low-light ability, and you won't be able to get super shallow depth of field in your portraits. However, they offer the convenience of only ever having to use two lenses, not having to change lenses all the time, and the VR is supposed to be quite effective at reducing motion blur. They are probably a good option if you are just starting out with a DSLR, but look after them and keep the boxes as if you get the photography bug you will no doubt want to upgrade them at some point in the future. I shoot pretty much exclusively with fast primes which means I need to own more lenses to cover different focal lengths, I am always having to change lenses in order to change focal length, but I have the advantage of great low light capability, and wonderfully shallow depth of field with great bokeh and super sharp pics. Hope that helps somewhat.

Hi Fran Predominantly what will you be shooting with your camera? (Doggy portraits , people portraits, landscapes, travel photos?) Have you been into a shop and held the different cameras in your hands and tried navigating the menus?

From the Breed standard on the website of the Breed Club of NSW: No mention of the word blue anywhere. But they are supposed to all be grey, therefore blue is a fault. Fine for a pet if it happens by accident but I would steer clear of any breeder deliberately breeding for breed standard faults!

What does a blue Weimaraner look like? I thought they were all one colour (grey).

My 50/1.4 is not really leaving the camera at the moment.

Try not to take comments about "badly bred" labs personally, Rubystar. While saying some labs make you want to wash your eyes out with bleach may be a little OTT, I think where those sorts of comments come from is a deep love of the breed and a strong desire to see the breed improve in quality, and perhaps some frustration at some of the breeders out there who aren't trying hard enough, or whose heart is in the wrong place ($$$). Even breeders can't tell which puppies are going to turn into champions, and many "show prospects" end up being re-homed down the track because they just don't make the cut. Like you, I went to what I consider to be an ethical registered breeder to get my boy, and I hope he turns out to be a nice example of the breed as that would validate my breeder's hard work and efforts! But in the end, it really doesn't matter to me as I am going to love him regardless and he won't be doing any breeding anyway.

And one of them has been made by you. Read the posts SaS. Those colour breeders 'being dissed' are those who are NOT doing the breed justice. I have not seen a post that suggests all Chocolate Labs are shite and all those breeding them are dodgy. What this has to do with merle Danes I don't know but I'd not make the same suggestion there either. However from your responses to my posts here and in another thread yesterday, it seems you've concluded that I've insulted you or your dog. This is what I have said in this thread. Please show me how it even vaguely suggests that I think all breeders of chocolate Labs (and to draw the analogy, merle Great Danes) are dodgy: Oh dear lord! What you just quoted wasn't even addressed to you, it was a general comment to those who thought it appropriate to dis people who prefer to breed Chocolates. Read what you typed initially, maybe you didn't mean for it to be interpreted the way it was. I certainly would be wary of a breeder with that colour in their prefix. That wasn't fair, because you're suggesting people should stay about from all those Breeders, you can't say all those breeders who that colour in their prefix are all dodgy and people should be wary of them. Who said anything about merle great danes? Insulted my dog? What are you talking about!? LOL I seriously don't get your posts. I don't see what's wrong with recommending somebody "be wary of a breeder with that colour in their prefix." I would be wary too. Being "wary" doesn't equate to assuming all breeders with that colour in their prefix are dodgy and breeding inferior dogs. It just means proceed with caution, making sure the breeder has the best interests of the breed in mind.

No.....they're discussing Chocolate Labradors... I think what PF meant is that the current situation with Choc Labs is relevant to the issue of partis in poodles in the sense that if they were allowed, the poodle breed would face similar issues of breeders breeding for colour rather than quality.

Breeders have the right to charge whatever they like but purchasers equally have the right to tell 'em they''re dreaming and go elsewhere. ;)

There is a driftway puppy in our lab thread so yes, it is possible! There are also many other breeders using driftway dams/sires.

Sorry to hear about your beautiful Ellie. :nahnah:

Speaking of Billie... we need more Billie photos in the lab thread. :D

Alfie I have PM'ed you my recommendations and also mentioned your thread to the breeders in the labrador sub-forum.

I would agree with trying a different dry food. I have read a LOT of threads about fussy eaters and dogs not eating their dry food (doing research as I have a fussy eater myself) - and in so, so many of those threads, Eukanuba was the problem. It must be a very bland and boring dry food to a lot of dogs.

He might have been missing for a while and picked up the ticks etc while wandering.

I hate to say it but could he be in pain? Then again if he is a good weight I wouldn't worry too much. I'd be monitoring weight weekly though. Since he's small it should be easy for you to weigh him at home.

Yup, that's what happens. I'm not sure it's such a fine-line but rather a misapplication, a fairly minor one at that and not at all difficult to re-train correctly. In my classes we use the other dog as the cue, not the handler saying "heel". The same discriminating stimuli operate when you use corrections also, had the handler taught the dog to heel using collar corrections and pairing the behaviour with the verbal cue, the same problem would have likely resulted. If you teach a dog to do something on command (or with food in your hand or whatever), that command needs to be there. So let's say the handler teaches the dog to heel with strong distractions using +R. They realise that the food and the command to "heel" needs to be there but they want to generalise so they seek advice. The trainer advises them to walk past the other dog, no command, no food, then issue a swift correction just as the dog begins to lunge. The handler walks away thinking the correction was necessary but in reality all that happened was he re-trained it without the antecedents. He could have just as easily done the same thing with +R only, either from the start or in the proofing phase. Ok had a walk yesterday evening, and I think I am having the same problem as above. He responds well to my distracting him but only if I call out his name for him to look at me. A couple of times he saw the people and I could see him start to get excited so I said "Archer" and only then did he look back at me and I marked and rewarded. If he is not offering the behaviour on his own does this mean we are still not far enough away from the stimuli? Or that I need to retrain this behaviour without saying his name? I'm not sure exactly how you go about doing that. ETA also what should I do if I find myself in a situation where I can't get far enough away from the stimuli? For example yesterday unexpectedly as we were walking past a bus stop a bus pulled up and a man got out and started walking right towards us. I had nowhere to go so I just held the lead very tight and close and tried to distract Archer. It wasn't all that successful.

Are council tags a VIC thing? Both of my dogs are registered with the local council but I don't think they do tags.

This is the thread that made me change my mind about leaving collars on my dogs unsupervised: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=105450

Mine do wear collars at home but not when unsupervised. When I go to work I take the collars off and when I get home I put them pack on. I used to use breakaways and a few times I came home to find the breakaways had broken away, so they must have gotten caught or came off during play - it definitely happens. They are both micro-chipped so if they did get out somehow they could be traced back to me.

Yay! I recommend practicing the Triangle of Temptation with Ollie so he learns some self control in the presence of his (and Miley's) food - that way you won't have to rush to pick it up before he gobbles it!

mmm tasty stinky sardines... my fussy one loves them too.