~*Shell*~

I just watched this again and ended up in tears (again). Zero passed his delta test today so he's a qualified therapy dog now. Just one more thing to add to how special he is

Thanks - I'm just a little bit happy with him at the moemnt He did so well. The second the assessment started, he put his game face on and was a star!

We have a woman at training who uses "yep" for the same reason. I use yes (when I'm not clicker traning) but don't draw out the s on the end. When I get a new puppy though, I'll be using a whistle. A whole lot easier for me, considering how uncoordinated I am!

Yep - I tear up over them too. i used to love Echo's forever home ad!

I love the ringing bell idea ... was thinking of getting a battery powered door chime from my pup as they have a wider base for the paw to hit on than the "counter bells" that I can find, and hanging a string of bells on my door isnt practical for my joint. I hang a cow bell at the door. If you wanted to try the bell ringing idea, it's really a no brainer. All you need to do is every time you take her out, ring the bell yourself before you open the door. They make the connection very quickly and start ringing it themselves. Zero watched Jedi and Ahsoka ring the bell a couple of times and made the connection that way. He'll now go and ring it to be let out when we're at Nik's place. They really do cotton on to it really quickly!

I haven't really showed my face in here for a while since Zero has been retired from obedience (arthritus and HD confirmed a couple of months ago) but I have to brag that Z was assessed for delta today and passed. He's now a qualified therapy dog! He may never get an obedience title but I'm so proud of him. I decided to get him involved to keep his mind active since it'll be a whole new skill set for him and I was more stressed about him passing than I realised. I'm a lot more relaxed tonight. He just thinks it's great that I've been running up to give him cuddles while he's been snoozing. Oh and I'm yet to throw a dumbbell behind me for a retrieve, but I've nearly knocked a few people out with one! Noone believes me when I tell them I used to play softball. I'm really uncoordinated with something that isn't a ball!

Lol - it's so funny when birds have undignified moments! Here's one I got at the zoo last year (and yes, that's it's tongue):

We met because of DOL - Nik actually lives around the corner from me I went to meet her and snofyre at a show, then joined the same obedience club as Nik and Jedi and we've been friends ever since!

I think Nik may need an assistant. I would like to volunteer my services free of charge

It makes me tear up - I cried at work when I first saw it so all the girls at work watched it with me. Zero is my beautiful boy. I'm so thankful for everything he has become. It's taken a long time and a lot of help but we got there and I wouldn't have him any other way. He spent some time last night cuddled up on the couch with Nik, something he's never done before. He only ever gets up for a cuddle with me so for him to trust Nik enough to do that says a lot about Nik. ;) Nik - it's the best present ever!!

It's a shame our adsales people can't fit more in the description - I hope it's the Charche version! Would it be possible for canon to request an off-air record for you? At least then you could see what it's like to see it on TV. It's not the same but because of the tone and the fact that it doesn't have shot changes, it'll be very noticable on air so a lot of people will see it :D

Zero's on it and does very well!

Damn - oh well. I'm not sure which one it is but it could possibly be screening just after 9:30pm tomorrow night. We can't tell which ad it is, only that there's an EOS spot booked in.

That might be difficult for them to get hold of - the world of tv advertising is an ever changing one... down to about 2 minutes before a spot goes to air. ;) We can usually provide a post report but a pre-report is next to impossible. Congratulations again Bec - can't wait to see it on air! Bummer! They were able to send me one for the first 2 days that it came out so I thought maybe worth a shot. If I remember right, you work for the Lifestyle channel yeah? That was one of them it was airing on! Yep! Certainly do :D Do you have foxtel? I could have a look when it'll air on our channel but keep in mind that it could change. I think tomorrow's schedule has been finalised but you never know in TV land.

That might be difficult for them to get hold of - the world of tv advertising is an ever changing one... down to about 2 minutes before a spot goes to air. ;) We can usually provide a post report but a pre-report is next to impossible. Congratulations again Bec - can't wait to see it on air!

I think most people wouldn't pay for a stranger to look after their dogs if they could get someone they knew to do it for free. I would rather trust Zero to one of my not-so-dog-savy friends (not that it would ever come to that) rather than hand his care over to someone I didn't know.

I loved my dobe girl, Danika but how I felt about her and how I feel about Zero are two entirely different things - I could burst into tears now about losing him, even though it's probably years away. I don't know how to describe it other than to say he's special ;)

that's really unfortunate to hear as I think what people will find is that they will get VERY confused with the REAL rules when it comes in and be unable to compete because they've been programmed to think this is just 'second rate obedience' which in fact (as you WA folks will see soon) this sport can be a LOT harder to excel at. Ask anyone that tried to get a perfect score out of this person!! I get frustrated when I hear of a club that proudly announces they are doing "rally" when in fact they aren't...they aren't teaching the correct method overall, nor the correct way to do a station. Yes it's meant to be fun, but it's not meant to be sloppy. I think too many have gotten stuck into the Novice level (done on lead) and don't realize how challenging (depending on how the judge sets up the course) the Advanced and Excellant levels can be. Anyone practicing their 3 steps backward station? I got really frustrated with the way they ran it at our club, I hope that we'll be able to teach Rally the way it's supposed to be done so everyone can see it's not just second rate obedience but another dog sport entirely! Our three steps backwards is getting nowhere!! Zero will back up but his bum slides out of position when he does it. If I do it against a wall, he'll sit down. More practice I think!!!

That's freaky! I play that exact game with Z and he has the exact same reaction! Crazy sibes! We should film them one day... Mishy loves it when I "scare" him, he's so funny. We should! I'll see if I can get him playing it on the weekend! It does translate then!

That's freaky! I play that exact game with Z and he has the exact same reaction! Crazy sibes!

I can't really answer on the first topic - I work full time but Z mostly sleeps while I'm out so he couldn't care less if I'm there or not. As for games, Zero and I play stupid games depending on how we're feeling. Zero loves it when I just walk up beside him and give him a bit of a push - he spins around and his tail starts wagging. I'll push him gently backwards on the chest and he'll come running forward so I can do it again. If i take a step to the side, he does a little side step too. We also play stalking games around the house and i often jump out at him from behind things (he always knows I'm there). He loooooooves that game - he will usually do some zoomies and come running back at me so he can but his head into my legs. Then there's "slappy face" where I pretty much tap his cheeks while he throws his head from side to side - it's probably his favourite game and he will come and put his head into my lap to play it if I'm watching TV. I have a bunch of stuff I do to rev Z up as well like playing with his tail while he's walking past me, making funny noises at him and just running around and having fun with him. They're silly games and I don't know how well they'd translate to another dog playing them but he loves them - I don't even know how we started playing them!

It depends on the person. For example, I take Zero to obedience training every monday night. I'm quite happy for the other instructors and the office admin people to feed Zero. They always ask him to do something to earn it and it's usually something like devon or bbq chicken or sausage. I don't have a problem in the world with that - for an aloof breed, he's very friendly and comfortable at training and part of that is being fed by multiple people. I also don't mind if it happens at my friend's houses who are dog people - Terranik feeds Z all the time and I don't mind that at all! That being said, if a stranger or one of the people in a class at training tried to feed him, I wouldn't let them. I would give them a serve about it too. Even my non-doggie friends I've told not to feed him and my family too. I had a young girl walk up to me the other day and ask if she could give Zero one of her wedges - it may not have hurt him but I still said no "because it could make Zero sick". My family think I'm cruel but I don't allow them to feed him either unless I'm not going to be home. They're a little too heavy handed with the kibble container.

This one was taken at the same time as my last shot but I really love it - it's Z and I all over.

There are no clubs in Sydney that hold classes as far as I'm aware - occasionally our club runs something like Rally O (for fun) but it annoys me that it's not run correctly so I tend not to participate (or I do and then get in trouble for doing the course "wrong"). Hopefully when Terranik and I become full fledged instructors, they'll let us take a Rally O class. Zero adored it - he loves that I'm allowed to use my silly voice and talk to him. He gets bored in traditional obedience.

I still refuse to believe that Daisy is evil. If she is, she's the cutest evil thing I've ever seen Awesome photos!