~*Shell*~

I think the most difficult ones to train depend on the dog. I found for Zero, the toughest one is the "back up 3 steps, dog stays in heel position" sign but he's incredibly uncoordinated so that doesn't surprise me. I have heard of people who have dogs who do it easily. I know people who have problems doing a moving stand - Z's is solid and always has been. Techincally the hardest ones should be the ones that are only used in the Excellent class but as i said, i think it's up to the individual dog. As for the where to perform the exercise, it depends on the sign. For example, a left or right turn is performed before the sign, but a moving side step is after or you risk hitting the sign.

Thanks Ruth - I've been looking for something to get my mother for christmas. That will be fantastic!

Yeah - the 50mm is having auto focus problems again. I meant to take it back to canon this week since I work across the park from their sydney headquarters but I completely forgot. I'll drop it in on monday. They were taken on my 5D with the 70-200mm 2.8. Love that lens. So versatile!

Yay! That's so exciting! I forgot to take my lens into canon this week! Canon is right across the road so you'd think I'd remember but no! I'm an idiot sometimes.

No - unfortunately his death was the reason we went to Perth. He had wanted me to take them for a long time but before last week, I hadn't been to Perth since 2009 which was before my Aunt had the chihuahuas and Kyza. Thanks all. I wish my skills were better. My aunt has another dobe (who is fearful and wouldn't come near the camera) and I don't think she'll be around the next time i'm in perth so it was photograph the dogs now or don't do it at all.

I've only ever had to do Zero's front dew claws. And even then it's been maybe twice in the nearly 5 years i've had him. He's about due for it to be done again. I do my cat's and the two birds' nails all the time. They would be nearly $20 each if i took them to the vet to have it done. Easy :D

Some of you may know that my Grandfather passed away last week. While I was in Perth for the funeral, the one thing I really wanted to do was to take some photos of his beloved dogs. When his health failed, he moved to live with my Aunt, who owns 2 dobes and 2 chis. My grandfather especially loved the chis who sat with him for most of the day watching television. In his last few weeks, they even went to visit him in hospital while the nurses turned a blind eye. I wanted these to be pretty because he always wanted everything to be pretty - they were taken in the garden he helped my Aunt grow when he wasn't unwell. Missy and Romeo Missy Romeo Kyza One more because I can There are more here: http://www.mgstudios.net

My name is Michelle, but everyone calls me Shell - the ~* and the *~ are just there because Shell was taken :D

Gah = i cracked out the 7D yesterday to get some shots of my aunt's dogs and my 50mm is having autofocus issues AGAIN. Freakin' hell. The last time it cost me $220 to get it fixed. Piece of crap lens! At least it's the same problem i've had in the past so i can take it back into canon on thursday and have a whinge at them about it. Hopefully they will fix it for me for free.

Teela - it is possible to rehabilitate an aggressive dog. It just takes some work! I have done it myself with Zero who was VERY dog aggressive. We went to see Steve at k9pro and he was amazing. Some other trainers had told me to have him put to sleep because he was a lost cause. It really does suck to own an aggressive dog! Get a professional to help you. Aggression shouldn't be dealt with over the internet - someone needs to assess the dog in person, find out why the dog is acting the way it is so they can come up with a management and rehab plan. Good luck!

I don't think you're anal. Both Terranik and I go to the same vet and she's worth her weight in gold. We have 4 dogs between us, they all absolutely love her (Zero who used to hate the vet would happily leave me in the waiting room to go into her consult room!) and she knows her stuff. She has recommended products that she thinks will help Z's back issues and they've all worked wonders and she actually supports feeding barf (and knows what artemis is!). On top of that, she's got purebred dogs and trials in agility so she knows where I'm coming from with a lot of my beliefs :D I compare her to my old vet clinic, who misdiagnosed Zero with HD when he has spondylosis (no idea how - even i could see it on the x-ray - and his hip scores are awesome), wanted to muzzle Zero because of his breed and who had vets that were quite frankly, afraid of dogs, I shudder to think I stayed with them for so long.

Considering they can't even get the breed name right, I wouldn't be buying from them. Might be something to bring up with him? If you make them look like idiots, he might reconsider if he can talk to a breeder who has all the answers.

I was really hoping you would judge Zero and I one day angelsun

Aw thanks I wish they were lit better - middle of the day on a hot, sunny day isn't the best!

Here you go, the lighting was shit but i'm happy with the shots - never could have got them with the 5D Mr Jedi Soakie-dokes

I think i loved Zero from the moment I saw him but I didn't like him very much for the first 18 months. He was huddled in the centre of his run at the pound and I just melted because he looked so depressed and sad. He wanted nothing to do with me when I took him out for a walk but when the girls told me he was on the PTS list for that day, I couldn't help myself. It wasn't a fun first 18 months but he's worth the heartache. He is my heart dog and I would do anything for him. He's everything I ever wanted now and makes everyone else fall in love with him too :D Besides, when he looks like this, how can you not just melt:

Well have you fired up the 7D yet? What's the verdict? Just looking at the first shots taken on it! Sooo happy! The colours it gets are different to the 5D but I think I just need to have a bit of a play with it. I have barely done anything!

I got messed around a little by DWI so my goods didn't arrive until 8 days after i had ordered them but I would order from them again. It was a tough 8 days to wait but I'm impatient

That's the beauty of it - it's already charged thanks to it taking the same batteries as the 5D!!! Unfortunately I'm at work so I won't be able to ply with it until lunch time. But I'll be all over it then!

It's here!!!! It didn't get held up in customs and it's BEAUTIFUL!!

I got on the phone to them last night and told them that it wasn't good enough A week to dispatch something that was apparently "in stock" and then not in stock and then back in stock again. It left hong kong early this morning so hopefully i'll get it tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully it doesn't get caught up at customs for too long or i won't get it until monday - I have some time this weekend to get out with my camera so I want it here so I can test it out!

Still not despatched

Lucky thing! Love the photos :D

It's crazy - they must have got a lot of people buying because they still haven't despatched mine despite repeatedly telling me they will "do it tonight" (3 days running!). It changed to "dispatched" for about an hour and then went back to "Dispatching Soon". It's really starting to annoy me. I just want my camera! It's now been a week since I ordered it.

Dear Santa, While you're picking up Kristin's camera, just add another one for me please. 12fps with the full frame sensor and dual digic 5 processors. I'd love to see how it handles action shots with the full frame sensor. Either way, it's a massive step forward. *drool* is all I have to say about that. ETA: They probably just used it for the shot Kirislin. Pretty much all of the spec shots I've seen for any of the EOS camera have had a 50mm on it. Most of the 7D shots I've seen have the 50mm 1.4 - this one is marketed at professionals so they probably had to kick it up to an L series lens and the 50mm is the right size to photograph well.