jr_inoz

I have an oztrail compact - fits in the boot of the car, (only a small honda jazz) and also I can get it up and down on my own. I haven't heard or seen the brand you are talking about. I do worry about mine handling bad weather - I know the deluxe ones are stronger - but so far so good.

I have one a 3X3 Pro Light and can put it up myself no worries if need be.......At first I didn't like it only due to the fact I think I got a dud one so they up graded me to this one for free :-)))) I can fit in the boot of my Holden Astra with no dramas... I guess it is going to be your own personal preferance which one you go with.

They do have some specials on them now which I am thinking about buying another one!!

Are you bringing this one next weekend? Will have to check it out.

Em went through a stage like this. At the time I was feeding her daily ration through training (i.e. lots of recalls around the house/yard, sitting etc) so I just concentrated on toileting outside in the rain. Every time she toileted in the correct spot she got a 'jackpot' (big handful of biscuits) and I made a huge fuss of drying her off (which she also loves). If she toileted on the deck she got nothing and just ignored. It worked so well that she was running outside every few minutes to squat in the rain - I thought she had a urinary tract infection until I realised what was going on

Another place is a shoe repairer. They could fix it too.

Although it sounds Dodgy I'm not sure how the scam works because if money is paypal'd over to you then you'd have the money?

I had a heap of these type when we sold our car. They offer more than asking price, supposedly pay by paypal (but send you scam paypal emails - always read very carefully the email address), then ask you to pay back the extra via Western union to the third party who supposedly will pick up the goods. There is never any intention to get the dog or item off you, just for you to transfer the difference via western union.

One we got was from Paul FISH who was an oceanographer who needed a third party to pick up our $50 000 Prado that he was buying as a gift to his son. The name had me suss straight up. I then recieved about 3 nasty emails from Western Australia Police (another fake web page they had done up) threatening legal action if I did not send money to the third party. Might have been a bit more believable if someone with English as a first language had written it though. Was quite laughable after I got over the hide of them.

I think emails asking for "your final asking price" are always a give away. I recieved one yesterday:

Dear sir,

I am a labrador retriever lover and breeder in Macau and Hong Kong. Now I am looking for champion labrador retriever black young male . I am very interest in champion labrador retriever black young male. How much are you asking and shipping to Macau? Thank you for your attention on this e-mail, look forward to hearing from you soon.

Hmmm, if someone was really after a champion dog, I think the first question would relate to the parents or health testing, and as the price is in my ads and on my website, it is generally not something I get asked.

could this last one be legit? If you have the dog advertised on your website - they may be genuine. They would be speaking cantonese, and so may not have english and using a bad chinese/english online translator (you should see the laughs a chinese housemate and I had once about translations with the program on her computer). BUT - would you export your dog to China - even if you thought they might be legit?

Has anyone seen the blog from the guy who took on the Nigerian scammers? Some of his emails in reply were absolutely hilarious. I can't find a link at the moment.

is 62 the evening primrose conditioning mist? If it is - then I use it and I like it.

I was also wondering, what are the laws when it comes to walking your dog from a bike?

Australian Road Rules make it illegal to lead a dog alongside a bike on the road.

But is it ok on bike paths?

Because its not just face judging that I am worried about!! Nothing is ever going to stop that, because people who are faces, generally also have friends everywhere so they are going to find out about it all anyway!!

I am MORE concerned about judges that truly do not know a good example of my breed. So they may award a complete nobody, and I can see better dogs on the day so I wont enter under them again because I do not value their opinion. Or judges that just award the fastest dog in the ring, judges that are rough with my dogs.

I know that some judges have not been used for shows because people know that they wont get big entries under them. Perhaps we should be recording how many enter under judges so that we can track their 'popularity' so to speak. So when people avoid a judge it will become apparent to show secs and they can chose judges that are more popular with the majority of competitors?? Sounds like a better method to increase numbers and weed out bad judges than not listing them.

agree with this

Leads arrived and they are gorgeous.

The ivory, toffee and gold lead looks lovely and suits my girl so well! She just needs to grow some coat so she can get back into the ring and use it!

The dark green and gold lead looks great and I am sure will be appreciated by whoever wins it at the champ show coming up.

I was at my local BCF today (Castle Hill) and they had one regular sized Compact (2.4 x 2.4) for $74.50 if anyone is interested - absolute bargain, pity I don't need a 3rd gazebo

oooo - that is very good!!

And if some newbies are wanting to give it up after a few shows because they didn't win maybe they need to take a closer look at themselves and their dog. Maybe their dog really wasn't groomed well, didn't behave in the ring, and was handled terribly, all of these things can make a great dog look awful and then there is the possibility that the other dog was in fact better.

You can't get into dog showing and expect to win everything, even the big names get dumped.

especially when they show under a judge who is honest and judges the form on the day and all the rest of the time, they have been winning because they are a face.

Newbies give up for a variety of reasons - and one of them is face judging. Another is because in some groups, people can be very non-welcoming and cliquey and not talk to them at all and offer no help.

I was lucky - had two people take me under their wing an mentor me - and I have stuck it out - but it can be daunting and quite nasty. Why would a newbie stay under those circumstances?

If you want to improve the standard of judging then I'd suggest you ask for ideas on how to do that. Withholding a judges name doesn't make them a better judge. It just makes who the judge is a lottery. I can't think of a faster way to reduce entries than to make people drive hours to find they're being judged by someone who's opinion they don't respect. Besides, some folk will know who the judges are anyway.

There is no way you can ensure that every handler has an equal chance at winning. We don't all have the same standard of dog, of grooming or of handling.

I keep hearing that show entries are not what they used to be but I've yet to see evidence that it's judging that's to blame.

Poodlefan - I agree with you that not naming judges is not going to help with entries - like you, I believe it would make things worse.... BUT - you are yet to see evidence that the judging is to blame for reduced entries? Just take a look at the entries for the shows in Adelaide this weekend....

I have no issue with judges if need be justifying why but i see no point just to suit those with sour grapes .

Who do they justify it too?

Who decides if there reason is good enough??

What is the outcome if people don't agree ??

What time limit is given for the judge to explain ??

When it gets out of hand who steps in ???

Would it appease those people who bitch no matter what even if they still lose, because if they can't see the merits in good dogs then its not up to the judge to be questioned maybe they should be ??

you highlight INDEPENDENT but i am sure if they agree with the same "Face" winning because the dog is actually good they will be called names as well.

Klink are you a judge ???

In response to your mail, The idea of judges having to perhaps being asked to explain and or justify their selections can only be beneficial to the show scene overall. It will never stop disgruntled or illinformed exhibitors from seeking other reasons for their lack of sucess, this will go on forever as it does in all other sports.As you have pondered even a worthy dog winning will still gather complaints' from these people.

The whole basis of this proposal was to enable members generally feel that they are at least gaining some amount of apparent fairness. This is not a guarantee of a pure and perfect scene free from corruption (perceived or not ), but hopefully it will help to reign in the unabated face judging.

We get this at specialties when judges give the placegetters a critique. I don't think this stops face judging - judges can justify their choices, people can still be unhappy about those choices.

The other issue is that some judges just don't know the breed standard well enough. Dog in my breed got put up the other week with an incorrect head - so far from the standard it would be considered a serious fault - yet it got Challenge. Judge wasn't necessarily a face judge at all, but they sure didn't know our breed standard.

Aussie Shepherd. Not too much grooming, very trainable.

agree....

in regard to shedding - most double coated breeds only shed once or twice a year, not all year round like some of the short coated breeds can.

Shelties are a vocal breed but most live happily in town without too much issue, training is the key in most cases. It would really depend how the section is situated. If there are people constantly walking the fence line this could be more of an issue as a sheltie will bark at strangers. They would also be more suited to a dog door inside as that helps to minimise barking. The section size wouldn't be an issue as long as the dog was adequately exercised. They are a working breed and are extremely quick and easy to train.

Agree,

I have a shetland sheepdog and live in a town house with a small yard.

I chose this breed because of my living situation. They also cope well with being home alone (bred to do this - look after sheep on their own for long periods). They will follow you everywhere when you are at home though.

Shelties adapt well to the amount of exercise you give them. This is why they are great companions for elderly people as well as for families.

I have found that mental stimulation is just as beneficial as physical exercise for my girl.

Shelties can be vocal as cowanbree says, but you can train them not to bark. My girl barks at strangers (which the neighbours don't have a problem with) and not at all at neighbours or their dogs. She doesn't bark when she is inside, unless a visitor comes to the front door. (warning bark).

lovely morning this morning at Lewiston SA - herding classes with ducks.

Thanks to all concerned with this event.

We had fun.

In my humble opinion a dog cannot display breed type without displaying soundness. It goes hand in hand.

Thank you SnD - what I was trying to say.

Rommy had a mixed time at the herding come and try.

Lost her confidence early on in the session (after having such a great instinct test two weeks before), but was slightly better by the end.

I think I need to go and watch some more training first before we venture out again.

eta: - tailwag - I love your photos - stunning

OK - I am fairly new to it all and am getting to know my breed standard.

I actually don't get the original question.

In my breed - if it hasn't got good conformation, then it isn't true to type. The standard call for good rear angulation, a good upper arm, etc... I know that people interpret our breeds head shape differently (although how you can misinterpret a 'flat backskull' is beyond me, as some judges can), but basically our breed standard is all about good conformation.

i find it interesting in my breed when the 'best presented" (read best groomed - double coated breed,) gets put up over the so much more obviously better moving, better conformed, meets the standard best, dog.

I believe pineapple is fed to dogs to deter them from eating their waste???

Yes that is true, but it doesn't work because I've tried it.

mine would eat it when we play in an off leash area nearby. She doesn't eat her own - just others.

Would be a bit hard to make all the neighbourhood dogs eat pineapple.

Agree totally, the best thing if our dogs do get KC, they most likely will never get it again.

Really? I didn't know this!

KC is like the flu. The vaccine covers the common strain - not every strain. (according to two of the vets who were interviewed in the paper last week).

The Local Messenger paper for the south west had a big article in it last week about a three fold increase in KC in the area this year - being spread at dog parks, and they believed, the beach.

Three of the vets in the area were all interviewed talking about the huge increase and precautions people should take.

Seems like this year is a bad year for the flu for both dogs and people.

edited to add - the area and local paper is for the south west of Adelaide.

Interesting. Guess Border Collies aren't popular in Taiwan. On a different note - what is interesting, is that one of the Shelties doing very well here at present is a tri-colour - important from Japan (Japanese Champion). Apparently tri-colours are popular there? (Even with white feet). Could this be, though, because blue merles (another popular colour there) can only be mated with tris?

pretty sure every Adelaide metropolitan council has a 2 dog limit, and most towns do as well. 1 dog in an attached dwelling/unit, 2 dogs in a detached dwelling. Out of town in the country areas it's different everywhere. It's 5 where i am under ordinary circumstances (we have a kennel permit)

You are lucky. Onkaparinga Council - even if you are in semi-rural - is a two dog council (same for all metro councils). To get a Kennel Permit in Onka now, you must have a minimum of 5 acres and even then there can be restrictions. (I know someone in the council with enough land, but it is in an 'environmental heritage' area and they can only have 3 dogs max)

Pretty sure the 1 dog rule has to do with how much land you have. Under 400m2 and you can only have one dog. (according to my council and the LGA).

I think the most gullible pet owner I ever met, was the one with a purebreed Golden Retriever, with black spots. The breeder informed them that the spots were due to the testtube being dirty when the bitch was AIed.

sorry, but.......

Shetland sheepdog -Sheltie ,Less active than a Border.Will shed once a year i think.

yep - if desexed - once a year (or if a boy).

A good suggestion - and I am not biased at all

Another thing to consider is that herding dogs tend to mix best with other herding dogs. Many other breeds don't understand the herding style of play, and many herding breeds don't understand other types of play.

I have noticed that this is especially true with mine.

Another suggestion - Lagoto - relaxed dogs, no shedding. Gorgeous temperaments. Medium size. May be just right.

My pup had vaccs at 6 10 14 weeks.. Her last vacc left her with a HUGE bump on her back before her first show, I wouldn't taken her at 12 if I had had her papers by then. In saying that, my girl picked up kennel cough but a strain that you can't vaccinate against from her first show but I would've taken her again if I had another chance because her case was extremely mild. I am a paranoid puppy mother so I know how you feel but I THINK it should be fairly safe

You would've taken a dog with kennel cough to a show and shown it?

I didn't think you were allowed to show a dog that was sick at all.

YES!!!!! SYDNEY ROYAL 2011 "BEST IN SHOW"

Our boy 'THOR' way to go little buddy.

Yes I'm Thors mum, Thor has 2 lives, when he's at home with us he's just the spoilt 4 legged kid, when show time comes around he's with our co-owners Shelley & Merv Turner of 'Kataku Alaskan Malamutes'. They both do all the hard yards with him. So Thank You Both for breeding such a fantastic boy. Another big Congratulations to Clare, Clare has been showing 'Thor' since he was a puppy along with Sam & Hayley.

You guys DID IT! :D WE ARE SO PROUD OF 'THOR'S' TEAM.

And we can't wait until he's home with us soon.

I've seen a photo of the gorgeous Thor and Claire winning BIS on FB - most gorgeous photo - Claire on her knees in tears, Thor wondering what is going on. Priceless.

Congratulations

I would like to come out on Sunday - will know more after the weekend - I may be showing someone's bitch for them on the Sunday, and that would make it difficult to do both. Would like to try Rommy on ducks too. Will there be an instinct test on ducks? Do you have a rough idea about what time?

Rommy is such a telly head - it was nice to see her definitely focused on something! Would be interesting to see how she goes though - when she gets distracted, she doesn't listen to much else. Always interesting in the show ring - never know what she'll do when I take her in the ring.

They only have to pass the test levels on 1 stock type, so if they get IC on sheep that is it, they can go in for HT or PT after that on any stock type. But you are still welcome to have a try on ducks

Instinct test is to start at 1pm, without knowing how many people are there it is impossible to know how long things will take.

Might bring Rommy out then. May be able to fit it in.