Tassie

How's Poppy today, Jules? Recovering nicely I hope.

:laugh: You're not alone there PME. I'm staring to panic a tad now - I do have music edited - and some ideas ... but choreo is still a work in progress - have ideas about costume (will be simple) - props - likewise. Why did I enter 2 dogs in 2 xlasses each??? Time is an issue - just finishing an online course - working slot - at the Fenzi academy - great!! but tine consuming - and dogs have a busy calendar - Rally and obedience trials last week, agility doubles this weekend and next weekend ... gulp! @ sheena - that course looks really interesting. Hope she offers it again.

That's good to hear MW. I wanted to thank you for raising the topic - it is an important one for all of us, I think - and something it is good to have given some thought to in advance. Trifecta - thank you - that is beautifully put.

She's a cutie. Very exciting time for you. Let the games begin! :laugh:

What everyone else has said. The only thing I would add is that I've found it really helpful to consider ahead of time whether you're going to opt for burial or cremation. I've buried some cats, although the last one I had cremated. My three dogs I have lost - one old ("decision") and the other two fairly sudden and unexpected deaths - have had individual cremations. I found it a real comfort in the middle of a really stressful time, to have made that decision in advance.

And so you should be proud of her - you're such a great team. Pity about that 1 point in UDX - but it does seem like she's more solid in it now, so the passes you need will come. :)

Somewhat OT but while I think of it .... @ RiverStar-Aura ... if you get a chance, have a look at the February edition of Clean Run magazine. Agility Australian Terrier on the front, and a lovely article about training terriers inside. :D

:laugh: AD - the ANKC rulebook is your friend - has the signs all there ready to study, with descriptions of what each involves. :D And don't write Xena off for Rally - the feral agility girl here doesn't "do" obedience - but thinks Rally is some sort of perverted form of agility.

Sorry - double post :)

AD wrote Yes - for about 6 years now, my two BCs have been having fairly regular chiro (a highly recommended doggy as well as human one) and now acupuncture and/or massage following examination - with some gentle manipulation if needed. They are also on prophylactic/maintenance doses of supplements - was Joint Guard, now Rose Hip Vital Canine. I also keep them on the lean side. I'm sure this is partly responsible for my feral one still running happily in agility at just past her twelfth birthday. (Her choice, I might add. And both her normal vet and her acupuncture vet are happy for her to keep going while she wants to.) I do have Fitpaws gear, for core strength and conditioning - but I'm not as systematic as I should be about using it. Good intentions.

Definitely worth the OP checking with the local council rangers - even if only to make an enquiry about the specifics of the local leash laws. And it could be mentioned why the enquiry is being made. In Tasmania they are similar to what Snook says

Big brother Rory says "Hey sister - you're so lucky to be able to play on a proper seesaw" He's only ever seen the wee-saw. She's looking so happy and confident there AD. :laugh:

Echoing what the others have said. It's all about the relationship - your pup seeing you as more fun than anything else. And for the more formal disciplines, have a look at the components that go to make up the finished exercise, rather than thinking about training a completed exercise. You can just work those bits and pieces and then put them together when they're polished. Rear-end awareness exercises are always good - have a look at platform training. You can find some cool stuff on Youtube - thinking of kikopup (Emily Larlham), K9infocus (Deb Jones) and there are more - but those ones will give you good foundations, taught in a fun way. Less is definitely more, and ideally the pup shouldn't know what is training and what is play more :laugh:

It's so good to see you guys having such fun together - a great reward for your patience and dedication in getting her back to fitness. Rory was asleep on the floor beside me - woke up to see where the happy dog was :laugh: .. he's gone back to sleep now. :) Kirra is asleep the other side of me - she didn't wake up. My guys had a weekend of Rally and obedience. Another leg towards RAE3 for Rory with 1sts in Excellent and Advanced on Saturday - could have been 2 if he hadn't rolled over to scratch his back on the ground then roll right over the other way in the Honor exercise yesterday - that was a waste of a lovely couple of rounds in Excellent B and Advanced B. The feral agility girl managed 2 Qs on Saturday for her first leg towards RAE2, and did a nice round (for her) in Excellent yesterday - 90 - then wasted it by completely losing the plot in Advanced. She probably might have passed, but I was not happy with the lack of teamwork, so I withdrew. Not sure if she got the message :laugh:. Rory did beautiful seekbacks both Saturday and Sunday - Saturday after following my track all round the adjacent Rally ring which I'd walked over 12 times in the morning, but he eventually got back on track and was very pleased to find his article and retrieve it. :laugh: . Went out to the box nicely, and left in the direction of the correct jump, but came in as I dropped my arm - nice agility work, Rory - pity this is obedience :laugh: . Got the metal SD article, but goofed the others. Was looking past me instead of at me when I gave him the sit signal in Signals exercise - I noticed just as I gave the signal. Then we muffed the turn to the glove. Yesterday - hot again, he muffed DJ - went to the solid jump instead of the box - .. twice! Muffed the first SD article, but got the other two nicely. Was looking away at signals on the sit again, but I was able to wait him out - for a minor deduction. Mucked gloves again - my bad, and he was panting so much he was struggling to hold the glove. Still for first trial of the year, and no serious training of the whole sequence, or against distractions, there was a lot to be pleased with. And best of all, he kept working happily, in spite of what was a hot day for us - 30 in the shade - but hot in the sun for a black dog. Agility the next two weekends :laugh: . No rest for the wicked.

Fibers crossed for you and Poppy, Jules. My first girl had a mammary tumour removed at age 10 or 11 ... Lived to 15 and a half.

Is there a more sympathetic/empathetic vet you could go to? Sounds like there are quality of life issues at play - not just what the textbooks might say. Have you asked on one of the Canine epilepsy groups? Canine Epilepsy Net Forum This has credible advisors

Brian - what a shock for you - so sad. I knew someone whose young (under 2) Golden Retriever just dropped dead walking round out in the backyard - no prior warning. turns out it was a ruptured aortic aneurism. Horrible for the family in what seemed like a healthy bouincy young Golden. . I think that is the only way to look at it. From the dog's point of view there are a lot worse ways to go - and even for the owner. i never know what is worse, a sudden death or having to agonize over when is the right time to make the hard decision. Hopefully you have years of happy memories of your little dog.And yes - this is (although occasionally it might not seem like it) an enormously supportive community of folks who 'get' how we feel about our dogs.

I run my guys in their tracking harnesses ...used to be their black dog ones .. now they have comfortflex harnesses from Clean Run. IMO you want a harness that has minimum restriction on their front assembly range of motion. I prefer the harness to simply a collar..spreads the load more. Abbiestar will come in hopefully to give you a definitive answer, but pretty sure the collar if used has to be a fixed flat one.

to NSNN and Ptolomy, and CC and the grogeous and extremely talented Roxy - and everyone else who had success. Club Rally test for us today - My ROry is advertising for a new handler - Excellent B - had to call a retry on the first station - I just forgot that it was a 90 degree right pivot - didn't stop in time to get the halt and pivot in - dur - only lost one other point. And then in Adv B - was concentrating so hard on a station that I was having a bit of trouble with - stationary call front - working on getting him perfectly straight - knew it was coming up, thinking about it - totally missed the 270 right that led into it - missed station NQ - doh!! only lost 1 other point. I'm sorry Rory - will try harder aat next week's first Rally trial of the year.

Way to go Sue and Walso - nice way to finish it.

- just making sure Kirra (who had her 12th birthday, with no cake, I'm ashamed to say, on Thursday) doesn't see this

Congrats on being open to taking advice on board, and it looks like you have been rewarded with an adorable girl who will be a much loved family membee. Looking forward to reading about her new life and seeing lots of pics . :D

Lovely Pers. I think what's true too is that we're starting a step ahead (or can be) when we have a working breed which as part of generations of breeding has been selected for willingness, even eagerness to work with the human. I find with the BCs, as long as they're doing stuff with me, they don't care what the 'stuff' is - our attention alone is rewarding - the pats and so on are a bit of a bonus - a very nice bonus - and only fair in my view to pay them well when they're doing what are essentially tricks for us, but there seems to be an inherent desire to work. Love your little guys! Look at that attention :D .

This is my preferred method for those situations where the pup has got a bit carried away and is grabbing at moving objects whatever they may be. So I would use an interrupt noise - like uh-uh, which will often make the pup pause, then go very still and turn away from the pup - maybe for a couple of seconds, then re-direct the pup onto something legitimate to grab - not necessarily a toy as such - could be cardboard tube, plastic drink bottle. There's a bit of a dilemma here - do we want the pup to learn that dog teeth do not go on human skin - in that case, IMHO we have to be totally consistent in never allowing it - inhibited bite or not. It's a much clearer rule for everyone - pup and human. Or do we want bite inhibition, where the pup learns to use his mouth safely - that seems to me to be what the pup is taught in the litter. Certainly when you see even adult dogs playing bitey-face, there is no rule about "not using your teeth on dog skin" - the rule then becomes "inhibit your bite when you're playing." While I certainly want my dogs to have bite inhibition among themselves, I don't really want even an inhibited bite on humans - hence the "no teeth on human skin" rule.

You should really enjoy it sheena - I couldn't get to Michele's workshops when she was here, but I like her style of teaching. And platforms rock - for Rally and obedience as well.