Tassie

Snap, RV. :-) ....my excuse is agility training ready for trials in a couple of weeks (including Rory's NJ debut) and Rally and Ob trial last weekend ..and a double show this weekend. But I'm looking forward to getting back to it, and to the next course.

Yay for you and Zora, RV - that's lovely.

I joined as an observer. Have only had a fairly quick look at week 1 early last week - no time since then - but really liking what I'm seeing. Have done quite a bit of perch and platform work - but am loving the increasing precision Denise is teaching. Did you guys know she is coming out to Oz later in the year - Newcastle and Camp Tailwaggers in September, I think, and WA - I know the WA working spots are filled already :laugh: .

Agree with Sue - his heel position was nice. And I've seen a lot worse debuts - even without the distractions of duck poos. :laugh: You've broken the ice now, so you know what's expected, and that will make it easier to work on things by yourself. I see good things for yo two in the future. Sue, I hope Waldo is OK.

eben more congratulations, TO - that is seirously impressive. Had a great training session with a visiting agiliteer (down here for a few months ). For a whole variety of reasons, I tend not to be able to get a lot of high level training done at club, so it was fantastic to spend the day working our dogs (2 each). There were some distractions in the form of some cheeky magpies, some middle age guys playing lunchtime kick to kick, and then a group of soccer kids at the other end of the oval - but the dogs did really well. It's polishing training for Kirra ( just turned 11, and still totally cheeky and feral, bless her) - although we will have to do some weave training to prevent pop outs at pole 10. But the best fun was being able to do sequences with my lil big man - 4 year old BC Rory, who has been busy with confotmation, obedience, tracking and Rally - but with whom I have done 2 x 2 weaves, Salo jump training, some contact plank 2o2o training, and some general foundation. Today was pretty much his first time at really trying t put it all together - and doing real contacts. He did have some boy brain moments - like charging straight through the breakaway tyre (ours is foam with magnets set in), and then trying to retrieve the foam tyre - silly boy . But on the whole, he did great - really showed the value of foundation and component training. Still quite a lot of work to do on getting the switch appropriately from handler focus to obstacle focus. It was heaps of fun, and quite reassuring, since he's entered in his first Novice Jumping trial in a couple of weeks. :D

Tassie - is there much difference between the Flippy Flopper and Soft bite? I'm looking at both online, they look similar but fairly big price difference. According to the dogs - no difference :laugh: . I think I only got the softbite tis last time because that was on Clean Run's free toy shipping . (Great photo, sheena :D )

Great advice here! I would just add - have a look at Susan's article on how to create a motivating tug toy I'd say it's worth working on that for a little while - so very much easier to work when the dog really values the reward.

Thanks for sharing the end of Charlie's story on earth with us. I don't go to the Rainbow Bridge forum - too tough - so I hadn't known that Charlie had, in his Charlie way, let yo know when it was time. What an amazingly special little dog - and what an amazingly special family he had, You guys continue to be an inspiration.

So very sorry to hear this - like so many others on DOL we have loved reading about Charlie's good times, and sympathised when things have not been so good. I have said before how blessed Charlie was to have a family like you guys - you made sure his life was high quality - that was obvious in that beautiful photo. Can only imagine how sad you are feeling, but you should also be glad for what you did for Charlie all his life, and for the lovely memories you will have.

Oh yes, Kallistar - do put that one up. It was just such a lovely routine - and definitely tears to the eyes stuff - but in a good way. :)

I hope so too - would love to see yours working in person. :D

Can only imagine TSD. Miss Kirra, sho doesn't "do" obedience - thinks the start on a Rally course is an agility start - so cue to accelerate from 0 to Mach 3 in 1 second .

:laugh: That's what my two do with their Cyber Dog frisbees. If I'm playing with Kirra, Rory does victory laps with his, and it's easier to carry that way. :laugh:

:laugh: Ptolomy. Know what you mean about them throwing tricks in inappropriately. Kirra did it to me in a Club Rally test on Sunday - Station was call front, finish left. She did the call front part - then started doing her favourite trick - backing up away from me - twice. I abandoned the station at that point and took the 10 point IP - the mood she was in, no point in re-trying. Hope she doesn't do it this Sunday - her first go at RAE .. eek - two chances to be a naughty girlie .

LOL ...no, Rebanne ..it was in Longford, near Launceston ..in 2006. Absolutely awful weather ..I even fell off my bike when my boy shook really vigorously in the middle of a sleet squall, luckily only onto muddy gravel . I did ET again a couple of years ago with Rory, in freezing but calm and sunny weather. ..just a lovely ride on the park, except for the runner behind me who found the pace a little slow, so he kept letting his dog almost up Rory's backside. :-(. The judge eventually told him to back off a bit.

Thanks for the link to the Cyber Dog, Clover - my guys have that - I bought some extras when Big W had them. They last well, and can be folded up in the mouth - and are good for tuffy, my BCs report - and still survive! The dogs and I also love the nylon ones - Flippy Flopper and Soft Bite - that Clean Run have - worth getting some when they're on free shipping.

:laugh: LappieHappie - had to laugh - my immediate thought on reading your question was exactly what Rebanne posted - Easy Peasy! A friend and I did ET with our agility/obedience BCs a few years ago. I hadnt been on a bike for about 15 years , and in her case, it was ... probably 40 years . So first task -get ourselves used to riding, second task, get the dogs used to being around the bikes, first with us walking, then with us riding. (Luckily we could do this on her fairly flat driveways on a 5 acre block :D . Then it was getting the dogs used to working on a leash beside the bike - in my case, each of my two dogs separately, and then together. I think we trained a few times a week for about 3 months - then had no problems - well other that howling gales and horizontal sleet on the day of the test. So you've got plenty of time - and you've even got a bike - as Rebanne said - Easy Peasy :laugh: .

Missed that one - Great effort! And well done coach Vickie

Well done TO - you must be so pleased! Welcome to the wacky world of Masters - you'll have lots of fun .

There is/was a greyhound pool at Devon Meadows - built by a "greyhound man" whose name I can't remember. It's a nice pool in that like the indoor pool at Kepala, the dog is swimming at handler's waist height - and also there are lots of curves so both sides ofr the dog can be worked. I actually swim mine at Woofpurnay when I'm in Melbourne - expensive, but gets lost in the cost of getting the dogs and me to the mainland, so I haven't used the Devon Meadows one for years. But someone should know if it's still operationg, and how to contact the man.

:laugh: Way to go the multi-talented Toller and his handler :-). Onya Ptolomy.

So sorry to hear about Faith. Fingers crossed for a good recovery for her - and lots of patience for you. It's good news that she's recovering well already. Good opportunity to renew warnings about restraints. My puppy class at dog club gets these reminders quite frequently. My guys travel in their wire crates - so I had to get a car big enough to fit the crates in :laugh: .

Oh that's a shame, luvsdogs. Good luck to everyone competing.

:laugh: Kavik - now those ones I have watched - more than once even. I used her program on Rory as a puppy, and I use some of the grids in classes - for obedience trialling people as well - their dogs need to be able to jump correctly as well. Fingers crossed, the Salo training has helped with retrieve over the high - even if the DB goes wide of the jump, he seems to know to come back and take the middle of the jump. Now I've probably jinxed myself :laugh: