RubyStar

Gabby sure sounds like a superstar!! Just a small brag here. Millie came 2nd in the RATG yesterday :)

This video of a CAT doing agility and tricks, woah!! I'm not a cat person whatsoever, but I was truly awed and "awwww"'d by this video

We're still around :) Trying to fit training in when I can, which isn't as often as I'd like! Have been trying to get Ruby's first pass in UD and have been getting very close, but no cigar. Have been training Millie for UD too. Girls dabble in Rally occasionally, but it's not a priority for me. They are one leg each off their RE, and not sure when our next trial will be! We still trial in agility but don't really train in it, much! Am also trying to get Ruby back to retrieving, so hopefully will trial again this year I have been focusing a lot on Pippa's agility and obedience, she's coming along nicely :) Sorry to hear about Waldo, Sue. Hope the little fella is on the mend soon! Great to hear about Amber, Jules! And well done, Tassie!! Ptolomy, 3 of your kids going for RAE may be easier course wise, but I can't imagine it being easy cost wise!

So many awesome brags, and such a variety of disciplines!! Well done everyone!

No, agreed, even 10k should be OK for a fit dog, but it is just something to keep in mind. Also depends on the surface you are asking them to run on. But I always err on the side of caution. I'm not suggesting you would, but I"ve seen people run dogs way too far just because they can. I can't even jog 5k yet myself so no issues there I'm building up my fitness alongside the dogs, so wouldn't ever push them straight into something they couldn't do. And any sign of struggling, we walk. It was a bit humid today so walked probably 2/3 of my planned 3k jog as I didn't want to exert Pippa too much in one of her first jogs. I'm aware that pavement/road running is not good on the joints and stuff longterm, but I truly despise grass running, too freakin' hard for myself! So we won't be going hard any time soon. Just not really that creative with other exercises to do.

Sorry to hear this This got me thinking, what do people do for fitness for their dogs outside of agility training? Do you have a fitness routine? I'm planning on taking Pippa out jogging with me to increase her fitness, but she's not a swimmer so that is out. Like DD we do LOTS of body awareness/fitball type work. We also stretch every day - but I get the dogs to stretch themselves (bow, nose to tail, extended sits and drops - where they get into postion and I lure them forward, but they are not allowed to move their butt, not where we push and pull them (although there is a bit of that). Hill work and free running is also excellent. We're super lucky - we have a vet who has rehab quals from the US and she gives us a heap of exercises to do with our dogs when they have anything wrong with them. She'll also vet them out VERY quickly so we are managing quite small things so they don't turn into big things. :) Just on running - don't forget to think about how your dogs are 'built'. eg: BC's will run a LONG way, but when you look at how they work/what they are bred to do it is often work/stop/work/stop, not a consistent 5 or 10km. I don't know other breeds so I can't comment, but just something worth thinking about when designing your dogs fitness program. A couple of km's shouldn't be a tough ask for a fit dog, regardless of breed I would think

Sorry to hear this This got me thinking, what do people do for fitness for their dogs outside of agility training? Do you have a fitness routine? I'm planning on taking Pippa out jogging with me to increase her fitness, but she's not a swimmer so that is out.

Thanks, megan! When I get a decent amount of time to sit down and read about it, I might just look this up :)

More info please! Perhaps a link? :)

Woohoo, go Elsie!!!!

Me too, Amy. I can get Pippa razzed up with a tug before a run and away from home, and she tugs like a demon (shaking and growling at it to boot), but as a reward away from home she is half hearted about it and once food has been presented, the tug is no longer highly desirable. Something I need to work on, getting her to accept what I offer as a reward, not what she chooses. So while I've been naughty and catering to her and rewarding with food when I see her enthusiasm for tug has dropped, or not shoving it into her gob stationery (which I have to stop doing), it is being delivered by me tossing it (and then a game of the two food game to razz her up). Do your guys play the two food game? I would like to progress to where the tug is most awesome as a reward away from home :D Food won't be phased out as I use it for obedience training, much quicker and easier to mark precision behaviours by popping a piece of food in her gob! She's such a little piggy, been living with Labs for too long :p Don't worry TO, I am sure nobody is interpreting it as sour grapes :) We are all just having an opinion. I believe I was the one who made the initial comment about masters SCT being tight and all that so I probably sounded like sour grapes too, but this debate has been great to read as I can see it from all angles and everyone's points have been very valid I guess I just don't care enough for agility with my 500 height Labs, they just aren't cut out for more than a romp around when they feel like it and I starting to feel like I just don't care anymore. However, that being said, training little Pippa who is a 300 dog, my care factor is very much there. She has potential and I want to bring it out in her. Her handicap is having me as her trainer/handler, I am very novice at being able to handle correctly in agility! But we'll do the best we can :) There is no standing still with her, I have never run so hard in my life!! I need to teach her distance and directionals because when I can't physically keep up, she stops and asks what to do next and I nearly break my neck trying not to break hers!! I'm interested to see how she copes with daytime and heat, as we have only ever trained at night. She's a baby dog after all and we have much to learn :)

Awesome, thanks for the vote for Dial Up the Distance! Sounds like one I need to watch :)

Basically how useful it is? Some training DVD's are pretty useless and not worth buying, so this one is good for teaching what it advertises?

Does anyone own the DVD set "Dial up the Distance"? Wondering what it is like? I want to teach Pippa not only distance, but directionals. This one seemed to cover both?

My dogs like eating bird seed, too. Not that they've gotten into a bag of it, but if any drops on the ground after feeding the birds, they hoover it up. I also dropped bits of wheat when making heat packs and no need to vacuum it up, the Labs did that for me...

Great news that you get to go out in the field :) See you at the state trial next weekend! I'm looking forward to it :) Would you trade in for the same type? I want to trade in too, for a different car, but don't really have the money to do so. Would love a wagon with a false floor to store my training gear! See you at the RATG! If I don't get lost trying to find where it is Puppies!! :D

No, the Labs would stay at home. Not only would they cost too much to fly, but they'd just be an embarrassment to run at a nationals The mini would be cheaper to fly and more fun to run :) What do you mean by local judges impacting your decision to go? You'll be right organising it, and I'm sure everyone could chip in for some advice on how to get you there :)

I'd love to go as well, but 3 things stand in my way. 1. cost 2. is possibly during exam week and 3. permission from mum to steal her dog for a few days

I had to pull the poo-shaped piece of glad wrap out of my then 9 week old pup's bottom at 3 in the morning It just kept coming and coming and the way she tucked her bum under and took off as I pulled it out, mustn't have been the most pleasant feeling in the world

OMG! You can't up and leave without telling us first!! Go start your own SA thread :p So why the move? Saw your foot on facebook, holy moly that's a doozy of an injury! Naughty Diva Shame about the States :(

Woah, over a month with no WA chit chat! What's going on!!

Labs One of mine ate glad wrap as a puppy, and the other has a fabric fetish even as an adult (towels, blankets, etc). She chews them up and SWALLOWS. Needless to say they don't get left out with her anymore (though it's been a while since she's done anything of the sort). Lucky she either vomited or pooed them out! Stupid dogs

Yep, I know I brought up the masters SCT thing, but I do agree with that :) I don't even bother to find out SCT. It's not like it's going to make a difference in the end! Just doing the best I can and if we get a pass, bonus :) The jackpot though is if my dogs are running with enthusiasm and paying attention, and of course having fun!

Great news she's been found and reunited :) Nice of the family who found her to not take the reward money. Not sure I could, either, as lovely as 4 grand would be! I find this statement rather odd, though: My purebreds don't have a dollar value, regardless of what I paid - they are priceless

Thanks for everyone's input on the masters SCT debate! All very good points which I do also agree with :)