RubyStar

Great stuff RS! So glad you got so many positives out of the day too :D See, it's not that scary after all!! Well, it's still scary, but a heck of a lot of fun, too!! :) I will do once we are both more comfy with birds and the gun. Mason hasn't had the gun fired over him before he has just heard the rifles on the farm which he wasn't happy with but they were very loud! You'll get your chance with the gun on the 29th Ruby hadn't heard the gun nor been shot over for about a year, and she was all good. The first time Ruby heard the gun close up, someone was shooting it for me behind us. She took off prematurely as she was startled by the gun, but from the second shot on, no worries :) Millie actually did the same thing, but a) she is scared of loud noises and b) she tends to break anyway :laugh: I am going to bring both girls to the training day and try Millie with the gun again. Not that she needs it for the RATG, but I don't want to be training her any differently to Ruby just because she doesn't have the right kind of papers! :p

Funny about how some dogs are hard to get to drink water. My Millie is like that, only drinks when she has to and it's only a lick. Ruby, meanwhile, will drink the entire water bowl out and want more. I have to restrict her water intake sometimes because she drinks so much, she pees about 10 times before she enters the ring and is known to pee while in the ring, too!

Great idea about the watermelon!

Yep it certainly was fun! Wasn't fun with lack of liquids, though I ended up dehydrated and with a pounding headache by lunchtime. I must remember to keep the fluids up next time! :laugh: Thanks, ST. So when are we getting back to meeting up for some training? I'm keen when you are!

I feed half a normal brekky before a morning trial, and I make sure I give it at leas 1.5-2 hours before they're due to run. They get food jackpots after being in the ring so that makes up for the reduced brekky they get. For night time trials, I don't feed dinner at all until I get home after the trial, which can be as late as 11pm. Again, they get food jackpots throughout the night, so aren't completely empty when we get home.

Everyone is so quiet!

Outstanding run, Jess and Darcy!! Well done!!! Congrats Tassie on your RN passes with both your kids and Rory's novice obedience! And to DSO on your JDX MRB on your JD! Did I miss anyone?? Small brag for me, AND my dog The brag for me is I overcame nerves and the constant delaying of entering to finally run Ruby in her first retrieving trial today, and I did it without throwing up!! Go me!! :D The brag for the dog is even though she isn't really ready to be trialling yet, Ruby worked her butt off and never gave up, and was rewarded for her efforts on her last run by finding the birdie! What a good girl!

Give it a go, MG

Well done, TO! You gave it a go so pat on the back for that for sure! The RATG isn't easy, the marks are challenging for Novice dogs because cover is being utilised and barriers out there to the dog, but it isn't impossible. Keep at it! Well, I took the plunge myself today. After faffing about for too long, I decided to enter Ruby in her first Novice Retrieving trial Well aware we weren't ready through a severe lack of training in those conditions, I thought what better way to expose her to what she needs to tackle than just enter and use it as a paid training round :) I was nervous as anything. Thought it might actually be the first time I throw up from nervousness! But the second we heeled off the starting pegs, the nerves mostly flew away. I did get nervous again between runs But it soon disappeared after the lead came off - not sure why! The first run she did what a lot of the dogs did and ran along the treeline instead of towards the mark, and Ruby couldn't get herself back on track after deviating so far. She tried her little heart out, kept searching, I called her in, sent her again, off she flew, but no luck, so I called her in again and heeled her back. She deserved a jackpot still after working her booty off, I was so happy with her. Her heeling was nice, steady as a rock, enthusiasm was there, just lacking experience. The second run looked difficult. There was a steep decline down to the firing point around a bend, then they had to be sent down long grass/bush, into water, and into thick scrub on the other side where the bird landed. Nice clear view of the mark between a small break in the trees/scrub, and off Ruby zoomed down the embankment and to the other side of the water, then she shot off her right and I couldn't see her again. I heard her enter the water again and she came back to this side and hunted. I called her in and left it at that. So pleased that she listened to her whistle recall in both those runs, we've never put it to the test out in the field, only on the oval. She may not have brought the birds back, but I was pleased as punch with all her efforts because for one, I didn't expect any birds brought back today and two, she exceeded my expectations in everything else! We did the third run anyway and I prayed for her sake that she could get this bird because I think she needed the confidence boost of bringing something back. It was a water run with a small amount of swimming. The bird landed on the other side of a huge log that I suspected would be Ruby's downfall. Out she went (and took a lovely straight line directly into the water instead of running the bank immediately to my right that was more luck than training ) She hit the log and hunted a little there, and in my head I'm going please please please look over the other side! She must have heard my mental thoughts because she climbed up the log to have a little look around and spotted the bird on the other side, yippeeee!!!!!! Down she went, disappeared for what seemed like an eternity (I have no idea how much swimming was involved in retrieving it, all I know is it made a mighty splash when it landed!) She finally reappeared, birdie in mouth, and back she came to deliver nicely. As we were already out, and she needed the confidence boost, I made sure I called out to her what a good girl she was when she reappeared with that bird, and up until she delivered. To say I am over the moon she brought a bird back is an understatement! And she knew she did good too, couldn't wipe the smile off her face!! So our first trialling experience is over, phew! And I can't wait to do it all again!!!

Congrats kathq!!! Millie and her partner had their first go in Excellent Strategic Pairs today and we qualified and got third place :) It was a bit messy, though, first daytime agility trial and Millie was away with the fairies. That and a severe lack of training! But we got there in the end, and in time, woohoo!

I love the 5-6 week mark, looking and acting more like little terrors puppies!

Thanks, TSD

If I had 126 acres, with a large section safely cleared and fenced for the dogs (and didn't have to work and could still afford all this), then I'd have at least 6 myself I'd love to have lots of dogs about the place one day. But for now, two will have to suffice :)

I only have to ask my dogs if they are hungry too and watch them stop what they were doing quicker than anything

We have 2 Labs who play bitey face games and a mini schnauzer who gets in the middle of it and takes over the game! And if she can't reach their mouths, she jumps up and bites instead

Yvonne, who is the one who told me about the trials in Arthur River and that she takes her camper van down. I don't know the foggiest about herding and what groups run comps!

Best of luck, TO!! Just curious, where is your RATG being held? Is it on an oval with the obedience, or in a bit of scrub? Our second RATG is on the 20th May. Unfortunately, I think that is all we have scheduled this year. So no RATG titles for WA folk this year :laugh: But I'm enjoying them and will enter when we are lucky enough to have one :)

Who even knows if we're all talking about the same person Marianne Rogers is the only agility person I know who competes at a high level of non-ANKC herding now :) And her dogs also have tracking titles I just found out (gotta love Google). And she is definitely the only one who does herding and DWD :) Sam Weaver used to do agility but now I think only does herding since moving to the country. Yep but she isn't who I was talking about originally :laugh: I asked about DWD as I had a feeling it was Marianne that LR was referring to! :)

My girls joined the bitey face brigade long ago :laugh:

Touching story :) She sounds very special indeed!

That is great, congrats! Nice run, too :) So what does her extensive list of awesomeness include? :D

Who even knows if we're all talking about the same person

Think I know who you're talking about (does she do DWD, too?), but different lady to who I meant as she doesn't do obedience with her borders! The WA dog world sure is small, everyone knows someone :)

Any more preggy shots? Hope the final week and a bit goes well and she has a smooth whelping!

yes that would explain why Yeah there were retrieving trials over the Easter long weekend in Arthur River. Now that you mention it, a woman at agility who also does herding has mentioned the trials out the same way, before. Just didn't realise they were held about the same time!