RubyStar

Woot well done tumbleweed!!! :D Never mind about today, things happen, I'm just sad it happened to someone who had come as far as you did to not end up running! How did your agility go as I didn't get to see that? Almost got a pass with Pippa in her JDX debut, but walking on the broad jump isn't allowed

Fair enough :)

I'd say the fact that you wrote you have a cattle dog and then got a picture of a cattle dog was purely coincidental. Some people here got Labs, and while I wrote I had Labs, I got an oodle. I logged on again, didn't write any breed in what breed you own, it took me through to the survey and I got what looked to be a cavalier or cavalier cross.

Good boy Rory! Nice run I had a similar thing happen with Pippa. I thought she got a refusal but I was very surprised to hear the judge call it a clear round. He didn't believe she had gone past the plane of the jump - she had sort of taken off at an angle to say hello to the judge, but I called her back before she got there I kind of felt like it was a cheats Q, but if the judge called it clear, who am I to argue? :)

Way to go, Waldo!!! :D

Way to go! :D See you there - I entered the little black ninja :) Haven't trialled her since the States so I'm really looking forward to getting back out there again with her :D So are you saying you're not going to enter the jumping anymore? You're entered now, why not just give it a shot? :) No obedience for me at the Royal. Did it one year and Millie literally got stage fright when she realised she had people staring at her, so I am not ready to face it again just yet

Excuse my ignorance, but do you know if this means dogs can still be on the back of utes as long as they are chained to them, or flat out no dogs on backs of utes? I know it happens a lot, but I really hate seeing it, unless you're on a farm or something! Dogs on backs of utes on suburban roads (and 100 km/hr hwy's! ) scare me My dogs travel quite happily on the back of the ute. They are tethered to a belt that is bolted through the tray and wear a harness attached to that, plus a lead on a flat collared tethered to the backboard. We also have a ute crate. If they are secure then what is there to worry about? We have a tray mat as well. The GR goes bonkers in the car. That right there. Many, many out there do not responsibly secure their dogs and leave them floating in the back. I personally find that very worrying.

Excuse my ignorance, but do you know if this means dogs can still be on the back of utes as long as they are chained to them, or flat out no dogs on backs of utes? I know it happens a lot, but I really hate seeing it, unless you're on a farm or something! Dogs on backs of utes on suburban roads (and 100 km/hr hwy's! ) scare me

Agility Club of WA, who train at the Canine grounds Tuesday nights, have classes for all levels :) From puppies to pre-trialling/novice. They take new enrolments each term.

Oh gosh, how scary!! Good thing you were there :) I saw a guy in a ute with his AmStaff just floating about in the back tray yesterday, unsecured, on a 100km/hr highway. You could see him hanging on for dear life every time he turned a corner or took off!

Well done, Tassie!!!! Where's the video of Rory? :D

I want to do the survey just to see if I get a DOLer dog A bit disappointed, I got an oodle

Really?! Bet she isn't coming to Perth! No, Qld only. Sounds odd to come all this way and only do QLD

Really?! Bet she isn't coming to Perth!

me too!! I have to keep reminding myself there is no REPLY button when I wanna keep adding my 2c worth Waiting for registrations for Bridging the Gap, also :) Tassie, I'm playing a bit of Ob-ility as well, it's fun! :D

Just realised I had a typo and can't fix it cos I was quoted I meant Bridging the Gap! Are you enjoying her class, gsdog2? They're great, aren't they! Some things she's said in the discussion forum has been a moment for me!

I am so jealous of all your dogs with such strong focus!!! That was Awesome Mal1! I went out this morning and did just some focus/heel positioning work... paddles, did you go to a Denise Fenzi seminar? You should look up her online classes, I am certain you'd find one that would benefit you guys :) http://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com I'm currently signed up for her course Confidence Building for the Obedience and Rally Ring at bronze level (so basically just auditing). I'd like to do her Bringing the Gap one next as silver or gold level. It isn't too late to sign up and I reckon the confidence building one would be great for you guys. Come and sign up as a bronze member like a few of us already have :)

I dislike the tiny table! Pippa the 300 dog has gone flying over the other side before because she couldn't put the brakes on quick enough and it wasn't a huge effort to get on there! Prefer the higher table for her, wish I could choose But yep, I just need to do more training with the table (and make sure it's lower, I seem to just leave it on what the other dogs at training use!)

Mid-course weaves seem to be our biggest reason for bombing out in a trial

Well done ness and Kenzie!! Super achievement

Don't worry about looking like a loon, that's what dog training is all about My advice, which you are quite welcome to take or ignore, is get some short attentive heelwork happening with exciting play (or whatever they find rewarding) before trying to get trial length heelwork. My littlie has never done a full heelwork pattern yet, we are still keeping it fun and short! OK, I'll be brave, and hope it will maybe inspire you to get goofy on video Feel free to pick it to pieces! This is of my littlie who isn't trialling obedience yet (she's actually my mum's dog but I steal her for the fun stuff ) We are having forging issues, and issues with her getting under my feet especially in fast pace. I stepped on her in fast pace a few weeks ago and it seems to have cured it Edit: just to clarify, the stepping on her was completely accidental :p I've worked hard on getting her to accept play (personal play and toys) for reward as I don't want her reliant on food like my Labs are (it also really helps that she naturally loves to play anyway). After my awesome private lesson with Denise Fenzi, I have a plan of attack for her forging (and her fronts - one session of what Denise advised and it is already working magic!! )

How do your guys like playing, paddles? Can you rough them up for a little bit, then ask for a step or two of attentive heelwork and then break off for more play?

That's nice to hear :) We have placements in our degree, too, over the 4 years. Hoping one might like me enough to offer me a job when I graduate Wishful thinking

And that's the scary part. I am terrified to finish my degree I am studying now and not being able to find a job! It's naive to think just because you have a degree, that you're automatically handed a job on a platter. It's tough out there! I remember my sister telling me about a friend of hers from high school who studied something to do with animals, and couldn't get a job. Ended up working in a completely different field, sadly. Happens with too many degrees, I think. Either that or you get a job in the field and discover you actually hate your "dream job" Yeah, there are just no guarantees! My advice to anyone who is currently doing a degree and who wants to use it in a particular field of work, is to volunteer somewhere, or do any kind of lower paid or entry-level job in that kind of field. Any experience at all is SO important, whether it's knowing how to write a business email/letter, conduct a meeting, talk with clients, pay an account, send an invoice, read a P&L statement, whatever it ends up being. It's the nuts and bolts of things that are important so much of the time, rather than the 'theory'. I feel like a fraud giving advice at the age of 27, but I've been in this position before and I'm also just about to finish my Masters of Law and want to work as a lawyer. Along with the other million people who will be graduating with some kind of law degree at the same time. My tact is to be able to show that any employer won't have to invest as much training me as other graduates, and that I've got a bunch of experience already working in a law firm. I was actually going to mention the volunteering, too :) I do volunteer work related to my field (slightly), and while they don't have anything for me at the moment, they know I'm here and hope they can find me something again. I also want to start working as an assistant in my field I am studying for, but quite reluctant to leave my current job (completely unrelated field) as the flexibility works for me while I study.

It makes me wish I had been smarter about choosing a career when I was younger. Even if it means I wouldn't be in the same one now, just getting qualifications and experience is great :) I was good at school but just didn't have a career picked, so had no desire to attend uni, so muddled along and got a late start to a career when I picked IT in my early 20's. Wish there had been more awareness about the possible careers out there beyond police, teacher, doctor, etc while I was at school. Now in my early 30's, I'm on the path for my next career change, now involving a uni degree Can't wait for that piece of paper! Never wanted one, until now :)