RubyStar

Thanks, Seita, this is something worth thinking about because in the trial on Friday night she stopped to scratch at it again mid heelwork, and at the start post :rolleyes: Oh and it was a different collar to her training collar. I just don't think she likes collars on!!

Congrats xena98!!!! :D Yep last pass jitters are a bugger Ruby came bounding out of the car last night eager to run each time, too. Love that feeling!

Like every breed, obviously the aussie is not suited to everyone, I'm not quite sure what your point is Exactly what I was thinking

Awww Strauss looked lovely! I feel funny offering suggestions because you're the one who has the answers for me Would more stationary work, especially turning right, help? Getting him to come around with your shoulder? Something I need to do more of myself to help with my stationary about turns. Lately in figure 8's I've been making an effort to stop subtlely checking if they are still with me, which was probably throwing my left shoulder ever so slightly back and maybe they could see the direction of my eyeballs So now I turn my body/head/shoulders around the figure 8 in the right direction and that so far has actually been helping to bring them around with me. If they are not there then tough! But that is a scary thought for me, I hate not knowing if they aren't there! Which is why in heelwork I walk crooked because I have my head at an angle that I can still see if they are there, without actually looking at them! I get the problem of Millie sometimes dropping her head down when I turn into her in the figure 8.

My very first CCD trial, I touched Ruby's collar setting her up for stays and A.H. saw me and whacked me with -10 points! Glad it happened in my first trial, because I've never touched a collar in stays, since!!! Ruby is teaching me so much and is such a handful sometimes but the handful dogs make it so worthwhile when it starts to come together The flip side though is at home, she is so placid it's almost boring!!!

I've noticed your posts are usually about agility but you don't specify it is ;) So only agility people are usually aware you are talking about agility! :p I don't run in ADAA, only ANKC, but a lot at our training club do both. They set up a course to practice for the upcoming ADAA trial and were running in mute. I decided to give it a go. I was surprised to see Ruby followed my body language very well and she even got a difficult weaver entry with no verbal prompting from me (shame she pulled out of them halfway through ) When running a course normally, I tend to use voice to call her away from an obstacle on her path that she isn't meant to take (which shouldn't be completely necessary if she's following my body language - which admittedly needs a lot of work because I'm a very novice handler), but I am not one to say "over" (or whatever command) for every jump. I think that is totally unnecessary and yet I still see people do it! Even in masters!! I will say it occasionally if I've had to call her off another obstacle to take a jump, but that is quite rare. I do give obstacles names when running but should really start reducing it, it isn't that necessary either because if they are lined up for an obstacle or jump, it's what they should take (unless called off of course!)

I came in here with this feeling that I would see xena98 with a UDX pass brag. I was close! She hasn't come to brag herself but she got that pass!! Yahooooo!! Well done!!! Congrats again to bedazzled and Brookie!!!!

Great stuff Tassie and Nik!!!! I have another brag :D This weekend has been an awesome trialling weekend! Ruby got her JDX title :D Not only that, but she came 1st and was the only one across all heights to actually qualify! It was a very tough Excellent course. A lot of the experienced handlers who have other dogs in Masters were commenting it felt like a Masters course. Somehow we managed to get through it and she was firing through it to the best of her own ability which was just so lovely to see!! I will never be able to compare her in speed to a working breed, or even to Millie, but as far as her personal potential goes, she was ON!! :D I do have video but it's on amypie's camera so I will have to wait for her to get it to me. Speaking of which, she has some great brags, too Maybe she'll post once she's had her beauty sleep, as it was a late night tonight Millie ran nicely in Excellent Agility and Excellent Jumping, her speed has increased since the daytime trials so it's clear to see what she prefers! We had a few mistakes, though. Both girls also got a pass in Novice Gamblers and Millie came 2nd in that

Yep, most definitely was the gorgeous Mia! You can tempt me but I will not crack!!! The time just isn't right Maybe, just maybe, an Aussie will be my 4th dog ;)

I think Leopuppy's dogs have swayed many to the Aussie side! Her first litter of pups made me set on getting an Aussie one day One day!! Just need to find a property that I can afford that will give me at least a 4 dog permit!!

Thanks, guys We got 189/200 which was after copping a nice sub of 5 points for not sitting in the lead up to the retrieve. She stood there watching caffy and Snazzy in the ring next to us Oh and very typical - didn't bother to take my camera with me because it's always hard to find someone free to film us. Bummer!!

I even own the stubby holder and bottle opener trialling Queen Ratbag herself, miss Ruby! Next time I'm going for the cap to cover the grey hair she gives me!! She bombed in the last exercise. Decided to sniff the ground then take a step forward, but did get the change of positions after doing that

Never mind MG. It happens. Been there, done that, have the t-shirt Milliemoo was a good girl tonight, winning the Open ring Bedazzled had a GREAT night with Brookie!! Ozjen even had a great night! Hope they all check in soon! Can't believe there is only one local trial left for the year

WOOHOOOOOOOO congrats Brookie and bedazzled!!! Well done. Hope your celebrations continue and that there is cake next week!! My brag is minor in comparison Milliemoo won Open tonight :D

Ruby is almost 5 and I can't see it getting any easier with age I find it hard to mix between rewarding and controlling. For example, if a steward enters the ring to give me the dumbell or lead, I put Ruby in a sit or a down and I approach the steward on my own. If I put her in a stationary position after each exercise to prevent her running up to judge/stewards in her excitement, she isn't really getting rewarded between exercises. I do intentionally razz her up between exercises which doesn't help, but I do it as reward. So knowing how much to do is still a work in progress, and probably always will be But I do the same razzing up with Millie between exercises and she doesn't bugger off to greet others like Ruby does

I'm not debating that it isn't in the rules, just engaging a discussion on everyone's thoughts on it I challenge you all to take Ruby into the ring, and see how much hard work it is between exercises No I don't collar grab her in the ring unless I have had a memory lapse (and a lot of the time it is to adjust the collar and play with her, it isn't so much a restraint action), we play a lot of hand touch/spining games and I pat her body to keep her with me, but we are all capable of lapses! It's just !@#$%ing hard work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I wouldn't have her any other way. That's what makes her my Ruby

Thanks guys, trust me I DO understand all these points! And I also completely understand the reasoning for running a dog naked in agility for safety (my preference is to run them without collar too), but agility is far more fast paced and arousing that loose running dogs are likely more possible and with no collars to "catch" them haven't seemed to be such an issue. So back to another question I asked then... if collars must be worn, why be penalised for touching them between exercises? And yes, you do get penalised here for doing so (if the judge catches you! I've seen dogs being dragged up into a sit position at the start of stays and didn't get docked any points!!!) My dogs collars get their hair stuck over them and I am forever fixing them up (even in the ring), just habit and one of those caring "motherly" things I find myself just doing for them Not sure if I've been docked for that before but it would annoy me to do an entire round and not be able to fix it!

Yep I am definitely for no collars in agility for the safety issue of possibly getting caught on equipment, but don't see the logic of not being able to be naked in obedience because the risk of needing to grab a dog by its collar for obedience ringwork and for agility are the same. I do see the benefit of a collar for stays, though, so I guess to make it simpler the rule is across the board for both ringwork and stays. Silly rule though that you can't touch them by it between exercises Though I've seen some handlers do it, even those who should know better ;) I know dogs need to be under control between exercises, too, hence not being allowed to touch them by collars, but really, we can control our OTT dogs with other methods (besides appropriate training and voice control ) that do include touching the body! ;) Just hope they don't bring in a rule that says we can't even touch our dogs between exercises, that would be frightful! I'm pretty lucky with Millie, she doesn't usually jump on the judge/stewards or runs off to them so between exercises I can be more laid back, but gosh Ruby is damn hard work between exercises! Noone can understand it til you've lived it!!!

Yep, stays may be a different issue, and I guess that argument could be valid in the ringwork, too. But if it was valid in the ringwork then it should be valid in agility, too, as agility is so arousing for dogs that you'd probably have a greater issue there of a dog needing to be grabbed that ran off. Anyway good points, which is why I posted the question for discussion :D

What are everyone's thoughts on collars worn in the obedience ring? I know in agility you have the option to run your dog "naked", but there is no such option in obedience. Now you aren't allowed to touch your dog by the collar in the ring, so why not have the option to put them through naked? My girl itches in her collar sometimes because the only time they wear collars is when we go out (I also think stopping to scratch at it gives her an excuse to take her mind off the job which is a training issue, she's possibly not even itchy ;)) but if she didn't have to wear one in the ring I'd be much happier. Would also stop me from being tempted to grab her by it when she's being particularly rambunctious as a way to stop her mugging the judge :D

Ask your Monday training partner for some tips And on Friday, sit outside the UD ring once you're done with your round and have a watch.

That doesn't sound fair or nice! Come up to us ;)

Well I finally got Ruby pretty stable in her sit stays, but now she's telling me I'm just entering her in Open for the fun of it so I can stick the sit stays wherever they'll fit She dropped almost immediately at the trial last Friday, and did so again in training yesterday. And no, I haven't been practicing down stays!

Thanks, guys Can I just say, 2 things I love about UD: No figure 8's to entice Ruby and no sit stays!!! Well done NC with your little girl!!! She looks lovely. Are you filming any of her sessions to look back on? I wish I had documented more of Ruby as a puppy.

Well done to Alex and Beans - both BEAUTIFUL rounds!!! I hope their entries for UD are being sent off for the December trial, girls ;) ;)