SpikesPuppy

Is there any reason why blue is an accepted color in the Stafford standard, without allowing for the diluted pigmentation which comes with it? Why not either remove blue from the acceptable color list or allow for the diluted pigmentation?? It's very confusing...

Glad to hear Pippa is expecting, sorry to hear about Lucy :D

I paid $88 at Wyndham vet clinic. Much better than the $183 I paid for a blood test at Altona when we tried in June!! Though everything is way overpriced there.

-Breed my first litter (4 weeks to go ) -Have fun in the ring with my first homebred pup (and hopefully bring home some fringies and points!!!) -Do more 'away' shows/weekends -Will get Caber's ET this year (missed last year due to me not being fit enough... I have a backup cyclist this year if I'm still not ready!) -Hopefully get to see more Wirey Viszla's...

:rofl: :thanks: What an evil little mother she so tightened her tummy last Sunday I could not feel a thing. :rofl: Soooooooooo happy for you SP. *shrug* it's Ziva, you expect her to make life easy? Soon as the vet saw her he was convinced she was preg... touched the ultrasound wand to her tummy and in a few seconds he confirmed it :D So then he shaved her belly and counted... thinks it's possible there are more under her ribcage... I hope not!!! Her Xray is booked for the 15th. Very glad we took the recommendations and went to Wyndham also :p Now I'm hoping (praying!!!) she will be NICE to me from now on and not have any dramas LOL.

Border Terrier litter due January 20 :D Confirmed via ultrasound 6 little heartbeats

Mine is on there, yaaaaaaaay. Ta, BBJ

Woo hoo I'll have a friend Caber and I are going okay- I think Ziva is a little jealous at all the walkies and special attention he gets though LOL. Haven't yet got a bike computer thingy so not sure how far/fast we are going yet but a steady trot (for the dog) 2k to the park, then a lap of the park and the 2k back home in 30 or so minutes seems about right time wise... and Caber still wants to keep on going Only problem is him wanting to mark every tree am working on teaching him not to mark when attached to the bike..... would hate to do this wih Ziva, she is not a quick learner haha. Fortunately Caber is Am looking at making it down the bike track to ride along the beach by this weekend, estimating around 10 k short trip and 20k all the way to Altona and back.... it's quite pleasant actually just riding along with the dog.

Definitely charge more, MM!!!!! I would be charging at least that per HOUR it takes you. If they maintain the dog, it will take less time therefore, cost less etc. Can't believe they don't want to run a comb over their dog either :shakehead: it takes a few minutes a couple times a week. Good bonding time!

Come to Altona S & T! Geordie and Cabes can play

There is the German Shepherd Dog club's ET on June 27th at Altona. Schedule is on the GSDCV website. Good thing I checked this thread, in my mind it was the end of July, not June haha. Damn, haven't got so much time to train myself :rolleyes:

S&T!! Wish I had been there I have been riding every day, woo. managed 5k on my own without too much pain and on Friday took Cabes down to the park and he took to running alongside the bike like a duck to water :rolleyes: So pleased with my little bloke. Am teaching him left and right so I on't run into him or pull him. Rode around the empty carpark mostly, then ventured onto the bike path, but the grass and trees were a bit of a challege LOL but it wont take long for him to learn to focus. He keeps a nice pace with me, and isn't at all afraid of the bike. Very pleased

Yes, the rear brake is usually on the left hand side, but seeing as I will be holding onto the dog's leash with my left hand I want to be able to access the brakes easily lol. I don't use the front brake either. Too dangerous I miss good old pedal brakes. I haven't got much choice about where I ride apart from the bike tracks (which I have to ride to...), being in the city it's against the law to ride on the footpath. And I bought the bike as amethod of transport for general use (get to work, train station, shops etc) so i'd better get used to it fast! There are a few bike lanes on the busiest roads though which is As for the basket- good on ya I'm planning to get a parcel rack with saddle bags I think. But am considering a basket instead. Currently I have a little purse type thing strapped to the handlebars to carry my keys, phone etc.

I sold my old bike in 2004 so it's been about 5 years for me. I'm not keen on going on the roads atm but am getting used to it. Now I just need to work out how I'm going to get down to the bike path wioth the dog (as I don't drive ) I think I will be the crazy lady walkiing a bike and a dog On weekends, Fridays and Monday mornings mum is home so will drive Caber down to the park and meet me there... Walked it up and down the hallway this evening (yes, tyres are clean!!), with some treats in hand and Caber doesn't appear at all afraid Oh and i was talking to Cabe's breeders about it (Cabe's sire did his ET last year) and she actually had the brakes on her bike swapped over (so right hand was the rear brake), which is a really good idea so I am going to get the bike shop to do that next week for me.

Well I only got my bike last Thursday and only yesterday worked out how to put the brakes together so have only ridden it twice I have no fricken' idea how I am going to do this!!! Anyone whose done this before, there are no hills we have to climb are there? I am working on my fitness but honestly am now having doubts whether I will be able to do it Caber is fine, very interested in the bike and not at all afraid, was following happily when I rode it around the backyard. I plan to take him out on the weekend, once I'm more confident in my riding ability

Feed him his dinner in his crate (door open), and leave it in a place where he can access it etc amd make it inviting (toys, blankets, maybe some small treats), make it a GOOD place and let him get used to it and he should be fine. We have trained adult dogs to be crated with few dramas Don't just shut him in there and leave him though... that could lead to dramas. Make him love his crate!!!

He should still be with his littermates Also wasn't his name Milo? Anyway, I swear by crates Have used them for our last 3 puppies as well as dogs we had already as adults when we discovered the joys of crating They are excellent because when the pup/dog is trained correctly, they see the crate as their den or personal space... no different really to having an open dog bed in the corner. The dog is also set up for future vet stays, possible grooming trips, dog shows or obedience trials etc. Having a crate trained dog also makes travelling with your dog so much easier- people are much more willing to have a crate trained dog stay with them, likewise hotels and motels are more accomodating to those who will be crated. My 2 terriers are crated when we go out, they have Dobe sized crates, as soon as they see me getting their treat toys ready, they bounce down the hallway and throw themselves into their crates, just waiting for me to give them their treats. Yep, they HATE them Crates also come in handy if you have workers/tradespeople around or visitors who don't like dogs etc. As for crating puppies, I find it so much SAFER for the pup as it is confined over night and cannot have access to things it shuldn't (wires, electrical cables etc). All our dogs have access to open crates and they will often choose a crate over the couch!!

My post from the GSD thread And to add to it..... I will be participating in an ANKC endurance test this year, with my Border Terrier. I consider this to be an indication of his working ability- as the breed was bred to run with the horses (hunter types, not the thoroughbreds), and typically maintain a steady trot over a long distance on a fox hunt. The ET is 20k and approx. 10k an hour speed limit, which is actually pretty close so while it does not mean he CAN follow a hunt as his ancestors did, it will prove his physical ability (sound conformation with enough leg to keep up, thick pads to support himself, good movement to maintain stamina etc) to an extent. On the other hand, Earthdog is a simulation of a terrier (or Dachshunds) working instinct... but not all dogs eligible for this activity hunt the same way!! Many of the small terriers were ratters... Borders and other medium sized terriers were used for hunting larger game such as foxes, badgers, etc. So therefore, it is not so much working ability as a desire to go underground and react at the end LOL. Another thing, my boy does not have the instinct for it, he will do it because I have *trained* him to do it... my bitch however required no training and takes to it like a duck does to water. In short, I believe obedience and other canine activities are a form of *work* but they should not be considered *working animals* in the same sense as a dog that earns it's keep!!! With the exception perhaps of dogs used as models or actors... if they don't have the training they would be bloody hard to work with!!! Also Guide Dogs... what would you cinsider them to be doing? I guess it is an advanced form of obedience? Dunno... and customs dogs... Beagles are scent hounds but Labs are gundogs... not much game in an airport or at a concert

I ahve bought several, from different Bunnings stores and they have stocked them in both the pet section and garden/compost bin section Love them- make great pens to section off bits of yard in an attempt to grow grass or to protect plants etc. We also used them as puppy pens with great success.

SwaY - Great Dane / Smokey - Dally Club Saturday 6th JUNE 2009 Rebanne - Greyhound / Fern - Dally Club Saturday 6th JUNE 2009 Gayle-Australian Shepherd / Benson - Sale 4th July 2009 Staffntoller- Toller / Geordie - Hungarian Vizsla Club 23rd May 2009 SpikesPuppy - Border Terrier/Caber - GSD Club (Cherry Lake) 28th June 2009

Thanks guys I will ensure I am more particular about our walking surfaces when we train... usually walk him on the footpath to the park and then do a few laps of that. There is a dirt track there which i can put him on. His pads aren't bad but he's a small dog so he doesn't really put alot of weight onto them, unlike my previous dogs who had quite tough pads due to their body weight ( I assume, 30kg and 70kg).

I think you did the right thing too,but I would also like to add- I hope this woman does end up with a suitable puppy- the fact that she listened to your advice says to me that she is willing to learn and take advice, which so many people seem opposed to these days, especially when thney want a particular dog etc. And who knows, maybe if she starts with a softer temperamented breed, she may go on to learn more about dog behaviour and end up with her dream Malamute yet :D OT- what's wrong with thinking a particulare breed is super cute as a puppy? My own preferred breeds I find honestly average as pups but several breeds I do not care to own think they are adorable as pups, moreso than as the adult 'versions'.

Yes, that is the one I wanted to do but it's the same date as our specialty, anyway I found the end of June one with the GSD club and it's local so :D The rules I have read state a 2metre lead..... no mention of how long it actually has to be kept though. One potential problem I can see for us though is Caber's pads, they aren't the thickest :D Is there anything I can do to help them toughen up? Koemi- it's 20k whether you ride or jog, the actual event is 8 k thena 15 minute rest/vet check then 6k and another 15 minute rest/check and then the final 6k. It's approximately 10km an hour that you are travelling so really it's quite slow. Most healthy and fit dogs should be able to do it with ease I would imagine. You can enter crossbreeds as far as I am aware but they must be registered with your state's canine council (Dogs Victoria etc) as an associate. I'm really looking forward to it, the training (although informal) has been fun so far, just can't wait to see how Cabe takes to a bike LOL. Caber's dad did it last year with ease so we've got to keep the family tradition going!

Ah this is the one I want to do Cherry Lake, Altona on June 27. http://www.gsdcv.org.au/node/462 Nice and close to my place so we can train there too :rolleyes: Is that cheating?

I haven't even thought about posting the actual entries yet either :rolleyes: Which one are you guys doing? I was gonna do the first one in June but duh that's on the same day as our specialty!! Might have to be the end of June for us.