Bisart Dobes

Sorry forgot to put this on - the actual trolley length can be 96 cm to fit in holder.

I have one for sale as my current trolley is too big for it unfortunately, I just haven't got around to putting it on dol. It is different to the one in the picture but attaches to the towbar and trolley sits in it. The wheels go through the holes at either end and there are 4 upright bars to hold it in position. From inside wheel to wheel it measures 87 cm and it is 9cm wide inside - so if that suits anyone let me know.

Yes, have been for a while now and love it. Got onto it in my recovery from CFS and then decided to give it to the dogs as well. I add it to the super powder I make up for them and they would get around 1 tablespoon a day I guess. They will actually eat it out of the jar if you let them .

I have only ever had rain come in twice - once coming back from NSW and last week in Vic driving back from Noorat early Sat am because our old boy had to go in for emergency surgery - and I forgot to close the internal vents. Didn't have them coming back from NSW the first time and all the dogs had to come into the car because they were drenched. It has to be a very heavy down pour though with the rain coming at that certain angle for it to get in but I don't want my dogs wet when you have a 10 or 12 hr drive - Newcastle can have that lovely rain ofcourse . We also have the trailer cover which I can pull out and use to keep them all warm and dry when stopped but I find it just as easy to set one of the gazebo's up over the trailer. The internal closers certainly have their use.

We have the vent closers on the inside of the spinners so that they can be closed if need be. WHY ??? When you are out for a tracking trial at 3 am and its -5 degrees or when you are driving back from NSW Specialty at easter and it buckets down (it always seems to ) - they can be closed to keep the cabin temp up or keep the pelting rain out - (I do have crate fans which can go in the berths to keep airflow up also) You can get them at Camacs Caravan place - Dandenong Frankston Road, Dandenong - they have plastic or metal ones - we have the metal ones in and they are easy to put in - even I could do it.

There will not be and cannot be any changes made to the schedule or venue under our National Rules. The club did have another venue booked which they know was far better than this one but it was sold and all contracts cancelled. I believe they found and confirmed this venue with under 10 months to go. And if going from the other open forum this topic has dominated for the past week - there was actually never any threat of anyones entries been cancelled. Also I just wanted to point out that this club have always been more than welcoming to me and my partner and have always gone out of their way to make all their shows enjoyable. This club is actually the easiest Dobe club in Aus to deal with on any level - I would be more than happy and proud to be a member of this club. I think they are getting an unfair reputation here.

Bones in fish are pure calcium - they break down if you squash them - no issue for dogs to eat at all, leave them in for the extra calcium. We get the salmon head and spines from delivery guy (partner is a chef) - the dogs love them - though one of them is scared of the head and won't eat it unless I remove the eyes - big tough dobermann. I do feed canned fish as well but am finding it increasingly hard to find any that doesn't come from Thialand. After all the food scares that have come from there and seeing a couple of programs about their food industry I refuse to eat it myself and so also won't give it to my dogs. We will be pushed to fresh only at this rate.

Our national rules are very specific - the main one relevant here is that all nationals must be run with 'provision' for an indoor arena -they can be held outdoors but must have indoor arena incase of wet/over hot etc etc weather. However - finding such a venue is extremely hard - must be suitable, must be happy to have a dog show held there, must be in budget etc etc - it is really hard. We are soooooo lucky here in Vic - with KCC Park we had the perfect venue for our national/host/specialty week. Anyone who has been a part of a national team understands just how hard it is to put together, just how much work you do, how much of your life and house it takes over and the fact that you don't stop for that whole damn week - let alone the 2 years prior . While I am not happy about my dogs being stuck in their trailer and I am not happy about having to miss the majority of the show / dogs, and I have had to decide I can't help the committee over the 4 days as offered as my dogs will need to be watched and looked after (and they are my priority) - I am not helping therefore I have no right to whinge. Perhaps tyra20007 you should have been a part of the national committee - it would have been a great learning curve.

We went through this with our neighbours several years ago - with kids hanging over the fence and tormenting the dogs. Dobes - not sure if that classified them as stooopid or really really bored. We spoke to the neighbours - voicing our concern for the kids safety and the fact that we did not want our dogs put into that situation - they denied the kids were doing anything - continued to happen. Spoke to them again, same response coupled with abuse. So we went to our council and put in a formal complaint process. Voicing our concerns for the childrens safety (3 dobes - if one fell over the fence it was not likely they were getting out unscathed ) and our biggest concern that we didn't want our dogs put into a situation where they would be put down (and they would). The council were great - they did all the leg work, met our dogs and realised they weren't crazy to kill , saw the kids doing the usual from inside our house - and then went to pay a visit to the neighbours. She denied that the kids ever did anything like that - luckily the kids were hanging over the fence teasing the dogs right at that time - so the officer just pointed and said "like that?". Warning was issued and it never happened again. We have a 8 foot fence, all the access gates are locked etc etc - we have done all the right things to ensure our dogs are never at large in the community and they have the right to never be put into a situation where they have to defend their property. Because they would - no hesitation. The reason we went though the council was that our insurance wouldn't have covered anything the dogs did if we went through the police. The council issue warnings, etc etc under local laws and we are now exempt from any legal obligation if anyone is injured in our yard by our dogs. Not sure that works with every shire / state but it did with ours. My biggest concern was that through no fault of their own our dogs could be put down for their actions - actions which to them would be justifiable. Oh and we still get on great with our neighbours .

Our first dobe was a rescue - her name was Zena. Ugh! Yuk! I couldn't think of a worse name for a Dobermann, plus she had been abused so her new name was Jewel and her new life began. She was 5 1/2 years old and we had her in our lives for 7 more - she had no issue with it at all. Though if we were talking to people about her 'story' and we said her old name she got aggitated. All of our dogs have their formal call name and answer to many more besides that - so I don't think they really care or hold their true identity on the label we give them. One example - formal call name: Rhemy - nicknames: Rabbit, Nemma, Granma, Shitbag, Schnut, Noona, Cow and many more - she answers to all of them. Though once I called her shitbag it the obedience ring and the judge was bemused to say the least (she was behaving ).

While I only got to see this beautiful dog when we travelled to SA for Specialties & Autumn Festival, I was lucky enough to meet him and talk to you both, he will always be in my mind - such a magnificant example of the breed and I can't help him coming to my mind when watching the breed in the ring. He was such a beautiful personality and a complete joy to watch in the ring (he had you wrapped around his little toe ). He was one of those dogs that touches you deeply, even from brief meetings - I can imagine the hold he had on your hearts. We feel for you and know that you miss him every day. What more can you say.

OMG - how long have you got

Well - if people are stooooopid enough to pay $1000 for a purebredmutt !!!!!!!! Clever marketing I'd call it .

We have a clause that all dogs must come back to us to be rehomed - no if's, but's or maybe's - as far as we are concerned we bred them and we have that responsibility for the entirety of their lives. "IMHO" If you are not in a position to take dogs back then you shouldn't breed. We have only had one back though and that was due to marriage breakup. We insist because it gives us the chance to assess the dogs temperament and ensure it is going into the right home - with our breed this is vitally important. Though we also do everything we can to prevent this. We run training and socialisation classes of our own for our puppy people up to the age of 16 weeks - which helps nail out those little problems before they develop into anything real. We are always available for advice - phone, email or in person if needed - though only 2 have required lessons after puppy classes - both were pregnant mums and the dogs were around 18 mths and just a little over protective of their owner - a natural reaction for our breed but re-establishing the pecking order settles things down. Probably the most rewarding thing I have received was a very proud letter and photos of how good their dog was with the new baby - he was like a proud dad (they now have 2 kids and the dog is devoted to them). We stay in touch with our own 'newsletter' - corny I know but I find it is a great way of keeping in touch without being too invasive - some people don't want the breeder of their dog to be in their lives every week for a chat but I want to have that contact maintained - we have a better chance of the dogs coming back to us that way. We had several contact us after I put in the story of the rehomed one and how heartbroken his first owner was but what a great home he had gone into - hopefully this reinforced that it is ok for them to approach us at any stage of their dogs lives. We can only do what we can do.

Our next door neighbours had a small white fluffy little cow of a dog some years back. We have Dobes . She dug under the fence and got her head stuck and then freaked when she saw 2 dobes standing there looking at her with amusement (they didn't move - I think they were shocked to be honest). She sliced the back of her head open on the bottom of the fence and luckily the neighbour was in her back yard and so knew that ours didn't even bark until she was back under the fence. If I hadn't seen it though I would have offered to pay some of the vet bill - a good relationship with your neighbours is priceless. That afternoon they erected a small fence a metre in from the fence for the entire length of our fenceline to stop her getting to the fence and digging again. It stayed there until she passed away - though she always gave our dogs grief, right up to the end - little cow . As I said - a good relationship with your neighbours is priceless - especially when you have breeds like ours .

He's not my dog - if he were mine I would have done it, just for interest sake - his breeders haven't to my knowledge but with both parents and all 4 grandparents (and more in earlier generations) carrying dilute he genetically has to carry it according to our breed colour inheritance charts. And genetically there is no chance he can be a dominant black producing dog (according to the white coats ). Though this was proven fact over the fawn bitch - no need to test after that litter really. All four colours are recognised in our breed so there is no issue with that side of it - it is just very interesting.

One of the sires we used a couple of years ago is a dominant black dog - as far as all the colour charts indicate genetically this is impossible as both his sire and dam carry dilutes. His litter mates were brown/fawn/blue and black - all four colours produced (as it should be). He is black and tan and should carry the dilute gene and should produce black and brown puppies to a bitch not carrying the dilute gene or produce dilutes to a bitch carrying the dilute gene. His matings to date are: Black bitch (carrying no dilute) - all black pups (9) Brown bitch (carrying dilute) - all black pups (8) Fawn bitch (dilute herself / carrying dilute) - all black pups (10) Brown bitch (carrying dilute) - all black pups (10) Brown bitch (no dilute - but black & brown pups prior) - all black pups (8) Black bitch (carrying dilue) - all black pups (7) Black bitch (carrying dilutte) - all black pups (10) Genetically impossible as far as the 'specialists' are concerned - I love genetics they are so interesting

I thought the rings were good - great size but quite slippery by the end of today - still we managed both challenges, BOB & RUBOB and then my beautiful brown girl, Sexi Lexi, who is back in the ring to get some practice for our National at Easter got RUBIG - there was just no grip for her in the group run off though which made it hard. The malamute when it came back to the judge kept on sliding out of the ring - it couldn't stop . Still judges dependant we will go back again - overall the venue is great.

Good luck to everyone attending - can't wait to see the results. I was going to go but then they changed the judge and I decided with our National in April it wasn't worth the extra interstate trip. Anyway, does anyone know how many Dobes and Rotties are entered ?? Thanks. B

I don't have an issue with older / titled dogs being shown - when a dog is retired is entirely up to the owner but this 'new title' is a load of crap as far as I am concerned. This is just the start of it - give them 2 years and you will be competing for BIS against a MUTT ! I would much rather see a neutered class go ahead as they do now and would much rather see a Grand Champion Class In Group / Show run for the grands.

Ours forcefully put their heads under your hand for pats, rubs, strokes - whatever you or anyone else is willing to offer - couldn't stop them if I tried. I was recently at a show standing talking to a Samoyd exhbititor and clapped for the prior breed results when one of her dogs on the trolley stuck his muzzle in between my hands while I was clapping - he thought it was very funny indeed, so I kept clapping to amuse him - he loved it.

I did consider loudly asking that he get his nose out my arse, but I wasn't sure that was quite the done thing . You could ofcourse have a large helping of baked beans before your next show Sorry, couldn't help myself with the image from above

Just ask the exhibitor behind you to give you some room please - or stop and give yourself plenty of room in front of you so that you can move up if you need to. If they are stepping into your dog and upsetting it then move your dog into the ring and make it obvious why you are doing it - make the point. Of late I have had alot of interference from one particular exhibitor in our breed (after I beat them ofcourse ) - who stacks their dogs and then steps in front of them and stands on the rear end of my dogs and crowds on the move as well - once they actually hit my dog on the move - just bad sportsmanship and really not on (and a very experienced exhibitor as well). So I have just resorted to 'politely' asking them to make sure they give me room EVERY time I go in the ring. They are getting really sick of me saying it but too bad too sad . If they crowd me in the ring again I will stop dead and let them slam into me (I have been taught how to do it safely) - perhaps that will get the point across.

If you can wait for BCF or Anaconda Sales - they have the compacts for around $150 during sales :D

Oztrails are the better ones - we have 2 deluxe and 1 compact - the deluxe have a much better canopy but I use the compact for when I only have one or two dogs entered and for obedience trials. I got the compact because it fits behind the seat in the car and therefore I always have it . I didn't get walls as I tend to use the silver sides on it and have put the deluxe sides on it with no issue - if it were my only tent I would though. BCF tend to have the better prices and better supply for all the extras as well.