toshman

Agree with this. All the best with Miss M :D Thank you!

Thank you everyone! I might loosen the reins a little then - I was getting a little worried that her fitness levels would fall away ???? Espinay - the Monkey magic will return next season in lure coursing, we'll have a little catching up to do though!

Hoping my bitch is pregnant...she is 21 days today from her first mating, and I'm not sure how much exercise is too much, too little or just enough! She is a very active little dog (Border Terrier) and lives to chase her ball, running and jumping , putting everything into it. Until she came in to season last month she was actively competing in lure coursing, tracking and Earthdog, which has all ground to a halt for the time being (a little sadly..she was just hitting her straps in all three sports...roll on next season! ) I have been a little nervous about letting Her run and jump as normal (for her)now - we walk instead much to her disgust! So I'd love to know what level of exercise is considered "normal" and safe for an expectant mum...fingers crossed!

Interested in Newcastle please..... [email protected] Many thanks

Hi - Barn Hunt and Earthdog are two different sports! We do (ANKC) Earthdog here in Oz - in Victoria, NSW, SA and Qld, but there are no set-ups in the other states/territories as yet. It has been going for around 18/19 years here in NSW, we do it at the Dogs NSW complex at Orchard Hills where we have a paddock set up with trenches etc. down the back of the complex, and the sport runs through the winter months from approx May - September each year. It's one of the few sports where there is a designated list of ANKC breeds which are eligible, plus AR dogs "of earthdog type" who have to pass an Introductory Test before they can go on to Novice/Senior Master. We are not allowed to use live quarry as they do in the USA (their quarry is usually tame rats which are in specially built cages which then go in the dens behind another set of bars). Barn Hunt looks as if it is a pretty popular, growing, sport in the US. It is "owned" by one person as a company, and she is pretty protective of her rules and ideas. It hasn't been done here at all yet. If we were to start doing it, or something like it, over here we would have to call it something different, devise our own rules and regulations, and again, would not be allowed to use live rats like they do over there (they put the rats in poly pipes with air holes and then hide them in the hay bales). How the dogs would react to searching through hay bales for whatever we could come up with as "quarry" is a guess.....probably just like in Earthdog, some are happy to do it whatever they're chasing, others just turn up their noses when they realise it's not alive! That's not to say we haven't thought about how it could be done! One idea would be to do it in a fenced off area outside with hay bales piled up (if no-one has a barn we could use) - I'm sure lots of our terriers/ratting dogs would adore it and have a whole heap of fun, I know my Borders would! Julia (Dogs NSW Earthdog Working Party Sec)

Earthdog will be on down at the den area, past the herding paddocks......eligible breeds include Aussie Terriers, so if you get a chance, wander down and see how it works - the terriers and dachshunds love it!

So what do they actually show in the live streaming? I get the impression it's all the happenings in the main arena, which is agility, DWD etc., but not the breed rings for individual breeds....which is sad because I'd love to see my breed in its entirety, but a hard ask with over 300 entries!

Have you considered buying a dehydrator and making your own? They're not expensive, I got mine on eBay, and make all sorts of dried jerky, offal, fruit and veg - great fun!

Yes, definitely! My Border Terrer bitch was put on to Propalin a few years ago now for incontinence, and she became quite hyper, nervy and aggro (though she never picked fights with my other dogs). After about 5-6 months I took her off it, she levelled out and, best of all, hasn't had a problem with incontinence since then.....touch wood!

I've been really enjoying my dehydrator,but none of the things I mention next are "long chew" stuff though Dried sweet potato, chicken jerky, beef liver/kidney/heart, fruits etc. The dogs and I really enjoy our dried treats, and it's nice to know exactly what they are made of. And much cheaper than the commercial stuff! I just don't buy stuff like rawhide, jerhigh etc. any more -

Put a fence around the pond?????

How fabulous! Those eyes are really spooky aren't they...lovely photos, thanks for sharing them :)

I always think of this (old) piece when I read about dogs greeting their owners... The Welcome Author unknown Read it fast to yourself, and picture the scene… I hear it! I hear the car! HER car! And she’s coming this way! Oh, oh, I must run in and grab a gift! I must greet her with a gift! Oh, ‘BONK’ missed the step. No matter, I must hurry. Move over, doggy door! She’s coming, she’s coming! Gift, gift, where, what, oh, oh, oh, ah! A plastic bottle she drinks from, right here on top of the container they call trash! Oh, perfect. She’s coming, she’s coming! Oh, oh, oh…the door! I hear the door sound that sounds right before she comes in! Oh, it’s OPENING! SHE’S HOME! Oh, oh, ‘wiggle, wiggle, wiggle’ I cannot be still! You’re home! And look, look, I have this nice bottle! Oh, oh, you’re home, YOU’RE HOME! I have missed you so much, you’ve been gone hours, weeks, days, years! And so much has happened! A dog ran by and I chewed a tree and Pluto slept under the house and it rained a little! Oh, oh, oh! You’re home, you’re home! And you’re touching me! I can’t stand it, it’s so marvellous! Oh, and you’re speaking! “Murble, murble, good boy, murble, murble.” YES! Your happy voice. Oh, I’m about to burst! I’m so happy, happy, happy! Yes! I want to jump! I’m not supposed to jump, but oh, oh, just a little jump! “Off.” Darn. Oh, I cannot be still. I’ll roll over and wiggle on my back! Oh, yes! She’s rubbing me – my tummy, my head, my sides! Oh, oh, oh! Now what? Now where’s she going? Oh, oh, yes! Back to the room where we sleep at night! Great! It has the big pad we sleep on and ‘L-E-A-P’ I can get up here close to her. And here she comes! Oh, oh, oh! I can stand on my legs and put my paws around her neck and – uh oh! Can’t lick with this bottle in my mouth. But it’s my present to her! Oh, oh, what to do? And she’s rubbing me! But I want to lick her, oh, oh, I think I’m about to burst! “Off.” Oh, darn. Drop the bottle. Oh, YES! She’s coming back! She took off the pieces she puts on her eyes and I can stand and ‘lick, lick’ I love you, I love you, I love you, I love ‘lick, lick, lick’ you taste so good, sweet, I love that stuff you smear on your face every day. I love to lick it off, oh, oh, and you’re rubbing me again! My back, my head, my ears, oh, oh ‘lick, lick, lick’. “Murble, murble, good boy, murble, murble.” “Off.” Darn. I will lay here and watch her. Watch her peel her fur – it’s not very warm fur, I don’t think. How does she do that? And I will get that look on my face that always makes her come and rub me. The look where I roll my eyes up, and keep my head flat here and she will come…and she’s putting on her play skin! YES! We will play – sometime. I cannot be still. I am SO happy, happy, happy. Now she’s going in the room with the wonderful water bowl! I LOVE that water bowl – always cool, clean water! She’ll be out in just a minute, just a minute, just a…..yes, she’s coming! She’s here again. Oh, oh, oh…..now back to the room with the box that has pictures and sounds. Ah, I know what happens now. Yep, she’s laying down on the big pad there. Now she’ll sleep. But that’s okay. She’s HOME! SHE’S home. She’s home. And she smells tired. So I will lay beside her here and guard her and wait while she sleeps. And when she wakes up she won’t smell so tired. And we’ll play and play. S-i-g-h. I’ll just rest with her now, and smell her while she sleeps. And wasit again. For, the next thing that happens, and then, oh, oh, zzzzzzzzz…..

Have given it to two of my spayed bitches over the years, on and off. One had no effects whatsoever that were visible. I did keep reducing the dosage until I felt it was just holding her, and kept it at that. The other got quite anxious and nervy on it at full dose - I took her off and she had no wetting for a couple of years, but she is back on it now (13 years old Border Terrier), but at a quite reduced dosage about 4 times a week. And she doesn't seem to be showing any of the earlier nervy/anxious behaviour.

Absolutely super photos - how clever you must be...from someone whose photos are always crap!