SmoothieGirl

Oh god, I miss Herding at the moment. We are one pass off our CCD so I really want to get that, then we can focus on herding again for a bit. Fingers crossed I'm back to Nyora before the end of the year.

Yeah, but that's all the fun of it! Xena is my first dog and we only got into it because she is soooooooooo full on and needed an outlet for it. Who would have known getting a running mate would have taken over my life - and ended my running career. Hmmm, these damn dogs can make us humans quite obsessive can't they? Great results everyone and good fun watching your videos. Thanks for sharing.

LOVE Cardigan Corgis, they are just about the cutest puppies ever too all ears and button eyes and noses.

I asked Bronte to recommend a breed, but she's alternating between watching the cat play with plants in the wind and sleeping behind my chair while I'm surfing the net. I'd suggest a Smooth Collie, but it really depends upon what your friends think is a medium size and what they think is a medium energy level. Collies usually stand around 50-52cm at the shoulder and compared to my old Dobe, Bronte is small. BUT - I thought my Dobe was a reasonable sized dog. SBT's and Cocker's to me are close to small dogs, its a long way to bend down to those chappies, and I'm height challenged. To give you an example of her engery level, she has had a quiet obed session this morning and a free walk around the park. She'll sleep most of the rest of the day, if that's what they are after. Equally, she would be happy herding or running with other dogs for hours, but then she'd sleep for hours and hours and hours. That being said the Roughs are supposed (?) to have a lower energy level again, but of course there is the extra grooming required.

M&M I'm really looking forward to meeting Flash too. So you had better check you don't end up taking a soft toy home too! Yeah, Echo nearly did find a new home didn't she. I've got to say though, that any dog of mine with that much coat will be a little dog, wink wink, nudge nudge spitzbaby and misha&milo! I'm quite partial to the Shelties and Paps already.

Gosh Nekhbet, what a beautiful working dog. I'm torn between my love of Dobes and love of the herding breeds, a Beauceron would be an awesome option.

Don't think so, but put my name down for one.

Aww, I like mum with her coat. I hope her clip won't be too severe. LP come on, fess up, you wanna keep Mo don't you? Sahara is a lovely colour.

Spitzbaby, I'm so excited about meeting Kairu. I keep seeing his pictures and going all gooey inside. So to actually meet him will be very cool...might just bring a soft toy that looks like him, you'll never spot the difference when I swap him.

Wow, look what happens when you go on holiday, the brag thread goes wild. Congratulations everyone, great results :D I saw your AM trial StaffysRule and you've those little woofas were great.

What can I say, Bronte Boo and I just love your little man. He's her favourite necklace.

Glad to hear you are safe. There are some strange ones out there aren't there. If you are still a bit wary, consider buying a fireman's whistle and carry it with you when you are out walking. If you get a nutter like that again, one hoot on that thing should spook him, they're LOUD! Might want to get Shyla a bit used to it in the backyard first, or at least make sure you have a tight hold of her lead if you use it on the streets. Oh, with these things, the harder you blow the louder they go. My grandad was a Fire Chief in the UK, which is why I know about this kind of obscure idea.

List of Dogs coming pip1981- Dakota & Tika spitzbaby - Kairu Misha&Milo - Misha, Milo and Flash Kali and Luke- Zac and Shishka MavericksMission ~ Maverick & Hectorrr Kirst and John - Luna (lunaburger) Evolving - Bobby, Echo and Alera Lucycharzie - Charlotte Pointees - April and Alexis Pointees father - Jack SmoothieGirl - Bronte List of food pip1981- marinated chicken, noodle salad, soft drink spitzbaby - not sure yet, maybe juice and snacks... will update Misha&Milo - snags, rissoles, chips, bbq shapes, ( Hey Spitzbaby we want those awesome brownies again ) Kali - some vegie and vegan snacks. not sure exactly what just yet, but i'll have the vegetarians covered! MavericksMission ~ Potato Salad and Something Else Kirst - Drinks and chippies think but ill update laters smile.gif Evolving - salad. Lucycharzie - will think and update later Pointees - fairy bread and pigs ears Pointees father - not sure SmoothieGirl - Still thinking about it Yes I am an Elf for the Underdog Project Christmas Tree - see the link on page 1. I'll be collecting on the day, trying to fill the back seat - sorry the cargo section is Bronte's room . I won't be there until about 12pm though as I have obed training in the morning.

CF If you wait until closer to Christmas time, Vistaprint to great half price deals for calendars. The deals will probably come out late Nov/early Dec and it only takes them about 1-2 weeks to send out. http://www.vistaprint.com.au/vp/ns/default...87513&GNF=0

This shot is awesome, one for the pool room. When I finally get my new pup (many months yet) I'll have something to add here. Until then, I'll just keep enjoying your shots, they're great everyone.

That last one of Echo, the one of Echo/Alera (nope I can't tell them apart in photos) with the Valhund and the toy and the one of Bear on the seat are really cute. Of course I like all the Bronte ones :D

Well done Luke. An Elspan Cocker came third in the AM CCD trial at Gisborne on Sunday. Lovely little girl, so sweet.

I wasn't allow to have a dog when I was a kid, so I've only owned two, and got my first when I was 21. Sasha my Dobie was a brilliant dog. She was devoted, smart and a dream house dog. When I moved out of my parents home into my own house not far from my parents, Mum would pick her up after work (she worked half days) and take her home with her so she (mum) had company and a little shadow. When we had to have her PTS it broke all of our hearts. I couldn't even contemplate getting another dog and it took me six years to finally decide I was ready. This time round I chose a Smooth Collie, a very different dog. Partly because no Dobe would be comparable to Sasha and partly because a Dobe wouldn't suit my current working arrangements or back yard size. Bronte is awesome. I have the same devotion, if not more, she is super smart and always willing to work, where Sash chose her moments. And as a house dog she is identical to Sash, brilliant. Most of all I really enjoy Bronte's work ethic and working dog temperament, but she is a vastly different dog to handle, being a very soft dog, compared to your much harder Dobe. It makes training much easier, but I do have to be much more precise as well. The next pup will be another Smoothie for sure, they're just fantastic dogs. I may own another Dobe one day, but I see a lot of variety in the breed at the moment and I don't like a lot of what I see, so I'd need to do plenty of research. That being said, I don't think dog number three into the household in 3-4 years time will be a Dobe, it will probably be another Smoothie or another Group 5 working dog.

Whoo hoo!!! Well done, good to see it continued to go well after I left. Well done on your title and a lovely place and highest aggregate too - not bad at all. Bronte ended up having Bowen Therapy this afternoon and the therapist said she was in all sorts of bother and I should have a different dog tomorrow - hopefully not a clingy emotional one like I had today.

Hmm, I've noticed. This year her papers have spent as much time with them as they have at home.

Sounds like you are doing a great job. It may seem like hard work now, but she'll be learning at such a fast rate she'll 'get it' and 'stick it' fairly soon. Better to persist now while she's little than battle later. Perhaps stick to short 5 -10 minute sessions, but break them up too. 10 mins is a lot for a pup, but if you add games (like the focus one below) they will just love it. Eventually you will be able to phase the clicker to just your marker reward word and then stretch that further and further out and before you know it you'll have a puppy the neighbourhood will be envious of, as their dogs drag them past you. You might get some challenges as distractions are found, eg. dog down the road, so perhaps start some focus training. There should be heaps on the net about clicker training and focus or watch me type exercises, or how about a good book. There is a book called The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller and this particular exercise in that book is called The Name Game. In the absence of a good trainer, perhaps a book would help and this one has heaps and heaps about clicker training in it, including how to eventually wean your pooch off the clicker. Good luck!

Man, your dogs sound like they have as active a social life as Bronte, but you have three to contend with :D I thought about starting the 2011 thread, but didn't want to tempt fate. I think we all need as long as possible to complete all of our 2010 goals first.

No, Abby is my friend's Kelpie. She's 5! But I only started training her at the beginning of the year and only once per week. So she has done quite well for how little training we get to do together! Sorry to hear about Bronte - I didn't know that she had skin issues, too! geez we could start up a support group - Obedience Trainers with Itchy Dogs Well go Abby I say, great work. Yep, skin issues started when she was about five months old. I really need to take shares out in my vet and the veterinary dermotologist centre. We now 'mostly' have the itch under control on a relatively safe drug. But her infections are a whole other issue. She is rarely off antibiotics for longer than a week or two, its really quite heartbreaking and I really fear for the long term impacts. But we have to keep them comfortable and as fit and active as we can don't we.

Entries don't close until a couple of weeks, so I'll know well and truely where I'll stand after this weekend.

Hmmm, see how we go. We aren't ready to tackle CD yet anyways. While I've got her SFE pretty good now (after lots and lots of work), I think offlead with more distance she might have a meltdown and I don't want to shake her confidence. I'd also like to improve her leg stickness in her off lead heeling too, its not up to competitive trialing yet. You know what I mean NC, laggy Collies.