Zug Zug

So who's going to join me for the mock trial at Dover in April? Zamba and I will go along and give it a tray in Open class, and see how we feel. As for us, we have a few challenges shaping up in our training. Mainly how to get her to drop on recall from further away, change position from further away, and sit without stressing when I'm a long way away. Does anyone see a pattern here?

Woohoo!!! Dova and Pebbles are moving on up to open too! Come on Dova - why should I be the only one posting about my training progress in this thread...

Dova - that is absolutely fantastic and what an absolutely amazing score! She is such a great dog - well done to both of you.

Horrible. I would never train with that instructor again. They have no right to handle your dog that way - none at all. You always have the choice who you train with. I wouldn't stick with anyone whose methods are rough. No point - I wouldn't take their training advice anyway! Rather than naming and shaming (something I suspect people won't be willing to do) perhaps we can take a more positive approach and name some great instructors in each state? We could start a thread... I'd be happy to start off with some great recommendations of great, positive instructors in Adelaide. Re handling other people's dogs - I do instructing a little these days and I do sometimes demonstrate with other people's dogs. Recently I handled 8 learner dogs in a row for a long-lead recall. I held their dogs while their handlers walked to the end of the lead, then called their dogs to them - and I got FLEAS!!!! :cool:

I agree 2 puppies is probably not ideal. Lots harder to get them both trained at once - lots to go wrong. I would also suggest that having dogs different in age is also important as they get older, because otherwise you'll end up in the situation of losing them both around the same time (at the end of their lives). This is my situation at the moment - 2 dogs both 12 years old (got one as a puppy and the other as a mature dog a few years later). Next time I want to space them out better so may get a puppy initially and then down the track get an older dog so they are maybe 4-5 years apart in age.

And one from me - we passed with 188 out of 200 last night in our last Novice trial. Now training in earnest for Open, hoping to get into the ring sometime mid this year. One of the advantages of having an older dog - she couldn't see the possums!

Ness has suggested some scoot fronts with the dumbbell, and also throwing the treat backwards between my legs so Zamba has to follow it straight through and behind me to get her reward. Zamba is enjoying both of these two games, but I have only just started doing them with the dumbbell so early stages yet. To be honest I think the penny is yet to drop that what I actually want is straight and close fronts. Maybe I'm being too slow with the clicker. Also I find that I get a bit involved in the game and sometimes I have clicked things that weren't right, without even realising that's what I've done. So I need to be more precise in what I am rewarding, I think. I am also varying the hand I use to reward, because Zamba tends to angle towards my right hand. Last night she stopped WAY out in front - much further than in practice at home. So that confirms that I need to focus on fronts a bit more in training. Any other ideas we could try?

Zamba's last ever Novice trial last night. Poured with rain just before the trial. Given she is such a hopeless sniffer, I went in with moderate hopes at best. We did as planned and tried the dumbbell in the ring for the first time. We actually did ok (surprisingly) with 34 for the heelwork, 27 for the SFE (moved 2 paws), full marks for the recall (her favourite thing) and 27 for the dumbbell. Same problem with the dumbbell retrieve. All good until she stopped too far out in front of me. I could reach her to get the dumbbell, but only just. She was even further out than in training, so that def needs more work. Anyway, 188 out of 200 and 3rd place. Very happy with that. Got her measured for Open too - 380 at the withers. She didn't like getting measured one bit - 2 men and a big stick leaning all over her. Update on our Open training: Heeling - going well - working on bringing her in closer to my side SFE - usually good Drop on Recall - well the building blocks are all there and she does it but still travels a bit - working on a faster drop Retrieve Dumbbell on Flat - good overall - stops too far away from me RD over jump - as above - same as above Distance Control - good at 3-4 metres - slowly building distance 3 min Sit Stay - ok but she has started to whine while I'm away so needing to give her more reassurance and backing off the length of time for a while to try and get this under control 5 min Down Stay - doing 4 mins - also occasional whining so working slowly with this one too So we're off to work on fronts with dumbbell and the stays.

If you like spaniels then i think the Field Spaniel might be a good choice. Not a common breed, but they have that nice long-eared dog appearance and are quite solidly built with a calm temperament. They will enjoy the exercise you give them but be less demanding (in general) than a Welsh Springer (which is lovely breed too, but VERY active). They've been described to me by experienced people as being quite easy to live with. And they are a very pretty colour IMO. They are the size you were talking about - medium size and you won't trip over them. You would need to do some grooming, but not a huge amount.

Can't get to the 6 March show (today) but the June show looks good to me. Might round the teenagers up and give us all a little holiday. Yes it is standards that I am interested in. It's taking a while to bring the OH around to the idea of another dog. In the meantime, I'm doing some research.

2 specialty shows in Victoria? Does anyone know when? It's a nice drive I reckon.

Does it make much of a difference to drying time? (not very experienced at this end)

Does anyone know if there is a poodle national this year? And if so, where it is? Someone mentioned there might be one in Melbourne, but I can't find any information about it. Maybe they have these every year? I'd really love to go along and see some poodles in action and research breeders for my future dream puppy (sigh)

To me that looks just like Mozart's eyes look. How can you tell the difference between that and cataracts? Edited: Oh - I see now. Nuclear sclerosis doesn't affect vision. Mozart is definitely losing his vision. I can throw treats on the ground right in front of him and if I throw them more than 30cms he can't find them.

I have an older girl that does a bit more barking than she should. I haven't had her debarked, but if it got really difficult and I had no choice then yes I would debark her before I would rehome her. At this stage it looks like that won't be necessary. I guess the damage in our case has been to our relationship with one of our neighbours. The other neighbours are really lovely supportive people and don't mind the barking that she does, which isn't constant but is more focused on guarding the property when people walk past. But one of our neighbours is quite frustrated by it. We do what we can but I know she does bark a bit while we are at work during the day. We don't let her do it when we're home. I don't necessarily consider debarking cruel, but when I hear the noise a debarked dog makes it leaves me feeling pretty sad. They just sound like they're choking or coughing. Not very nice, but better than losing them I guess.

So it really does sound like I just immunised my dogs for no reason. They didn't offer me a titer test, even though I repeatedly expressed my doubts about the need for the vaccine. Not happy Is there an article I can take with me to next week's check-up and leave with them to get them to think more clearly about this issue? I have gone to this vet for a long time and I have always been very happy with him. I have seen other vets occasionally but always go back to this vet because he is sensible, explains himself clearly, and talks straight to me which I really value. He has taken very good care of my dogs over the years. I won't be leaving him - but I might consider trying to change him (hmm, that sounds a bit wrong but you get the idea...) I guess on this occasion I just need to give him some feedback.

Thanks - I think they're both pretty cute. Mozart is the white one - a boy although many people think he's so pretty he must be a girl. Hmm I probably didn't describe what his eyes look like very well. It is a kind of bluey grey colour. Not red or bright white or anything. Just kind of a wrong colour inside his pupils. More obvious when a light is behind me when I look at him. There are a number of signs that his sight isn't good. When I throw a treat for him when we are playing/training, I need to help him find it if it goes more than 20cms away - even in broad daylight. And in the evenings I need to go and tap him on the shoulder to remind him to come back inside after a wee. But most of the time you just wouldn't know. He seems to follow cues from the other dog, and know the layout of our home and yard down to the last blade of grass.

Mozart and Zamba - both 12 this year. They have slowly turned into an old married couple - or perhaps the odd couple. Mozart has cataracts in both eyes and is losing his hearing - but most of the time you can hardly tell. Zamba is still learning new tricks and winning obedience trophies. I'm hoping we have many more good years ahead of us!

OK I am officially confused. I have been hearing during the past few years that annual vaccinations (C3) are no longer considered necessary for mature dogs. But I had my 2 at the vet's again yesterday (one to have her teeth cleaned, the other to have a wart and her eyes looked at), and they are almost due for their annual vaccine. The vet said that they still need it once a year or the dogs may not be covered against parvo etc. So I paid the money and had their shots done. They also said that there is a 3 yearly version of the vaccine available but that's not the one they use. But I'd been reading elsewhere that there was not necessarily any benefit to annual vaccines once the dogs were mature. Did I get that right? Or have I misunderstood things? Also my obedience club still requires proof of annual vaccinations so at this stage I guess we need to keep doing it unless and until that changes. So what's the story? Are the annual vaccines needed or not? Both of my dogs are around 12yo and both have been vaccinated every year since I've had them (got one as a pup, the other at around 2yo). So if anyone has a chance of built-up immunity, surely these two are prime candidates...?

Oh my god I don't think I have the spine for that. Mozart has a number of other warts, but nothing as angry-looking as this one, which is black in colour. Bit hard to get to with horse hair also - it's just at the corner of his mouth, under all the fuzz.

Thanks - and you're right he is still a happy chappy it's just me getting used to it. Right now I can see him out the window trotting around the garden with his tail held high. It doesn't seem to be bothering him at all. And so handsome! Photo below

Mozart (the bichon in my photo) is 12 years young. Slowing down, but still puppy-like when he wants to be. Still gets all silly and bouncy when the other dog isn't around and he has me to himself, and also still loves to play about with the other dog when he thinks I am not around. Anyway, I found a small black lump on his face (under the fuzz) on Saturday while I was grooming him. Took him to the vet this morning and he suggested I keep an eye on it but it might only be a wart. I hope that's right. Also got the vet to look at his eyes, which I was pretty sure were starting to fail. Yep - cataracts in both eyes. I know it's a normal part of ageing but I feel really sad about it. I kind of knew because there was a reflection coming back from his eyes and he's been doing some funny things at times, but it's different when it is confirmed by a vet. Seems more final. There have been some funny instances over the past few months of him running the wrong way to find us in the park or on the beach. There was one day when my sister and I were in hysterics as he has run around in circles to where he thought we must be - and then kept running in different directions randomly until we were able to intercept him. But they're poignant moments, too, aren't they? I gather cataracts progress and he might now go blind. I also know most old dogs cope with blindness really well. Honestly he is coping really well at the moment (in spite of the fact that I suspect his hearing is fading a bit also). At home you wouldn't even notice most of the time. We won't be doing any surgery on him. It's not hurting him and I don't think it would be right.

I use equinade whitening also. I really like it, but also agree it is a bit drying (on my hands too) so not for use every week and with my dogs' coats I use a conditioning rinse afterwards. But I have a bichon and poodle x - very different coat texture so you might have a different experience. I also use groomers EPO - much more moisturising and more soothing for my hands also.

Thanks all! I was so nervous last night I didn't even realise I'd forgotten to eat tea until about 11:30. No wonder I had a headache. And yes Dova you did say you wouldn't take any crap from me and you are right Zamba responds so much to my body language and moving confidently is very important. We were already signed up for Novice again in 2 weeks (and yes I think I'll probably still have a smile on my face). Now that I can relax a bit, I think we'll take a gamble on our retrieve in the ring and see how that works out. Here is a video of today's updated version of the 2 food game to make up for no videos of the trial ring.

Pebbles came so close last night. I think her heeling was the best in the ring. Certainly the best that I saw. I'm sooooo sorry no I didn't get a video. Kicking myself now. I actually went to sleep (literally) in the afternoon and came very close to missing the start of the trial altogether. Zamba and I ended up running (sprinting) out of the house to arrive 1 hours drive later in Gawler just in time for the close of vetting. No video, no photos. Bummer. Next time I will need to be more organised!