FranVT

I have held the D3000 but not navigated the menus. I preferred the feel of it to the Canon equivalent. Doggy portraits, people, maybe SOME landscapes (great views etc), travel photos sure when I plan some travel But yes a lot of doggy things. Also music events that I run, I'd like to take band photos and stuff.

They don't suffer in the heat because of their fur. They don't need heaps of grooming. They're not 'long haired GSDs'

Okay so in the next couple of weeks I'm going to be getting my first dSLR with some of the proceeds of my car sale (after paying off some debts of course ). I'm paying cash for it. I've decided on a Nikon and probably have around $1300 to spend, give or take. I have been highly recommended the D3000 with the twin VR lens kit (18-55 VR and 55-200 VR). I've found this camera and kit for approximately $950 (give or take) so that is a pretty good price really. Seeing that I have a couple of hundred dollars spare, should I upgrade to the D5000 or get some gear? A few people have told me that places like Ted's will throw in a bag and some filters usually. Thoughts? Also is there a 'user friendly' site that explains all the different lenses and what environments they're best for?

Argh, I should have just entered even though I was pretty sure I was going to be away.

Okay thanks becks. I'll ask them if they mind if I just work on stand. She is too good at sit, you're right, she sits in the correct position as soon as I stop walking so there's no problem there.

I did have fun, everyone was really lovely and the judge was incredibly patient and good-natured. Thank goodness, or you can bet your bottom dollar I wouldn't go back to another show, I don't have time for that stuff

Well looks like I'll be at this show after all. Why didn't I just put in my bloody entries I should have known my weekend away would be effed up somehow (by incompetent car dealers this time). Would have been such good practice I suppose it's too late even for Open entries?

This made me laugh so much, oh B! You are a character! I can just imagine that 'my god I've done it!' glint in his eye! This makes me feel better about my "umm, sweetie, can you just stop grasping her so I can have a feel around under all that lovely fluff?" moment on Saturday

Thanks Craig! I meant to reply to your message but I forgot because I was asleep when I got it I may need to get a lift with you yet, stupid car company in Bris mightn't have my Jeep ready Are you taking a tent? LOL - that's fine. A lift out to the ag is fine - just let me know. I'm heading out early that morning. I'll have the gazebo in the car so there'll be plenty of shade Cool Are we staying overnight?

I will definitely be working up to that, at the moment getting her to stand at all is a challenge though!

Off topic is exactly what it sounds like - non-dog related stuff All kindsa stuff gets talked about in OT, why, I think I'm gonna go there right now!

Ohh I see! What a fantastic idea! Some people are incredibly clever!

I am dumbfounded, I truly am in the presence of greatness, there's no way Miss WriggleFluffBum would keep one paw on that for even a second

But .. but .. do you put one foot at a time up there? I just don't understand you must be a dog whisperer of some kind!

Thanks Craig! I meant to reply to your message but I forgot because I was asleep when I got it I may need to get a lift with you yet, stupid car company in Bris mightn't have my Jeep ready Are you taking a tent? ... How do you get dogs to stand on those things? Luuka would lose her sh*t completely if I tried to make her do that sorry, my mind must be in the gutter today or is it the way you worded it ? I had to clamp my hand over my mouth quick smart to stop the huge disgusting snortylol from erupting all over the waiting room full of patients then :laugh:

Okay great. Once she is firmly trained in obedience then I would think it's simply a matter of using the 'stand' command at the end of the triangle rather than saying nothing and having the dog sit?

Just a tip, you don't turn to face her immediately at the end of the triangle so don't do it for the stand. Face the same direction as her and offer the treat from the back of your left hand. Different body cues from you may help her to realise she's not to sit. If you keep the food forward of her nose and move it forward if she goes to sit, she should get it quickly. Cue the stand from a walk.. then from a trot. Only when she is stable in the stand should you turn to face her. Okay that is helpful, thanks! I have another question, I start obedience training beginners class next week, should I be asking them if I can be excused from sit work or suck it up? HAHAHAHAhahahaaaa ahhh. See, I'm part of the problem. Fixed!

Stand first. Once the behaviour is reliable, work on extending duration. Coach yourself and your parents to reward ONLY the stand. If you didnt' have to pick her up because she wouldn't move, you did better than me at my first show! The lady I was with who had teeny tiny 14 week old Pomeranians had trouble with that, little puppy was a bit overwhelmed so didn't move! When I was helping the German Spitz lady with her 6 month old GS puppy he was behind the biggest Great Dane I've seen in my life for her group, it was pretty funny, he was a teeny bit overwhelmed! I have told the mums that sit no longer exists, stand only!

Hehehe ohhh those bullies! I will keep practicing, thanks for that! I just don't think she's connecting the food with standing up, one day the penny will drop I'm sure!

valleyCBR she is quite good at watch so I'll use that too!

You're quite right pf, Luuka had already been taught a strong sit before I even got her so it was the first thing she learned. I'm going to get some BBQ chicken and shred it up, it's her favourite, and work on it twice a day adding in a stay. I think adding the stay will really help. PF in that case do I reward the stand itself or the stand/stay?

Thanks lm! I'm also bringing her to Brisbane with me this weekend (probably), and we're going to visit Aunty Melissa on Saturday so I'm sure she will give me lots of awesome tips too

Okay so Luuka and I went to our first show on Saturday. It was really fun and we were 'adopted' by a lovely Pomeranian breeder and her husband and daughter, daughter had 2 German Spitz so that was really cool! Fellow Spitzers! Anyway, they gave me some tips and the steward was lovely and so was the judge but I am really struggling with teaching her to stand. Lately (last month or so) I've been doing a couple of short training sessions in stand every day, absolutely no sit-work, asking her to stand and when she does, treating her. So what happens is she takes the treat and immediately sits whilst munching on it! Is there any point correcting her after the treat-point? She is so determined to sit that even when I have my hand underneath her belly, she is pushing down on my hand trying to sit. This happened in the ring, she trotted around beautifully with her head up but as soon as we stopped she sat, I had to try to hold her up and in doing so obstructed the judge, ARGH, so embarrassing It's not her fault it's mine, I know that 100% and we still had so much fun and we still got BoB The judge was extremely complimentary and thought she was a real character and a lovely looking bitch What do you do with a dog that just really likes sitting? Yet another way in which she is the total opposite of Atlas - he loved to stand, we should have showed him but the ex wasn't a DQ member

Crap I thought it was Sunday, sorry I'll be driving back to Rocky on Monday :D It's an 8 hour drive otherwise I would stay for it or if it was in the morning I'd go but I can't stay til that late, drive home then go to work in the morning on Tues ;)

I have PM'd Rocco! Even if she doesn't need anymore doggies or doesn't need a lappie I'd still love to come and meet you guys!