Nik

Definitely pick up poo from everywhere. But especially a footpath! There are some people where I live who let their dogs defecate in the main shopping strip and then leave it for everyone to walk in- once it was right outside a shop door! The one time my girl 'had to go' on a footpath I was mortified, picked it up (as always) but there was a mark left on the footpath (why my council decided that bitumen footpaths with a rather coarse topcoat would be good for a shopping area is beyond me). I went to a cafe and asked for a bucked of hot soapy water and washed it away!

I still haven't taken video of myself and Annie- it would be hideous! I don't really throw them around, but sometimes my leg will kick out slightly or my elbow will go out. I think it was too many years of ballet!

Something I do in fast pace (and sometimes in normal) is throw my arms or legs around. I've always been a bit unco, but it sends Annie out wide. I have to really concentrate on keeping my turns neat and tidy, arms and legs tucked in. Maybe the same is happening for you?

There's an orphaned lamb at our farm I'm looking after at the moment called Plough. Because he was hit with one as a baby and survived. Plucky little thing even chased after it!

I've started teaching Annie the speak on command exercise as she'll bark when someone knocks at the door. All I have to do is knock on something and she goes off. Was VERY easy to fade the knock, but now she's barking a lot more :sigh: Might have to look at retrieve, however the food refusal skill could be handy as she like to beg for food from other tables when I go to my local cafe ( and the waiters save her bacon and sausages) However I do need those Open passes first… at least you're nearly there wuffles.

I met a Jack Russell called Chops the other day. He's so cute and the name suits him.

Kelly, border collie x kelpie almost 16 years PTS with heart failure Kelly, Aussie terrier (yes same name, when I met my now husband our dogs had the same name!) 17.5 PTS due to septicaemia

I think as long as I can provide a proper home for them (i.e. training and exercise) I will have Aussie Shepherds. Then I'm going to switch to rescue greyhounds, so they can be couch potatoes with me in my old age :) That said, I could have another Aussie terrier again one day.....

Congrats. They're lovely.

I had to go to the beach near Sandringham yacht club yesterday for something with my son, so I took my dog for company whilst he was busy. Turned out the beach on the city side was offleash 24/7! Not a very nice beach, but there was only us and one other dog. Annie had a great time. Kirislin looks like your dogs had a great time. Might go there today if the weather is nice again.

Just wanted to write about how much fun I had learning herding at the Trudy Viklund clinic in Nyora . I especially loved the "lightbulb" moment my girl had (as well as the perfect recall past the sheep hopefully that will translate towards obedience trials!) It was great to meet a few of you there, and I've now found a new hobby to take up more of my limited time. But I'm determined to get some herding titles on my girl now... looking at the photos I could see how much she enjoyed it too!

Oh come on! It's hardly her fault!

This is on my to do list this year too... It was on last years too, but Annie decided that being in season was better than the ET I had marked out for us! She could do it tomorrow. Me on the other hand could not . Rode my bike last month for the first time in aaaages and ended up with a really sore butt. Probably only did about 10km, so need to work on my endurance. The legs were willing, but my seat wasn't. Might have to invest in one of those gel type seats!

We were down at Woodside Beach last weekend, and the camping ground there definitely allows dogs, as does the beach. It's at the start of the Ninety Mile Beach, between Sale and Yarram. Pretty part of the world, but definitely pack the insect repellent- we were eaten alive by sandflies! We stayed nearby in Port Albert though, which is all mangroves and estuary system and the buggers were everywhere- even poor Annie is covered in bites all over her belly and her ears.

I'm doing the midweek one, as there's apparently more beginners in that one! I'll look for you in your pink floppy hat

I'm excited as we're doing the clinic too- our first foray into "proper" herding (I'm not counting the few times at our farm as that was totally different -several hundred sheep and newborn lambs one time- and it was also totally instinct on her behalf! ) I'm really looking forward to learning how to herd properly. Hopefully we meet a few of you there.

Hi Sky If you are on a peninsula then the front beach is the ocean side and the back beach is the bay or river side. Other times, like the Williamstown penisnula, the front beach is the bay beach and the back beach is the river beach. Manly in NSW is another good example. Both beaches are in the harbour so the main beach is the front beach. Back beaches tend to be much grungier. Px Opposite way around in the Mornington peninsula! Back beaches are ocean side, front beaches are on the bay! Williamstown peninsula only has one beach really, there's no beach on the river side. Where I walk my dog in Williamstown is offleash all year round, and at low tide we get a lovely beach and swimming hole for the dogs. Its right next to the Williamstown football ground. Or if you want to venture a little further west, Altona dog beach can be lovely- best again at low tide as the sand then stretches for about 100 metres into what is water at low tide. Dogs just love it.

Are you in the western suburbs like me PME? Can I ask how long it took you to get there? This is something I've been wanting to do for ages, and I think I'll take the time to go next year- obedience can take back stage for a bit.

We were at the same trial Murve, and I saw you but didn't go over as you were about to go in for stays, and then it was all kind of over! Same sort of luck for us- won a prize in the raffle but not so good in the ring. Ended up on 168 NQ. But for our first trial in CDX I was really happy with Annie. We only dropped 4 points in heeling, none in the retrieves, a substantial in DOR (18/30 as she dropped at my feet!) but got 0 for broad jump as she cut the corner. I was happy I decided to do stays for practice, as she did them perfectly, especially as it was our first out of sight stays in a trial setting. Next year should be fabulous!

As if you'd be a let down I have found Ava to be the most amazing "learners" dog sports dog, so I can only imagine what more experienced handlers can do with them ;) Ditto to this.

Congrats wuffles! Must be something about those Aussie Shepherds... We were awarded the same at our club, plus top dog of the year! What a great introduction to the world of obedience has my wonderful girl Annie been! She's only a little older than Ava too- 2 1/2 tomorrow

Oooh, I'd love another Aussie! Send him over to Vic please We've got our first foray into cdx this weekend and I'm starting to feel a little nervous! Decided to ditch distance control for this one (grrr with creeping forward) and do broadjump. Just have to pray she doesn't jump on the springboards! *touch wood* she hasn't for a while!

Aussie Shepherd! Ours lives happily in a house with 4 young boys, and shares the yard with chickens. She will happily laze on the couch all day if it's raining or I'm busy, and is equally up for a long walk/run. The most she's gone without a walk is three days, and she wasn't bouncing off the walls at all! She is my first dog that I've trained in obedience, and both of us are loving it and doing really well. And she's definitely "different" looking- we are constantly stopped down the street by people asking what kind of dog she is! But definitely look into the different lines- not all are cruisy- there's one at my dog park who really needs 2 good runs a day or she destroys things

It's funny now that I've entered a trial, everything is falling apart! She's dodging around the solid jump, looking at me like I've grown another head in distance control, anticipating the drop on recall and dropping in the sit stay!!!! Oh, and the other day ended up on my right side after a left about turn! Guess we'd better get in some practise before the 4th!!!! The only thing that's working is the broad jump- she used to jump on the boards, but I think we've almost cured that (thanks kallistar!!!)

Well done! Great score too