ish

Imy, if you don't think your dogs are overweight and don't want them to be the correct lean build that others are suggesting, why did you bother asking here? It seems like you have asked, disagreed and argued with everyone about the condition of your dogs. Ultimately, they're your dogs and their weight is in your control.

Bugger, the KCC one is the Best Friends Retreat weekend, isn't it?

Where on earth is Lysterfield? How come the proof of vaccination thing? My dog is due now but she's currently very sick and at the vets so I can't get her done just yet. Should be right by then I hope. I only ask because it hasn't been the case at any of the other K9 Force workshops I've been to - just wondered whats different?

Geez that would make life easy wouldn't it? The only time my dogs complain about having a prong on is when I'm trying to take it off them - they're obviously meant for big man hands to undo! Let me know if you track a quick release style prong down please KK, I would be interested.

I use talc/powder, dust a bit on them, give it a good brush through and wipe them over with a damp towel to pick up any thats left over - quick, easy, cheap and make them smell really nice.

Could you please give me the details of the ebay store, I like the idea of having a lead with a name on it for trials. I'm not even going to count the number of leads I have, but I think it would be well over 30!! My K9 Force one is by far my favourite.

What you do is, get yourself a good slicker brush and an undercoat rake and invest in a few acres of land - I have 6 acres, one for each GSD and thats usually enough room to get rid of all the fur This is Cindy after one good brush during her moult.

Hehehe my boss is going to kill me - three days off for the K9 Force events and then the DOL holiday!! 2tollers, I won't be able to make my direct desposit until next week - will you be able to hold my place please or do I need to sell an internal organ over the weekend?

I had my PM written out and was about to send it when I remembered that date looked familiar - its the Best Friends Retreat DOL holiday What time will the workshop go to, do you think? Also, will Steve be doing private consultations do you know?

Oh bugger, another one I missed - entries already closed I assume?

Even show GSDs have to be gun sure - are they going to go around to shows and fine everyone for subjecting the poor dogs to starting pistols? The $5000 GSD who sustained 'psychological problems' must've had good nerves. Is it correct in saying e collars are illegal in NSW? I thought they were ok there, but not in Vic?

K9 I NEED a private consult when you're in Ballarat or Melbourne, how do I go about booking one?

BUMP!! I'll be there with Indi, who might be grouchy as she's due to come into season, but I'll chuck her in the car if she's naughty - hopefully she'll be too busy watching that plastic bag!! Oh and I will be taking a million photos with my new camera :rolleyes:

Another year has gone by without Bayliss by my side. Feels like it was yesterday he was sick and I left him with the vet - but at the same time alot has happened in these 3 years. I hope Bailey knows how often I think of him and how high he set the bar for what I expect temperament wise in my dogs and pups I breed. Although he was never used at stud, Baileys bloodlines are right through my breeding program through his 'almost sister' Cindy, mum of Checa and Desmo, and his niece Chili. As unlucky as I feel I am, to lose Bayliss the way I did - I feel equally as lucky to have fluked such a special dog first up, cementing my thoughts that GSDs are the breed for me. Aside from all that, I was exceptionally lucky to have him as my best mate, even for a short time. Bayliss, I know that your final resting place is a few hundred k's away from where I live now but you're always close by in my heart. We wondered if you and Zac would've been friends, if you had met, and I think you would have - so take care of each other. Don't break the squeakers in his squeaky star straight away mate, and Zac, don't heatbutt Bailey too much. You boys have broken my heart but I take comfort in knowing you have each other, plus Monsty who you both adored. I miss you Bailey, you'll always be my special boy

Thankyou for all the hugs and words of support - they mean alot to me.

Its almost three years to the day since Bayliss left me for the rainbow bridge, and he must've gotten lonely because today Zac went to join him Zac and I had a connection from since he was a little pup, his breeders asked my opinion of his litter at 6 weeks and Zac was my pick. They ran on him and his brother, I helped with his show training as he grew. When Zac was 6 months old, he was sold. After a month, his new owner needed to go overseas so Zac came to live with me and my dogs for 7 months, including the move to Ballarat. He went home again for a few months before the option came up for me to buy him, which I did. He'd been living on a chain with very little attention and I thought I owed it to Zac to find him the home he deserved. A few months ago Zac went to live with the best mate of one of my puppy buyers. He was the only dog, spoilt rotten and enjoying the life he'd been waiting so long for. They loved him and I was so happy for him, he came out to visit and have a run with his girlfriend Tiger every now and then. Last week Zac came for a holiday while his owners were away. My dogs are sick with a virus, but it wasn't thought to be serious. Zac started throwing up Friday night, I assumed he had the bug the others had, but when he continued throwing up after being fasted, I got worried. He saw the vet today, had surgery - but just like Bayliss, his intestines had twisted over and he wasn't able to be saved. Zac was a big dopey boofhead, typical male who loved to run and play bitey games, especially with the girls. He loved everyone, never had a cross word to say to another dog despite what they thought of him but cats were another story! He's burried here, in my house yard, with his tennis ball and squeaky star. I will make a beautiful garden for him and Baileys rock, and sit and remember two of the most beautiful GSDs ever created. I'm so sorry mate, I must've done something very wrong to lose you and Bailey like this - the vet said in his 28 years of being a vet, he'd seen only one other case and I've lost 2 dogs the same way in a couple of years. Run free, chase those pesky cats RIP Zac Attack Kardin Pink Panther 24/5/04 - 16/7/06 Farewell also to my sweet bunny girls Suzi and Saki who died as a result of my carelessness - I didn't double check the door was shut and Chili got to them while I was at the vets with Zac. I hope at the bridge you're allowed to eat as much sweet corn as you like and shred paper endlessly.

So sorry Rozzie They must need some special oldies at the bridge at the moment. Hope Daisy feels better soon and thats the end of your sad run.

The vet thinks its Corona virus (not sure if thats how you spell it) and doesn't seem particually worried, except for the grey puppy who I have to keep a close eye on. His hydration levels are ok for the moment but he'll be in trouble if it gets any worse. I've got a huge bottle of scourban and lecatade for their water. I've told work I'm not coming in and I'm going to bleach everything this afternoon. Currently just having a big sook like a girl that my babies, expecially Chili, are so sad :p

Boris refused his tea last night and seemed really dull also - didn't notice it before tea time probably because I was watching Chili and the pup like a hawk. Cindy and Demso both ate overnight but had horrible yucky poo overnight - they seem happy enough. Tiger and Checa both ate last night and their toilet this morning was good. They all had turkey necks on Saturday. Chili and the pup had chicken and rice for tea, neither of them ate much of the rice. Pup had a poo at about 2am, he strained and yelped but the result was a perfect poo! This morning though, back to liquid yellow mess. Chilis poop was just slop but not as bad as pups. Rang the vets, they said bring them all in but I don't have a trailer so taking Chili and the pup in this morning

Thanks Staffy-Lover, we'll go to the vet in the morning unless she's back to her full on, in your face, naughty self! Too quiet around here when shes sick. Its really unfortuate timing which is one of the reasons why I panicked - my first dog, who was Chili's uncle, died at 2 1/2 this month three years ago. Its silly though because Chili knows she has to live until at least 16 to make up for Bayliss leaving me so young

On thursday our new addition, a baby greyhound, arrived from NSW. He'd been in foster care for a week and came down in a crate inside the car (so as not to be exposed to pound dogs) with a dog transport company. He's 10 weeks old, but only had his first vaccination a week ago. Since he's been here, he's had the runs but I figured this was understandable considering his circumstances. He's happy as larry, as was his sister who came down with him and left my place for her new home this morning. Chili, my 2 1/2 year old GSD, came to an obedience trial yesterday. She was in good spirits and was hungry for treats. Last night she had a turkey neck for tea. Sometime during the night, she threw up - it contained mushed up turkey neck. I didn't discover this until this morning when I offered her another for breakfast and she refused it - VERY unlike her. Her toilet this mornng was a bit soft but still formed. She is also very 'flat' and just laying around where she'd usually be running around with toys. She ate a bite of ecopet loaf at lunch time but left most of it. She's been laying/asleep all afternoon. She had some rice and boiled chicken just now, ate the chicken out but left the rice - didn't seem very hungry and didn't beg for my tea like she usually does. Mainly is just her behaviour is very out of character. Tell me I'm silly to be thinking the greyhound has parvo and Chili now has it. I know thats very extreme but I just want to rule it out in my head - I'm very stressed

I'm not telling, that will give you even more of an excuse to laugh at me! Tiger is 5, I've had her since she was 2 1/2 and she started obedience then too. Shes always done well, we've been trialing for at least a year in encouragement and then novice. She's brilliant and we ALWAYS get comments from spectators about how amazing her heel work is - but I'm yet to work out if its my nerves, her nerves or a combination of both at trials that makes us come unstuck. We've got one pass towards our CD. In the first trial, she was really scatty - I think it threw her doing off lead stuff right from the start because she was heeling out wide and late to halt etc where she's usually so switched on when I think about stopping she's already sitting! I really don't know what happened with her recall in the first trial - there was some noise from the ring next door but that doesn't usually throw her. She's very sensitive. Last year when we trialled at Geelong, we'd been having a recall problem (she'd go straight to finish, rather than sit infront) and it got to the point that she'd just not recall, or wait for a 2nd call, because she hated either being told off or not getting praise for getting it wrong. At last years morning trial, she didn't come at all when I called her, in the second trial I tried using "Tiger ..... Come!" but she came on Tiger Since then though, she's done all her recalls perfectly - maybe she remembered the place from last year? No idea what possessed her to not sit for her 2nd recall - she came on my call really well, got to about 3 meters away from me and started slinking in like she'd been told off, then just stood there. She finished, and the judge said at least we scored some points but then the silly bugger decided to lay down in her sit stay - something she's NEVER done before even in training. Oh well. Chili is 2 1/2 and has been training from 8 weeks, with a break from 12 months to 2 years because she was just too hard to train, too distracted and no focus. She's been better since she hit 2 but then we had to work out some fear aggression issues after Tiger attacked her etc so its been slow going. She's just a late maturing dog. We've been working exclusively on the prong collar for about a month and its done wonders for her focus. I entered her in the trial knowing that she wasn't going to do all that well, but wanting the experience and to see where she was up to - its hard to replicate that kind of situation at training, especially at a breed club. I still wasn't sure yesterday morning if she'd be trialled, but after doing some work when we got there, I decided to give it a shot. Well, as you can see above, as soon as she was back on the martingale collar, she didn't give a hoot about what I said. People must've wondered why on earth I entered a dog who had never had an obedience lesson in her life!! On the plus side, she didn't nick off to join the dog doing its retrieve next door, during her off lead recall, although she did run past me and came back. She also stayed for her stays, but she dropped in her sit stay. I was happy with just that, I thought when the mini poodle next to her broke she'd be up like a flash but she just watched. Dunno what my next step is with her, without the prong she's useless! Thanks for all laughing at me :cool: Glad you found it as funny as I did...well when I got home and looked at the photos I thought it was funny, not so much as it was happening! Thanks to my sister Phoenix for taking the photos and being my helper at the trial.

Chili in CCD this afternoon Perfect heeling, look at how she's attached to my leg and note the nice loose lead Such focus The halt The down "Aww hello, you look like a nice lady - can I've a pat?" Such focus (on the ring next door) "Psst - when we get home I am going to cut you up into little pieces and feed you to the cats"

Thats right, no photos :cool: "Oh yeah, I'm supposed to run over to her when she says "Come!", damn, she wont be happy now!!" "Judge, may I please throttle my dog now?" This afternoon - as above except for recall Whats wrong with this picture - yes thats right, she's supposed to SIT in front of me "Ah poo - again" Chili next....

Tiger in Novice this morning Beautiful heeling Halt Excercise finished - Yay!! "How am I doing? Sitting on a pass? Excellent" Recall . . . . . . . .