RallyValley

PMed you Snook :)

Do you need some help with the editing side of things? I'd be happy to either try and guide you through what you want to do if I know how to use the software you've got or else do the editing for you if you know what you want changed, although not sure if there are any rules about that type of assistance in the group? I'm not sure if it's allowed either. And I have Pixelmator (Mac's cheapo Photoshop) so I think I'm like the only one who uses it I will probably just post it undited and get someone to fix it for me (I just need to get rid of some flyaway hair).

Ok in Australia we have Retrieving Trails, open to all gun dog breeds and for Utility Gundogs like Weimaraner's you are eligible to compete in Utility Gundog Field trials. Retrieving trials are not something I know too much about but they involve a series of challenging water and land retrieves with game. Utility Gundog field trials are pretty much like a day hunting where you are judged. The dogs need to hunt in braces (so pairs), how far dogs range out depends on breed - as each breed has a diffrent style - but about 70-120m is standard. The dogs should quarter over the ground and work with the wind. If a dog finds a bird it must point and hold steady, the bracemate must also go on point or 'honour' the pointing dog without any command from the handler. If your dog fails to go on point and runs past the dog on point 'stealing' their bird you are disqualified from the trial. The handler will then walk calmly to the dog on point and the judge will instruct them to allow the dog to flush the bird. Sometimes when the handler tells the dog to flush the bird has moved, the dog will not be penalised for roaring up on the scent however if there is no bird the dog is penalised. Once the bird is flushed the dog must stop still, the handler or a gun steward shoots the game (in some states, in others a blank is fired) and if there is a downed bird the dog must retrieve on the judges command, present the bird to the handler then heel to the judge who is presented with the bird to inspect if the dog has caused any damage. While all this is happening the bracemate must stand still. To pass a trial the dog must both find, point and produce a bird, honour another dogs point and complete a minimum of two retrieves. At the end of the trail the dog must complete a water retrieve to show they are capable of retrieving in water too.

I have one picture... I need to do some editing to it but I don't know how to edit... The other two will happen... But this might be a bit of a dud set for me!

It might be an idea to look into Brittanys too :) They are medium sized dogs, similar to a BC, smaller then an Aussie. All the ones I have met are friendly with other dogs and people, especially kids. Being gundogs they have very soft mouths and are intelligent and biddable. Mine does not live with children but is great with them, she has been handled by young kids in junior handlers for showing and was willing to work for them despite being a typical 'mummy's girl'. Considering how few Brittanys are around they are numerically quite well represented in dog sports. My Brittany is exceptionally well laid back, they are generally more relaxed then some other gun dogs. They do need exercise, mine gets a walk most days and a few small training sessions a day to exercise her brain. If she does not get the walk or the exercise she will make her own fun by chewing on her toys or shredding any paper items left laying around :laugh: The biggest 'con' with Britts as they do need good recall training. As once they switch into hunting mode they can forget their hearing.

It was a great day Here are some of shots. I don't know any of the bird names so I won't even guess :laugh: IMG_4428 by rallyvalley, on Flickr IMG_4539 by rallyvalley, on Flickr IMG_4789 by rallyvalley, on Flickr

How awesome!! Yay Louis!! Nice shots too - I also love the smiley one :)

Ive been thinking about this theme and have decided to really put myself out there, challenge myself. And when that fails miserably use photos of Zora :laugh:

I am very sad for this dog and the family. However I am shocked at the lack of compassion from some people, it is quite likely the man that did this is mentally very sick. I don't think people should be killed if they have mental issues, they should be incarcerated for their crimes and given treatment.

Yes I was up into the wee hours of the morning watching Gundog breed judging then watched live streaming of the Groups and BIS today. A few Aussies did well, including an Aussie bred Wei going select bitch, the Aussie Lowchen BOB and I think the Group 2 Puli was Australian too...

I'm going to try and get one human shot to challenge myself.... To me portraits mean like posed - is that right?

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: I don't really do people either :) Makes it a little easier

Do they have to be human portraits :laugh:

I can trace my girl all the way back to this dog Potic II a very famous dog who sired one of the first exports to the US and along some lines even further back! Easily to within 10 years of the first registered Britts in the Country of Origin! :) Very lucky to have two great breed databases

I love going to the duck pond. And if she does really well as a 'jackpot' she gets told to go in and 'find a duck'

Ohhhh I might start contributing too if it's ok :) I got home an my dog was on a road trip with mum and dad, so instead of doing the training I wanted I played with one of my vintage macro lenses, my Tamron Adaptall-2 35-70mm f/3.5. I'm pretty happy with this one

That was awesome to read clicking mad! It's been great for me too. Even though I've lived in WA my whole life I have never been to Penguin Island, so it's helping me see more of WA :thumbsup: I took some back up shots too in case Penguin Island turned out to be a dud (that is literally not possible - I have never seen so many birds in my whole life ) I love the challenge of trying something new and thinking creatively :)

I biked Zora 5kms this evening. And then I got home and ordered a new bike seat online, one with padding :laugh: I recently got a Walkydog, so awesome! It's a shame they can't be used in the ET.

I got my shots today!! Here is one I can't use because this bird was in the captive enclosure, just a teaser for the 'real' thing :)

And ACT :) :thumbsup:

I'm missing my 100 days!! Since I 'retired' I have only missed 2 days

Today I received an adaptor to let me use some lenses my dad gave me a while ago. My dad brought them in around 1980 - before he even met my mum - when he had a passion for photography. They are all in pristine condition and served him faithfully until he gave up taking photos when my brother and I hit our teens and became camera shy. It was a bit of a challenge as there was no interaction at all between the lens and camera - the aperture is set manually on the lens, it was full manual focus and the exposure meter was not working so it was a mixture of guesswork & trial and error while playing with shutter speeds and ISO. These were all taken with a Tamron Adaptall-2 70-210mm f/3.4-4 MACRO with a 2xTC

Ive used RGB for canvases and prints and have been really happy with the quality and service :)

For the ANKC to retain creibility it shouldn't "encourage" members to break the law by turning a blind eye to it either. Anyone who is a showie would have heard chinese whispers similar to the allegations made of deliberate tail breaking to enable a "legal" operation to take place. The more the people whispered the louder it became. This proposal is the reaction of one delegate to the noise. It remains to be seen if others think the same way. It does seem a remarkable coincidence that the breeds most affected by the dreaded tail breakinjg syndrome are those of the previously docked variety however. "Chinese whispers" is often invoked as a metaphor for cumulative error, especially the inaccuracies as rumours or gossip spread, or, more generally, for the unreliability of human recollection. Would ANKC retain any credibility if it acted each time there was a wave of "chinese whispers" circulating within the dog world ? As a long time enthusiast of a breed affected by the change in docking laws I can tell you that there is high degree of heritability of kinks and bends in tails. I believe that this is actually one of the numerous reasons that my breed was docked originally, not just the "injury during work" argument. I also believe that these kinks are polygenic and that there is not just a single gene responsible for it. This makes it hard to breed away from. I have one particular bloodline which will always produce one or two puppies in a litter with kinks or deviations in the tail. I still retain that bloodline because of the many other desirable points within it which I believe are more valuable to the breed than possessing a perfectly straight tail. Since the change in docking laws I have needed to dock only 2 tails because of severe kinks that would lead to problems. However I can see how certain breeds, and bloodlines within those breeds, may have reached a point genetically where there was a large number of puppies born with kinks that would be a problem in adult life. The current tail docking laws retain the ability for these pups to be docked legally ie theraputically. It's quite possible that the supposed "large numbers" of dogs still appearing in the rings have come from quality bloodlines that do regularly produce a heritable form of kinked tails. In days past, this would not have been a problem because these tails would have been tradionally docked. With the current situation breeders and those who wish to obtain a quality dog would be faced with the possibility of moving away from those bloodlines and attempting to breed tails that are perfectly straight. Not an easy task if the gene pool for that breed is heavily saturated with the gene(s) which produce the undesirable trait. Also contributing to the percieved "large numbers" of docked dogs still appearing in the rings is the fact that the docking laws in Western Australia have only recently been changed (mid 2010) to remove the reference to prophylactic docking. Until that point there were many breeders all over Australia taking the option of prophylactic docking in W.A. Dogs that were prophylactically docked in that state would only now be reaching their prime as show dogs and I assume that they will still be appearing in the rings all over Australia for many years to come. I do believe what you believe is incorrect. Rubbish actually. But let's get one thing quite clear , I am pro tail docking. However I cringe at the inane excuses put forward that tail docking is a necessary for anything other than a medical emergency. A whole litter of puppies? Give us a break. Puppy has a crooked tail? Bad luck. Doesn't cut the mustard The story of a working dog running loose in a paddock & coming home with a broken tail. What that has to do with an ANKC registered dog is totally irrelevent. How many real working dogs actually compete in ANKC sanction events? If the answer is more than none I would be surprised. Face the facts people, lame arsed excuses aren't going to fly. They never have, they never will. What ever lame excuse you wish to put forward as to why a breed was previously docked is no longer valid. Reinterate. IMO this proposal is to distance the ANKC from any controversy regarding docked dogs. One in, all in. Or, more to the point. One out, all out. And would be too blame for this situation? Only those who are trying, have tried, have succeed to circumvent the law. They are the betrayers. A question. Have you personally witness a source of a chinese whisper relating to this topic? I have. About a year, give or take a month or two after the law was enacted, I attended a show where three baby puppy Swedish Valhunds, all litter mates, were competeing against each other. All were docked. The story was the whole litter suffered tail damage & were legally docked. You just can't help bad luck! Just where do you think Utility Gundogs find quails if not paddocks on farms? The dog I was talking about is actually a show titled Gundog

I don't think it's so much of a coincidence -any of the dogs docked previously were docked to prevent injuries and now they aren't they get those injuries. Woking dogs and dogs in kennels are much more likely to injure thier tails. I know of one dog that was running around on the farm and came back with a broken tail - the owner did not want to dock but eventually had to choose between her dogs life or loosing the end of its tail.