RallyValley

Got a tie tonight!! The stud was like a different dog, I guess he could tell she was ready :)

Things have progressed quickly here and been really full on. Zora went to the stud Wednesday but wouldn't stand. On Thursday she was progesterone tested at 7.1 and she stood but unfortunately the stud dog was interested but not interested enough. We had quite a few attenpts but no direct hits. Yesterday I had the stud dog with me, he was mildly interested but was a bit homesick. I took both dogs to a repro vet, Zora had bloods taken for progesterone and the vet attempted to collect the stud. The stud just thought that was horrific and they only managed to get a small initial sample. The sample showed a bit of a low count but the vet said that could be expected when cleaning him out. They rested him for around 40 mins and tried for another sample but he was just way too freaked out about the whole situation by then. Unfortunately the stud dog has been told off for showing interest in girls and is a very biddable dog. So when people are too close he won't attempt to mate her. This makes it hard to help him. In a few hours I will be getting the latest progesterone results and discussing with the repro vet what the next step is.

I'm happy to continue on but maybe we can make it once a month to make it easier? I also haven't yet shot this theme due to moving house

Showdog there is no other dog I would want to use right now, so I don't see the point in testing the dog. If Zora fails to fall pregnant then I will test the dog. I would need to prog Zora regardless to know when to mate her, since she wont have free access to the stud dog, only visits to him. Zora went to the vet yesterday and had an external exam and slide done. She was back today and had bloods drawn for progesterone testing. The difference in the slide from yesterday and today was huge and her walls have really started sloughing off.

Thanks ish and poocow! I will have to ring around but I think convenience might win out in the end...

Thanks puglvr! I got a quote for progesterone testing today at my usual vet - around $70. I don't know if thats excessive...

I own a Brittany and could not be happier with the choice. I will never own another breed now. I have also owned a pet shop 'Border Collie' in the past and a Kelpie x, so I am used to active breeds. Britts do require physical and mental stimulation to keep them happy. Zora usually gets a walk in the morning of around 30 mins to an hour and at least 2 or 3x5 min games or training sessions a day. They love to be with their family but also love to explore new places and sniff things out. They are clever and give back what you put in as far as obedience goes, so if you make an effort to train your dog and work on it's recall you will have a beautifully obedient dog with a good recall. They are biddable and loyal but not one of these gundogs that tries to crawl into your skin and has to follow you everywhere. All Britts I have met are mentally sound - so no anxiety, agression etc - but almost all the dogs I have met were socialised well from the start. Britts are bred to hunt, point and retrieve game. Unlike Springers there is no working/show divide although you will find within the breed there are different lines that look and act a little bit different. In comparison to the herding type breeds I have owned Zora is far more laid back. I think the best way for you to decide would be to go out and meet the breeds because a herding dog and a gundog have very different natures.

All the rules are here http://www.ankc.org.au/Rules.aspx

I have decided to start a thread to record my first attempted litter (with lots of photos included of course). I think it will be nice to share the experience with a group of likeminded people and get all your great advice. Zora came into season yesterday, only a few weeks late at 7 months since her last season. I am so excited about this potential litter and so is Zora's breeder. I am using a mature stud dog that lives fairly locally but will be doing progesterone testing to maximise the chance of conception. I have been getting supplies ready since last year and the only thing I still need is a whelping box. I don't want to jinx things so will amend the title of the thread as needed :)

Sorry to hear that kja I would also enjoy guest contributions if you are able to.

Never heard that before! Gold

So cute! :D

Thanks guys. Zora's back to white again now

Your local horse store will have long lines, you can get basic ones for around $10 or $15.

So tired now Sadly my dog is the white one...

And Elli's cheeky play faces...

And some more of the girls playing:

We often have my brother's dog Elli over for play dates with my Brittany Zora. Elli is a Stafford that was given back to and then privately rehomed by her breeder, so she was 5 when she came to my brother. Zora has known Elli since she was 8 weeks old and absolutely adores her. They play wonderfully together, of course they always slobber all over each other and end up playing in the black dirt :laugh:

Looking forward to trying this theme :) Better dust my tripod off :laugh: Here is an 'outtake' from the last challenge, it was my fav pic but I didn't think it really showed any emotion... IMG_8785 by rallyvalley, on Flickr

I so agree with the sentiments of this thread. Last November I travelled interstate with my bitch and spent time with her breeder. Her breeder gave me awesome advice and handling tips, plus seeing my bitch hold her own in top company gave me a good confidence boost. After that I came home and showed her like she deserved to be a winner. In her second show after I came home she won an Intermediate in Group and the next event after that weekend was Puppy of the Year where she finished 6 points behind the Group 3 winner. We have had a couple of other shows since and even though we have not had any wins at group level I leave the ring on a high, knowing my girl looked awesome out there and we showed well. I find a short lead helps with folding it up and I don't need a massive long lead for my bitch. I also think we are at a point where we really 'gel' in the ring, we both know the routine now. It takes me less then 6 seconds to stack her up (I know, I have it on video), which I thinks really makes a difference. Here is my girl at Puppy of the Year, this was a candid taken in the line up.

Which OS are you running on your Mac? Why is the horizons hard to fix? Is the crop tool different? Jo you use a PC don't you? I am using OS X 10.8.2, it's a fairly new (brought in December 2012) Retina Pro. In Apeture to fix a horizon you click on the Horizon button, click to grab the picture and drag it either up or down until it is level, then release. I haven't used Lightroom before and when I tried to fix a Horizon there was some ruler and I wasn't quite sure what I was doing and I couldn't get it straight. Mac has a great level of functionality with Apeture and iPhoto and all my other applications "talk to" those ones when it comes to picture files, they don't seem to have the same level of 'conversation' with Lightroom.

I have it on Mac, I'm using it instead of Apeture. I find fixing horizons is a bit fiddly and its not as easy to share pics via Facebook or Flickr... Otherwise no big issues.

I'm going to take an extra day on this one I wish I had known the theme on the 6th when it was announced because I had the perfect chance for shots, I have been so busy this week, so tomorrow will be my first chance...

I will be coming Sunday to watch...

Yes I just realised I am going to the State Agility trial on the weekend, if I take pictures of people I have never personally spoken to is that a stranger? ETA - Just realised that is after the due date...