Casima

Ack I forgot it was a bit pricy to enter, especially with the vet check you have to have. I don't think I will be entering after all this year, my dog funds are running low due to all the agility training/trialing ive been paying atm. I'm sad that I wont be able to catch up with you Monolite

Ummm Orange still has obedience, or at least they did last week it is Sunday mornings start 9.30am I think, vetting from 9am. At the Waratah sports club. I wish we had Agility

I taught my GSD to ring a bell when he needs to go outside... First I taught him to ring the bell on command (Clicker training free shapeing worked well) Then I put it near the door and whenever I thought he needed to go as well as several other times a day I would instruct him to ring the bell, and when he did I then asked him "Benny, do you need to go out?" and immediatly took him outside for a quick sniff/pee. Make sure your bell trips outside are short and not much fun unless she actually does business, then make a fuss and go inside for a treat. Anyway once you have done that for a few days and shes hopefully caught on, play dumb when she starts to get that needing to go frisk and hopefully she will get desperate and ring the bell herself. If not you might have to give her a more subtle hint for a few trys, then go back to playing dumb again. Good luck, its a good trick, and works wonders for those members of the family who are less in tune with what the dog is trying to tell you.

Heya I am planning on entering Raffy this year in NSW, I have taken him for 2 rides so far, the longer one was 16km, the dogs have no problem with the distance but I do No more training here for a bit tho as I need to get a bike rack for my car so we can go to the bike track before we do more (rideing on the road even at 6am Saturday mornings with 2 big dogs can be very nervy for me even tho they behaved nicely.) I am also trying to talk my Mum into running her Corgi, I think he would be fine, hes an active little guy but so far no luck talking her into it. Good luck everyone and hopefully see some of you at the test

another begging photo to add, I taught this to my GSD a few years back, I took it slow so he could build up the right muscles and balance since hes so top heavy. He can usually stay up for 10+ seconds, he can speak while begging or hold something in his mouth... I would love to get a piccie of him begging with a rose or something in his mouth (w/o thorns of course) Benny...

Hi My dogs got a walkydog for christmas, and we really like it! I ran my non bike savvy dog with it after just a very short desensitisation to the "scary" bike and he did fine. I run my 2 dogs at once now, one on the walkydog on my right side and the other on a leash on my left, each ride the dogs swap sides/attachments... I started with my ET titled bike savvy dog on the leash but swapped for the second pairs ride and my new to bikes dog did fine on the leash after his turns on the walkydog. It seems to be safe for both person and dog, with the dogs haveing a spring loaded attachment so they don't get a shock to the collar and also keeps them back from the front wheel. And they don't seem to have any power to pull the bike over, it passed the cat test, the rabbit test and the strange dogs rushing the fence at us test so far! No idea how it compares to the Spinger. Good luck with your ET

Hi all, I have been attempting to teach my BC x to retreive a dumbell, like for an obedince trial. I had been trying to teach it the same way I taught my GSD a few years back, but it doesn't seem to be working for this dog, my other learnt it in 1-2 short sessions... but I have been trying with my BCx for over a month and we just arn't progressing. Here is what I have been doing... I have a clicker (dog knows that click means he gets a treat) and treats (which the dog really likes) and a plastic dumbell (which is the right size for my dog) and at first I held it in my hand level with his nose and just c/t when he touched it with his nose, that went alittle slow but was ok. To pregress past this I had to move the dumbell a bit to make it more exciting and also added a bit of a verbal cue "get it", and then he would sorta put his mouth on it, and I would c/t that, anyway we have gotten to a point where if I hold the dumbell in front of his nose he will sometimes reach out and hold it for a second or 2 (I keep hold of it still too, or if hes being really good I sorta let go so he has the weight of it, but I make sure I have hold of it before it drops, so it never drops. I click when he has held it for a short time but before I think hes going to drop it, trying to lengthen this time slowly) other times I have to jiggle it around a bit to get him to do that. I give tons of praise, and try to make it fun and exciting but he just doesn't "get" it. If I don't do anything to attract his attention to the dumbell, and he doesn't go to grab it immediatly after the last turn, he will just sit there stareing/smiling at me for several minutes, and eventually get bored and wander off. At this point in training I would expect him to sort of take it off me, and then I take it back, sort of passing it back and forth between us with him holding it longer and longer and me slowly moveing my hand down towards the ground for him to take it from, but this just isn't happening, heck he most of the time wont even go to touch it on his own even after being rewared for doing so over a long period of time. I have also tryed a few other things mainly to make the dumbell more interesting/disirable rather than as an alternate training method... I have smeared alittle food on the dumbell, that only makes him want to lick it. I have tryed makeing the dumbell a great toy, throwing it up and catching it myself a few times to get him worked up, and then bowling it down the hall... sometimes he will chase it, and even pick it up and carry it part way back to me (I always c/t if he picks it up, and have tryed to extend that distance, I have him to a point where he often would carry it a few meters, but if I click he drops it to get food, and if I don't click he drops it and looses intest, and if I call him or say anything he drops it also.) I have tied a length of string to it so I could drag it along the ground to make it more interesting, which resulted in him herding it around the room... interesting to watch but not helpful. I have also tryed doing the training with a toy of his rather than the dumbell, but I can't get him to work with these either. I find it strange, because all in all he is a smart dog, he is usually quick to learn new things. He is a very soft dog tho, and polite, so takeing the inititive to take something out of my hand might be a bit hard for him, but it doesn't look like hes trying to be polite when training, he just doesn't get it, which has me stumped because we have spent alot of time working on it over the last month or so. Hes an obsessive fetch player with balls and frisbees and also loves tug games, but he always drops his fetch toy if I reach a hand out to him, or talk to him. He is happy to play tug with me if I initiate it by waveing the toy around, but he wont do anything if I am just holding it still. I am pretty much out of ideas and wondered if anyone had any suggestions... otherwise I think we will forget it for awhile and learn some other tricks, something more fun for both of us. thanks guys

Thanks very much for that, I will look into both of those

I had my boy started on sheep, we had a few sessions, and the instructor was very impressed with him. I would loved to have continued herding with him but didn't have the time or money to continue but I was told he could have done well. However I was also told that its pretty rare for a GSD to take to sheep like he did... apparently they usually either are not interested, or more often just want to kill the sheep. I don't know my boys history, he was a poundie I adopted, and I have been told by working GSD people that they think he is working lines. Just my experience, am sure there are others who have better answers for you

Heya everyone, I was just starting to get involved in obedience and agility when I had to move to Orange almost 2 years ago from Sydeny, anyway at the time I decided to just put on hold any doggy plans I had since there didn't seem to be much here, but lately I have been missing doggy sports alot and would love to get back into something fun with my 2 boys. I don't think there is much out here, but worth a try, I am interested in any dogsports really, agility/flyball/tracking/herding whatever is around, even just obedience if its all I can get. If anyone knows anything I would appreciate the info (I have a 5yo GSD and a ~2yo BC x Belgian shep, incase it matters. GSD has 1 pass towards his CD and basic agility training but hasn't been worked in ages, very rusty.) Thanks!! Michelle, Benny and Raffy.

No idea when the next lure coursing is, although I think it wont be until next year (maybe april?) because it is getting too hot for it, I could be wrong. I think these are your dogs

Hi joannakathleen, It was 2 years ago, but I have been to the puppy preschool run by the sutherland/como vet clinic and found it was very good and would go to them again next time I have a puppy. I have no experience with any of the others. I think next time around I will take my puppy to a few different preschools, no such thing as too much socilization, but then I am alittle dog crazy I too have been a member of the Sutherland dog training club, and agree that there are some instructors there I wouldn't let anywhere near my dog but most I found were good, especially in the lower grades and would recommend that people go there with their dogs, just keep in mind that training should be fun for both you and your dog, and if you do find an instructor who would rather you physically force your dog to behave instead of motivateing your dog to want to "work" then perhaps go and join a different class that week. I know who animalsluvbree is and would happily be in her class anyday

Bant, I have taken my Mally lure courseing, and she loves it!! I would just be careful with the larger heavier breeds, because there are alot of tight turns and they tend to go at top speed, if they were unfit, or fat, they might hurt themselves. This is my girl coursing she is fairly small for a Mal, and is fairly lean, and has no troubles, she had 3 runs last time we went

Thanks Steve! I learn't alot and Benny and I had alot of fun It was lovely to meet everyone who came, and their lovely dogs! I meant to take a bunch of pictures but I was too busy listening to steve and forgot, so only have a few myszka, I love the pic of Rex learning to fly

I was there, my hands are now very sore from holding back my crazy dogs had lots of fun tho I got a few pictures, mostly of my 2 but a few others, might post them later ;)

I hope to be there *crosses fingers* look out for very obsessed GSD and crazy malamute

When we walk locally I put a harness on them, they don't pull usually (unless they see a possum or cat) and I like how the lead doesn't get under their legs with the harness. If we are somewhere new and exciting I use a flat collar or in extreme excitement we use a halti.

1. what do you feed? As much variety as I can Meat... Chicken carcasses, wings, necks, livers Lamb ribs, mince, necks, hearts, kidneys, livers, long bones Beef mince, hearts, kidneys, livers, long bones, steak Kangaroo mince Pork mince, trotters, left over ham and bacon Fish (whatever is cheap, fed whole), canned sardines, mackeral and tuna Any suitable table scarps Vegies... (all steamed and mashed, it is not practical for me to feed raw veggies) carrots, potato, beans, peas, pumpkin, sweet potato, zuccini, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cawliflour, snow peas, squash, spinnach, anything else we happen to have. Other stuff... Egg (raw and whole), cottage cheese, natural yoghert, cheese, milk, oats (cooked), rice, wheat bran, pasta, banana, apple, pear, tomato. Suppliments... Vitamin supliment from my human vitamin shop that they made especially for dogs, lecithin granules, wheat germ. 2. how often? twice a day, breakfast and dinner 3. how much? Depends alot on the weather and how active he is, ideally keeping him at a good lean weight. breakfast 1/2 - 1 chicken carcass (usually) or other raw meaty bones (chicken wings/necks, lamb neck/ribs, pork trotters, whole fish etc) dinner 1/2 metric cup of mince (lamb/beef/roo/chicken/pork) or about once a week I replace this with a lamb heart or similar sized part of beef heart. 1/2 cup of veggies (whatever I happen to have handy) 1 extra item aproximatly egg sized, adjusted to help balance his weight (egg, yoghert, cottage cheese, organ meat (except heart), canned fish. or occasionally rice, oats, fruit, alittle milk or cheese etc) 1 level table spoon of vitamin supliment + wheat germ + lechithin 4. what breed, age, sex and weight is your pet? German Shepherd, 2 years, male neutered, 28 kg, 65cm 5. where do you purchase your ingredients from? Chicken carcasses - chicken shop Minced roo + beef pet surplies shop everything else from supermarket or butchers. 6. have you always fed your dog this diet, or did you change over to it gradually? if yes, how did your dog react? He was fed mostly dry food (royal cannin) before I switched him over gradually over a few weeks. 7. what have been the advantages and disadvantages? Advantages- I know exactly what hes eating, cheaper, easier to clean up after him, he seems to be more satisfyed and not so "hungry" all the time even tho I keep his weight the same as before, he really enjoys his food, easier to keep him at the same weight, I don't worry about bloat quite so much. Disadvantages- Takes longer to prepare, fills up the big freezer, more washing up for me. 8. have you seen changes in your dog, ie. coat, energy levels? He seems alot healthier, with the dry food he didn't really grow in an undercoat, but once I changed him over the undercoat grew in beautifully, his coat is much softer and more shiney, it takes longer for him to smell "doggy" after a bath, his eyes were a little weepy before but that has cleared up, his nails seem stronger, teeth are beautiful now without me having to brush them. Overall I would say improvement all around, very happy

I have a GSD (short coat) and an alaskan malamute, both are hard to get properly wet, especially the mally. I bath them in the shower, my shower has a hose thing instead of a fixed head, so that works really well. Turn the taps on fairly hard (and not too hot) and get a small towel and squirt with one hand and rub the water into them with the towel in the other, it seems to work pretty well

Like most of the other large breed people have said, I worry about bloat so split the food into 2 meals. (I feed morning and night) plus mealtime is one of their favorite times of the day, getting fed twice is 2 times the fun

I use frontline monthly and have never seen a flea. We go to the dog park and training often so I dare not risk skipping it, I wouldn't want to have to de flea the whole house. Also the dogs go for bush walks almost daily, and I have only ever found 1 tick once and that was before I switched to the frontline, I think even if its only monthly it must do something I use "valuheart" monthly which is the same as heart guard but much cheaper. and I use drontal, but I am thinking of cutting back on those to try to stretch it out to 4-6 months instead of 3. I space all these meds out so they are given a week or more apart cause I don't like to put too much into his system all at once, he tends to get abit lethargic if I do :/ which is why I would stay away from an all in one as well.