Rileys mum

Thanks for all that help. Don't worry. There is no way in hell I'll be doing any full blown agility training/jumping/weaves with him until he is at least 18 months (hence puppy agility classes only). It's good to know Training both is a possibility

Just after some advice. My 9 month old GSP is currently in grade 3 obedience and is picking things up like a champ. We put alot of hard work in and it's really paying off. My ultimate aim is to get into agility with him. My obedience club doesn't allow any agility training until dogs are at grade 5 obedience ( which is fine ) but I have found another club that is offering puppy agility which I'm thinking might be good. My question is..... Will doing agility training be detrimental to my pups obedience training and vice versa. I just don't want to confuse my boy by doing different things but I feel he will benifit from learning the foundations of agility as a youngster too. Any advice??

I'm no help with ' breders terms ' but please be aware that possession is not 9/10th of the law. Contracts will outline what the law is in relation to this dog so I'd be insisting on getting a copy before you see the dog. If she will not supply one or allow your requests to be put in contract then huge alarm bells would be ringing in my head and I'd be walking away.... In fact I'd probably be running. But that's the legal side of me coming out The dog loving side of me Can understand your feeling of urgency to get this pup but don't jump into signing anything that doesn't fulfill YOUR requirements as well as his breeders. Why has she not sent you a picture of the actual dog you are looking at?? Is there a particular reason??

It's interesting reading this post. I personally hate walking through the dog pavillion at Adelaide royal and I don't show my dog. All the people in there drives me insane. It's stressful for us humans having hundreds of people milling around. I can only imagine what some of the dogs feel like. How on earth do you guys manage to groom your dogs before their classes with all those idiots around trying to pat and fluster them? Personally I think someone should b able to duck off to the toilet and not have to worry about coming back and finding their dog gone. If the shows are only supplying entry for one person then they need to take better steps to allow for things like toilet breaks etc. That is a requirement of the show I think. The horses get ' grooms passes' ( well they did a few years ago when I was showing) why shouldent the dogs get something similar?? I believe there should be set time frames that the pavillion is open to the public, eg from 10-11 and 3-4 or something like that. The other times people can watch the rings from the grand stands.

Oh this is so horrible. I was watching the chi's being shown today too :D I can't begin to imagine what his owners are going through how could anyone do this? The CCTV at the show is phenominally clear. The issue will be identifying who the person is ;) and that is the hard part. Fingers crossed the scum bag is found. I hope the lil guy is returned to his family soon. Thinking of them tonight

Still waiting on mine says it's been posted so hopefully it arrives soon :-) can't wait to get it.

Future serial killer ??? I can't watch the video. I cry on those RSPCA shows and usually those animals get saved. I would b traumatized if I watched it. If I say what I really think of this girl I will get banned.

Oooh I just found this thread and boy am I glad I did . I've bin wanting to get one of these soft crates for a while but couldn't justify handing over $100.00+ when my wire one did the job. welllllllll...... For $50 bucks including postage I couldn't help myself lol. XXXL ordered here for my spoilt pup l can't wait to get it now. thanks to the original poster

He wears it all night once I'm home from work. he has no issues wearing it when I'm home and Its not an issue of him hating the rug from what I can gather. He isn't stressed about it at all, It's more that he gets bored and eats it cos he can lol. He shows no interest in eating or playing with it while he's around me. His crate is plenty big for him too :D he's just a cheeky adolescent puppy me thinks lol

This is probably a common problem buy I'm at my wits end ( and so is my bank balance) I have a pointer who is Almost 9 months old. He has a very short coat and gets cold in this weather. My problem is that every rug I put on him gets eaten and destroyed. Chest straps, sides, anywhere his chompers can grasp he chews. Is there any way to stop him eating his rugs. He only does it when he's put to bed in his crate ( so whenever I'm not around him) it's costing me a fortune lol.

Thanks kavik

Hi I have an 8 month old pointer. I'm doing alot of basic agility foundation handeling excercises with him and am now wanting to introduce him to the beginnings of planks on the ground. I was hoping someone could let me know the width that is used, I can find some measurements but I think they are American and wasn't sure if they were the same as Australian agility standards ( my thinking is to get him used to walking on the right width equipment so he's well prepared for training on agility equipment when he's old enough) also, what diameter enterance should I be getting for a dog of his size for a tunnel? Thanks for any help

I'm no expert at all on this but I'm not so sure using his crate for punishment is the best idea. Is there another place you could use for separation from interaction with you other than his crate? Say a laundry or a segregated area outside or something similar? I just worry that he will begin to associate his crate with bad things rather than the positive den like environment it should be. As I said, I'm by no means an expert on it all, I'm just going by what I learnt when crate training my pup. I'd be keen to hear others opinions ( always keen to learn new training methods) I feel for you though. Sounds like a tricky situation.

I am the devoted owner of a 8 month old GSP I hear you strong and clear. I think the biggest thing with this breed ( as has already been said) is that they are a working type of dog. The best thing I ever did with my guy is get him into obedience. Every week we get to learn new things and then we work on them before the next class. He thrives on using his brain and is developing into an obedient young man . One huge learning thing for me was getting a food reward that my boy would work for. For ages I struggled with heel work etc because he wasn't interested in what food reward he was getting so would loose his attention so so frequently. I now use small pieces of frits ( high value reward) and he is a completely different dog. I can keep and get his attention within seconds now and his heel work is coming along in leaps and bounds. Just something to consider. In regards to burning energy, I think you just need to put the effort in and either drive the 20 mins to the off leash park or walk walk walk my guy gets at least one walk daily, sometimes a second one ( short lap of block) too. It's so so so important and u will see a huge improvement. If I miss a few walks ( like recently when I was unwell) I know about it. My garden gets a puppy pruning lol. It's just boredom and their super active mind. Perhaps head to a horse store ( or online) and purchase a lunge line ( very very long lead type thing. About 20 to 25 m long) This will allow your pup to run and play but you will still have a connection to him ( I've not done this but it's just an idea that came to mind) The breed is a high energy one so as their owners we need to do what's best for them. ( which it sounds like you are)

Thanks. I didn't even think to look at the web page lol. :D

Hi all. I wasn't quite sure where to post this so mods feel free to move/ delete if needed I'm going to be working the Adelaide show this year and was hoping to wonder past and watch some doggie events while i'm strolling round. Can a wonderful helpful person who has the dogs program possibly let me know when the agility and obedience trials are on and also what day the German shorthaired pointers are being shown?? Much appreciated.

Ok that makes me feel better . He's a German short haired pointer n definately crunches bones well. He's fed a raw diet so is used to bones etc. I'd just never had him try to eat a shank. Thanks again

Yeah it was raw.

I fed my boy a lamb shank today which is nothing new. He gets them regularly with no problem. I went to the toilet ( I kno.... Too much info but my point is I left him for a short amt of time) when I came back I found him knawing on half the bone. It was snapped off and I can't find the rest of the bone anywhere !!!! I'm really worried he's either chewed it and has eaten broken bits of bone, or he's swallowed it whole ( which I doubt because he doesn't eat bones that way normally but it's still a possibility) he's completely normal in himself and ate all his dinner tonight. Should I be worried enough to get him to an emergency vet or just wait and see if he gets unwell?? He's never done this before and usually just eats the meat off, leaves the bone and I pick it up and bin it. What should I watch out for with him as far as signs he's not well?? There is also a possibility he's burried it as I can't picture him eating a bone that dense so quickly but I just can't help fretting . Thanks in advance.

Hi guys. Riley is booked in to have his manhood removed this week. How long should I expect him to be needing 24 hr care / watching.

I'm a raw feeder. When I first started giving necks Riley My dog he would tear all the meat off and leave the neck bones. Now that he's got the hang of devowering bones he is eating the lamb neck bones. I just wanted to check that this was ok and normal. Is it really only the shank bones we need to take away after the meat is eaten ( because of risk to teeth being a weight barring bone) if not, what others should I watch out for. Riley has become a crunching machine ( and I love it, teeth look fabulous Thanks in advance

I'm a raw feeder. When I first started giving necks Riley My dog he would tear all the meat off and leave the neck bones. Now that he's got the hang of devowering bones he is eating the lamb neck bones. I just wanted to check that this was ok and normal. Is it really only the shank bones we need to take away after the meat is eaten ( because of risk to teeth being a weight barring bone) if not, what others should I watch out for. Riley has become a crunching machine ( and I love it, teeth look fabulous Thanks in advance

Congrats on making the switch. I've had my boy on a prey model raw diet since he was 4 months old. He looks fabulous, his teeth are excellent and EVERYONE who pats him comments on his silky soft coat ( he's a short haired pointer so that just shows how great it is for coats lol). There are fabulous sites around. Have Fun researching

Wow thanks everyone. You have all gotten me motivated now thanks for the tips on things to pack. My boy is only 7 months old ATM so will pretty much go everywhere I go if I take him. I will go buy a tether wire so I can secure him but still allow him to have room to do his own thing. Good idea about bringing water from home too. Will do that Ravyk thanks for the list of places will definately check them out. I went down the limestone coast this time last year and LOVED it ( found some great camp spots too.... Must check if they are dog friendly) Thanks again everyone

Having just purchased a 4wd I'm keen as mustard to get out and about n explore/camp. I want to have my dog with me and am thinking of bringing him along ( choosing camp sites and areas where dogs are permitted of course). My dog is crate trained and will b crated at night to keep him safe and secure. What things do other people take when camping with their dogs. Some times I'll be in a tent, other times my swag. My dog is like my child so his safety and well being are my priority. I know he will enjoy bring out, I just wanted to hear others experiences of camping with their dogs. Cheers :-)