Pretty Miss Emma

Whoops, already posted!

She is going to return next year, so there will be another opportunity. PME - is she settling in Melbourne, or is she just returning for a visit? I was the one who chopped up yummies, but I did also have my dogs with me - you would have seen Hamish my gorgeous BC boy! Her intent is to settle in Melbourne and then probably do a bit of travel to other places as required. She would like to set up formal classes next year hopefully and then look at trying to get the founders out to get some more people trained as trainers and starting up trialling and whatnot!

That is so great!! She was a little bit gorgeous! It was nice to see her get more confident!! (I'm going to tell Jenn you said that!!)

I had a brilliant time watching all the dogs work yesterday!!! There was so much joy for some of those dogs!! And it was also so nice to see the confidence improve in some of the dogs. It looks like after the workshops there is some interest in getting the whole thing happening down here so will be great to see all those happy dogs excelling in this sport!!!

Not yet, and my July one arrived a couple of days before the end of July!

Shake hands (both paws) Wave (both paws) Hi 5 (both paws) Spin (both directions) Roll over (both directions) Sleepy (lie on their side) Creep/comando crawl have a look in the training thread as you'll find lots of tricks suggestions in there, it's just a matter of picking and choosing what is going to be appropriate for your dog!!

When Hamish was a baby I was in an open plan house so couldn't shut off any areas for him. What I did instead was set up a crate as a bed for him and attached to that a large C-crate as his play area (which also had his toilet area and a water bowl). He used this for a good 3-4 weeks while I was at work and then moved to being given run of the yard (with kennels, etc available in the undercover area) - but it was a small-ish yard as we were in a unit. If you can utilise a dog door and a small section of yard I think that sounds ideal!

Both my 2 do that if they get left at home and indoors! I often come home to see 1 or 2 faces through the curtains that then run to the door once they realise it's my car! I think it's pretty normal.

I'd be speaking to a vet tonight if it looks like that and still has blood/fluid oozing. If it's all dry then maybe it could wait til morning, but that's a lot of blood/fluid from a neuter suture line.

Stop worrying!!! It's all sorted :) Hamish said that he looks forward to coming to play with us if needed. He lurves you!!!

I just saw the numbers and now feel a bit stressed! I'm guessing from what it said that 7A is before 5A and that means 5A is starting around about when the BC's go in!! And then 1A will be last. It's ok, I'll move to my backup plan!!

At this show it is listed in the schedule that Collies (rough and smooth) will be judged by a different judge to the one who is doing the rest of group 5. What I am wondering is will they usually still be judged in the group 5 ring, but just by another judge? Or will judging of them happen concurrently at the same time as the rest of group 5 but in a different ring? the judge listed isn't judging another group just a few breeds. I'm just trying to get my head around how to make it work seeing as though I will have 2 BC's and a rough collie to deal with on that day!!! It's making me stressed just thinking about it!!

Kenzie has anal gland issues. She once had an infection that was able to be cleared up with the vet expressing them and then going on to AB's. I now express them each month as a preventative measure. I also put bran in her food and lots of veges so that it makes her poo a bit bulkier. Each year when she gets her vacc the vet will express them again and fingers crossed we haven't had any infection issues since. We did also go to a chiro and I think this has helped. I was also recommended to get her to do as much extensive free running as possible (on the theory that the exercise would help with all that - we do what we can but this is the hardest piece of advice for me to do!).

Well sheena, you're lucky - I got photos tonight. Of course the only ones that were really any good were the post-show wind blown ones!! But even in those I still think his coat looks pretty lovely!!

Where's the photo :) I may get sent one during the week and if so you will see his gorgeousness!!

Well, today once he was all groomed up for his show I could no longer see any split ends!! So either I imagined it (which I don't think so!) or somehow they have disappeared or been hidden!!! I don't know, but his coat just looked absolutely stunning today!! I now know exactly what a coat looks like that has been dried properly (last night was the best he has been with the dryer and I was able to fully dry him - used low heat this time!)! I did use the tiny-est spray of seabreeze oil over his coat while he was wet and I think that helped (although I'm very cautious about not using too much!!). He really does have a beautiful coat - who'd ever have thought that I'd be worried about what my dogs hair looked like!

A friend asked me the other day for recommendations of breeders to speak to in regards to her boyfriend getting a new pup. The boyfriend is the one contacting the breeders recommended and doing a bit of homework. But she said something when we were talking about this that made me wonder about the perceptions people have of breeders of pedigree dogs and what can be done to change the perception. The thing she said was "but he just wants a pet, he doesn't want to show it or breed or anything". And it just made me think about how people looking for a pet percieve the pedigree dog world. How do we change the perception that pedigree dogs are "show dogs"? This friend is quite well educated and I believe she is quite sensible, and she has this perception (and she knows I have pedigree dogs who are primarily pets). It did make me wonder if this is why some people turn to other avenues to get puppies, because they don't want a show dog.

No way am I trimming, I'm still too scared to trim his ears and have to get someone else to do it!!! I'll turn the heat down on the dryer. And I'm thinking he maybe had a dodgy junior coat drop because his coat thinned out a lot for him but wasn't really that bad, or maybe it's still on it's way! And it looks like I might need to invest in a conditioner, so far I haven't used one but there haven't been any issues with his coat. Ideas for conditioners??? Brushes, hmm. Well the slicker is brought out quite rarely so I don't think it's that one. We use a comb weekly and we have Chris Christensen bamboo brush, again probably used only weekly. And the combs/brushes are all ones that have been recommended from others in the breed when I've been asking/harrassing when getting ready at shows!!

Hmm, ok. Thankyou all. So what everyone's saying really is I just have to wait for the hair to fall out. I do think it is on the side that Hamish prefers to sleep on, so maybe it is the older hair and then add in the lying on that side and also using a dryer on his hair. So I think we might be more consistent with his fish oil to see if that helps out a bit. And I'll wait for him to shed that part of his top coat. I thought he had done his Junior coat drop (which I learnt about when all of a suddent here was undercoat absolutely everywhere!!!), but maybe he has only done part of this!!! It probably isn't that bad, I just notice it!!!

TV??? I know my 2 quite like the noise of the tv but Hamish relaly loves watching cartoons - I'm guessing because it is lots of bright contrasting colours that flash around the screen!!

I've noticed that some of the hair at Hamish's rear end has split ends!!! Argh!!! Not happy about it. But I also have no idea how this has happened nor what to do about it!!! What could have caused this? And is there anything I can do to remedy the issue? For those who don't know Hamish is nearly 16 month old Border Collie. Nothing has changed in his diet, we are using the same shampoos, he gets dried when he is washed (I do use heat as well as the force blowing, maybe I should stop the heat). I don't know what to do as I've never had this issue (that I know of!) in either myself or my dogs!!!

I'm only just getting to know Collie's (rough), and I have to say they are a really lovely breed of dog. Not a dog I would have ever considered (and I probably would be hesitant still, but mainly because they have soooooo much coat!). I handle one for a friend at shows. And they really are delightful!! The ones I know love everybody pretty much. The boy I show is a bit cheeky with his barking, but it is managable - like Natsu chan said you just have to think out of the box in how you are going to manage it! This little one is a bit clever for his own good sometimes! But he is delightful for me to work with and he is clever, he picks things up so fast that we do. It's definitely a dog that I would now recommend to others as I've learnt more about them, and it sounds like your household would be great for this type of dog. Can't comment on poodles as I don't really know any!

Is that the Victorian one? Are you able to post a link for me, I've had a look on a couple that I've joined but can't see a trolley!

So I think I will be in the situation to be able to get myself a 2nd hand show trolley. Having had a look at a couple I think C crate one is what will be best (I think they fold up quite compactly compared to others), or something similar. But the main issue I"m finding - where to look to find one??!!! I've looked in the Dogz classifieds. And I'll keep an eye on the marketplace. Ebay doesn't have any 2nd hand that I can see. So where should I be looking??? If you have ideas please let me know!!

I think Woof Purr Nay in Narre Warren might have hydrotherapy facilities (maybe?!). There is also a practice in Kensington, but that is definitely further than Malvern!