Tumbleweed

It was horrible at the time, but turned out to be liberating. Whenever I get nervous at a trial now I just think, 'hey, what's the worst that could happen?' and considering what Zazu has already done, it is all pretty tame in comparison :-) You are most welcome to come and look at my crate next time I am in Perth, but I won't be up again for a while now. I *might* be up for the State Obedience trial in Oct, so if I am and you would like to have a look and play with the K9 crate. Otherwise if you are around the Bunbury trial this weekend come and say hi. The joys of juggling 2 dogs! It is a challenge, but I'm sure you will have it sorted in no time. And then will be considering a third! :laugh:

There is more to the zip opening story.... Zazu and I entered the State Obedience Trial several years ago. It was only our second ever trial, and in WA it is the most prestigious event on the obedience calendar. It is done on the nice conformation grounds and is all nice and fancy (all other trials in WA are on the lower performance oval). Zazu and I completely bombed out...she paid no attention during the heeling and we were a NQ about 1 minute in. And then at the recall...she took off and did beautiful zoomies all over the grounds - through all the other rings! Me being a raw newbie (and typical husky owner aka paranoid about them being off lead) I just ran after her through all the other rings too, completely ignorant about how bad manners it was. Once I recaptured her, I then had a few minutes away to compose myself (I was incredibly nervous prior to the trial and felt even worse after) and then popped her in her crate. A few minutes later I hear the 'pitter, patter, pitter, patter' of dog's feet and think 'someone's dog is out'. Only to turn and see it was my dog wandering around! I think everyone was understanding the first time she ran off - but wouldn't have been a second time! Luckily she came straight to me, and there were no issues. It was a good lesson though, and typical escapist Sibe behaviour :D . In answer to your question about my Aussie - she is quite jealous and I think also suffers a little separation anxiety so she is quite 'full on' if she thinks she is being left behind. She is also definitely a barker. (Complete opposite to my Sibe who is super laid back and bombproof). I do use my car as a crate as much as possible at night and during winter - but like you said in Australia sometimes the weather simply won't allow it, and the dogs need to be out of the sun in a crate.

It really does depend on your dog. My Siberian Husky has always been fine in crates. Got our first one when she was 4 or 5 years old and she just took to it - has never ever scratched/chewed etc. So a soft one is fine for her. Only issue is that after being in the crate twice she learnt to undo the zips! Easy fix with the zip lock, or even a paper clip to hold the two zips together. My Aussie is another story though - she hates it when I take out my other dog and scratches and barks and carries on...so needs a wire crate. In fact it wasn't the mesh she clawed through on the soft crate, she actually ended up ripping apart the canvas near where it was stitched (but not the seam itself, which stayed secure) If it is possible, can you borrow a crate and see how your two go in it? Then that will help guide your decision with a bit more certainty. They are a significant investment so you don't want to replace them... but being a small human myself, I find the soft ones so much easier to manage.

Are you looking for a soft crate or hard crate? My hard crate I got for a reasonable price at PetStock. It collapses flat but is big and heavy and unwieldy. I actually don't like it as it is so heavy to handle...but my young dog destroyed 2 soft crates by clawing at them - so needs a big heavy wire crate! Function wise, it is great - a front door and side door and I bought a nice cover online for it for about $40. For a soft crate I highly recommend http://www.k9softdogcrates.com.au/ Their crates are great quality and the service I've got from them across 2 separate purchases has been great. You can also replace the skins separately if they are damaged but the frame is still OK. They come with all the extras - walls that can be rolled up to let breeze through, zipper lock (to prevent dog opening the door!), reinforcement at all the pressure points and clips to fold and secure. Hope that helps - good luck!

A long time coming, but happy to add our brag here - Kyte achieved her Jumping Dog title last weekend! :D Super pleased with my little Aussie :-) Being a country dog, trials are always a challenge but she did beautifully. Our first Excellent Jumping trial this weekend, so that should be exciting! Agility is still a work in progress, but we will get there eventually. :)

Big vote for these from me too - awesome service and a great quality product. I wouldn't go anywhere else for a soft crate.

Kathy Kopellis McLeod is fantastic. Great with dogs and with people. http://kathysdogtraining.com.au/

I have one dog with Pet Plan and one with Pet Insurance Australia. I was annoyed at PIA as they wouldn't give me a clear answer regarding cover for older pets despite several questions on this point (where as PetPlan explicitly states after 10 years old, they will pay 50% of the bill - so at least they are open and honest about it). However, I had my first ever claim with PIA recently as was pleasantly surprised how quickly it all came through - less than a fortnight. So big tick for them! I've not yet had a claim with PetPlan so can't comment on their payment process.

You can find the results here http://agilitynationals2014.com.au/results/ The results went up pretty soon after competition ended yesterday. I'm assuming it will be the same each day. I'm with you Pie... :thumbsup: Go WA! They did such a brilliant job. :thumbsup:

It is completely normal behaviour for a young pup to mouth and bite things (including people). It isn't a sign of 'dominance' or the like - it is a puppy exploring the world. Like human babies, their way of exploring new things is to put them in their mouths! It is an important part of being a well adjusted pet to learn what is acceptable to mouth and how hard. This is how dogs learn bite inhibition. Sounds like it is getting better - but the most common solutions are to redirect the mouthing to a toy, if it is a hard bite 'yelp' in a loudish and high pitched voice so the pup realises it was too hard or end the game immediately. It is also important with pups sometimes not to get them too excited when playing as often there is a 'threshold' where they go bananas biting things. The games should end just before that point is reached. You are spot on about the hardest part of training :laugh: It is a constant battle to ensure other people don't set your training back by their actions. Most of the time it is simply ignorance on their part, but it is still tough to deal with!

kateykateykatey - I have had issues with my Aussie girl barking a lot too. Luckily my neighbours have been OK about it, but I'm not at all comfortable that she barks so much. I'm reasonably sure some of my girl's barking is caused by people walkign past, but some is certainly separation as well. I can recommend the ap 'SleepTalk'. You can leave it running on an iPad or phone near an open window and it records sounds when activated by noise. I am able to play it back at the end of a day and work out which barks are my neighbour's dog and which are mine. It time and dates stamps the file, and you can save each sound file as well. It is a great and inexpensive way of knowing exactly what is going on. Good luck!

I responded to this yesterday but my response was obviously been lost in the electronic ether :-( My experiences to date: Pet Insurance Australia Pro - have had one claim, and it was processed within 2 weeks. Really happy with the payment and speed of processing. Con - despite asking very clearly, several times, they would not give me a straight answer on insuring older dogs. I was repeatedly told that I would receive an annual renewal notice. No mention or guarantees of policy increases, reduced payments or anything like that which made it really hard to compare and swap policies if required. And now I am at the point that if they refuse insurance due to age, my dog is too old to insure with any other company. PetPlan Pro - public liability insurance. When I took out our policy, it was the only company that offered this. Pro - up front information available on payments for older dogs. It is there in black and white that you receive less for older dogs, but they will still be insured. NOTE - To date, I've not made any claims with PetPlan so can't comment on their payment times. Choice Magazine recently compared pet insurance policies on their online magazine. If you are a member it is free to view. If not, you can buy the report. It is fairly thorough and up to date. All I can suggest is read all the policies very carefully. It is incredibly dull work, but they are all slightly different so it is your best option in finding a policy that suits you and not getting a nasty surprise down the line. Hope that helps!

I have an Aussie too - and she was (and can still be) mouthy. As LisaCC mentioned above - they are a herding breed and genetically wired to nip and use their mouths, so it is important to acknowledge this whilst still knowing it is unacceptable behaviour. With our Aussie, her key is the excitement/arousal level. When she crosses her threshold of excitement she turns into a piranha. Our solution is 2 part: 1) lower the energy level when she starts to get worked up. So instead of wrestling/jumping/movement based games we move to 'quiet time' where she is in a down position and I give her long pats etc. This comes with practise and observation of your dog and their behaviour patterns. 2) if we stuff up (1) and she goes over threshold then the game ends immediately and she gets put outside. (I prefer this to the crate as I want the crate to be a good place at all times, never a 'punishment'). This way she is learning that if she does get mouthy then it means all the fun stops immediately and the humans won't play anymore. I totally agree with what the others are saying re: no skin vs soft skin contact. For me, I'm happy to have very soft teeth on skin as I believe it helps bite inhibition. But I have a very clear line on what is/isn't acceptable and I also don't have any children or small pets. If I did I would consider the 'no teeth on human skin' rule. Sounds like you are on your way - enjoy your new puppy!

What are Bootcamps? We have a Beginners camp each year - attended by both experienced folk and Beginners. Sessions are run on dog health care, scooters, harnesses, race rules and etiquette, making ganglines etc. Then there are mock race starts and short runs for beginners, and they help to handle dogs for the experienced mushers that do longer runs.

Have stolen the idea and suggested it to the rest of the committee. We may trial it at one of our upcoming races :-) Thanks so much for sharing!

That sprint race looks like great fun! Will have to suggest it to the other WA folks and give it a try over here!

Can't wait for the season to start!

Lovely to read everyone's goals. RallyValley and RubyStar - look forward to watching you and your girls in the ring! I'm been thinking about our goals this year for several weeks now... ZAZU Zazu is 90% retired now. She may enter the occasional Rally Novice B class if it is offered. Otherwise, maybe competing in Veterans class at the National Sleddog Races in South Australia this year - depending on her joints. KYTE JD title (1 more pass required) CCD title (2 more passes required) RA pass Learn to weave AD pass compete in touring class at the National Sleddog Race in SA this winter Most importantly, I would like to see a happy, confident dog in the ring during heel work.

Oops double post

So my goals for 2013 were Zazu RN title (achieved last trial of 2012) Plus 3rd place at the Western Classic in Rally Novice B CCD title CHECK! :) Kyte CCD title - achieved 1 very nice leg RN title (achieved last trial of 2012) Plus 1st place (with 100/100) at the Western Classic in Rally Novice B maybe RA title - no chance. Two disasters from two entries JD title - 2 legs, including a 2nd place. AD title - nope. need to perfect weavepoles. Me continue working on ring nerves - getting better. learn to play more between exercises - still struggling improve my agility handling skills - slowly improving. Have a better idea of where I go wrong now. Roll on 2014!

That is great news!

I have a Siberian I've done obedience and sledding with. It is possible, but it requires some careful selection of training techniques and honest expectations than training a more 'biddible' breed. Saying that, my second dog is an Australian Shepherd as I wanted to progress further in obedience and do agility. My Aussie still does sledding - but is not competitive against the Sibes. The main difference I find is that I don't have to constantly work to hold the Aussie's attention on me...but I do with the Siberian! My next dog will be another Siberian and hopefully with what I've learnt about training over the last 7 years they will be able to perform at a higher level of obedience and work more reliably off lead. We have a number of breeds in sledding in WA - including GSPs, GSDs, a Bull Terrier, staffy cross, Coolie/Koolie and Border Collies.

Oops - my bad, nice pick up Sagittarian. Sorry - the HS Anchovy, Salmon etc. is not grainfree. It is just a fish based food rather than lamb/chicken/beef. As you menitoned, the new 'pink' one is fish based AND grainfree. I haven't looked closely at the BHawk fish and potato as only saw it in stores recently. I didn't realise it was not complete grainfree.

I've completely the NDTF course via distance ed (with the Vic prac) over the last year and have mixed feelings. Alot of the content was good basic foundation stuff - particularly regarding desensitisation, dog health and behaviour. The pracs were also great and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to different trainers and meeting other dog people from around Australia. I have met some amazing people through the course that I hope to be friends with for a long time. I really struggled with the punishment side of things as that is not how I train....but I wouldn't say it is 'punishment' based training. I think what NDTF teaches is that if you are 100% sure the dog knows the exercise then it is the dogs responsibility to perform it (and that is where punishments are used). Whereas most 'positive' trainers tend to think that it is the owners responsibility rather than the dogs. For the Vic prac it did depend on what trainer you had - some never used punishment at all, and were very up to date with techniques employed by Susan Garrett, Sophia Yin etc. The real positive of the pracs for me was the chance to train a variety of dogs and the different trainers and their approaches and experience. Police/military/rescue groups/assistance dog trainers were all represented. I'm not convinced that some of the trainers truly understand how positive based training is not permissive...but then I've since been told that WA (where I live) is a very 'positive' state, and those training methods are far more widespread and generally considered 'the norm' here. The admin for NDTF (in my experience) left a lot to be desired. Over the months I did the course there were many admin staff changes and that really had a bad effect on the admin side of things. My advice to anyone doing the course is to keep extremely good records yourself, and keep copies of everything. Saying that, the admin staff were always very friendly and helpful whenever I spoke to them via phone or email. My other main issue with NDTF is that I'm not sure it encourages students to think critically about the training method employed (again, some trainers did this more than others). I was told once 'remember this is the NDTF way' which, for a science person - is not an answer! I have said this to them in my latest feedback. I did enjoy the course though - it challenged me and my training and I think I'm a better trainer for it. I has also led me having a better understanding of all training methods, regardless of whether I choose to use them or not. Ultimately I think it depends what you are after - experience or a actual qualification. If it is experience you are after, doing online courses from a variety of places plus volunteering at a number of clubs will give you that. If you are after a qualification and some theory then NDTF or Delta are the places to go. Hope this helps :-)

Hi LisaCC, I have a 2.5 year old Aussie that has a tendency to get itchy too. No formal diagnosis but I have put her on a grainfree diet. I alternate between Holistic Select (anchovy, salmon etc) and Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch. I prefer the Coastal Catch (unfortunately small kibble sizes) but go with whatever is on special when I buy it. I'm really happy with both and I think Kyte is less itchy. I'm also looking at trying the BlackHawk fish and potato food next time. Same cost but for 20 kg bag rather than a 13 kg bag. I'm also in the same boat as you re: shipping. It costs $5 to get food to Perth and $56 to get food to me in the southwest! I did get some through PetStock recently and that was free shipping, even to where I live so was really happy about that. My Siberian sometimes gets infected paws due to licking too - I would highly recommend getting some sledding booties - I recommend this to EVERY dog owner. Booties are great to have in the first aid kit. Whenever my girl start licking her foot now I notice straight away. If I catch her licking it twice, then I put cortisone cream on it, add a bootie (baby socks work as well, but they aren't as tough) and then tape in on with sports/strapping tape. I also give it a rinse with some antiseptic too. She will get the bootie off eventually during the day but normally stays on all night which gives the foot a chance to heal. Goodluck with your search!