freundhund

For 6' or 2 metre leads, contact your local GSD Club in your state, most GSD state clubs have leather show leads this length. My family all use these leads when taking our dogs out with the bike, for some reason they don't seem to get caught in the spokes as easily as other leads. Let me know if you have trouble obtaining leads as the GSDL marketing manager has them and will post. Leather Leads John Nolan or phone 02 46308543 or 0488039858 to order.

:D ;) :D There are a lot of things OH will do, try etc but shaving his legs, I don't think will happen. I might tell him that they have to be waxed

Okay well I have spent an hour in the rain, walking the Diva, I wore my pedometer(I read the instructions and set it properly) and check out a 5 kilometer walk on Google. Yes it took me an hour to walk the 5 kilometre's. The Diva is trying now to convince the rest of the family she hasn't been on a walk as yet. Yours truely is collapsed in a chair. because normally our exercise program is a walk to the park, lots of ball throwing and my son biking her for me. I now think I should be in the loosing weight for 2011 thread not in the ET thread, accept I think I am now going to be doing both. Can anyone tell me as I get fitter will I be able to walk quicker thus further in an hour. Bike is still in the practising stage daughter has told me that there is no occasion whatsoever that I can wear bikeshorts, that they are a complete fashion no, no. :D I haven't mentioned the naked :D factor I think 23 year old daughter was already muttering, my mother is mad, my mother is mad, she should be in the funny farm :D

OH has just seen me in the bike shorts, he has muttered words about embarassment, humiliation and a possible divorce from a woman that would go out in public wearing bike shorts. Ummmmmmm did mention that I am now expecting him to wear a pair of bike shorts as well and we will be going shopping for them later in the week. I think the comment was definately looking into divorcee :p Michael I brought lycra bike shorts from Rebel am I still expected to be naked under these???? (where is the blushing smilie when you have to ask a man you have never met this question).

Just come back from buying the padded shorts!!!!!!!! :D In padded shorts I make an elephant look slim But the indignity of not wearing underwear :p I think I might have to work up to. Now trying to work out when I can sneak out of the house wearing the new padded shorts, this is a picture that should not be seen in public!! PS OH has muttered they sell mountain bikes in Aldi for $50 don't they, so I am wondering if a really cheap Aldi mountain bike would do the job, because honestly I don't think I would ride it again for another 5 years until the next dog needs to do an ET.

Lol, I trained with several dog clubs, I never asked if it was okay, I just did it, I assumed it was okay and no one ever queried me. At that time I trained Saturdays, Sundays and at least one week night. Also trained the same 2 dogs thru 3 pregnancies. so clubs had to put up with me and the babies as well. Only person who ever complained complained at a show about me breast feeding a baby they thought that was disgusting, 25 years later I still laugh about it.

Umm, did I say I was going to do the ET. I now know that I am a masochist, I got up this morning after my tiny little ride (most probably a kilometer at the most ) and I hurt :D So today I have had to do some exercise, am now wondering if I should plan my funeral for after the ET ;) The Diva goes alongside the bike beautifully for OH and eldest son, it is just my training that is going to be the interesting part. Also told OH that I have to buy a new Mountain Bike as my road bike won't do. Have also told him he is now back up rider, he hd a very pained facial expression when I told him. So let the torture continue. ;) ;)

Very simple I trained one for 10 - 15 minutes then swapped over and trained the other. For long sits and downs I would do one in the class one week and the next the other week. I would also crate or stake out the one not being trained. I never found it to be a problem, I got thru and titled a brother and sister in UD being trained together.

Okay, I just got back on the bike, I haven't been on the bike since I was last training for the ET and got taken out by a woman jogging with a three wheeled pram who was determined to come between my bike and my dog. I don't think I have been so nervous in a long time, okay I have managed to ride the bike, without the dog, I think I need to get more practise on the bike before I start taking the Diva. What I learnt today was, I NEED A GEL SEAT, I NEED bike pants with a gel seat. I need to lose weight. And the bike needs to be serviced, the bike will now visit the bike hospital as soon as it opens in the next week. Oh, and I have to work out how the gears work again. Now this bike is a road bike, will it be okay for the ET or do I need a Mountain Bike?

Looking forward to catching up with all the interstaters. I believe that there will be an excellent entry if all those that have told me they are coming come.

Okay, so you all know that the darker the GSD (or in some cases any breed of dog) are more savage. Black dogs are the savagest of all. (This does appear to be a central European myth though) And I must admit to telling people that I have GSD's, and that GSD's don't bite only Alsations do!!!!!!!!!!!! Hanging head in shame but I do get frustrated with the stupidity of the General public.

Dancing with Joy the Diva came into season this morning as she appears to be a spot on 6 months bitch, she shouldn't be in season for either E.T's. Now where is the large piece of wood to knock on, cause my luck is not good.

The Sydney ET test is done at Erskine Park grounds. Canberra is done on the ACT Showgrounds.

Hi RallyValley Suggestions to help with training Toby to get used to push bike. NOTE what I am suggesting will take about 6 weeks to complete, then remember to go back to the begining and train him again so he is really able to cope. If you have one or can borrow one, start feeding Toby as close as you can while bike is stationary. Get as closer to the bike every day with the food. Once he gets very close to the bike, move food back away from bike and GENTLY wiggle bike, moving food closer to bike as you do this. Once he is used to this, start wheeling bike slowly back and forth again starting food from a distance then moving closer, once you are at this stage start wheeling bike around him in a large circle everytime start at a distance and get closer. Then in the backyard encourage him while you are straddling the stationary pushbike to eat his food next to you, then it is a few steps following to get the food, then repeat with a collar and lead on. Now also repeat with a friend and a second bike, next move out of the backyard onto the footpath. In the meantime you can walk Toby everyday, seperately practise getting yourself fit for the ride and by the time Toby is used to the bike you will still be able to do the test. For skateboards my friend borrowed one, for the same reason ended up putting her dog's food on the top of the board, then moving board slowly with food on it to get her dog used to the sound, her dog ended up very happily using the skateboard as a toy!!! Good luck with training Toby.

Hi I am putting the Diva thru, most probably will do her in Canberra, as Sydney clashes with a major show that she will be going to. I wrote out years ago a training plan for a dog that I trained for an ET, I will see if I can find it and post it. The dog I trained passed the ET with no problems. Remember if you haven't been on a pushbike in years to practise riding on it by yourself before adding the dog to the mix!!!!! It will be nice to have other people to talk to about training for motivation if nothing else. Oh, seeing as the weather is so "lovely" (well its not raining today) if your dog is one that dries quickly, you can start now with regular swimming to tighten up liguments. Edit to add equipment needed :- pedometer (cheap one so you know how far you are walking your dog and how much to increase distance by) push bike - you can buy them cheap at Aldi, if you have a pushbike get it serviced now by a professional mechanic so that it works well, remember to get it reserviced a month before ET so it hopefully doesn't break down on the day. HELMIT - practise riding with helmet if you don't use one already. Add to your calendar a reminder to take dog to vet for certificate just before ET. Remember to print out ET rules for vet so he/she understands why you want particular tests done. Good luck everyone.

Okay the scenario is I am walking my "underweight" GSD, ie 23 kilos and 58 cm tall, who I show!!!! At the local off leash dog park a Nissan Mica drives up, have you seen how big these cars are? NOT! An "man" gets out and assist his dog out, the dog is an extremely large Labrador, I would say a minimum of 30k's overweight. The dog walks approximately 10 feet to the grass and flopps down, exhausted from the walk. I continue to walk around the park as I walk pass the man with his dog he proceeds to accost me with the question "How old do you think my dog is?" My reply still biting my tongue about the dog's weight is about 12+ years, he smiles tells me the dog is 6 years old, I then comment that the dog is a bit overweight, truely the stomach is approximately 4 inches or 12cms from the ground. He PROUDLY tells me his dog is worth $12,000, is a Canadian Labrador, who is one of the breeds that Newfoundlands come from, and that the dog's father weighs 70 kilos, that I know nothing about dogs as I would recognise what a stunning dog he owns, I proceed to ask about hips and elbows, eye tests and other things, none of which the dog has. By this stage with all the stupid comments coming from this person, I forget I should wear a gag to the local dog park, I comment that someone should report him and his dog to the RSPCA for cruelty as it is so obese. Okay, other horror stories welcome.

I start puppies from 4 weeks when they are still with their mum not even weaned. I use lovely soft food and lure the puppies into sits, stands and drops. By 8 weeks when they go home with their new owners, I have a list of the local puppy schools that they can attend. (Most then go to puppy school) And I recommend the closest obedience club from 12 weeks of age. I also suggest that training to have well trained dogs last until the dog is about 2 and that the new owner needs to attend training as regularly as possible. I then tell them that it is good for the dog to continue with going to class just to keep the learning up. In 30 years of breeding I have had 3 puppies out of just over a 100 returned. 2 divorce's and 1 owner who died. Most people seem to understand after meeting my adults that training was necessary.

Okay, so I went to the park (yes I know I am stupid but it is the only area my dog can have a run as well). My girl is very well behaved, but is not happy being dry humped by other dogs, she spins away and a couple of times she has had a go away bark at the dog that humps her. I have changed the time I attend the park as there is one particular dog that humps her. I try to avoid this dog and owner as the owner thinks he is in charge of the park!!!!! I have asked him not to let his dog hump my girl, other people are not happy either as he does it to young puppies, it is very much used as a dominance issue by this dog. Tonight I was annoyed grabbed the dog and push him off my bitch and growled "NO". The owner was quite aggressive and nasty towards me, I just looked at him and didn't say anything, however, I wondered how other members would have handled the situation? I won't be offended, if you feel that I am in the wrong but as I don't allow my male when he goes for a walk to behave like this dog is allowed to behave and I don't see why my bitch should be stressed.

That is amazing, I am sure that somewhere maybe a David Attenborough program that seals and dogs come from the same evolutionary branch.

I would keep your puppy separated from your older dog. You started to stress originally about your older dog due to its heart condition, the older dog would have picked this up and is playing on this. Your new puppy wants lots of attention and also to play with the older dog. My advice is to keep the two dogs separate, particularly if they are the same sex. As your older dog screams and carries on it could arouse the puppy's prey drive. I would look for professional help as it will help your stress level, which will help your older dog to cope and also please try to choose someone who is familiar with GSD's as the play different to smaller dogs.

My Novemer Journal arrived today.

To get any statue of a German Shepherd you need to get it from Germany, unfortunately most stuff you see in the regular shops are imported from America, ie Calendars with the American style German Shepherd.

I am happy to send in recipes, non of mine are copyright as they are all created by myself.

For people coming from interstate the weather forecast is rain, Erskine Park has very clay soil and if it rains you will need plenty of spare clothes, so pack as if you were showing in Melbourne!!! (Apologies to all Victorians)

I am fascinated to know what and why someone in Australia would breed this sort of dog? Most native fauna that these dogs could hunt and tree is protected!!!! If you could show the breed I could maybe understand, but I just don't see this as a 'breed' we need for its 'working' ability. JMHO.