PAX

For me, crate trained is Susn Garrett style, Am sure all of my dogs aren't at the SG level, but they happily stay in their crates, they know and choose their own crate, will sleep/trial in them without complaint. They dont all drive into the crates while traiing like SG crate trained dogs should, but that is my fault not the dogs.

Yes, Scottys rolls hold up as well as Four legs, without the bits of corn flying around.

I use lots of treats and also worry about giving my dogs so much salty/fatty foods. I have found the dog rolls are really good for training treats and most dogs seem to really like them. I prefer the Scottys or Pro Peak rolls (sold at Pet Barn), meant to be all natural, no preservatives and they even make a low fat one. I also mix in other stuff, a little cheese, sometimes raw cut up cheaper cuts of meat, cooked liver, etc. I usually wear a vest and my pockets are always gross....lol. Its a buggar when I take off a vest and leave treats in the pockets, my naughty dogs have eaten a few pockets out of them.....but that's better then putting them in the machine then through the dryer.

After a season they seem to gain fat and lose muscle...hormones and girls.....lol. I notice a loss of fitness but soon goes, not with the season but with the phantom pregancy .

He's looking good.

I would use Dogtainers, they won a MDBA award for best pet transporter.:D

Teebs, you're a better person than me, Thanks for the congrats but Pacers were and are the stars, I was horrified that some people they help treat them like staff and lack grattitude. I had the easy job compared to what Pacers had and has to deal with. Anyway, we all learned a lot from the experience.

I am not taking this thread as a critisism of kennels, I was trying to make the point that dogs do much better in a new enviroment than we give them credit for, I believe it is more stressful for us than the dogs, even if you have the right kennel/career for your dog.. I think it is perfect, and what i would do, if you can always have the same routine for elderly dogs, sometimes that is not possible. Since you missed it, you're taking this thread as a criticism of kennels. It isn't about kennels. It's about people not wanting to leave their old dogs for whatever reason. Those reasons may be stupid to you but I can assure you, they are not to others and it is not your place to say otherwise.

I would like to put it in another POV. I love my dogs...maybe more than my kids. If I was offered the choice of a new grad student performing surgery (no matter how basic) on my dog for free (which would never happen), but under the close watch of my prefered vet, or my experienced well respected vet that charged a lot, what would I choose? There is no choice., I will never pick the new Grad. for my dogs. I am an organ donor.

I agree, but like Sheridan said, there is sometimes a dog that does not cope well. In our case, our dog had dementia and a number of other age related issues and on the previous occasion of kenneling he went severely downhill. In earlier years he enjoyed the kennels and he was just fine on our return back then. Dogs with dementia and age related illness should be kept in their normal routine, or as close to it, when owners are away. Much kinder. Souff So true, but what do you do with an old dog if you have to leave, I mind lots of older dogs, some are blind and deaf, have one here ATM. IME they have all been fine, I worry myself sick while caring for them, I discuss the worst case scenarios with the owners, scares me everytime I go near them as they can't hear me coming and are sleeping soundly. Because I am here with them, I probably spend more time with them than a lot of owners do with work commitments, I get the owners to bring lots of familiar things from home, I'm sure I am not the only place that does this. That was my point, find somewhere you are happy with, maybe with live feed so you can see your dogs.

I agree, but like Sheridan said, there is sometimes a dog that does not cope well. In our case, our dog had dementia and a number of other age related issues and on the previous occasion of kenneling he went severely downhill. In earlier years he enjoyed the kennels and he was just fine on our return back then. Dogs with dementia and age related illness should be kept in their normal routine, or as close to it, when owners are away. Much kinder. Souff

Sheridan, not sure what you mean? I mind plenty of old dogs, they are still dogs, have the same needs, what is your point? My point is the dogs cope better than we do, even when they are old, just need to find the right carer/kennel that you have faith in, as I said.

I just find this all so ridiculous. There are thousand of dogs sitting in kennels for years...they are saved from Euthanasia......I don't agree, they live a life of constant stress and isolation. When most dogs go to the vets, it is stressful, no matter what the reason, bit like me at the dentist. Dogs don't know if they are there to have life saving surgery, a vaccination or something else, its all the same experience. I think it's great that student vets get to work on live animals, I know when they treat my dog they have already experienced all the things that are life saving, watching bleeding, blood pressure, aneasthetic depth, etc. I think these poor dogs that are already on death row are doing our lucky dogs a great service, they are under GA, so they know nothing, I am sure they are getting loved and kissed by the students, and crossing to the rainbow bridge in loving arms at the end, where they where already going to go. This is a problem for responsible dog ownership, if people did the right thing, these dogs wouldn't be on the euthanasia list:)

I totally agree with everything that you say, but after running a small boarding kennel I can tell you the 99.9% of the dogs I mind are so happy and drag the owners here on repeat stays. Some owners even get offended that the dogs are happy to hang out with me when they return. Dogs are so awesome, and live in the now, quickly adapt to the new routine.....unlike us stressed out owners. Just do some research, find a kennel you like, not all are massive and uncaring. I always email photos to the dogs owners, some kennels even have live feeds to the internet for the owners to view.

I used to trial my old Dobe in a martingale collar, he had a pin head and could slip flat collars. I had the MC fitted at about half way down his neck, just tight enough that he couldn't slip it if he pulled back. I had a judge in Novice tell me to loosen it, I tried to explain why, she said it's my ring so loosen it. You could always change collars before you enter the ring.

Agree totally, the best thing if our dogs do get KC, they most likely will never get it again. I did use a homeopathic remedy for the cough called 'Calendula tincture' and it stopped the coughing very quickly. In my experience, the coughing was only bad for a day or two, after that, it only happened after excercise. So just keep your dog quiet for a week or so, don't worry unless they go off their food. Be happy that they most likely will never get it again and you don't have to pay the vet for the extra vaccination. It really is only a concern in very young pups or senoir dogs, bit like humans and the flu.

I have always had Subarus and think they are great, but they are geting so $$$y that my latest car is a diesel IX35 and I love it. It doesn't have a huge cargo area but plenty of room for my dog, if I am taking multiple dogs I tow the trailer. it tows brilliantly and I really couldn't say a bad thing about it. And it has heated seats.....great when you drive home from night training frozen.

Next weekend.

If you left Cider with me we could deal with this......not,. Huge congrats, she is a super star, as are you.

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Go Girl

LOL, as long as you are learning and having fun trialling.

Can you show is some video of heeling? I often see people click and reward heeling by c & t'ing the sit at heel part, they accidently train the dogs to have bad heeling but great sit at halts.

what she said. So many great results:)

Thanks Huski.