Elise+Hudson

Yeah I am not looking at making it into a business so much, just would be nice to walk a few dogs a week to help fill in some time during the day, get outside and earn a few extra $$ for Hudson's account.. haha Thanks for the advice guys :)

I am honestly not sure Lisey - I guess it would depend on the person :)

Understood persephone, but how does one get started in anything if people don't give them a go? I don't know how you become an experienced dog walker unless you get started doing it. I have owned dogs all my life so it is not as if I have just seen dogs in the vet clinic and think I know how to deal with them. I am still going to try and see what I can organise and see if anyone out there will give me a shot to get started. If not my pup might just be getting quite a few long walks. :p

Lasareina - seems like we need to find an obedience club together! (didn't realise we lived quite close!) I am going to go along to Logan and see how it is, otherwise will keep looking for other clubs that won't clash nights with agility. :) Or perhaps look at training not at a club, but maybe training with a private trainer.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I do really get a lot of joy out of obedience when we finally get to where we want to be.. but I struggle with this on my own. I have only every had training in a pet dog type of environment, but it was fantastic and the trainer was lovely. It was all reward based training and I learnt to use a clicker. I guess I was just surprised to see the requirement for check chains.. I haven't used one of these (except in the show ring) since training my dog as a kid at an obedience club around 10 years ago.

My reply seems to have gone walkies.. :p I will have plenty of time to sleep.. particularly if I try and do most of the dog walking in the afternoons. I only work 3 days a week and one of these is usually on the weekend, and 2 out of 3 weeknight shifts finish at 1-2am, which still leaves me with plenty of time for a decent sleep in the morning before being up and about. Insurance issue is very important, will look into how much that will cost for me to set up. I used to design websites for people in my spare time going through Uni, so will 100% get a good website set up so that I can try and spread the word around. I think that dog walking/pet sitting will fit into my lifestyle at this point, so I think it is worth a try! If it doesn't work out I guess I at least still have my day job. :)

Agility Dogs - I am super excited for next week :) Yeah, starting to think I might just need to try and get to a couple of agility classes a week rather than obedience.. I love agility a whole lot more, but also think there is a lot to be said for an obedient dog. Although I am hoping through some more training in agility that will build our relationship anyway + therefore he will be a bit more obedient as well.

A Trolley!!! I hate carting the crate + the grooming table! :p

Hey guys, I have taken an interest in becoming a dog walker... Now this might seem crazy as my day job (well now night job) is a Vet, but feel like this would defiantly help to gain trust from other dog loving people - I certainly know how to take good care of dogs. So my new job is shift work, so entirely nights and weekends, and I have found myself looking for something to do during my days to keep me busy and I also badly need to work on my fitness - what better way than to earn money getting exercise and helping people with their dogs! Has anyone else gone to start out in something like this? My availability through the day just makes it seem like it could be a good idea, obviously I am not looking at starting a huge business with multiple staff, but perhaps a more small client base. I am thinking that starting a website and perhaps getting some business cards are a good start. I already have an ABN, so I am partway sorted there. So what do you guys think? Something that may appeal to people? Or am I being downright crazy and need to just join a bushwalking club... haha

Unless the dog is under 20 weeks of age - in which case it can wear a flat collar. All dogs over 20 weeks have to wear a check chain. :/ And there was discussion about using it to 'check' the dog.. so we will just have to see. Looking at travelling as far as the gold coast for a good club which will allow me to attend on a casual basis - until I have a definite work schedule (I think it calms down eventually and you tend to work certain nights on a regular basis) and not all over the place like it is now.. I might be able to be better about attending every week. *sigh* why must it be so hard! I am SO excited about BAD next week though, at this stage Wednesdays are good for me, and every 2nd Tuesday is good as well which is promising!

I think I will go along next Tuesday and just take a look around, but will bring Hudson with my on Wednesday and see how it goes. I don't mind going back to basics with him - you never stop learning! Went to the introduction night for Logan dog obedience tonight. Very different style from what I am used to with the requirement to wear a check chain. The check chain itself doesn't worry me, as Hudson shows on a a very thin snake chain without a problem.. But I wonder how the rest of the training will be set out. Will come along to a few sessions and see what happens I guess!

Will be attending my first agility class next week! SO Excited to finally be able to take part in agility at a club and not in a more private lesson type scenario. :)

And while I am researching - Petplan seems the best so far, but quite a bit more than the other policies.. just worried about something being classed as pre-existing if it is an ongoing issue. Obviously I hope none of this ever happens but you just don't know. Original policy I was looking at was with PIA $26 a month Petplan is almost $10 more, at $35 a month - with the petshare option (you pay 25% of bills with $125 excess for $10,000 cover) But my concern here is that once he is more than 10 years old, it becomes $125 excess + 50% of the bills.. which is a lot. If I go with the standard policy and a $250 excess brings it up to just over $40 a month, but it means it will only increase to $250 excess + 35% of bills once he is older than 10. Seems like its a long way off him turning 10, but I guess you have to look long term. The difference between the PIA policy and the standard policy with petplan is $1344 over the next 8 years.. so its not nothing! :) But in the end I guess my mates health is the most important. The other thing that makes it difficult is I can afford to pay the 25% petshare at the moment, but not sure if you can then ever change to the standard policy.. will have to call in the morning and find out. NEVER do research into things like this so late at night! haha

Hey guys, I have decided to take out pet insurance for my boy :) I have always considered that being a vet I would be able to do quite a few things if need be, or at least have someone do them for a cheaper price for me. Well... seeing some of the cases come through the ICU and specialist service - I just can't do it all! I find the PDS very confusing through when it comes to limits for ongoing conditions. It appears that for a condition you are allowed the entire policy amount eg. $10,000. But it looks like this is over the life of the dog, not per year. And do these previous claims have a change on what is considered 'pre-existing'. For example a claim for a cancer removal, does then after the next policy renewal cancer become an exclusion as it was from the previous year and therefore pre-existing? So confusing.. and this is for my healthy young dog who I have owned all his life.. Have no idea how people get through this maze with older dogs!

My sisters both live in Mooloolaba so will be coming back up that way a lot soon! I just moved to Brisbane 3 weeks ago. :)

It is a lovely spot :) Grew up in Tewantin + then Gympie and used to love going out that way for trips :)

I was so hoping to get to this :) Next year for sure!!! Hudson would totally be doing the wonky sit, its what he is best at! GO SID :) He looks so happy (except for the thermometer pic!) :p

I am keen to join for sure, and will go for the October intake if need be. It's just a shame I can't work my way around having to be there for that one particular night! Because aside from the 5th, I have the entire month free on Thursdays! Might see if I can call again and work something out, whether or not I can do an intro another night? or get sent the details.. I don't know. I am not a complete newbie, but understand having to run through the rules etc of that particular club

Thanks guys, will look into travel to the north side, but would prefer to stay south if possible! I have been in touch with BAD - and looks like that will be a good place for us on Wednesday nights. I was keen to go to Durack, but sadly the ONLY Thursday I have to work this month is the first one! (so frustrating!) I understand it makes it hard for the clubs, but to have to keep waiting for the new intake, its hard! :p

Hey guys, As some of you may know I have recently moved to Brisbane and I am living close to the Logan area, so ideally have been looking for something on the south side of Brisbane but I am willing to travel. I would like to start both Obedience and Agility here, but would also consider trying Flyball if I could find a club. I am really struggling to find something suitable for us! I have left countless phone messages for different people - so many I am losing count of who I have tried now! Hudson is a 2yr old Australian Shepherd, we have done a few grades of pet dog training, but no formal obedience and we have also done the start of some agility training - enough to get us round a novice jumpers course, but we have A LOT of work to do so going back to basics is fine with me. The trouble I am having is I work shift work, and the nights I work can vary from week to week (although have around 6 weeks advance notice of my shifts) so I am having trouble finding a club that will accept us in. A few that I have been able to be in contact with have required us to attend particular 4-6 week courses (and sadly I don't have that night free for 6 weeks straight) or attend a start up meeting, which sadly occurs on a night I have to work! (This is doing my head in!) Like I said above, I am happy to go back to basics in order to get into a club/training group, but at the same time feel like signing up for a puppy/basic class will be not too helpful for us. I am really keen to get started with some formal training, but at this rate it might be next year before I can organise anything! Huddy is a great dog, but needs training working with other dogs as a distraction which as he is my only dog is difficult to work on outside of a training environment. Is anyone here a member of a club which might be of use to me? Or know someone who might be able to help? I am more than happy to keep calling people, but hate being a pain too! Or has anyone done classes with the RSPCA here, I realise these are not competition obedience/agility - I am just keen to get my crazy boy out and using that brain for something other than walking around here!

Thanks guys - this has been sorted. :)

I haven't found anything yet unfortunately. Plenty of groups seem quite flexible with the upper classes, and with agility Hudson certainly knows the basics - we can run a jumpers course, but no Q yet and I would certainly like to work with him A LOT more.. haha But most clubs seem to need to do a beginners course, which run for quite a few weeks and I just can't find a day I have free every week for that length of time. Trying to find new walking tracks each day though, I just feel so terrible that I can't get something organised for him yet. He is such an active dog, and I know that walking him is keeping him happy (he is so attached to me at the moment after this move!) but I can't help but think he might be more settled once we can start training again.

I just started on Monday night and will be working again tomorrow night. It was great, but it is still a shock to the system so will take a few shifts to get in the swing of things! It is just the odd hours which will be hard to get the hang of too, working late and nights does not bother me at all, but having different days each week is proving difficult with Hudson and training!

So have moved and settled into my little granny flat. Turns out my work schedule is all over the place for the next month so finding it REALLY hard to find an obedience or agility club that will accept me, as I can't be available the same day every week for the 6ish week blocks they all require for beginning training! Anyone train with clubs in brisbane that might be ok with me missing a week in a training block, or have more casual class setup which I might be able to join into? I love training with my dog.. and I am desperate to get him out and doing something! We are both going to lose our minds quickly otherwise, as we have only a very small yard, and I can't even do any training with him in the yard, only when we go for our walks.

Since I posted this morning I think I have found the perfect granny flat type situation in Shailer Park which is welcoming of Hudson! YAY! It's a pretty much self sufficient little area and will only need to share the kitchen with the main house. So excited, they are happy with my references so it will just be if they are ok with me when they meet me in just under 2 weeks time, I will have a new home! So close to work too! Then I can finally relax and feel like this move is going to go ok! Nervous about my new job, and Hudson fitting into a new house (please don't go digging up a plant huddy!) and finding new friends! Such a big change, but I am so ready for it and excited all at the same time.