Podengo

Yeah our jump heights are a bit all over the place too. Are you thinking of coming over for NZDAC in 2014? Apparently there are quite a few Aussies jumping the ditch for our nationals next year = very exciting, I don't know if Aussies have competed here before??

Our heights: Micro - 325 and under Mini - 430 and under Midi - 520 and under Maxi - Over 520

What height is it that she is jumping - I didn't even notice, she does it so easily! Elsie is a midi here, so that's a 570mm hurdle

Thanks! :D Yes the jumps are very big, I think she would be a 400 dog in Aussie, so would get to do a lot lower there! :D Thanks - yes that is what I generally try to do, and I had planned to do that! I should have just kept running! Hopefully tomorrow will be a slightly twistier course as she will be less likely to go crazy and do a runner around them! I SO want to come over, after speaking to the team that went over last year, it looks to be about $5000 all up to take a dog over for it, maybe $3000 if I can find a friend to stay with in Brisbane and drive me places to save me hiring a vehicle hehe. Oh and two photos from today :)

Elsie's first ever agility run, and the second time she has ever run a full course LOL. She got very excited about all the running and ran around a few hurdles, and tried to bite me a few times, but otherwise I am happy... She was focused on me, ran quickly and had a LOT of fun! :D Oh and today is her 18th month birthday :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXDgMjb2wBk&feature=youtu.be

Like Sheena said, it's probably one of the best training DVDs that I have. I have loaned mine to a few friends with distance training problems and they have all LOVED it.

Yup - I really, really like it! What you wanna know about it? :)

I think I would be planning to go over the week before, and go to a local trial the weekend before... So get a good few days there! :D

I'm sure they'll have judges from further afield - last year there were two judges from NZ :)

I'm not sure I agree, despite having a win out system, we still do have some interesting breeds competing at lower levels in agility (taking into account NZ has a much smaller population, and far less interesting breeds overall!). I teach introductory agility classes, so get to see a large number of new handlers every year, and none of them have a clue or care what's going on at the top tier of agility - they just want to have fun with their dogs regardless of breed. I think that any reasonably fit dog that will run (not trot!) around a course, with a good handler who has trained them well should be able to win into the highest levels, whether or not they can amass enough wins to gain a championship title is another thing. Most of the 'different' breeds I see coming into agility with new handlers tend to be dogs that have ended their show careers, and are starting agility at 4 or 5 years old... In that situation I don't think it's the breed that is holding that team back from qualifying for the top classes. We do have titles and certificates available for clear runs gained at lower levels, so there is something to work towards :)

Website is up! :) Australian Nationals I really want to go - waiting to hear back from the kiwi team regarding cost of flying dogs there and back!

I never knew you had to hand strip cockers, learn something new every day!

Thought I would share this, as I have been reading lots about editing and trying to give it a little go! Edit on the left, original on the right :)

My dog was taught to walk in a front attach harness from the moment I took her home (she walks loose lead on a flat collar now). It has not interfered with her tracking at all. I guess they know the difference between the harnesses, and the situation? When tracking I will get the specific tracking harness out which is heavier and thicker, and a different build, I will put my gloves on, untangle the line, we're generally at a big field or up the hills somewhere... The other harness would get put on while we're at home, then we would go for a walk around the street.

In NZ we have more of a win-based system, it's not totally like Europe, but you certainly can't finish a CH or GRCH without winning. To get out of the lowest classes you can either win out, or amass 25 clear rounds. To get into the highest level classes you need wins. I don't think newbies find it discouraging, some people are stuck in the lower classes for years (and never get out), but what would be worse is moving up to a higher class and never making course time because your dog is slow or you aren't a good handler... I don't think the highest classes should be a free for all, they are there for people competing towards agility championship titles.

No freaking way LOLOL

Absolutely agree.

Yes sounds like tracking here :) Good luck Tassie, that sounds fun!

Yes, AFAIK it's similar to ANKC and AKC tracking, but not at all like SchH tracking. As long as the dog gets around the track without leaving it and indicates their article the style doesn't matter too much. More pics! In some places the grass was so long you couldn't see your dog! Elsie and I had to track over a dried up pond, so it was all just cracked dried mud and through these chest heights reeds, could not see Elsie at all haha! Elsie at the start of her second day track (which we failed, she spotted a hare racing across the hillside, and her already exhausted brain couldn't deal with that much excitement!)

Nothing exhausts Elsie like tracking! Regulations for tracking level 1 in NZKC tracking only trials A minimum score of 160 points out of 200 allocated for the track plus 1 article are required for a Level 1B qualification and 185 points plus 1 article for a Level 1A qualification. Age of track: one hour. One starting stake shall be used. Length of track should be between 600-700 metres. Land should be flat to rolling and should include fences, gates, ditches or swamps. Dog to pick up or indicate articles. Two articles placed on track (first article approximately half way and second article at finish). The surface area of an article must be no smaller than 100mm x 50mm. If the dog goes over the point where the tracklayer says the article was and the dog does not indicate or pick up the article and the tracklayer cannot find the article, the dog must be credited with the article points as though it was found by the dog. Articles’ should be placed on a straight line, on a flat part of the track and not hidden or placed within 10 metres of an obstacle or corner. Time limit 20 minutes Points Track 200, Articles 10 each. Total Level One. 220

Ahh yes when people change the spelling... For my domestic obedience class I used to fill in their graduation certificates while they played a game, until I was told off for spelling someone's "Ajaie" as "AJ" LOL

We had some terrible pet bantam names growing up, mum let my younger sister name them... Grey Back, a pekin with a grey back Snowy & snow white, white silkies Sooty and blacky, black silkies Brownie, a brown mix breed bantam :p

I get a lot of comments from older people on Elsie's name, they love it :) My partner's grandmother (RIP) picked it out, it was very sweet of her.

We had a Doberman named Cricket :)

Oooh I should update, Elsie qualified tracking level 1A at her first trial! YAY Elsie! One more "1A" qualification and she can have the TT1 title :D