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I mostly get asked if she's hyper, I say "nope, give her enough exercise and she's fine"...people tend to not realise that dalmatians were, after all, bred to run all day long.Although as far as dallies go, she's pretty laid back. I've also heard the "they're dumb" line...no, they're so smart, they'll work out whether it's worth their while to do your bidding! Cleo is really intelligent and sometimes it is extremely frustrating trying to work with that. I don't so much get annoyed at assumptions about my breed, but all other breeds mostly. I work in a pet store, you can imagine what I hear My mum is a bit of an offender though, I must admit. Im sure if she had have known we were getting Cleo BEFORE we paid for her, she would've said something negative. Apparently, weims are not intelligent (highly doubt that, and one day i WILL get a longhair weim!)...oh I could go on but it's getting late and I've worked a big day lol. Every breed I mention to mum though has some negative point!

it's just a show like any other. Even the Royals are still just dog shows. You might pay more in entry fees as the prizes might be better and someone has to pay to get those international judges here :D I just dont want to offend anyone..... hopefully the international German judge has a funny bone, because his going to need it for his puppy class! this dog showing stuff is supposed to be fun! Of course you will offend someone, it's a given. You won't know why or what or how but who cares? Sure there will be some sour person tut tutting if Gus is less then perfect, but no doubt they would be like that even if Gus is perfect! If it wasn't you it would be someone else. Don't worry about what other people might be thinking/doing/saying. You and Gus go have some fun! Go on TCM! Have some fun! If I lived anywhere near a major showing area (hello 6 hours driving to Hillsborough, the closest major show area) I would do it! I probably also wouldn't have a desexed bitch because showing wouldn't be a 3 or 4 times a year occasion. Enjoy yourself! And don't stress too much over Gus' dally behaviour...Cleo got her brains at about 10-11 months :) she is a pleasure to stack and work with now!

My dog spends most of the time outside, for a few reasons -When we first got Cleo, we didn't have our own house on the property we share with the in laws, we shared a house with them and had to respect the rules re. dogs in house. Also their dog lives outside (but sleeps in bathroom in winter). -Every time I've tried to bring Cleo into the house during the day once our "house" was built, she can't relax. I give her a pigs ear to lie down and eat and she tries to take it outside. Can't have a doggy door at this point. -Between the 5 of us living on the property, there is generally ALWAYS someone home (usually my father in law) and a lot of time is spent out of doors. She does sleep in her crate inside at night and we are working on her calming down inside. Once we have a home of our own (on a property of our own) we'll probably have a doggy door installed so she can decide where she wants to be freely. Re. crating the whole time you're at work - couldn't do it. Cleo loves doing her zoomies around the house, and for a dalmatian, I think spending that much time crated would be detrimental to her. Sure you can exercise them when you get home from work I'd rather give my dog the run of the backyard as she pleases (note - where I live is fairly remote, a little village, so I have no worries re. theives, and we generally always have someone home)

Kempsey, a nice hour and a half away, one of the closer ones lol.

Thanks, did that today =] I sent the show entry normal post, and the neuter form + pedigree + vet cert (with microchip no.) in express mail. Hope it all works out, if not I only lost $12 in entry fees.

Yes, I think you have time. Send the neuter certificate (and her paperwork)to Dogs NSW ASAP. You should get them back fairly quickly, certainly before the date of the show. thank you :D boost of confidence!

I had my girl desexed in April, and am keen to attend my first show as a neuter, where I plan on catching up with a breeder friend/mentor. Problem is, I only just read the fine print on my entry form today, I need to change her details with ANKC/dogsnsw so that they know she's spayed. Kicking myself for only reading that today, I've only got until the 9th to get my entry in. Question is, can I send my form express post to dogsnsw, and that be ok to enter still, hoping I get my papers back by the actual show on the 27th of July? I need to send her Papers for them to stamp them 'spayed' But would I need that on me for the show? I have her spay certificate that I could take with me. And I guess I could ask them to express process it back, if i need to. If there is no hope, I'm happy to just attend the show and maybe help my friend with her 4 dogs :) but I would love to maybe get my girl some neuter points.

Dallies are so smart, I would definitely give the rear end awareness training a go, like TSD suggested. It's all about shaping, rewarding the behaviour you want. The book '"don't shoot the dog" has some good tips. I'm glad Cleo doesn't have a whipper snippet tail, it hurts and she hits it bloody hard but it's never split (touch wood)

They spelt Dalmatian wrong! :) haha but that is a very cute list. I just assume that most people will spell it wrong now :laugh: . If I do a google search, or look on Ebay for dally related items, I always spell it right, and wrong. Usually get more hits spelt wrong. I bought a BEAUTIFUL cross stitch the other day, it is titled "Dalmation" sigh. lol.

The ingredient list reminded me of Hills to be honest. We stocked it at my work for a short time, the only one that looked half decent was the Sensitive skin one, but still not fab. But we only sold, seriously, like less than 10 bags in 3 months (most of those little bags on a buy one get one free offer). My boss got rid of it, good riddance!

Neuters can only compete in the classes offered for Neuters at shows and in SOME states in Australia, Neuter points are offered. Not all. Thank you. Luckily, even though im in a fairly regional part of NSW, a few shows nearby are hosting neuter classes! Just for that Im grateful (I can show for fun and NOT worry about seasons!) I don't really care about points, they would just be a nice bonus.

I've got a neuter class question.... Cleo is desexed now, but I still want to dabble in showing (and catch up with my mentor!) is the neuter class the ONLY class I can enter now? (eg is Aust bred excluded) Just want to clarify =] And does the dog/bitch that wins the neuter class get points towards a title? Just thought I'd ask while I was in the show ring section. Thanks =]

Just measured Cleo, she's nearly 40cm around. She takes a "large" store-bought collar too. Hope that helps...and could you pass on the name of this person who makes gorgeous collars? hehe :D Im a sucker for a nice collar.

Strange that my two BC's do so well on it. The girl is 19 kilos & the young boy is 23 kilos & VERY active. They get a cup full each a day plus 100g of meat or tinned fish & in the mornings they get 1/2 a turkey neck & if anything, I have to keep a watch that they don't put weight on. I am very happy the way my two are going on BH....here is a picture of my girl with her stash from last weekends agility trial :) & their poos are a real delight to pick up & only twice a day & hardly any smell Congrats Sue! I've met these two BC's, and they are lovely looking dogs.

Grain free would be .

Well dalmatians named from the Dalmatia coast in Croatia but nobody 100% agrees where they're from, not even the Dalmatian book written by the Dalmatian Club of America can say for sure. England is pretty much the country of development im pretty sure, so no worries! If I ever got a dog breed where there was a strong discussion in the country of origin, where the language was not english, I would look into learning it.

Have you considered switching him to a puppy formula for a little while? As long as the main protein source is a "safe" one, it shouldn't be detrimental. Working dog formulas are along the same lines, but puppy is usually more accessible, especially in brands like Artemis etc. Or I've heard of "satin balls" that are good for packing on weight. not sure whats in them, just heard of them mentioned if you want to search it. How's this, I think of myself as "careful" when it comes to feeding my dal, as I know you are TCM, met a couple of dallies at the MPW a few weeks ago...they've never heard of not feeding beef/high purine foods. Makes me wonder... they've been extremely lucky! One had the best name though, a liver dal called "Coco-pops"

Added my 2 cents. Cleo is now desexed, but we did experience a season. I don't think she was in pain (well not the sort of pain I experience IYKWIM...) just a bit sooky.

Does the agility trial start quite early? I only ask because I have a hens party to set up for, and a rehearsal dinner on Friday, a wedding on SAturday and a recovery day on Sunday. Thinking I might be able to quickly pop through on the way to dropping OH off at work. If so, I'll be after a 5kg bag =] NSCleo....Judging starts 8am Friday, 8.30am Saturday & 7am Sunday, but we will be there about 7 on Friday & will bring along 5 kilos for you. Is this your hens party Ok, I'll be seeing you there! No, not my hens I wish it were, Im very excited for mine (in 4.5 months) but it's my sister's this weekend. I am Maid of Honour, hence the setting up duties! at the starting times! I'll tell you again on Fri, but good luck!

Had a metal bowl for Cleo, until I found a beautiful ceramic Fuzzyard one (it has dots, like her!) I prefer the practical-ness of the metal, I can drop it no problem, etc but it doesn't look as nice as my ceramic one! (and she can't push the ceramic one around, the metal one gets pushed around and that noise bugs me) The water bowl is a huge ceramic pot, but the one in our house is a Petsafe Water thing....has a plastic reservoir but the part they drink from is metal.

Does the agility trial start quite early? I only ask because I have a hens party to set up for, and a rehearsal dinner on Friday, a wedding on SAturday and a recovery day on Sunday. Thinking I might be able to quickly pop through on the way to dropping OH off at work. If so, I'll be after a 5kg bag =]

I feed black hawk mainly, but was given some earth born holistic by a rep to try (2 x 3kg bags! Awesome rep!) and my girl LOVES it, especially as the non coastal-catch fish one (name escapes me, ocean something) is ok for dallies, and she didn't like EP holistic. I love that she can have a fishy kibble. So now I mix BH and EBN holistic, just for some variety.

Im not sure which breed suits my "image"....I have a dally, which I consider to be elegant, athletic, graceful, cheeky as anything and super intelligent. I know I can be cheeky, and would like to think that I have a little of those other traits (dreaming?). Interesting, the other breeds I would love to own also embody several of those traits, or I think of them as such (graceful, elegant, etc) such as weims, salukis, etc

I have a Cleo too, except she's a dalmatian =] It's a great name (no im not biased at all ) She's not a Cleopatra though, just Cleo (or Cle, or Cleo the fleao, or doofus) Welcome to DOL!

Another one for frozen here. I like how it takes her longer to eat it that way! With our family dog (now 11) she's had a frozen bone every single night of her life. She's probably got the best teeth of any 11 year old lab I know!