Weasels

Well Chelsea and Diesel are the names they had in their respective shelters and on their paperwork, they don't actually get called their 'real' names much I think we overcompensated for not giving them their original names by giving them a whole bunch of nicknames :D I stlli introduce my girl as Chelsea tho because if I say 'Chess' people think I am saying 'Jess'

Hmmmm yep :laugh: Girl dog - real name "Chelsea" (boring!) Nicknames: Chess, Chessy, Chess-mix, The Mix, LBD ("little brown dog"), Wiggles, Fox, Little foxdog, Roughbutt. Boy dog - real name "Diesel" Nicknames: Weez, the Weasel, Wiggles Secunde, Little man, Little buddy, Chaospants (also Deez and Rascal). They respond to most of them, but a couple we use so we can talk about them without them responding :D Edit: oh yeah, collectively they are Roggles or Rogulons

I have an agility class Sunday morning too, I'm going to have to keep a close eye on my little dynamo to make sure she doesn't overexert herself! I think Thursday will require a very early trip to the beach then a whole lot of languishing underneath the aircon. Might give the playstation a workout :D

Amypie remind me not to drive in your suburb, I don't think my dogs' self-esteem could handle it -- I like some breeds more than others, but I there aren't many dogs I don't want to pat when I see them (of course I refrain until the owner says it's ok!). Until fairly recently I had only met pretty unpleasant examples of st poodles, but since then I've meet a sweet young SP that has really turned my opinion around on them :D

Me too! :D

Yeah it's illegal, but that doesn't make the guy in the ute any less of a d******d

Oooooh yay! Cute :) I think age is a factor too, fox has gotten easier to manage since she turned 2 last year, but Weez still has trouble settling (he's about 18 months). Fox will learn most tricks lightning fast but it's taken about 6 months to teach her 'have a rest'!

Hehe good luck! I woudln't change a thing about fox, even when she's on her second hour of trying to get my OH to play a game of fetch :D which breed are you getting?

Kavik - I don't think fox quite 'gets' weaves yet, so if we start with them she gets frustrated and woofy. Once she understands the exercise better I will re-evaluate :) Huski - the thing with fox is that her modes are pretty much either 'work' or 'lying down', even a jog or game of fetch is Serious Business and she gets growly with any dog that tries to disrupt her. Focus and keenness to work aren't things in short supply! Makes her a chalkenge to live with but a joy to train (Weez on the other hand.... well lets just say I've learnt a lot more about training thanks to him :/ ) Edit: i'm definitelty a person that doesn't distinguish between work and play with my dogs, I mix up tricks, obedience and games every time we go out. So I see jogging and fetch as part of the work because there are rules - keep up and stay focussed on jogs, bring the ball back and do tricks during fetch.

Depends on the dog! My girl is really high energy (I recently decided on the phrase 'hummingbird in a dog suit' describes her best) and a quick jog and sniff around helps get some of the 'silly' out of her so she can focus better. I've learnt it's no good starting with weaves, for example, because after being home all day she really wants to stretch her legs on the jumps and tunnels before she does more precise work or tries to learn something new (we're still starting out on weaves). It's a balancing act of course, because being too puffed means she can't learn well either. Edit: I also think getting a chance to explore and sniff around the grounds first makes the environment less of a distraction, because then it's 'been there, done that' for the rest of the evening.

I think mine are broken Total heat-o-phobes.

Hi Well, if you are ever talking to Italians and you get them repeat the word 'Maremma' you will quite clearly hear the correct pronunciation. Regards I've always been under the impression that it is pronounced "Mar-ee-mah" but changed my tune after I was told off by a 10yr old girl who owns one :laugh: Good to know I can go back to my original pronunciation. Every researcher and farmer involved with LGD's I've ever met has pronounced it Mar-emma. I've been to seminar series where they were the sole topic and never heard any other way of saying it. Mar-emma is an acceptable Australian pronounciation. Chosing to use a foreign inflection is of course fine too. As is 'that fluffy dog over there'

When I give my dogs an egg I just put the whole thing on the floor. That way they get to play with it a bit and work to get into it as well, providing a little bit of extra mental stimulation. They eat about half of the shell. Edit: nb we don't have carpet of course!

I was trying to explain counter-current exchange in wolves to a fellow dog walker recently, but I had no idea if dogs had it too. Of course, DOL provides! Thanks Sandgrubber :)

This is what I was going to suggest :) It sound like a similar dynamic to my 2 kelpies. The foxdog focusses on the ball while Weez just watches and chases her. He will sometimes bark at the end of their run (when she catches the ball and turns around) which I think is overexcitement. I let him But I do draw the line at him open-mouth lunging at her neck when he gets frustrated she isn't moving, and I give him a "hey!" and get in between them, to decrease his excitement level. This seems to decrease the behaviour. FWIW Weez is very 'talkative' generally but is silent while he's herding, so I'm not convinced that's the full explanation.

Plus soft hugs to all the sore doggies

Oh sorry! Told you I was a show doofus! I really hope you get a pup who can represent for all the beautiful tan-point kelps! Yayyy puppies!! Poor boys, being put in brackets at the end there :laugh:

I looove red & tans!! Fingers crossed you get the right pup! Sorry Mirawee I am a total show doofus, but I didn't think "... & tan" was within the standard? Are there different shows? Also how old before you can tell if they are show prospects? If she is half as adorable as Jilly she could take over the world! :love:

Kelpie :) Bitch apparently has milk and was nesting last night :) I haven't heard anything yet today though... Ooooooh exciting! Do you know what colour?

We have one that attaches to the headrests of the back seats for our subaru wagon. Works fine for us - keeps the dogs in the boot and easy to remove (we don't have big dogs tho, about 19 & 22kgs) Edit - it's the 'walkyguard' one

Agreed. Poor Mr MG

I use 'tidy' for Fox to put her toys back in her toy basket

You wouldn't believe how many people keep asking is my chocolate LABRADOR, "Red Dog". .....

It was just to the North of that giant blue jetty thing, horses and dogs as far as I could see. I thought Naval Base was a bit further north again, but I'm pretty bad with map-type-stuff

Not sure about breeders but I've had a spike in strangers calling my girl "red dog" :laugh: Since he didn't really 'do' much except fart and steal food I'm not sure what they'd be disappointed about..... :D