ness

Yep well the rolled leather ones are the same shape as a metal article .

Hey LP Kenzie is already starting UD .

Just one tip you might want to use more substantial gloves. Reason I found I got much better holds when I went to thicker ones - none the least you get better retrieves as the dogs can see and mark them better. But very cute photo Shoey.

Ooops hmm yeah I could (I didn't even read over what was suggested ). Its a bit like the 2 toys game where you throw a toy in one direction and then as the dog comes racing back to you you throw a toy in the other direction. Instead of using toys you use food, preferably large chunks of easily visible stuff such as cheese if your training on grass and it helps if you find nicely manicured ovals to prevent the dog having to sniff out the food .

Here is an explanation written by Gina O'Keefe and posted to the files section of the Ozobedience yahoogroup. Get three small bowls. Place one out in front of the dog and put some food in it (just a couple of pieces) Have the dog neatly sitting very straight beside you - as he should be if you'd turned nicely. With elbow tucked IN ! place your hand neatly next to dogs side of face. Your hand, body, shoulder, feet, head should all be pointing towards the bowl. Without moving your hand, say GET IT!! and send the dog to the bowl. You can click the go out and let the dog get the food. Once he had eaten the food, call come and have the dog race back to you for a reward. You can also play the two food game here. Build distance. You can place the bowl randomly out on the park, with trees, broad jumps etc behind it. Get the dog marking the bowl and sending very straight. (remember your own body language) If you use a clicker, click the marking and then send the dog to the food. Put two bowls out. Separate them by more than you would have in the ring. Only walk out and put food in one of the bowls but pretend to it in the other bowl. The order is to be done randomly. Start close, go through the same procedure. Change which bowl you put the food into but make sure you line up as described consistently. Have someone look at you to make sure you aren't leaning into the dog and pushing them away from you. If you're worried about the dog going to the wrong bowl and then going off to the other bowl - 1. this is telling you that the foundation work of looking straight and running straight is still not strong enough, so go back!! (do not collect $200.00) You can also have a friend (who can also put the food out for you if you're lucky) there to take the bowl away with the food in it, if the dog goes to the wrong bowl. BUT STILL go back to one bowl and get the foundation behaviour. Separately to all this you should be practicing your turns so that the dog turns in one smooth movement and sits very straight next to you. That means the dog needs to know how to use his backend but that's another whole lesson!! <g> Once you are confident with two bowls you can start to put out the third bowl. Set them slightly broader of the centre than trial standard but always be in the centre (in front of No 2 glove position). Go through the same procedure. Once the dog is marking and running straight you have a good foundation. I'm assuming you have a retrieve on anything. You can now go through the same procedure with a glove. Drop the glove anywhere and pivot and mark the glove and send with "fetch". Sometimes you might have to do a bit of a "chuck" just to get the dog into the game. I've also used the dogs ball. Hold your dog (if their wait is dodgy) Roll the ball so that the dog watches it. Have your dog in the "marking" position and do YOUR bit. Once the dog is marking the ball send him. Click the retrieve and reward heavily! Mark heaps of single gloves and send. Use the two food game to get the dog returning quickly. Once the dog can do one glove, then you can start putting out two gloves. Always be in front of glove 2 position and work left or right of that glove. ONE PET HATE OF MINE!!! is when handlers over turn on the gloves so that they are pointing very left of glove one and very right of glove three!!. What is the dog supposed to do for glove 2 if he has to deviate off line to get the other two gloves and then is YELLED at for deviating when told to get glove 2 !!!!! Don't EVER call a dog off that is running out to a glove ! He thinks he's right. Go back and help him get it right. Set him up for success.

And here is one of Ness doing it at a trial: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=LK0K4LTSllQ <Only posted as everybody here in Adelaide believes you can't get full marks for gloves - well ner ner ner I have video to prove it > Actually she scored 19 at the Royal for gloves to.

That would be good - if you could PM me the details. Cheers.

No recommendations anybody?????

As the topic states looking for a chiropractor or like in Adelaide. Four people commented on my girls performance in the UD ring on Friday night at the Royal and thought she looked like she might have a problem with her back end. I have taken her to a person in the past but I am not entirely happy and I am looking for recommendations. I am in Torrens Park (Mitcham area) but happy to travel if the person is worth the trip. I know MyVet (Bird and Lindsay) do chiro as part of there vet practice but not sure what they are like. Happy to take recommendations via PM if people don't wish to post here.

Ok I didn't brag and probably should have. We had the Adelaide Royal show on Fri and Sat night. UD on Fri and Sat was open. Ness put in the performance of her life on both nights. Her UD work was the best she has ever given me and in the conditions I could ask no more. We had a power black out too so were sitting around for ages wondering if we would trial at all. Not even one of the over head power cables dropping during me sending her to the box upset her. Not to mention the fact the people outside the ring tell me she looked sore which makes the effort even more impressive. When we got there she couldn't pick up her articles off the floor but by the time we got into the ring she managed to pick up all three - yee har and ended up with 14 out of 15 for her metal. Sat night well I was second last on in Open. Very nervous. She worked the round of her life. 26 for Heelfree 20 for SFE (and considering she was sore and not happy doing them about 10 min before we went in to think we got through that exercise was a huge relief) 26 for Drop on Recall 19 for Retrieve on Flat 28 for Retrieve over the Jump 20 for Change of Positions Now we got through the 3 minute sit stay without a hassle then get to the down stay and she decides she needs to lick herself half way through and sit up. Bugger but if she had nailed the stay she would have finished with a score of 189 and 3rd place (behind 2 great WA dogs - Ptolomy's boy Scoota and another Aussie Brooklyn). There were 7 qualifiers as it was so that would have put her ring work above the best of the SA dogs that were entered - dogs who have won at other royals, regularly win our states, dogs who have there OC titles and handlers who are on subsequent dogs. Like Ptolomy mentioned the conditions weren't the best and to have matched it with the best of the best here in SA well I think that in itself deserves a huge brag . Well done MSF and of course well done Ptolomy (and where is your brag - 1st place UD at the Royal, 2nd Open and 4th place in Masters Agility for master Scoota - geez not sure they will accept your entry next year :p ).

Why Leema - the rest of her work was good and considering all the show dogs pee in there so what. She more than redeemed her performance this year anyway :p . Last year we were on super early, dog wasn't settled and though she had been taking out to the toilet and given every opportunity to go outside she wasn't happy and just a bit stressed. Not to mention the fact it was the first warm day we had had in ages and the pavilion was warm. This year well her performance speaks for itself . She worked her black and white socks off over both nights and considering she was sore well what more can I ask.

Oh don't worry Tassie I am very proud of Ness's performance.

30 min is nothing - we won't discuss how far and how much I spent to come for lessons . Just as well it paid off .

Are you anywhere near Northern Suburbs????? I don't know my Perth geography but they have a strong trialling club. ETA I know you didn't want a club but maybe they can put you in touch with somebody who might help. I have just looked at Kathy's website and not sure she would be one if you wanted trialling help rather than basic dog training. You would certainly be wise to get lessons from the likes of Sue if you are after trialling assistance.

Sue H is awesome . Ptolomy is heading back to Perth today after having had a very successful weekend trialling at the Adelaide Royal (along with another WA person who was equally successful). Sue H runs a boarding kennels so you can probably track down contact details that way.

My girls both get cheese as a training treat, mixed in with whatever else I am using. Strawberries, Apple and Pear are all fine for the dog to eat.

Well my thoughts are with you. I was also there last night competing in open. Ness worked the round of her life and hardly put a paw wrong and was sitting on a score of 189 (third place to two absolutely brilliant Western Australian dogs who are also trained by two fanastically wonderfully kind individuals) but she got up on the down stay to have a scratch and sat up . To say I am and still am absolutely devestated would be an understatement but really at the end of the day my little girl can do it and match it with the best of the best here in SA and thats all that matters. If she had held that stay she would have placed higher then a number of SA's OC trialling dogs. I keep telling myself its not like it matters in the end as she has her CDX and our next goal is really her UD title but deep down it does hurt. I have however told my friends they better not come next year as I intend on winning . Still makes me teary to think if only. My girl is the first dog I have trained and has her moments and its been a lot of hard work to get her to where she is today. She gave me a lovely UD round on the Fri night and then to back it up with an equally outstanding Open round just makes me so proud of her. Like you we are back there tonight to see if we can make amends and get over the line with a few agility passes.

Hi, Not sure but I had a similar problem. Originally wanted my new BC pup to sleep out in a crate in the other room. Ended up dragging crate into my bedroom on night 1 as she wasn't settling. She was around 9 weeks at that point. I left her in my room with me till she was roughly 16 weeks (might have been 20 weeks) but as soon as she was sleeping through the night happily (probably could have been earlier) I just moved the crate back out to the other room and didn't hear a peep out of her. Although I do only put her to bed when she is already pretty sleepy. I can still hear her wake up in the morning as its only on the other side of my door. My older girl sleeps on a bed in the corner of my room but I didn't think either of us would get enough sleep if I let the pup sleep out of a crate.

I just went to one of the cheapie stores and picked up some fleecy blankets for $7 or so each and she has a few of them in there along with a crate mat. Although I have to say my BC pup is pretty non-destructive and prefers to snuggle into the blankets then kill them.

I have to say I have only stuck with automode and found I end up keeping most of my shots (well apart from the ones where I have been trying to get agility shots and the dog has left the shot before I have taken it ).

I compromised on my performance dog and went for the C4 as the second puppy shot.

Mostly I use the 75-300 as you can get enough distance and take "close-ups". The 18-55 is mostly for portraits.

I have taken agility shots of other peoples dogs as well but unfortunately they are on my external HD so I'd have to hunt for them. Not bad considering I am very novice when it comes to cameras .

A few others: Agility shots while handing dog: I love this shot:

Ok here are a few from last weekend. Mainly taken with the 75-300 lens and on auto sports mode.