ness

Well I have just had a change of heart over trialling goals for 2008 - how about just having a dog that doesn't pull up lame or sore anytime we do anything remotely fun would be a nice change .

What is the frequency of dogs getting distemper - not the vaccination I mean the disease? Mainly you hear about Parvo outbreaks so I would wonder is it a real issue for the dog to be low if the chances of the dog coming into contact with the potential pathogen is low to non-existent. Probably already thought that through but thought I would throw it out there.

Yep it certainly is dogdude - Guess any thoughts of retirement are out the window at this point .

Final 2007 Brag. Got back from Perth last night and my friend dropped off my prizes for end of year club presentations. Ness got: First Place Open Jumping First Place Masters Jumping Second Place Masters Agility Second Place AC Vowels Top Trialling Dog

Well a final Ness brag for the year. We have had a great 2007 and tonight she managed to add her first pass in open agility and another open jumping pass to her tally for the year. Its been a really successful year for her and geez we have come a long way. Its also my final night in Perth and I have learnt so very much in the past fortnight and had an absolute blast. Hopefully 2008 will be equally successful .

Welllllll geez did my little black and white feral pull something completely unexpected out of the bag tonight. She worked a really stunning UD round - no pass but geez I was only hoping to pass an exercise or two and she did really really well. 25 for Seekback, 19 and 16 for Directed Jumping, Articles she found two out of three correct. Signals heelwork she got through it nicely only to goof the sit up at the end. 16 for Gloves. Open she was sore but still didn't do badly. 28 for DOR and full marks for her retrieve over the high. Just goofed the sit again in the COPs. Very Very thrilled with her and a great debut UD effort.

Is now

Hey just as well I got in first - I think Ptolomy might have to start taking bookings. Not sure where she would find the time mind you . Since when I return back to SA she still has to deal with my endless emails , although regardless of how she goes tomorrow night Ness will be getting at least a month off her training and we will just spend the time playing and going for walks. Remind me I am not NERVOUS (which really says its 10:30 the night before the trial and I am scared beyond belief and can't sleep ;) ). And of course I'll let you know how I get on Leopuppy.

Smuggled red dogs huh - hmm better watch Ptolomy I think Amypie has a few ideas . Nope no smuggled red dogs for me Ness is enough of a handful without having a red dog just yet . Not sure I am properly schooled on how to train a red dog either - they seem to be a world of there own. I can just imagine what would happen if I ended up with a Lexi type - geez it would probably turn out just like Chevy . I think I'll stick with my medium drive BC thank you very much (Ness will be pleased to hear that as I think she is over red dogs ). And just in case Ptolomy thought I was serious in my response I am just kidding. I have learnt so much and had an absolute ball and well Ness just has to suffer the consequences - no more nice mum . So glad you put the silly idea of me coming over into my head (even if a couple of supervisors probably don't agree :p ).

JulesP - Ptolomy is VERY scary I have been so traumatised but the whole training experience to the point where I never want to train with her as long as I live . As for suitably nervous nope totally over it. It could go great, it could go totally pearshaped, it could fall up somewhere in between. Whatever happens at least I am taking the best black and white dog back to SA again with me on Sunday. Now if she doesn't get that 190 in Open however thats an entirely DIFFERENT story .

Hey Jules way to go with Brock . Well Ness just had her final UD practice session before her debut trial on Friday evening and she worked an absolute treat. If she works half as well on Friday night as she did tonight I will honestly be over the moon with her. Considering how pearshaped things went yesterday she really lifted her game tonight. Even her gloves which I wasn't sure how she would go have improved tremendously in the 2 weeks we have been in WA. While we still aren't 100% trial ready (well its there its just not as polished as I would ideally want it) I am sure we will be in with a good chance come next year to hit the ground running and the foundations are all there for her to perform well given half a chance. Friday night is purely a fact finding mission to see where we need to improve. That being said I intend to go out and enjoy myself in the ring and do not intend to get nervous over it. Its just another "mock" training session the only difference being I have only myself to use as a reward and no food .

Go Amypie and Kyzer

I believe amypie has a brag to add from last nights agility breakup .

Great post Kelpiechick . My main goal for 2008 is to be much more consistent and part of that means not giving into the pressure of those training around me. I am going to go home from my two weeks I have had training with a whole new outlook on what I need to do to succeed. Having said that though part of that is making the game much more exciting and not falling into bad habits of rewarding any old effort. On the title front I do hope to get those remaining two passes for her JDM title, finish off her ADM and get her ADO (and SD if I can get my head around the rules long enough to pass ). I hope to also make it into the UD ring. I would like to get through an Open heel pattern with no missed positions . Whatever happens I am sure we will have as much fun as we have had this year - like Kelpiechick said quallies (and titles) aren't the be all and end all as long as everybody is having fun that is all that matters.

dogdude - not sure any of the WA or SA judges are open to bribes.

As the heading suggests - just curious if anybody has thought about what they wish to achieve during the 2008 trialling year in whatever doggy sports they participate in.

Ok another brag from me - while Ness and I are off holidaying and learning so much over West it was our club presentation evening last Saturday night back in SA. Ness managed to get 4 prizes - not sure exactly what she came in each class but they would have been for untitled masters agility, untitled masters jumping, untitled excellent agility and untitled open jumping. She has had a particularly successful year finishing off her ADX at long last with some really nice runs (and wins against interstate competitors in the pre-Nationals trial). She is also quickly collecting passes towards her ADM with 3 so far and a number of near misses. Her JDM is coming closer with only 2 more legs required. Her open obedience work has been improving all the time. We have managed 8 agility quallies and 9 jumping quallies which would be the most successful year we have had to date. Not to mention an additional three CDX passes.

Good one Ptolomy - embarrassed why!!!!! I think Ness is picking up some of that red dog drive as honestly we haven't had that sort of work two sessions in a row EVER hehehehehe. And she is learning to be quiet sort of. Jealously works wonders. Might make half a Lexi out of her yet . Yep I know Ness can do it and I have had a hugely bad habit of not accepting a high enough standard from her. Never again. Oh yes Ptolomy the big stick hmmmmmm geez your a hard task master .

God another brag from me................ Geez I am thrilled with how Ness is working at the moment. Went out again tonight for another bootcamp session and Ness didn't disapoint. We did a session with a mix of open and utility exercises and she really worked an absolute treat. God maybe she isn't half as bad as I think she is sometimes. Sessions like this don't come along very often for us. Everything is just falling into place and its really funny as usually I get nervous when I have "gurus" helping but Ptolomy is absolutely brilliant. She is a great handler herself and just watching her work her kids gives you lots of hints. Funnily enough all of it works as well . Really having a great time here and learning heaps. Will have lots to take away with when I go home and just maybe my little girl can get her UD title . Thanks so much Ptolomy your a legend and I really appreciate the fact you kindly offered up your home to Ness and I (funny thing is we have only been here 4 days and still have lots of our holiday left to go as we aren't even half way through ).

I agree with the sentiments thus far it really does depend on what advice is being asked. If its merely a case of something "training related" as distinct from a major or even minor aggression issues then I don't see the harm. Basically if nothing hangs on the advice such as who cares if you try x to get your dog to heel to trial standard and they don't or you try x to get your dog to retrieve a dumbbell and it doesn't work then I don't see a problem. Of course they can't see you in action but a number of specific training problems others have also encountered and found ways to fix them (not always convential ones either). So I believe specific trial type training information and general basic pet stuff can be given online without to many repercussions. Hell if I hadn't got my trialling stuff online I would have given up as I wasn't getting much help from members at my club.

Goodonya guys if Ptolomy added any more dogs it would start to resemble a zoo .

Goodonya Ptolomy - she is still NOT very good. Although I think she was just too buggered to whinge. She tells me that Ptolomy will beat her if she doesn't quit it. Yep its totally boot camp Leopuppy. Geez Ptolomy can be a bitch when it comes to making you train properly (and taking your dog to the chiro ROFL) . Must be something about WA and lifting the bar - cos thats what happened when we came here last year . Failing that Ptolomy better check my bags for my favourite Lexi toller (sorry Scoota Lexi is my favourite today). Hmm LP Ness was SORE to put it lightly. More sore now though . Got another appointment on Thursday. ETA. That would also be the first seekback session in a while which I haven't bribed her heelwork . (Oops yes Ptolomy its the truth!!!)

Well I have a mindless brag to add from a training session tonight. Ptolomy and I went to K9 this afternoon and Ptolomy put me through a UD round. OMG did Ness do so much better than I expected. She goofed one article but did a pretty good seekback and a brilliant sendaway/directed jumping. Her heelwork wasn't aweful and she even managed a directed retrieve - very pleased with what we have managed to achieve so far with her UD work and to think I have trained it all by myself with the only real assistance I get being from Ptolomy and a few others via email .

Nope not finished yet still got an obedience trial and another agility trial .

Yep dogdude you are correct I am in WA . Or as Ptolomy said to me on the way to or from the trial on Saturday evening - Obedience Boot Camp ;) . Staying with the Ptolomy red dog crew. Not sure what Ness thinks of quite so many red dogs . At least I didn't get lost on Saturday evening .