huga

Ok cool :) well I'm not sure about the growth plates of bigger breeds, so it's probably best to discuss it with a breeder. To be honest, he sounds relatively fit anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much about the bike at this point. They can't enter until they're two anyway. We only started training two months before that said, Sid already had a good amount of fitness, we walk 6kms in an hour most days, with some decent hills.

I would be careful about growth plates etc - how old is he and what breed? Sid and I never went more than 5kms 4-5 times a week. Just start by walking the bike with him next to it.

Another excuse to dress my dogs up and take photos of them! I've got a few ideas, this one is the first of them. FWIW, this is not a composite and took about 5 minutes of training for Sid to get the idea. Please join in! And an outtake:

I grew up with mutts, my first dog as an adult was a mutt, then we bought a pug, followed by a Frenchie. I don't think I will have anything else but Frenchies now.

He was two, full of beans and a gorgeous boy.

It was in qld. I know the owners and the poor dog too. Tears here tonight.

Lol, I've had so many people ask me why my dog's tail was docked, or when I walk past I hear them talking to their friends, look at that dog, its tail has been cut off... No she was born like that!!! Also apparently she is a cattle dog x because she has a blue eye and its true because there's no such thing as an Australian Shepherd. Yeah, apparently I docked Sid and 'he was born without it' is just a line I trot out to keep myself out of trouble.

That's sad I've had it happen with my guys too. They LOVE kids and kids tend to love them right back.

I edit every single photo - even my personal ones. Because I am (a) a control freak and (b) I only shoot in RAW, therefore they need work (they come out of camera a bit soft and bland). ETA Every single photo that I keep, obviously. There's a lot that get turfed.

You can't do that in LR! :laugh: Interestingly, I discussed that with some friends on the day. The lines definitely get blurred, especially in the illustrative category, but those images all started off as photos and each element has to be taken by the photographer (textures etc). But part of being a good photographer is being able to do it all - get the shot right, process it beautifully and be able to print it correctly.

So true! I love the SOOC smug :laugh: There were some amazingly processed images judged at APPA over the weekend. I wouldn't even know where to begin to get some of these looks: http://www.appa.aippblog.com/index.php/congratulations-tony-hewitt-2013-canon-aipp-australian-professional-photographer-of-the-year/ Check out the wedding category winner!

Why does it make you feel better? Knowing that even the greats processed their work, some of it quite extensively? I think it's all part of creating something amazing - it usually needs a bit of something - some more than others.

There's a mix here (I live in Noosa). So we have the quite yuppified, expensive areas and then just regular middle class areas. I see a lot of mini schnauzers, westies and oodles. As well as a number of staffords and their crosses, beagles, labradors and border collies. I have a friend with a Frenchie, but otherwise I see them very rarely - same with Pugs.

Kitty was recently desexed, so yes :) and is on a scratching post, in a cattery.

Thanks Kirislin :) That one got talked up at QPPA, one judge saw a story in it and brought everyone else up :) No such comments over the weekend though, unfortunately. Still, at least my non awarded stuff still scored at the higher end of professional standard. The judges this year weren't afraid to give 50s and 60s out.

Just back from the best weekend everrrrrrrr :D I ended up with one silver from my three prints. Judging was tough and has changed somewhat, but for those who were interested, here are my entries: APPA 76 QPPA 81 (silver). APPA 77 QPPA 82 (silver). APPA 83 (silver!) QPPA 80 (silver).

I still see and shoot with Alicia every now and then. I will catch up with her again this weekend :D Cc this is my first time being down there for the event, but I've heard it's pretty epic.

Oh and yeah, will share when it's all over :)

Enjoy :) I'm probably not going to see any of tomorrows, I don't arrive in Melbourne until 3pm. I don't have anything in on Saturday, but will go in to watch some. And I have two in portrait on Sunday. Hoping to be *ahem* well enough to sit through most of that.

Linky for the livestream if anyone wants to watch. Starts tomorrow :) http://aipp.tv/appa13/

That's really interesting (and sad about her liver). She's actually built a lot like Sid, sort of longer, leaner and more athletic looking than most Frenchies. But Sid is oversized, rather than little. He very rarely barks, although sometimes does it in play. But he snores and snorts and snuffles and yeah, it does freak other dogs out :laugh:

Lovely :) Your Frenchie has a tail! Sid does the leg biting too. It's funny how they all play in a similar way.

Not sure where these arebut definitely sounds like worth a bit of research! I usually only go Sunshine Coast way for the Woodford Folk Festival lol but sounds like might be worth a trip out for the pups! Sorry, I wasn't very specific! Noosa Heads :) This is the spit at the end of Hastings St: The other one is just surf beach:

If you come up the other way, the far end of Hastings St has an awesome dog beach. Also the area between Peregian Beach and Sunrise Beach is dog beach and it stretches for lots of kms.

Lovely photos :) That is an adorable idea! I tried to take photos in the same spot out on the deck so I could get a bunch of photos of him in one place as he grows but he refuses to sit still for very long :laugh: Yep, that was me, good memory Roova! I was a bit slack with continuing though because we moved I had them in chairs so they were relatively still.