Mrsdog

Not just now, but hopefully SOON there will be somewhere near you. Might even find that you meet someone on 11th August. The workshop is a great place to get started. Everyone is so helpful and it doesn't matter what your level of competence is. Don't forget to email Loretta so they have some idea of numbers. Noels.

Yep, basic obedience and tricks are good, also clickers. You will have such a good time, but watch out - this doggy dancing thing is addictive. Loretta also takes a class on Wednesday evenings, 6.30pm, at Sutherland Shire Dog Training, Waratah Park, Sutherland, if anyone is in the area. This will only cost you $3. Of course you would need to be a member of the club, and that is a $25 once off joining fee. Noels.

SSDTC offers obedience training, agility, flyball, canine freestyle (doggy dancing), canine mans best friend course, has a group of therapy dogs which go to St.George/Sutherland Shire nursing homes. All this can be yours for $25 joining fee and $3 each time you attend. Dogs need to be four months old and you will need to bring vaccination certificate with you. Come along on Sunday morning at 8.30am and see what you think. You can get more details and an overview from the website, and also can download the form and bring it along with you already filled in. Or do this on Sunday if you decide to join. I won't be there this Sunday as we are entered in an agility trial, however am happy to answer any questions you might like to ask. I guess you are local, so you might like to also look at Hurstville dog training group. Our top OB trialling group usually trains in front of the clubhouse, so make sure you have a look at the "serious" people. One of them took out first place at this year's Royal, so some serious talent there. Noels.

There will be a workshop for all levels of experience (Novice to Competitor) on Saturday, 11th August, 10 - 3pm. Cost will be $25, morning tea provided. It will be held at the Canine Complex Rotunda, 44 Luddenham Road, Erskine Park. I keep seeing people looking for a way to get started in this wonderful sport so now here is your opportunity. If you are interested you should RSVP by 1st August to: [email protected] Loretta would be pleased to hear from you as she is doing such a lot to get this up and running. So many of us have "dabbled" in doggy dancing and it would be really wonderful to see Canine Freestyle gaining acceptance as a dog sport. Please tell me what you think. Noels.

Mrs D a few of us are going to Coolangatta for the Mary Ray week in October. Will I see you there? Loretta is on the Dogs NSW committee for Canine Freestyle (DWD) and is really getting into it. She used to have her own dance school so that gives her a big advantage. She is our Chief Instructor for Canine Freestyle and is very patient and very cluey. Reckons if she can teach five-year-olds with two left feet how to dance then it will be a piece of cake teaching our dogs (didn't say anything about my two left feet ). BTW here's a bit of a giggle - if you want to find us at Agility etc. then just look for the bright pink tent. Just couldn't resist it! Noels.

I think I probably take the title for the biggest DSW. Not only do I try anything and everything, but I also encourage everyone else to do the same. I have been responsible at my dog training club for starting classes in: Canine Mans Best Friend, Flyball and Canine Freestyle. There was a bit of opposition at first but I just kept chipping away and now these are all accepted classes that you can do at Sutherland Shire Dog Training Club. Of course we already had obedience and agility No, I am not the trainer in all these classes - I have managed to find people far better qualified than me to take over. However.......I take my dogs through conformation until titled, then I must admit the showring doesn't see much of me, one of my dogs does agility, flyball, canine freestyle and I would like to do gundog, but time? And yes, I do think there has been a bit of confusion at times but the dog is smarter than me and seems to have worked it out. I would pair obedience and canine freestyle together, as to look really good when dancing with your dog you need a high level of obedience and focus. Flyball can be a bit misleading when trying to do agility as the dog (when learning) can be inclined to do any jumps that are lined up in a row, maybe not what is wanted, and can throw in a few extra obstacles when they are directly in front. :rolleyes: Here is our schedule: Obedience Sunday morning, Flyball Monday evening, Agility Wednesday evening and special agility training Thursday evening for which I travel one hour each way. Before the mass obedience display at Easter we also train every Friday evening from February through to the Show, and we need a really good excuse to miss a night! But I mean to say, how will I know if I don't try? And you know that I hate to miss out on anything, told you so before. Girls just want to have fun. :p Signed: Jack of all trades, master of none.

I have an old one that you can have for free. It has the ball hole in the middle, but still works OK. Pick it up from Sutherland Obedience clubhouse, Old Princes Highway, Sutherland. I am there Monday, Wednesday evenings and on Sunday mornings. Noels.

Mary Rae comes to Coolangatta in October every year. This is over eight days and includes obedience, agility and canine freestyle (doggy dancing). People who went last year raved over it. You can do all or part of this. I'm sure you all know who Mary Rae is, but just in case: She is a top trialler and you would have seen her doggy dancing routines at Crufts. She is one of the best clicker trainers and a lot of fun as well. All positive stuff. Held at Coolangatta Pet Motel, accommodation, meals optional. October 14 to 21. With or without your dog. Guarantee you will learn heaps. Loretta and I will be going this year, love to see you there too. Noels.

Thanks for your good wishes, we'll need it. Last night at training was a bit of a disaster. The new dogs, who have been coming along so well, decided to have an off night all together. That old pack mentality - all for one and one for all (or was that the three musketeers, LOL). Anyway, it was just as well I'd already sent off the entry or they would all have been backing out. Talk about nerves! Oh, well, a couple more weeks to go. Hope it doesn't rain on training night. We have this new dog, just joined, Black and White Great Dane. Boy is she smart, is catching on real quick. I thought she would have a problem getting all feet on the box, but it was no problem. Just lopes over the jumps but that is deceptive, she actually is not slow. Wait till you see our "all breeds" team. Noels.

Yes, that is our next comp. My dog is due to come into season so don't know if she will make it or not, but I will still be there to help out with our so very new team. Please be kind to us. Noels.

Hey Ness congratulations. Dog is wonderful and so is the handler. You are a really fast woman! Noels.

Nope, not going to Nationals. Team is too new and not interested in travelling yet. Just wait until they get the bug! Then maybe we'll be everywhere. Only entered one comp so far with our next one coming up soon. Watch out for the Southerly Busters. Noels.

Isn't it funny when an old posting pops up? I really got a shock when I saw this one. Many things have happened since then. We have now started up our own flyball club at Sutherland and have competed in our first competition. It is so exciting. Almost ready to enter our next comp - ever onward..... We will even be hosting our own comp in August this year. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful group of people helping with our flyball. Our own club members have been so good and everyone jumps in and does their bit. From past experience I know that this is not often the way it happens. Then we have St. George Flyball people nearby, and they are always there with a helping hand and advice. Is it just that flyball people are so wonderful, or am I just lucky? Noels.

Thanks Vicki - so obvious - but I hadn't really thought that agility is basically just running around with your dog. What a good focus exercise. BTW now I know how you got so fit!! Noels.

Good on you. Wish I had a chance to meet up with you, but I was busy with last week's new pups. This coming weekend I will be in Canberra for the Flyball Comps at the Canberra Royal, so maybe will catch up with you the weekend after. Keep up the good work. Noels.

Thanks Shoemonster, that is really interesting. Gives me something else to try - need another day in my week. Noels.

So if you are desperate next time, give us a try. Noels.

I did the Games Camp at Castle Hill and now am keen to start entering games competitons. If anyone out there is looking for a partner for Strategic Pairs, pick me, pick me. I have a 400 dog and I understand that the dogs are allowed to jump up one height. So a 300 can jump 400 or a 400 can jump 500. If you would all keep me in mind just in case someone is looking. Thanks. Noels.

Squeak I am still carrying those books around in the car for you. Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday - please come get whenever it suits you. This morning I was still trying to organise enough instructors for the big influx of new puppies. Gotta luv "em. Then graded seven of them out of kindergarten - too smart by half! Some of the puppies were catching on so fast their owners will have a job keeping up. Don't you just love it when the dog looks at the handler as if to say "I think this is what you want me to do, okay." Sometimes they are just a step or two ahead of us. Now who is supposed to have the brains around here. I luv it, I luv it, I luv it - Sunday mornings are such fun. (Still don't like getting up early on Sunday though.) Noels.

Not for training, but every Lab owner would have to read "Marley and Me" by John Grogan. "Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog". This is just such a wonderful book and just happens to be about a golden labrador. In fact, I would recommend this book to everyone who has ever owned a dog. Put it well down the list but one day you will just have to read this. Noels.

Send them along to me at Sutherland Dog Training Club. He can try agility and flyball and see what he (and his owners) like. I have quite a few rescue dogs atm and they are all doing so well. They are so lapping up the attention and so willing to please. Noels.

All my dogs have the yearly heartworm injection and have done so since it first came out. There have been no adverse reactions and believe me I watch them closely. Must admit that I thought this was just one more thing I didn't have to worry about! Worse than this - they have C5 at the same time. Now you have made me think and I don't know what to do. I live in a high-risk heartworm area so have to weigh up the risks. Perhaps having them tested twice a year would be the way to go. I asked my Vet recently at the time of last vaccination if it was wise to give both this and heartworm at the same time and of course he said yes, or I wouldn't have had it done. This is a very caring Vet and I would trust him implicitly, but now I'm thinking perhaps he doesn't know everything. I would never forgive myself if I caused the death of one of my dogs by making the wrong decision. Noels.

So what happened? Need to know. Come on share the story. Bet you had a wonderful time. Noels.

Getting closer, how exciting! I hope to be taking my white Lagotto girl, as long as she doesn't come into season this week. If she does then I will have to take my older brown boy, who doesn't do much of anything, but guess it will help me??? Now I am getting nervous and wishing I had done a bit more training. Have been getting a new flyball group up and running and that has been taking up all my time. Oh, well, once more for the slow learners.............. Just looove flyball, by the way. Such fun. Seeya, Noels.

Club insurance covers people - if you are injured. Dog/dog agression then you are responsible for your dog and should pay the vet bills for any dog that your dog has injured. People from our club are covered anywhere in Australia when representing our club. We have a group attending nursing homes, fetes, schools, etc. They are covered by the club insurance at all these events. However, if your dog bites another dog then you are responsible for his actions and insurance will not cover another dog's vet bills. We are also covered by insurance policy of RNSW Canine Council (Dogs NSW) and you can have a look at this on their web site. Sorry Sparty, your dog's vet bills should be paid by the owner of offending dog. Noels.