piper

Well I failed big time this week. I only managed 3 photos, so I bow out now. But I did improve on my previous effort and lasted more than half the month :D And I still aim to keep trying to take photos for the last few days of the month. I am still checking out the photos and there are some great shots in here. I might try next month's challenge when it goes up

Not actually gone back inside but I have turned my back on her or walked a few steps away to break contact with her.

LOL. My shot for this week is similar, and I thought Jazz was persistant to lay where she does... Week 3.

Well after about 5 (could be 6...) years since last training a dog in agility, I have finally decided to get around to training Jazz. She is only 3 so I haven't been too slack, lol. Anyway, I have watched Susan Garrett's 2x2 weave DVD and put some poles up and today started Jazz on them. First session she decided to offer drops and give me long intense stares and we only got a few succesful reps. An hour or so later we went out and she was like "oh you want me to do this" and we had some really good goes with me changing where I was standing and her finding it. On this occasion (and the first) I was using food (large chunks of left over roast beef so not crumbly and easy to see and pick up). She was getting quite quick when we left it. Session 3 several hours later I took a tug toy out. Jazz is very toy driven and I have used toys in training with her before. Well she decided once I had a toy to go into border collie crouch and stare mode and it was very like our first session with only a couple of successful reps. So, do I persist with the toy until she ups her rate with that or do I go back to using food for a few days to really build the value of the poles and then transfer back to the toy?

The workshop I went to was at Denise's before she had Border collies. I kind of find it funny reading that article cos at the time she was saying she didn't care that the kelpies weren't ideally suited to 3 sheep was going to persist and use them as they were the breed she loves. I must admit I read the flyer and thought the same - why the agility emphasis. You need all the herding stuff first and then mention her other involvement in the dog world. My question is still what experience has she had with "non traditional" herding breeds? I know people with breeds other than border collies and kelpies that have been to clincs where they have been told oh yes any breed is fine and definitely not been overly welcomed when they arrived. I am not saying Denise would do this at all, and the fact you are working with her indicates she probably has worked with other breeds so it would be worth mentioning as well. As for what attracted me to a clinic with Denise - I had only just started with herding and was going to Vic for some trials and heard about it and decided to sacrifice a day of trials and do the clinic instead. I knew of her more from agility at that point. Her husband and fahter in law were also there. I probably did most of my work with John who declared my little show line girl as "not too bad." It was a compliment when he said his wife wouldn't mind a house dog and he would let her have 1 if he could be sure it would work like that, lol.

I would suggest contacting your supplier directly rather than on here if you need specific information.

They go past very quickly. Tuesday when I saw them there was a break away of about 4 riders, a gap of around a minute and then the pelaton went flying by. I can definitely understand the no time to swap cards. Bad luck about that

Not really. We do have a few GSD people who would like to give it a go. To say not interested is probably incorrect. Many probably do not realise the options available in herding as up until now we have only run A course. This has been due to space restrictions - the location we hold trials at (DogsSA grounds) does not have the space. We have also had issues with accessing sufficient stock for tests and trials. So with the increased space and stock requirements of C course it has not been possible to offer it. I doubt there would be anyone over here with any knowledge of it and how to train it either. If your clinic in Warnambool looks like going ahead, send me a PM and I would be happy to send the flyer out to people as we do have some that would probably travel for a clinic. I did a day at Denise's place in Vitoria quite a few years ago now and enjoyed it, how familiar is she with all breeds though?

Isn't the leather beautiful and soft? I really like that design. I very nearly chose that rather than designing my own.

What/when/where are come and try days, piper? Sounds like something I'd be interested in They are exactly that Also if possible tied with an enter on the day instinct certificate and on the day of a show so people can come along and have a go after they show. Basically it is not a full on training session. It was $5 per dog last time and just 10 minutes in the ring with an instructor to find out what your dog thinks. Some dogs are slow to switch on and take a few goes so it doesn't work for everyone. It really works at getting owners and handlers over to see what they think and get out there and give it a go and then hopefully keep going if they like what they tried. We try to get ducks and sheep there so that people can try 1 or both stock types. PM me your email addy and you will then get my semi regular emails of what is happening. I think the next 1 is April/May. Obviously everything stops until end of March due the the strict heat policy. There should be info in the journal when we have a come and try day as well. There are some clinics being planned - more expensive, full day, small group, intensive stuff but I don't want to put details out there yet as things are being finalised still. Alternatively, you could go out to Meadows for a lesson. As a 1 off it is not that expensive and will let you see if you and the dog are interested. I think they are running over summer depending on the forecast and the way it has been up until now I doubt much has been cancelled.

luffy, At our last come and try day that we held there were a few corgis came out and showed really strong interest. The only thing I would say that is an absolute must is a very good recall under distraction. A stop/wait is also good. I did the basic training for that the same as doing a drop at a distance/drop on recall. Even practicing stationary stays at home is useful as the dog needs to learn to wait until released to work the stock. If you would like info specific info for SA on where to train and upcoming events please send me a PM as I keep a list of interested people in SA for the Dogs SA Herdign Advisory Committee. For "official" committee events you need to be a DogsSA member but there are places to train where that is not necessary and that is a good place to start before joining the associaion and finding that you and or your dog are not really into herding.

I have just seen it. Whereabouts are you located as obviously that makes a difference in what is an hour or 2 The best option off the top of my head is there is a Kelpie breeder who is an ANKC trial judge and runs lessons at Meadows Boarding Kennels. She trains all breeds but obviously has a particular fondness for kelpies. I think she usually does lessons on Saturday afternoons. If you go to the kelpie breeders directory on Dogzonline she is Rongbarka Kelpies and there should be contact details there. I also maintain a list of people who would like to receive info on upcoming herding events in SA. If you would like me to add you to the list just PM me your name and email address.

I am very impressed with the time, especially as she was flat out with custom orders post Chrsitmas (although being in Aust might have helped me there as I had finalised and sent the order through while it was still Christmas day in the US ) Lolapalooza - did it arrive??

My summer break was spent studying - I had to defer my exams because of some personal things happening right before my exams. So yeah, no holiday for me. LOVE that bag! So do I. And it can fit heaps in, much roomier than I expected. That sucks that you needed to defer your exams and had to study all summer. Good luck with them, you have the power of DOL behind you

Lovely happy kitty there MM, lol. Terranik - Good luck with exams. Don't you get a summer break? I missed yesterday. Went to work as sick as a dog and couldn't get the energy up when I got home. So 2 today from 2 different cameras The Tour Down Under is on now and was going almost right past work today so we walked the kids up to watch. Snapped this with my iphone. And then I got home to find my Christmas present - a custom made camera bag had arrived so of course photos were needed. 10 hours of work tomorrow taking 55 kids on a swimming excursion. I will attempt to get a photo when I get home but make no promises.

My porteen gear bag is here :D She said 2 - 3 weeks for custom make then she would email me to let me know it was done. Well I nver got an email and it was 3 weeks on Saturday and I just figured she is busy post Christmas but it arrived today!! They are fantastic quality. The distressed leather is so soft and there is so much space in there it even fits my camera body with 70-300mm lens attached. eta: It was order Dec 25/26 with a quoted 2 - 3 weeks to make and was posted Jan 7 and arrived Jan 18. Pretty good service for a custom made product

I will be interested in the response to this as I was considering it last week as well. The list of drugs that are to avoided for dogs with MDR1 sensitvity are here: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-vcpl/drugs.aspx It doesn't appear to be on there.

I did think they might be too large. The lady who used to do quite a bit of agility with hers (she mostly shows now and has setters as well) used to train at the same club as me and we often sat in the same group at trials. They were always such happy dogs. I don't know if I ever saw them not wagging their tails

There are not many around but there used to be a few in SA competing in obedience, agiltiy and tracking. Some had master titles, obedience and tracking ch and most of those competing were working in multiple disciplines. If I recall there was a dual obedience/tracking champ that was also competing in retrieving and agility as well.

What a shame you didn't post this earlier. I was in Paralowie about 4 hours ago and am making shoe boxes of love with kids from work over the next few days, including pet boxes. If no one else responds give me a PM in a couple of days and I will see if I can get down that way again and put your donations in when we take ours in.

I agree. I can't see any overly obvious tuck around the waist area so going by that I think she is fine. Ignore the comments of "skinny" - most people do not know what a fit lean dog looks like these days, some vets don't either. And if I fed any of mine what the packets say they would probably be unable to walk. She looks bright, alert, good coat condition. If she is all of these things and feels good then I would not worry too much. You said you can feel ribs with a light covering and that sounds about right. Also she is still a gangly teenager and yet to fill out so I would not want more weight on her.

I looked at it and went "great bug photo" then read your comment. I would not have guessed you are still learning to take their pics. I need a proper macro lens so I can have a go at them. I am always in awe of the amazing bug photos.

Yum!! We have an apricot and a peach tree but I miss the amazing nectarine tree we had at our old place. Our apricots were late as well but our peches are about the same time as usual and for once we are not losing them to heat. the last 2 summers just as they have been about ripe we have had stinking hot weather and they have just cooked on the tree in a day. Here is mine from today. The photo on the right was taken today. It is not what I was planning for today but I have been trying for this shot for a week or 2 and she always moves when I lay down with the camera. As a pup Jazz always used to sleep under an old chest we have, right until she could only put her nose under there. We recently rearranged the furniture and she loves the coffee table being on the tiles and if you can't find her you can lay money that is where she is.

I'm another that taught things in different bits and linked them together. A retrieve and release was taught first. A go to a location was also taught. A foot target was taught and then taped to the rubbish bin pedal. A put your head in something was also taught. Then I started with a low open container and getting her to pick up an item and release it. I only clicked and treated when it went into the container. I then played about with containers of different sizes and shapes and made put something in something a very reliable behaviour (we also worked on putting toys in a little red wagon and then bringing the wagon to me). Once she could do that I put the pedal bin in. It took her awhile to connect the 2. She would hit the pedal, step off of the pedal and then release the item so it landed on the lid or bounced off as the lid came down. Then she finally worked it out and I got really excited and threw a party about it and as I bent down, she jumped up and hit me in the face casuing me to shout and she decided the bin was evil and not to go near it. At that point I left it for awhile, when I went back to it I changed what I did. I put food in the bottom of the bin so that she started diving her head into it as she hit the pedal to get the food. That worked really quickly so I then I gave her a ball to hold and sent her to the bin and she continued the behaviour of hit pedal and dive head in so quickly that she did not release the pedal or the ball until her head was right in the bin. I also then went on to teacher her with a flip top bin. I started by propping it open and reducing the amount of the opening. She got the hang of pushing it with her nose within a couple of sessions.

The things we do to get the shot