cassie

Super cute thanks for posting!

Congratulations, so happy that you have a CAS in your life again as I know what a hard time it was for you when you lost dear Jake. Wolff looks like a very special boy :) Can't wait to see him mature!

Great advice, thankyou Showdog. And yes I have been practicing in front of a mirror. It's hard to know if it looks "right" from the handler's angle (well, the inexperienced handler anyway) without the mirror, so it's really been invaluable. I think you're right that a bit more encouragement of self stacking might be a better way to go.

This does make sense, thankyou. And I appreciate your use of examples :)

Congrats on getting another CAS : thumbsup: Look forward to pics and details!

Ill start practicing this technique then thanks guys :) might be a bit nicer than holding his head up with the chain anyway.

Ok I might have to look for a small squeaker, thanks for the tip. And Alyosha no he's a wiggler :laugh: I need to keep two hands on him at the moment!

That actually does make sense, thankyou I'll try it. So thumb sort of on the side of the head and four fingers below jaw?

With what hand? :laugh:

Thanks Sandra. I often find myself observing his natural stance but more so the position of his feet rather than his head. However it's definitely not dropped all the time. If he's watching something or listening to a noise it's up where it should be. I'll pay a bit more attention to how he holds it while standing normally, while not so alert, and if I find he's always dropping it I'll have him looked at. 4 weeks til the Royal, I'd love to see an improvement by then if we can :D

As the title suggests. My boy is an almost 5 month old Saint Bernard and my gosh does he have a heavy head!!! When I stack him, I have my right hand on his collar and my left hand is used to position his feet. I need a third hand to bait him! A dear friend took some photos of us as we were practicing outside of the ring. In one shot he magically had his head up, and wow he looked like a truly stunning young dog, his overall outline was very pleasing. In the other photos when he had his head dropped, the whole look of his topline and lay of shoulder had changed. I try pulling his head up with my right hand (with the collar relatively tight/firm and high up under his chin) but like I said his head is so heavy and will only get heavier! So it hurts my arm. Would love some tips. Let me also say that I know he's only a baby and yes I can't expect to have it all perfect yet, but I just want some advice on how we could improve. Thankyou :)

I think Sumo my Saint baby is turning out to be my perfect dog. He is not even 5 months old yet but so far, he has me hooked. Traits I love, that he has: - huge size - soft - loves cuddles - dog friendly, but also isn't overly fussed about other dogs and doesn't have to say hi to everyone, I thank dog shows for this - human friendly, he loves everyone - so eager to learn and please - ridiculously handsome :D I know he's young but I can't see him straying far from the above as he matures. He's awesome.

Basically, I don't think many vets are in it to get rich. For the amount of study they do I think the salary is quite low. I too looked into it for a long time.

Can you set up a video camera to record your dogs in their yard, to find out if they are in fact the culprits?

Beautiful pics and babies! I thought she would have had at least double that number but four is just nice :) congratulations they all look happy and healthy!

I don't think many babies can mouth very well, none that I've been watching lately anyway! Sumo isn't bitey he's just wriggly! We can gait really well 9 times out of 10. Stacking is another story... I have no outfit either, stressing over what to wear a little bit! No idea on the tickets and numbers!

Sumo is :) and I think Willow is too, but I'm sure Dory will pop back in to confirm that. It's only 5 weeks away eeeek! Sumo has gone a bit "bum high" at the moment so his topline is a bit out of whack, it's really bugging me actually! I want to fast forward 4 years and see him as a beautiful mature dog :p but then I want to rewind of course and come back to my baby puppy because he's such a darling. It's just such a wild ride watching a giant breed grow, as they can go a bit all over the place. Sometimes I'll be watching him in the backyard and he pulls out a cracking free stack and I just think "Wow!" and then other times he stands like a goof! Don't ever get a giant breed anyone, it's too stressful lol. I'm being silly really and over reacting as he shows so much potential. I just have to bide by time through this ugly phase :laugh: I'd love him to be a bit more balanced by the Royal :) On the up side I got some great handling tips from a couple of very experienced showies today, and it seemed to make a difference to how we worked together. And on another up side, Sumo's litter sister Mimosa who lives in NSW came away with her second baby in group today!

Great pics everyone!

Just curious and off topic sorry, but why do you say this?

Anne I really don't think anyone is saying that all dogs do well on a raw diet, and you'd be hard pressed to find someone on here who DOESN'T agree with "The best food for your dog is the food your dog does best on." I wish we could *all* accept that just because someone does something a different way to you, doesn't make it wrong.

Give her crate a real thorough clean and a scrub with some vinegar or a product like Urine Off to get rid of any odour, as any smells hanging around will encourage her to go in there again. What breed is she? Can you get her a coat to go outside in if she's that cold?

How can raw be cooked? Then it's not raw anymore?

What's your relationship like with your breeder? Did you tell them that your pup was unwell before it was operated on, and if so what did they say?

Yep, he's a drooler! :laugh: My OH is a bit grossed out by it, whenever Sumo has a drink OH will stand over him and say "Now SWALLOW PROPERLY before you walk away!" Haha it cracks me up, they really do make a big mess after a drink. Certainly not my favourite breed trait but you learn to live with it, I find myself wiping his mouth a lot. His jowls are not fully developed yet either...!

Rear dew claws aren't common in some breeds Wow! Can honestly say I've just learnt something new :) I thought all dogs had them. My friend has a Pyrenean Mountain Dog and they even have DOUBLE rear due claws! She shows him, so can't have them removed. She hates them, and I must admit they do look a bit strange. So glad my boys have none.