ellz

I recently flew 2 basenji's to Brisbane one came from Sydnet and the other from Hobart and I got quotes from Dogtainers, Jetpets, Animal transport and Doler Wayrod. The cheapest by far was Jetpets and the service was fantastic. I wouldn't use Jetpets again after a fairly recent experience with them. Wherever possible, I'll be sticking with wayrod.

I think any exhibitor who doesn't admit to some pretty monumental stuff-ups in the ring, is kidding themselves. I've had some pretty spectacular incidents, some incredibly embarrassing ones and some really, really enjoyable ones. But every time you go in the ring is a different day and anything might happen. Those who know me well know that ANY day in which I actually remain upright in the ring is a MAJOR triumph!

It's a very subjective thing. When you're more experienced and accustomed to working with a particular dog, or dogs, it can be possible to even "feel" that the dog wasn't "on" whether mentally or physically. You can look down on a dog and see that it isn't gaiting normally, or that it has its mind elsewhere. They can break gait, they can toss heads, they can fidget, they can limp or pace, they can drop their tails or fly their tails. When you're stacking them, they can A-frame, they can drop their backs, they can tense their necks or move their front or back feet and fidget. They can pant or poke their noses in the air. The coats can look wrong for various reasons. There really isn't a hard and fast reason why somebody might be unhappy with their dogs........you'd probably have to ask the individual handler on the day. From an experienced exhibitor (24 years in the show ring) to a newbie....the best investment you can make is a mirror in which you can stack your dog so that you can see your dog from the judge's view. Sometimes a dog looks or feels sensational when we've stacked it in our minds' eye but to somebody else looking on, it can look all wrong. And if you can, get somebody to video you in the show ring. It can be very confronting to see what you actually do under pressure in the ring, but one of the best educational tools you can have.

Just confirm that because PetEdge have always been one of the more expensive places in the USA.

Wondered why you didn't appear! No Hootersville for me. I'm not entered for anything now until I'm not sure when.

I certainly wouldn't be flying a dog that isn't 100% no matter what the cause. Dogs tend to dehydrate during transit by air and diarrhoea dehydrates as well. Double jeopardy really. Is it possible for them to fly the dog at a later date when it is completely well?

You'll probably find that whilst the actual purchase price is a bargain, most of the places that sell clipper blades charge an absolute fortune for postage.

Dogs are simply NOT sophisticated enough to know if something doesn't agree with them. They are dogs and last time I looked, none of them have medical degrees or were dieticians. If a dog will eat shit and rotting stuff, you cannot honestly tell me that the nose is steering it in the direction of something that is good for them! I've had dogs all my life, I've been breeding and exhibiting dogs since 1986. I've had less than a handful of dogs with "true" dietary issues and I've taken on a few whose previous owners said they were "picky" eaters. ALL will eat when they are hungry enough provided they are basically healthy....no matter WHAT food is on offer. I'm over stuffing around trying to please dog palates. They eat what they are given here, and eat it promptly otherwise it either gets taken away or is eaten by somebody else who isn't as slow. They soon learn that mealtime is a short and necessary event!

I was told today actually that the sun shines the brightest on Tasmania and apparently with the way the ozone layer is created, we don't have the filtering of the rays that other places have. We also don't have the humidity so many a mainlander has been very gung ho in apparently "cooler" temperatures and been very, very sunburnt and very ill with it. Many judges from the mainland have been quite surprised at our weather when they've judged here. One of the biggest advantages of our warmer days is that we don't tend to get week upon week of it as is experienced in other places. Up until the last few years, we'd get lovely days and cooler nights but that doesn't seem to be the case any more.

DOLer wayrod's rates are very competitive. I have found him to be cheaper than both Dogtainers and Jetpets and with very good service. An agent will usually be cheaper than doing it yourself because they are able to get better "bulk" discount rates from the airlines. Taking a dog as excess may not necessarily be cheaper, depending upon the airline and the people working at both ends. I've known dogs travelling as excess, especially larger or heavier breeds, which have cost almost as much for excess as they would have for freight.

Spey and abort. Safer for her, much better in the long run not to have another litter of Lab X X on earth. Especially if there is the possibility the litter is inbred. You don't know what genetic timebombs are ticking away under the surface and many prospective pet owners wouldn't touch an inbred puppy with somebody else's hands. Inbreeding can be risky enough with known entities, let alone the elusive X factor.

I used Dogtainers ACT when I sent Bad Alice to Japan. Highly recommend them, they were very easy and efficient every step of the way. I would also check with DOLer wayrod, I think he does International transport. I would have used his services for Alice if I'd known about them then.

Yes, they can come and go. A "Cherry eye" is actually the gland that pops out and can be seen above the eyelid so it can come and go if it is mild, but the more severe cases will pop and stay out, requiring some sort of intervention. Many vets cut them out, but this can lead to dry eye because the gland is no longer there to provide the lubrication that the eyeball needs to stay healthy. Sometimes, in less severe cases, they only need to be pushed back into place and they will rarely, if ever reappear. Most often though is that a veterinary opthalmologist can actually stitch them down so that they stay functional.

How old are you Ellz? Every bit as old as that! I am well preserved....pickled probably! :D But of course, I should have put 1986.

I grew up with X breds and Poodles (Toy and Miniatures) but only as family pets. My first show dog and the first breed which I bred was the American Cocker Spaniel. I've been involved with them since 1886. I had them full-on, but in conjunction with other breeds that I've handled or co-owned or campaigned for other people until 1996 when my first marriage ended. I let my previous prefix (Truyank) lapse and registered Ellz and all of the American Cockers were placed in pet homes because at that stage, I wasn't in a position to have dogs where I was living in the city. In 1997 I got my first Staffordshire Bull Terrier (because I'd made a promise to Mr Ellz who'd only ever had X bred Staffords and I wouldn't let him get another so I made him promise that if I got him a good one, I could show it) That dog went to his first show at the age of 10months in 1998 and won Best in Show at a Specialty in Sydney. That was my first time in the ring with a Stafford too. The Staffords have been here ever since. 2005 saw the arrival of a nice American Cocker bitch as a play breed, she had a lovely litter of 5, 4 of which were shown and are now titled. 2008 saw me move to a country property and the arrival of another litter of American Cockers, one of which was shown and I clipped him off and retired him on 63 points. He helped himself to a girl in 2009 and the only puppy from that litter is now in Japan in a pet home. There will not be any more American Cockers here. My environment just isn't suitable and I don't believe that there is as much quality in the breed now as there used to be. Over the years, I've had some lovely dogs of other breeds which I've shown for short periods of time for various reasons. Unfortunately my health fluctuates so I have to take that into account as well. Thus far, I've found the Staffords to be the best match for my lifestyle in the country. Long coated dogs just don't do well here. We spend 6 months of the year tinderbox dry and covered in prickles and burrs and the other 6 months wet and muddy. I just don't have the urge or inclination to spend hours over the bathtub doing dogs any more. My family life is too full-on for that and I really just can't be bothered any more. I've had no issues with campaigning different breeds. If anything, it has been good because I've had a "tester" for which breeds I might like to seriously consider introducing to the pack on a long-term basis in the future. And it has certainly shown me a few breeds that I could NEVER own long term for various reasons. It's all fun. My dogs are family pets and companions first and foremost anyway but I take showing seriously so even the pets still have to be quality!

Gee you'd think so but obviously not, ellz. Makes you scratch your head, doesnt it. It does. I used to think I'd seen everything.......but surprisingly there are some out there who do still seem to have the ability to amaze!

We had that on Sunday for Dogfest! It was surreal.....everybody getting sunburn and heatstroke at the same grounds which were surrounded by paddocks of white just the week prior. Darkrai, not sure if you've ever been to Tasmania, but many a mainlander "comes undone" in our Summers. They're not the easy cruise that people seem to think they are! :D

What it boils down to is that regardless of which owner has their knickers in a twist, or who was at fault, or which committee made errors in procedure or whatever...the fact is that NONE of it would have been needed had the dog not appeared to show unacceptable aggression to a judge. And this perhaps would not have happened if the dog had been fit and healthy and feeling well in himself. So probably the lesson to all of us "so that it doesn't happen to us" is to exercise our common sense and keep sick dogs out of the ring! If ANY dog requires Immodium to stop diarrhoea or has been sick for 3 days prior to a show, then surely it would make more sense to leave the dog at home.

In my opinion you could do worse than to own both the BARF Diet and Give Your Dog a Bone. They are companion pieces. The BARF book was more recently released and has some updated info in it, but Give Your Dog a Bone explains more of the practice in detail.

Matey, considering we had had snow down to sea level just a few days prior, 20 degrees was very, very nice! And no.......she did NOT help.......this has been noted!!!!!!!

It's a wonder you didn't hear the lovely Woger! He was most unimpressed at being left in the crate when we paid so much attention to Kellie! It was a glorious day! Suffering a tinge of sunburn and a rather sore back today!

It was an awesome day at Dogfest wasn't it Mid? We had heaps of fun (as usual) and were rather loud at ringside (also as usual ).

Glorious day in the sun today. The show was held on the Esplanade at New Norfolk which is about 25 minutes from my house, so pretty much a local show for me!! Woger Stafford won his class of 3. I was very happy with him, this was his first show since July. Miss Kellie Kelpie was Bitch CC and BOB and followed this up with Minor In Group. Handled by moi for the breed and Mr Rajacadoo for the group because I was in the Terrier ring with Woger.

Photo removed by request of Hastings......

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