J...

Can I pick your brains? Our boss wants to take us out for lunch as a 'well done'. Can be anywhere within the region i.e. Portland, Great Ocean Road, Ballarat etc. Basically a day trip. As part of the day we're looking for an activity where we can have some fun but isn't too expensive and is close by wherever we decide to eat - a good feed is the priority. There is 5 of us. Would be good to do something a bit different. Any suggestions? Throw them at me no matter how silly they sound

See this all the time sadly... people who just dump their dogs out of a vehicle and drive around the showgrounds or our local lake. Thankfully most of them stop and get their dogs back into a vehicle to go past if you have dogs as well but some just keep driving and don't care what happens behind them. Seen one better this arvo... old mate fishing in a kayak in the lake about 100 m off shore with a JRT running along the beach with him.

Just had a run-in with a at the lake - came flying around the first blind corner in the middle of the road while I was walking the girls. Thankfully Darcy comes back to me the moment she hears a car coming and Zee was up the hill sniffing for bunnies. I did think it was strange that Darcy was coming back, it wasn't until she was about 10 m in front of me that I heard the car. Got his rego number and car description and have reported him to the cops. Because there is no speed signs up there technically it's 100 km so they can't do much other than have a chat. Unbelievable... So if you're up there tez or anyone else be careful just in case he's a regular...

OMG check out the weather forecast.... is that a 20C+ forecast with real sunshine for later in the week I can see.... woohoo Darcy got a pass and won her Open class this morning. She had a good shot at her CDX title this arvo going into stays but the Rottie next to her stood up in the sit and she wasn't keen on it being so close and staring at her. She dropped in the last 20 seconds, just before we returned from the hide..... I hate out of sight stays, just hope it hasn't shaken her confidence at all.

Gorgeous girl Mia looks to have taken more after the kelpie side. That cat looks grumpy That is Darcy in my avatar - she looks more like a Lab but those who are familiar with working line Labs presume she is working line. Most of the agility people who seen her in the early days assumed she was a skinny Lab until they seen her run, then realised there might be something else in the mix

I got really nervous in my first trials and I only did Darcy's CCD and then pulled the pin to do agility. I came back to do Darcy's CD in March and found that 2.5 years of agility trialling did not help my nerves at all. In fact I think they were worse Since then I think they've gotten a bit better, partially because I've bombed a few times and while it's bloody disappointing, at some point I will look back and laugh. I've also gotten to know a few of the judges and can have a laugh at the start line and throughout the exercises and I've found this helps as well. As for who's watching, if you really take a look around I think you'll find a lot of people are more interested in working their own dogs, watching their mates and gasbagging. I read a quote the other day which I thought was interesting "it's none of your business what other people think of you". Seriously trialling sucks some days. Last weekend Darcy worked her butt off but anticipated one finish and missed one sit resulting in 2 NQs. Today she worked like a 3 legged donkey (first warm sunny day in what feels like years!) and won the ring with a shitful score because she was the only pass. This arvo she worked marginally better, sitting on a pass into the stays for her CDX title. The rottie next to her stood up in the sit stay, Darcy didn't like being stared at and dropped with 20 seconds to go. I'm still sulking over that one

http://www.wdts.org.au/training_dates.htm Looks like you've got a wait JJ.

Glad you enjoyed your trip tez Didn't happen to bring any of that sunshine back with you?? This weather is absolute bullsh*t Ordinary morning into brilliant sunshine to p*ssing down rain in an instant. Dog bedding I was airing on the back deck is now damp, and the sheets on the line are drenched. Unbelievable

$147 for parvo, distemper and hep. $215 total including consult and blood sampling. Was only after the parvo and distemper as Darcy's hep scores were really good last time. Vet doesn't remember that part of the conversation despite entering into it and agreeing with me at the time so paying for the hep score is still up in the air. Was some resistance as to why I was titreing instead of vaccinating. He'd had a rough week and I didn't have the heart to tell him he'd be titreing my young dog next year too :rolleyes:

Mate I'd be shitty too if I got flooded out!! Same farmer was telling me that one of the neighbours was trying to take a pic of an irrigator that was very underwater. Got the shot and went to move and found themselves a little too close to a tiger snake wrapped around the top of a fence post. Thanks tlc I might pay them a visit sometime this week. I used to go to the mouth of the Hopkins a lot but there is way too much dog park mentality down there. Gorman's Lane is so much quieter and nearly everyone I've come across out there is so much more respectful

Awesome - thanks Theresa. Will be able to take the girls to the beach on the way down and then go for a look. And the valium sounds like an excellent idea. Most drugs knock me for six and nearly all the travel sickness meds send me to sleep, except when I'm flying. I guess the adrenaline takes over Is anyone aware of any maps or at least a more accurate description of where they've baited with 1080 around Killarney and Gormans Lane etc? They quote everything in "local speak" not thinking that some of us have no idea where they are talking about. ;) Just a warning - snakes are becoming active. One of my farmers told me yesterday they had one on their front lawn sunning itself in that warm patch of weather. Don't blame it really... tempted to take advantage of any sunshine that's available and do the same thing

When I first started out I loved training in bad weather because all the annoying people didn't show up (always late, held up the class, bought the wrong lead wrong collar, forgot poo bags, dog not toileted, hasn't done the homework types) and those days were always the best training sessions. Have trained when it was snowing, done seminars in very extreme heat and it's not unusual for me to do a 15 hour day to do a trial. Less than 12 hours is bliss

My dog's sports vet said if they are happy to go in the water let them, just don't let them sit around wet in the cold - I asked her a fortnight ago given mine started swimming of their own accord about a month ago. Brrrr!! I've got a kelpie lab x too - would love to see a pic

What's that saying, success is the best form of revenge? Good on her I reckon there should be a knock out service for flying people like us - I'd pay extra. Knock me out, drag me onto the plane and wake me up when we're in the airport at the other end. Solves both the nervous flying and the travel sickness issue in one hit. Bugger about your friends car Pandii No passes here unfortunately - so much that can go wrong in Open Darcy's getting better every trial she does and I had some lovely comments about her work today. Unfortunately she anticipated the finish on both the flat retrieve and the change of positions which bombed us this morning, never seen her do that before. This arvo she didn't sit in the change of positions. Looks like we have some work to do before Melton next Sunday.

** Goes looking for the disaster thread** Actually it wasn't that bad - Darcy worked better again today but anticipated both her finishes on the normal recall and then the COP this morning (not seen that before ) and then didn't sit on her COP this arvo. I went without the extra hand signals and scored much better. Thanks bedazzled Just need to fix that crooked front (which got worse!) and the COP and anticipation problem and we should be ok.

It is a wonderful achievement! Especially only being in it for such a short amount of time in comparison to some of the "lifers". Yes please let me know - especially if it goes a bit later each afternoon maybe I can duck off early from work and head over to have a look for a few hours. Re: flying - hey if I can go to NZ twice by plane then you can too. I hate flying, I get travel sickness and I hate the confinement and the fact that I'm not in control (I'm a bad passenger!!). Beautiful place though - it's worth it. A big congrats on the Delta assessment tlc :D We're trialling tomorrow in Ballarat so no walks here. Brrrrrr!!!!

There is a list here: http://www.aussieagility.com.au/equipment.htm which may help you.

That is an awesome effort Theresa - a huge good luck to your friend! I'd love to go and take a look this year, might take an arvo off work and head down as I'm off to Sale that weekend. It wasn't well advertised last year and it was hard to find out what times it was on each day and what time it started and finished etc.

Aww bad luck sas, pity not to get that final pass before he goes on his meds. Well done to you and Abby TerraNik. Just noticed a lot of people seem to do single trials - is that the way you enter or is it because there is only a single trial available? Most of ours are doubles but I'm finding Darcy seems to find the obedience tiring yet can cope easily with 8 to 10 runs a day at an agility trial. I put Darcy through a retrieve and DOR without the superfluous signals and she coped just fine. We will see how it goes in a trial situation tomorrow.

I have a Ruff Wear float coat and it's fantastic. Provides good support under their chest. Really sturdy too, Darcy's doesn't get used much at all but I could see it would last a long time. Kepala uses them for their indoor pool, given the amount of use they get there I would say that is a pretty good recommendation.

I'm with you Jess, its crap, I have jsut sorted all my camp stuff, I am thinking of loading the car and the kids up and heading off, somewhere LOL, got money got everything I need, cant see any reason to sit around for the holidays Awesome idea Pandii - have fun if you do end up going, anything to get away from this shitty weather. Hopefully it's all cleared up by the time you get back I'd love a week off, the wet and mud are causing issues with work as well so there is no escaping it. But I'm saving my leave for the trip to see Susan Garrett in November. Maybe I should start a countdown - only 56 days to go

Aghhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I am so over this dreary half-arsed weather And it looks like we have a week of it A workmate has spent some time this week in Northern Vic and didn't want to come home because of the weather. I don't blame her - times like this I miss Nth Vic like crazy. ;) Moved around way too much to call anywhere home but Nth Vic is as close as it gets.

Thanks for the info. At least I know now. Wonder if I can work on losing them in 48 hours. I doubt Darcy needs them but it's probably a little too ingrained on my part.

My two have a distraction training brag from this arvo... Zee has reached a stage with her Crate Games that I can put her on her mat and she'll stay there while I'm training Darcy, even for agility stuff. Great not having to take a crate or a tie-up peg when I'm training. Darcy was practising her sit stay tonight with Zee on her mat. Darcy's reward (small plastic container with some raw steak) was sitting probably 10 m away and Zee's toys and more food was sitting on the mat with her in a green shopping bag. We got some great distraction training when we all got ambushed by a SWF - I know this dog is harmless, it's just a sticky beak with no recall. Both girls stuck their positions beautifully while this dog checked out Darcy's reward and then ransacked Zee's toy bag right in front of her nose. I don't believe I've seen a dog in a sit stay lean quite that much without falling over or moving her feet though

Lovely work Looking at that yes I am double signalling stuff. ;) DOR I walk normally to the end, stand with hands at my sides and then use one hand for the drop and then both hands for the recall and return them to my "front" position (i.e. both hands in front clasped together). Retrieve I have my left hand in "heel" position (same as what you have with your right hand) but my left is at normal walking position at my side. I indicate to retrieve with my right hand and then return both hands to a front position as she leaves. Take the dumbell with both hands and then indicate heel with my left hand returning to its "heel" position. Sas I really don't know if asking the judge is the done thing at Open level. Maybe one of the more experienced guys can comment I've noticed that in CCD judges were really keen to give feedback and even in early Novice while it was really clear I was lacking ring work they were keen to give advice but now I'm in Open I've had no feedback at all. Given they are keen to get through all their competitors I've been reluctant to ask at the end of our run. I've thought about asking at the end but wondered if they would remember after they've been through 15 or so dogs (depending on the size of the class).