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I have a dedicated gas Ford Wagon which I find pretty good - I'd love to set it up with the false floor and gates but I can't justify it given I get a new car every two years (it's a work car) and there is no guarantee that the set up will fit in the next one. I do find the spare tyre takes up a heap of space in the back but I pretty much leave that space to the dogs and they still have room to stretch out without sitting on top each other. I can still fit an almost double bed mattress in the back if I lay the seats flat and take out the barrier for overnighter trials though - dunno whether I'll manage that with now I have two dogs.

I have one here that I had made and haven't used that you are welcome to try if you like. It's just a long dog lead with a handle on it but it's nice enough rope that you can knot it wherever you want and undo it easily. No rope is not going to burn your hands if they take off on you by surprise but if you've got a knot in it with a temporary handle then at least you can hold it.

I make mine slightly different to most as I like them looooong - hate trying to have a decent game of tug on too short tug leads. I use two lengths of polar fleece at 2 metres each, which when plaited will give you a 1.6 m long lead. I hand stitch them together at one end so they overlap by about 5 cm and that overlap part sits in the clip so it's relatively well hidden. You don't have to stitch them if you buy your polarfleece in 4 m lengths but I wanted a variety of different colours so it was more cost effective to buy several different colours of 2 m lengths of PF and stitch them. For the third part of the plait I use a 4 m length of 4 cm-ish wide binding material in a really bright colour - this adds some strength to the lead as well as stopping it from stretching too much. Plait them up and I just tie it at the end into a knot and leave some length at the end to form a tassle type thing. I don't bother with a handle as I never use them anyway. Cost wise here - I buy my PF from Lincraft and the binding material from Spotlight. Lincraft don't have the colour variety on binding and they charge twice the price.

Give me a yell if anyone wants to do obedience stuff or even some agility. Otherwise I'll stay out of it.

I'm not interested in show training at all - someone way back mentioned SFE stuff and I jumped in and said I would be interested in that. Socialisation is not what I'm after - I'd like to do some high level proofing which I can't do with known people and known dogs. If people aren't interested or I'm treading on toes - well sorry to interrupt.

Happy to train in a different area of Harris Street Reserve. Tlc I would do Open level stays which are 3 min sit stay and 5 min down stay but it will be fine with dogs and people moving around as she needs that with dogs potentially breaking and people coming in to get their dogs. As long as no-one rouses on their dog if they attempt to break - used to put up with that in class and Darcy hates it. I return behind, but once again doesn't matter what anyone else does. Also love to catch up with Pandii as well as Necia if she was to come along. There is a few people who do tracking in Wbool, but not in a club sense. The other club used to have flyball gear but weren't really interested. Don't know if they still have it.

RJ the hat is a great idea - some dogs don't give a stuff but some do. Happy to wear a peak hat or a brimmed hat - will leave the skirt wearing to Pandii, I don't even own one. ;) Anyone up for doing group stays?

I'm still interested in doing some obedience stuff - just for the sake of a different environment and SFE's with strangers. Also good for my youngster to learn to work in different environments with different dogs around.

Thanks Janey - that's what I was looking for. Persephone - the water is clear, no sign of the sludge that's been on it for months. I was more worried about what I couldn't see.

LP I started with a matt on floorboards initially to get the feel for something different under Zee's feet and then added the phone book. Now she does it onto a phone book step (4 phone books duct taped together) and a caravan step. Love watching her trying to find it with her back feet.

The water is brackish so they don't drink it anyway. But yes as much I'd love to get back into that lake I have too many doubts, including how often they are testing it.

Our local lake has been shut since November for an outbreak of BGA - Nodularia spumigena to be specific. Recently they've reopened the lake - just before Australia Day weekend, quoting counts of 5000 to 10,000 cells/ml. Now they're saying that there is still the possibility that people could still get sick (bit late after they've had hundreds upon hundreds of people there on the weekend :D ). I typically use this lake nearly every day for fitness work for my dogs over summer, given my other fitness options are pretty much out the window due to badly maintained council paths and tracks (too snakey!) and the heat. I've missed it something shocking and was keen to get back into working my dogs there but I'm having doubts about the counts still. Does anyone happen to know what levels are "safe" - it should be safe given it's open for swimming and fishing but I have my doubts given they are saying people could still get sick. I'd love to be able to use it again but I'm not willing to put my dogs at risk.

Sorry I wasn't sure if it was you or not and I didn't want to make a twit of myself if it was the wrong person. I do normally keep an eye on what's going on even in that fenced off area - there is one or two people who just rock up and let their dogs go in there off lead and not under any form of control without asking. My two are only allowed to play with the big blue ball like that otherwise mine would go poof too It's supposed to be burst proof but Darcy has made very short work of fully inflated soccer balls in the past so I won't be putting the gym ball to the test.

I know a lab who is that big, she weighs something like 50 or 60 kgs. I remember another lab who was a similar size back in my early teens, it belonged to a vet. Was under your feet the whole time scavenging whatever it could from whatever the vet was doing on farm - disgusting and really unhygenic.

Too many if's in there unfortunately tlc Too many irresponsible people who ruin it for those of us who do the right thing - dogs off lead in on lead areas, not picking up and on too long leads not under effective control. Met a friend yesterday down the beach and walked out to find a big dog poo right in the middle of the track. They hadn't even bothered to flick it off the track. I stay near KCC park in summer and wonder why I'm not allowed to even have my dogs on the beaches down there, let alone off-lead. Warrnambool will end up like that soon if it keeps going the way it's going

I do agility and dabble in a touch of obedience - I have a 4 yo bitch trialling in agility and a 8 mo bitch. Both desexed. Darcy (4 yo kelpie x lab) is probably more dog like in that there is not an ounce of "bitch" in her temperament wise. Can be a bit of a sook but loves to work, yet she's not pushy. Very laid back while not working but will fire up in a heartbeat if there is work to be done. Picks stuff up pretty quickly. Zee (8 mo BC x kelpie working bred) is pushy, super quick to learn and we're finding her off button as it doesn't always work. Loves people and does a great job of class clown! I think it depends on what your own preferences are - I've grown up with mostly working bitches and a few dogs along the way. Working ability wise it's pretty much personal preference but IMO when things get tough the bitches have that slight edge to keep going and get the job done.

Actually that is a good question - mine's flouro yellow but I don't recall seeing a coloured one in a trial. They were either wood or pale grey/white plastic ones. Not that I've done many so don't read anything into that.

No worries - good on you for persisting and continuing to look for ideas to help you out with it. The RRR info seems to be very highly recommended, I have her Control Unleashed book and found it that good that I started rereading it the moment I finished it.

It gets mixed in with a good cupful of vegie/fruit mush, a dollop of natural yoghurt and a spoon of linseed oil plus whatever protein (fish/egg/roo mince or offal) they are getting that night - if any. Doesn't seem to worry them, they lick their bowls clean every night. Neither are what I would call "fussy" about food though either.

I've just been wondering about this myself. My 4 yo has been raw fed since she was about 1 yo and she gets 2 spoons (next one up from a tsp) of ACV in her dinner every night. Not had a flea on her since she was a youngster, and I'd know because she scratches like crazy. She has regular contact with my parents dog who often has a flea problem (sandy soil and dogs on either side who aren't treated ). My youngster has the occasional flea on her, have only had her on a small dose of ACV but have just put her on a full raw diet with the same amount of ACV as my older dog. I'm hoping it will fix the issue as I don't want to use anything chemical if I can avoid it. I'd like to put it in their water but they have access to their clam pool all through summer. At least if it's in their dinner I know they're getting it and I know how much they are getting. :D

Check out their website, it's pretty informative. Will depend on whether you are in town or out on acreage. We could have unlimited dogs on the farm but limited to 2 in town, but you can get a permit for more if you need it. I'm in the next shire over.

Darcy never went through an obvious fear period, she was wary of trucks at about 5 months old but I can remember one walk down the street and one trip through the city where they seemed to bother her. Never seen hide nor hair of it again. Tez have you done any clicker work with Jane's recall issues? I'm working on Zee's recall with the clicker and am rapt with how well she's doing with it.

You can give the trial secretary a call and ask them to put you up into the next class. I've found most are pretty helpful - especially if entries haven't closed or the catalogue hasn't been finished yet.

Thanks for posting this Aidan, you've just given me a huge help here. I'm due to go away for a week in March and it's the first time I've been away since I got Zee. I have my doubts on how Mum is going to go with her given her high energy levels and need for training to keep her entertained. Darcy is more laid back and tends to tolerate just a quiet walk each day but I had visions of Zee getting up to all kinds of mischief. I don't like using a ball or a frisbee or even a soccer ball too often given the potential for injury and wear and tear. I reckon a daily session with the gym ball will keep them entertained and work their brain without the higher risk of injury with the other options. ;)