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Have emailed this to a few club and trial mates - I hope you can find someone to give her a run ;) Wonder what Deb would charge as a handler? All the dogs did great for her. Bloody traitors, all of 'em

I bought a very similar crate to the K9 Royale one from ebay, in fact it looks identical except it doesn't have the label on it. Easy to set up and it was a bit cheaper. Wish I could remember the seller, but you might see it if you search through the crates.

Tried another clinic today, no luck on getting the Hep test, they only do Parvo and Distemper for about $180. Looks like I'll be booking Darcy in locally here. Will add them to the titre test results thread when they come through.

Now is that the entire vet bill, or just the pathology charge? The break-down of costs I've been given is: $139 for the test (parvo, distemper and hep). $16.50 blood drawing fee and $12 handling fee.

I was after alternative vets because I'd be happy to make the trip to Geelong/Ballarat or even West Melbourne if that's what needs to happen. My local vet was at least willing to check it out to some extent, but certainly don't seem confident with the results etc which bothers me. Which is why I asked about alternative vets - I'd prefer someone who is more comfortable with the results and knows how to interpret them. Training club will require the titre test done on all 3 for a C3 equivalent - parvo distemper and hepatitis, if they accept it. Maybe I should just get her done with the 3 year and hope to god titres are a little more publicised and accepted in 3 years time when she'll be due again.

I've made some phone calls over the last few days in regards to getting a titre test done as opposed to vaccination. I've asked my training club and they are tentatively ok about accepting a test certificate over vaccination card, but need to run it past the committee. Obviously if they won't accept the titre, I have no choice but to vaccinate So after some interesting discussions with several vets, including being told that it would cost well over $200 and that no-one in Australia was doing it I've been quoted $167.50 and a 3 to 4 week turn around by local vet sending it to Gribbles in Melbourne. Managed to squeeze a mention of the 3 year vacc as well. Does anyone happen to get theirs done either in Geelong or Ballarat? Or even the West side of Melbourne? What was the turn around time for results - unfortunately I've left it a little late and I'll need results back by end of July in order to renew my membership (if its accepted by the club committee!).

Just bumping this - has anyone received the powerpoint information yet?

Awwww Thank you, but I have to say Miss Darcy is a pretty special girl and she makes me look good ;) I'm sure my next pup will be an absolute monster just to make up for how good she is A big well done to you as well - Leo has really got his skates on since I seen you guys run at the twilight trial back in March. He was really starting to move on ahead of you towards the end of the weekend and you could see he was getting more confident with each run :rolleyes: Silvawillow - it was an excellent weekend, my only complaint would be it was too short Deb did an excellent job - it was a full on weekend but at no stage did I feel rushed in any of the demos, and she was really conscious of how happy the dogs were to work or if they were starting to get a little unsure. In my limited experience working spots are sometimes hit and miss, but I would not miss the chance to do another working spot with Deb (and that's not just because she wanted to kidnap my dog! ).

I half-heartedly started off with 2o2o as I had the same concerns about shoulders. A suggestion from a visiting instructor resulted with me meddling with running contacts for a few weeks but I don't have an A-frame myself and I honestly don't think you can train a running A-frame when you are reliant on once a week club training for access to an A-frame. We went back to 2o2o after a good chat with a more experienced instructor/handler. Started back on a 3 foot board with 2o2o and went from there. 1st few times she jumped off the A-frame because of the aftermath from the running contact which got her NRM'd real quick. As a result she now gets down low and creeps quite quickly down the side of the A-frame, with very minimal impact on her shoulders at all. It probably costs us 1/2 to 1 second on course, but if she's safe then I'm happy to lose that extra second. She's quick enough that its not going to put us over SCT. We do need to proof it more at trial level because I'm really naughty and quick release her

Are you talking fresh/frozen or powdered? Fresh would be straight off-farm. If you have any dairy farms within range that would be your best bet. It can be frozen successfully. Powdered, I have no idea. Some companies buy it straight off farm and use it in nutritionals - baby milk powders and growing up milk powders etc.

Ordered it Tuesday night ;)

You're right I have the VCA trial on the calendar on its original date. If I do ET that weekend, it would mean I have 1 weekend free for the whole of June, and that free one's at risk I think I'll be doing it next year

Thanks for posting this TSD Unfortunately its the same day as the VCA State agility trial so will have to give it a miss this year.

4 hours is about the furthest I've gone so far. Will be doing 3 to Bendigo this weekend I'm 2.5 hours from the city and I do quite a few city trials. Thinking seriously of doing a few interstate trials later on in the year or next year, but then again I don't pay for my fuel either. Makes a huge difference to the trial budget!

Possibly straight from a knackery, unfortunately its not going to be as fresh as it could be given some animals are dead up to 24 hours before being picked up. Others are condemned and slaughtered there so would be a lot fresher. Our local knackery does meat and dog bones direct on certain days/times. I would imagine you would need to pay well for it, or know someone in the game.

Just thinking about this the other day, I haven't received it yet.

I was planning on completing it this year, unfortunately they have all been held out the other side of Melbourne or far North which means a 4 hour drive/overnight stay Hoping they will have a trial a little closer next year. We've been out on the bike a bit though, now its cooler we'll be doing a lot more. Currently doing about 5 kms every few nights.

Awwwwww isn't he gorgeous!!!!

I started out using "point and pray" because no-one had really bothered with it at the first club I went to. Started out at another club which was using 2o2o, then had a private session with someone who basically said running contacts is the only way to go. I don't believe you can teach a reliable running contact without having the actual equipment sitting in your backyard and I felt going back to 2o2o was a better way to go. So we started back on 2o2o again, good thing is you can teach it at home with a plank of wood and progress through to propping it on a set of stairs. Handy to have for a quick dog because it means I can hold her if there is a change of direction or a tricky section of course where I'd like to be able to direct her more carefully rather than steer from behind.

Apparently Ballaarat was the original spelling of Ballarat itself, and the club has kept the spelling. :D

Not a trial disaster as such, well it kind of is actually because I'm missing two this weekend, with none now until May Our disaster here is a really, really bad combination of confinement with Kennel Cough and an extremely active dog who is bored out of her brain :D Poor little sod Why oh why can't people keep their dogs at home when they know they've been exposed

It was an excellent day, I've not listened to Steve before and he was really really good.

While I appreciate the suggestions Pax and MrsD, I have actually sought information on this from a highly experienced and respected behaviouralist who is familiar with me and my dog. :D Dogdude - completely agree! Sadly I think its the ones who aren't interested to start with and then decide that the trialling game might be something worth doing are the ones who struggle the most. Edited to add: Helen & JulesP - great to see that that change is starting to happen

I know, but FP have you tried instead of doing it like heeling with the lead in a class etc do it offlead & play the throw the food game with her? I saw it on a DVD that PAX lent me - I can't remember the name of the lady but she does some great work with the dogs & they don't even know they are doing heelwork . I think training a new behaviour ie working at heel offlead & doing it as play would be alot easier than breaking down barriers if she has put them in place already doing heeling being dragged around at the end of the lead. (I hope this makes sense ) ETA - the lady's name is Joanna Hill . Yep, I use a ball and she gives me excellent focus and some lovely heeling under distraction. But its a long way from there to the novice ring, and my focus for this year is agility as that is what we both love. Not saying we'll never get there, but it will take a lot of work retraining a bloody good dog who shouldn't have needed to be retrained in the first place

I agree with what dogdude has said - I took my dog through all the puppy preschool into puppy class and all the way through to class 4. That was when I didn't know any better. I am now faced with a dog who needs extensive retraining for competition heeling because she's been bored out of her brain at obedience classes, and her version of the word "heel" means to switch off and follow the lead for nearly an hour, because that is exactly what she's been taught in class. This is a dog who will and can do a lot of the open work and even some UD work (sans heeling obviously) because she sees it as great fun, but I don't know if she'll ever see the inside of a novice ring because of the amount of work she'll need for retraining heeling.