SparkyTansy

Cheekymonster i suggest you read up on breed standards and why they are different for every breed. There are reasons behind certain breeds having particular breed temperament characteristics. It is also the reason why people suit some breeds but not others, and why people like you would be discouraged from owning my breed, because your expectation of how they should behave goes against what has been bred into them for the last 200+years. In an ideal world, I'd love if my Weimaraners went up to everyone they meet, but I would never expect them to do so, however i do expect them to ignore them but not act fearful or cower... however my English Setters should be friendly and open, as reflected in the breed standard, and I would consider an English setter who does not act openly friendly towards strangers a breed temperament fault.

that's just beautiful...

Oh yes plenty of nasty comments to my dogs too - not sure where people get off telling me that my dogs look sad/stoned/bored... people that quite happily say to their friends how ugly or dumb your dog is while you are sitting right there (showdog the dumb comments are definitely not limited to the Irish!). The number of people that comment under their breath about the "poor dogs" when looking at Old English, whilst they stand there happily wagging their tails, completely comfortable and blissfully unaware that their showy owners are mistreating them by subjecting them to a world of being regularly brushed, clean and well exercised/fed... it really can wear you down...

I think it really depends on the breed, and your individual dog. Lots of shows as a baby puppy, done the right way, will be fine, but it can also cause them to dislike showing, particularly if you are nervous and stressed and give them the wrong message about being in the ring. Generally, a judge does not expect a puppy to be a robot at its first show, but you should aim to ensure that the pup can move at least a few steps at a trot without bouncing or twisting, or refusing to move :laugh:. Same with standing. Most judges are incredibly patient when going over baby puppies and usually do so for the benefit of the puppy. In minor I guess they have a few more expectations on them but most judges again are patient if a minor still plays up a little bit. I think most judges prefer to see a puppy having fun over a puppy that looks bored. My first weim I trained to within an inch of her life - i was out everyday practicing. Shows were a breeze but she hit her teens and shows were boring. This time around with my young girl, I did a few sessions on stacking and then left it to a day or two before a show (or on the day of the show) to do some training... She doesn't always behave perfectly but she enjoys it a hell of a lot more than her mother. I'd say she's also attended maybe half the number of shows than her mother did at the same age.

I showed my sisters Old English for a while, and we attended several Royals together. Now, if any breed was well equipped to handle that kind of attention, it's the OES. People swarm to them - the shear size and coat is enough to attract anyone - the fact that they are white and clean, makes them even more appealing to cuddle. People, for the most part, are ignorant about dog breeds and showing. they don't know you are preparing them in a very specific way to go into the ring, they don't know that having them on the grooming table isn't for their own personal access. If you can't handle this kind of ignorance based on the sheer excitement people get out of seeing a dog, they should try to keep the dog back, or not enter at all. I have found it is very easy to explain to people that it is not the time for them to have a pat. It can take up to an hour to get an OES ready before going into the ring. Most of the time, though, it's easier to tell people where they CAN pet them, while continuing to get them ready. for the most part, one of us always has a dog available for the public to touch. We are always around to keep an eye on the interactions and ready to jump in if the dog becomes stressed. My Weimaraners on the other hand handle public interaction less graciously. They are not an outwardly friendly breed and can take some time to get used to people. I keep them benched most of the day but rotate them into a crate to give them time out. If people are really interested in them they will ask questions about them and this way it is easier to lead into an explanation of their aloof nature with strangers, or direct them or their children on the best way to approach them to pet them. At royals, while the showing is a regular part of it, I am there first and foremost to promote and talk about my breed to people. Myself and other club members go armed with pamplets and make ourselves available to talk to people interested in the breed. I get that is not what others expect the royal show to be, but that is what it is for me, and that is why I put my best attitude on to face the public.

RS you should be so very proud!! WELL DONE!!!

Have you been to a good puppy school with her? this will help her with her social skills. I don't know of any doggy day care in those areas though - sorry

yes, you are mad :laugh: but no madder than the rest of us!!

Are there specific areas that your dog focuses on for scratching? The "hotter" areas such as the pads of the feet, under arms, tummy, bottom/tail area and ears. Focus on those areas often indicate an inhalant/Atopic allergy which may have one or more causes. food allergies can appear in a number of ways (ie welts, hotspots, rash etc) and may or may not be accompanied by ear problems, vomiting or loose stools.

I'm probably going to start doing tracking too when Gibbs gets the all clear as its a sport he can do without jumping etc it's great fun MG - and most dogs get it quite quickly. You are so lucky as you are so close to Gnangara!!

oooh come on Cider get things moving!!! we are all waiting Ari went on day 62. She came to work with me the day before. She ate her breakfast, and had a major snooze lying on her back on our bed before things started happening. I hope things run smoothly for you Ptolomy - keep us updated! P.S how are the temps?

I see someone walking two most mornings when I'm on my way to work. They are such an iconic little dog and lovely to look at. I'd not own a terrier myself but i find most terriers are absolutely adorable.

As for shade, I can't recall what it is like in SA but I can't remember there being that many trees on the grounds. If that is the case, it'd be a good idea to get a shade, or even start with a large umbrella although these aren't quite as easy to find these days. Back when I used to attend shows as a kid, it was a sea of yellow and red "PAL" umbrellas and now it's mostly Gazebos! in WA the people who have gazebo's set up closer to the rings and the ones without set up under the shade of the trees. it works out very well this way although if you set up further back you do have to be aware of what is going on in the rings, because the gazebos can sometimes block the view! As for crates, you can go without them if you have one dog or more than one person attending, but it's so much easier with a crate. The dogs are safe and out of the way, and probably a lot more relaxed.

RS, one of these days soon I'll get organised and come out with you to work in cover. I have a hand launch dummy thrower now which is very handy, but much better if someone else can do it for you. I also finally have a tie out so I can tether Lulu or Ari while I'm working with your dogs. I've had so much "dog stuff" on lately and I think my OH is starting to get a bit annoyed, so trying to balance it out a little bit!! I've pulled back on showing but now because I have tracking training on saturdays, plus Rally training on Thursday nights and regular obedience on mondays I'll be doing training two nights a week, so I just have to wait until things are a bit more controlled before I can commit to more training days!

Wow well done on your first qualify TSD! you must be so proud of your girl!! NORTY polo FHRP :laugh:

I wouldn't show a dog with a major structural fault. In fact, i pulled my 9 month old HD affected pup from the ring when he was diagnosed because of that reason, despite others telling me I should continue to show him. I was disgusted. To me "major structural fault" is things like patellas and HD, or anything else structural that causes the dog pain or discomfort and needs to be treated. I did, however, show a dog with a genetic issue which was not structural. He had skin issues, which were under control the majority of the time, and he was my first show dog so I continued to show him to learn. He was a coated breed and you couldn't tell he had skin problems because they were well controlled. He was never bred from and desexed when I retired him from the ring. So, for me, I'm on the fence, however I think that the "rules" of dog showing do give the wrong messages. Keeping the dog entire in order to show, or only allowing main registered dogs to be shown, while making sense from a breeding point of view, really does cause people to question or even conclude that it is directly related to breeding dogs, given all other sports, even those which people may take away just as much consideration about breeding, do not have those requirements (ie people who breed based on working traits - retrieving ability in retrievers etc).

These are such beautiful stories I only have one story and it didn't happen to me personally. Many years ago we lost our first Weimaraner Elly - she was only a year old and had to be given her wings. My sister and my mum were both in their bedrooms at opposite ends of the house. The house had a very long passage way from the front to the back of the house, which was tiled and could be quite echoey. Both of them heard a dog bark, just like Elly, and both came out of their rooms to see if the other had heard it too. i was only 8 at the time, and have no reason not to believe them! it gave me a lot of comfort. My other dogs have not visited me though...

Yes i'm not sure how she can say the case is bad and then say its Grade One. Does this vet even know the grading levels?

I agree with others to get a second opinion - good on you for doing so, even if you had to endure the crappy treatment by a vet who seems to have issues making a quick diagnosis and then disliking the fact that you wish to seek further information. I know of a situation with someone who had a pup diagnosed with a very serious condition, the vet was SURE the issue was that, despite the issue being genetic and rarely if ever seen in the breed. The vet personally booked them into the specialist for the operation, without having them see the specialist first. The owners even booked time off work due to the recovery time. They saw the specialist and the specialist didn't think it was this condition afterall. A lot of heartache for the owners AND the breeder. I'm sure that sometimes vets think that it's really easy to diagnose purebreeds based on breed history but the number of times I've heard them get it very wrong is concerning.

Are you sure it's fleas at all?

Lovely pics Rebanne!

I am so very sorry to read this Hugs to you Amerykus. Fly free to the bridge Montanna.

Oh forgot to add... Yes, the Dulux Dog - they are actually called the Old English Sheepdog. Yes, he's real. No he lives inside with airconditioning so he doesn't get hot. No he's not blind their eyes can come in blue.

Love these so far! :) It's a Weimaraner... *blank look* Vei-mar-rar-ner - It's German *lame attempt to pronounce*. They were used to hunt large game in germany til all the large game died out, now they hunt birds. You see them on Sesame Street... English Setter - "Oh i used to have one of those except it was red" oh you mean an Irish Setter, well they are slightly different, English Setters originated in England and were used to find birds before guns were invented. English Setters are the smaller, heavier, calmer version of the Irish Setter. OR No it's not a cross breed, it's an English Setter "so did they cross it with a Dalmatian?".

I think it's interesting when people have crossbreeds but only use one of the crosses to explain what it is. I know someone with a Vizsla X. She always said she had a Vizsla until one day when I saw a photo of him and she said oh no he's a crossbreed but he's mostly vizsla. The only "viz' looking part of him was his colour. He was huge, heavily boned with a heavy head that didn't look at all like a gundog. Oh but he's crazy like a Vizsla. i think he's crazy because he's young and left outside all day...