SparkyTansy

omg Tea leaf what a classic name!! ETA Pudding is really cute and certainly suits the name!! As long as when she hits adulthood she doesn't look like a pudding!

welcome BonJosie!! Beagle puppies are so cute - we need pics!

true, unless you are willing to travel you won't see that much... but I suppose that it's a general make up of various things... i'm not saying I use shows as the only way of assessing breeding stock, but that it is part of what i use. I chose the stud dog for my bitch at the national weimaraner specialty last May. he has since gone on to produce several litters for other kennels and i am using what he produces as an additional assessment tool. Sheridan if you didn't want to use the show ring to assess breed stock, how would you go about finding a stud dog? In wheatens, there's so few people, most know each other and their dogs. It's probably the same for a lot of breeds. Don't know what happens in the breeds with large numbers. Yes but how would you go about picking a stud dog?

yep no rain here - i went outside and i smelled the rain but looked in the sky and thought i was imagining things!

I agree with this, but also have to say that I, as an exhibitor and observer, use the showring for assessing breeding stock - not my own, but others... looking at lines and patterns etc... I don't tend to look at what is winning in the ring, only what i think would work for me if i am on the lookout for a new dog or a potential mating...however, this could just as easily be done by also looking at desexed progeny, and actually would open up a whole new world of showing because we'd be seeing more than one or two of the puppies etc. I agree, it's time to move past it, because you can look at desexed stuff and it can help you (plus maybe it would increase show numbers?) if you do use the show ring to assess breed stock. Wouldn't that be a rather limited assessment unless someone shows right around Australia, which most people don't? You can see from other threads that some people only show in their own area, some people won't show in Sydney because people are rude, some won't show elsewhere because of this, that and the other. Most people don't travel much to show, which makes using the show ring for assessing breeding stock a somewhat limited way to do it. true, unless you are willing to travel you won't see that much... but I suppose that it's a general make up of various things... i'm not saying I use shows as the only way of assessing breeding stock, but that it is part of what i use. I chose the stud dog for my bitch at the national weimaraner specialty last May. he has since gone on to produce several litters for other kennels and i am using what he produces as an additional assessment tool. Sheridan if you didn't want to use the show ring to assess breed stock, how would you go about finding a stud dog?

Show dog - just out of interest it is common for international judges not to award a challenge for a dog under 12 months? I know you didn't ask me, but I will answer anyway It certainly isn't unusual for judges to give that reason for non-awarding a dog under 12 months. But I have only had it happen to me once or twice and have had other international judges give them the CC. Of course in breeds with more than 1 dog competing it is less common as they just give it to the older dogs I have never had a young dog non awarded BUT do now plenty of judges who have & have given age the reason .I have had an older dog NA but that is a whole topic again . Some countries don't show pups so find it hard to figure out what to do with youngster but they should judge the Aussie way . I don't think this year's judges will be serial NA If I am right in knowing which time you are talking about, wasn't that an interesting day!

totally agree Bokezu! I think i should have referred to my earlier post.. I am totally against it because it's against the rules.. if people want it, they should go down the right avenues to get it.

I like Bruce or Brucey, if you want cute :D

I agree with this, but also have to say that I, as an exhibitor and observer, use the showring for assessing breeding stock - not my own, but others... looking at lines and patterns etc... I don't tend to look at what is winning in the ring, only what i think would work for me if i am on the lookout for a new dog or a potential mating...however, this could just as easily be done by also looking at desexed progeny, and actually would open up a whole new world of showing because we'd be seeing more than one or two of the puppies etc. I agree, it's time to move past it, because you can look at desexed stuff and it can help you (plus maybe it would increase show numbers?) if you do use the show ring to assess breed stock.

hi Aannie Nothing wrong with Vetwests if you find a good vet that you trust. I think that Vetwest might be a franchise? please correct me if i am wrong but it's likely that there are vets that own it and they probably use certain suppliers but other than that it's the vet that is the quality not the name. I'm not NOR so can't comment on other recommendations... I travel 20 minutes to my vet because it's a good one.

for us it's early morning ball games and late night walking. Saying that though, my weim doesn't seem to be overly affected by the dry heat but she crumbles in humidity.

Goldenrules, i'd love to put my hand up for the flags if you no longer want them As for the roos... last time I did a practice run at a bit of bush close to my house, some roos crossed our path!! was... interesting. I don't think Ari knew what to make of them and I am very grateful for that!!

My dog was entered as a bitch in the catalogue once! Judge had a giggle, I had a giggle, we moved on!! Almost saw a full on brawl because someone didn't get their facts straight about why a dog that wasn't in the catalogue was allowed entry into the show.

going to agree with don't necessarily choose something breed specific... I chose my prefix based on location of the breeds origin... I didn't get my first choice, which was Belwood - which was the name of a temple not far from where the breed developer lived My other choices were all linked around that "Belwood"... I ended up with i think my 3rd or 4th choice, Belbracon - Bel from Belwood and Bracon from Bracken, a common ground cover that setters would work over. Who knew I'd end up with my first litter being a Weimaraner litter? It sounds ok, i guess, but it doesn't suit a weim like it suits an English setter!!

i don't think it matters - a day hardly makes a difference... however if it was me, i'd choose the date the first pup emerges.

and to top it off Faolmor, they didn't even show the full line up of the gundog group on the TV coverage. I just saw an excited red tail walking out of the ring before they proceeded to show the shortlisted dogs. Hardly a good education for average joe

Yes, I ended up being quite disappointed with it but it filled some time of my day while I am on leave I would also have liked to see a bit more of the performance side of it - a full run or 2 of agility rather than all the compilation bits they did, likewise with canine freestyle. I thought you had to pay to watch the groups online on Crufts webpage? I know you have to pay for it after it's all happened, but i am sure that it's free live streaming for each group and BIS. I could be wrong though. I agree more performance stuff would have been good...

hey GR that's so cool!! Spartan is born on the 5th of September, so Mr Dougal is just one day older than him!! Is anyone in the WA thread doing tracking next year?

My Spartan will be 9 in September, James 5 and ari 4!!! Crazy times!

Quite a few Weimaraner breeders still tattoo as well as microchip their pups prior to leaving... even if only a few rescues you tell sit up and take notice that a breed club tattoos, it might help if that breed comes through that rescue or pound... Just another form of identification at least back to the breeder... in saying that we currently have a weimaraner rescue in WA who's tattoo we cannot trace at all My wei is tattoo'd (she's from QLD), but as far as I know, no breeders in WA do it anymore. My wei from WA early 90s was also tattoo'd. As for desexing tattoo - I've never had an issue with it being done... I haven't seen the M tattoo before for microchipping, but that is a great idea also.

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas... and lots of good things to come for all of us in 2011!! fetchindawgs I am so sorry for your loss... what a horrible year you have had Especially sending you positive vibes and good wishes for 2011! Anyone care to share their new years resolutions/goals for 2011? They can be doggy related or personal ones! Mine: Continue with tracking and obedience with Ari Healthy litter of puppies around June 2011! Qualify Crufts 2012 with Charlie! (and then save enough to go over there and show!) healthy eating and more exercise for me in 2011!

Pheebs I am so sorry for your loss... what a beautiful girl Tess was and you did your very best for her to the very end... including a very memorable and beautiful tribute to her which has moved plenty of people I am sure. On a side note, perhaps you should consider putting in a complaint regarding the vet... what a disrespectful way that they dealt with you and tess during such a difficult time...

As usual I didn't find the coverage that good... in the past it's shown the names of the dogs, or at least all the breeds in the whole line up before the shortlist, but this year it showed the shortlist only without showing any of the others. It's much more worth purchasing or watching the groups live for free when they happen online. At least they don't try and squeeze it all into 1 hour.

I know someone who got a dog from the paper... owner sound like they were clearly a BYB... told the person looking at him that he hops when he walks because his testicles are in the way. My friend bought him. She was adamant that he still hopped even after he was desexed because he was so used to his testicles being there. I convinced her to go to the vet... dog had luxating patella . future SIL wants a Great Dane crossed with a Mastiff. I ask why not just get one or the other? Oh because with the cross you'll get the best of both. Totally common but I was still to hear it actually come out of someones mouth...

bugger... i wish this thread had come up before I ordered and received my rubber backed! Luckily i bought more greenbacked than rubber...