Endurance Test 2011 Thread

[Abbiestar]

Just a quick question - the rules state a 2m leash is needed but I have yet to find one, does anyone know where I can buy one? Or alterately can I use a 1.8m leash?

Don't worry answered my own question! Thats an old version of the rules! Would a 6' or 4' leash be fine then?

According to the rules as at the most recent update, there is no mention of a specific lead length. The rules state that "the leash must be long enough to be held in either hand so that the dog may adjust itself to the cyclist or runner."

I guess common sense applies and use a length that you are comfortable with and will not be cumbersome and interfering with the dog.

M

[Tassie]

Great start RV -- don't think it will take Toby too long at all.

For leads, I use my standard Black Dog one for Rory - a slightly shorter one for Kirra when we're training, cos I prefer her to run on the inside - between the bike and Rory, as she's a bit smaller.

As far as one handed goes - I don't do that - just hold the lead handle in your hand and then hold the handlebar as normal.

RS, you want them to gait with the bike, and at a distance away from it, so I find I use 'steady' and 'settle' quite a bit if they start to gallop. They'll usually just settle in to a nice placement beside the bike, and you can just adjust your speed as they learn to gait nicely.

It's also really handy to have a verbal 'stop' or 'wait' in case you see a baby rabbit just off the track as I did the other night.

We had a nice ride Tuesday evening - nice cool breeze - Kirra did about 4 km with us, then Rory and I did another 4 km - mostly at about 11/12 kph. I'm just loving riding with Rory - he's a natural.

[Abbiestar]

Great start RV -- don't think it will take Toby too long at all.

For leads, I use my standard Black Dog one for Rory - a slightly shorter one for Kirra when we're training, cos I prefer her to run on the inside - between the bike and Rory, as she's a bit smaller.

As far as one handed goes - I don't do that - just hold the lead handle in your hand and then hold the handlebar as normal.

RS, you want them to gait with the bike, and at a distance away from it, so I find I use 'steady' and 'settle' quite a bit if they start to gallop. They'll usually just settle in to a nice placement beside the bike, and you can just adjust your speed as they learn to gait nicely.

It's also really handy to have a verbal 'stop' or 'wait' in case you see a baby rabbit just off the track as I did the other night.

We had a nice ride Tuesday evening - nice cool breeze - Kirra did about 4 km with us, then Rory and I did another 4 km - mostly at about 11/12 kph. I'm just loving riding with Rory - he's a natural.

When holding the lead, it is important not to wrap it around your hand. If the dog really needs to stop, or bolt off in another direction, you will have no choice - you will be going with the dog! I like to hold the handle bar with the lead inbetween it and my hand.

Glad you had a nice ride. The dogs really enjoy it and settle down after a while and gait very nicely alongside you. Keep it up, you will be ready for the ET in no time.

M

[Tassie]

Yep - good point about not wrapping the lead round the hand - I NEVER do that - even just walking the dogs - and I warn my puppy class people against it.

For the bike, I have my hand loosely through the loop - so that one part of the handle loop is between my hand and the handlebar, but it's ready to drop if necessary.

I've done ET already with my agility girl - she's too old for it now - and my previous boy. I was going to wait till my new boy was 3 or 4, but he's taken to it like a duck to water, so it could be this year. In the meantime, the riding is good for his show ring gaiting, and general fitness, and the shorter rides are good to maintain my agility girl's fitness.

[Abbiestar]

Yep - good point about not wrapping the lead round the hand - I NEVER do that - even just walking the dogs - and I warn my puppy class people against it.

For the bike, I have my hand loosely through the loop - so that one part of the handle loop is between my hand and the handlebar, but it's ready to drop if necessary.

I've done ET already with my agility girl - she's too old for it now - and my previous boy. I was going to wait till my new boy was 3 or 4, but he's taken to it like a duck to water, so it could be this year. In the meantime, the riding is good for his show ring gaiting, and general fitness, and the shorter rides are good to maintain my agility girl's fitness.

Which ET do you think you will do?

M

[Tassie]

Which ET do you think you will do?

We only have one a year down here in Tasmania - this year is scheduled for July 10 - held at Longford in northern Tasmania. It's an out and back course, mostly on roads. Some of the others sound nice - especially Sale, but it's expensive to bring the dogs across Bass Strait more than a couple of times a year - and we're already planning to come over for a DWD workshop in April.

In July we won't have to worry about it being too hot - but it could be sleeting and squally like it was when I did it before.

[Abbiestar]

Which ET do you think you will do?

We only have one a year down here in Tasmania - this year is scheduled for July 10 - held at Longford in northern Tasmania. It's an out and back course, mostly on roads. Some of the others sound nice - especially Sale, but it's expensive to bring the dogs across Bass Strait more than a couple of times a year - and we're already planning to come over for a DWD workshop in April.

In July we won't have to worry about it being too hot - but it could be sleeting and squally like it was when I did it before.

Maybe you could petition your dog club to hold a second one.

if there is enough interest, it may happen.

M

[Abbiestar]

The Adelaide ET is to be held on Saturday June 25.

It is hosted by the German Shepherd Club and will be held at their club grounds. I believe it will start at 8.00am.

M

[Sir Sniffalot]

The Adelaide ET is to be held on Saturday June 25.

It is hosted by the German Shepherd Club and will be held at their club grounds. I believe it will start at 8.00am.

M

Where are their club grounds ?

[Starkehre]

I have finally narrowed my ET down to either HV in May or Dally in June.

It will depend on obedience trials and shows on around that time.

I actually would have liked to do the GSD at Altona again as I enjoyed that ground last time (except for the bottle necking labyrinth on the bridge but that one is a bit close to our SA Specialty.

I am curious, has anyone ever been balloted out of an ET. I know it is always a possibility, but I have never heard of it happening.

There is so much training and getting vetting organised, it would be so disappointing if this happened.

...and if there is a fair possibility of being balloted out, can you enter 2, get your vetting done for both at the right time frames, then scratch the 2nd one if you get into the first one?

The 2 ETs that I am looking at entering are only 2 weeks apart, so if I missed out on the first one, maintaining that level of fitness in my dog would not be unfeasible for an extra 2 weeks, as opposed to say 4 or 6 weeks later.

Edited January 6, 2011 by dyzney

[Abbiestar]

I have finally narrowed my ET down to either HV in May or Dally in June.

It will depend on obedience trials and shows on around that time.

I actually would have liked to do the GSD at Altona again as I enjoyed that ground last time (except for the bottle necking labyrinth on the bridge but that one is a bit close to our SA Specialty.

I am curious, has anyone ever been balloted out of an ET. I know it is always a possibility, but I have never heard of it happening.

There is so much training and getting vetting organised, it would be so disappointing if this happened.

...and if there is a fair possibility of being balloted out, can you enter 2, get your vetting done for both at the right time frames, then scratch the 2nd one if you get into the first one?

The 2 ETs that I am looking at entering are only 2 weeks apart, so if I missed out on the first one, maintaining that level of fitness in my dog would not be unfeasible for an extra 2 weeks, as opposed to say 4 or 6 weeks later.

I was balloted out once. it is just the luck of the draw. i actually contacted the trial secretary and asked her to Keep me in mind if anyone else cancelled. As luck would have it, someone did and I got in.

As foe entering two, it may not work the way you want. Both may get in and then you either have to scratch one (and then someone else will be dark on you because they missed out), or you have to have a second handler lined up.

M

[Abbiestar]

The Adelaide ET is to be held on Saturday June 25.

It is hosted by the German Shepherd Club and will be held at their club grounds. I believe it will start at 8.00am.

M

Where are their club grounds ?

West Beach Training Grounds. "Pedigree Park', Barratt Reserve, corner Military Rd and West Beach Road, West Beach.

M

[ozjen]

I got Springer from Pets Providore- theres link to their website on the DOL advertisments.

Was $99- free postage coz they are in WA

They are in Wanaroo, if you don't want to wait on the post.

[ozjen]

So a tight pair of bike pants make you hurt less afterwards?

I only have a cruddy Kmart bike that I think I have ridden twice in 5 years, don't think that will work, will it??

That will be fine Rubystar, but I recommend as much padding as you can get, I had a gel seatcover and that was not nearly enough although it probablay didn't help that the bike was too big for me(anything bigger than a 20in wheel is too big for me ).

[ozjen]

I will if someone will write out a training plan... for jogging it! I honestly think it's a toss up which would be harder!!! Get Toby over his fear of bikes or get me fit enough to run that far!

You could always have someone do it in relays with you, rules don't stipulate that it all has to be done by one person, just the one dog. When my sister did it (biked) I did a few laps to give her a break.

[ozjen]

So a tight pair of bike pants make you hurt less afterwards? :D

I only have a cruddy Kmart bike that I think I have ridden twice in 5 years, don't think that will work, will it??

Yes! And you can wear other shorts or track pants on top if you don't like the "lycra lout look" : ))

Your bike should be fine. Just get a service on it from your bike shop.

Michael

Getting a bicycle serviced is so foreign to me... My girls have never ridden next to a bike, I think I'd have a lot of work to do!

And lycra look, no thanks I think I'd scare the other competitors away!

ETA: No underwear?! ummmmm, don't think I could get used to this one And now I'll be looking at everyone wondering if they're wearing underwear or not :D

:D Eeewww! Definaitly would wear the underwear.

Gave me a good laugh though imagining you checking everyones underwear status.

[ozjen]

Getting a bicycle serviced is so foreign to me... My girls have never ridden next to a bike, I think I'd have a lot of work to do!

And lycra look, no thanks I think I'd scare the other competitors away!

ETA: No underwear?! ummmmm, don't think I could get used to this one And now I'll be looking at everyone wondering if they're wearing underwear or not

I haven't ridden a bike in a very long time :D I will need to go and buy one as I want to do the ET with Banjo this year

We should all try and get to the same trial :D Any maybe meet up for a couple of cycle sessions to get the dogs used to other bikes around :D

WA Endurance Tests are on the 18th June and 3&4th September :D

Still have that too big bike here Mirrawee, forgot to advertise it in Quokka for Xmas.

The dogs are all spaced out with the endurance test the closest they are is when they do the obedience side of things. You often don't see the other riders while your riding unless your stopping at the checkpoint for a designated break. What is of more concern is when a Bandicoot shoots out across your pathway and the dog wants to follow it. On the plus side if the dog is getting borded and starting to lag they become more animaited if they think there might be more Bandicoots, that's if they haven't already caused their handler to crash and burn.

[ozjen]

Lucky Toby is registered due to his (failed) agility career!

Can anyone answer this - I want to bike Toby in a non restrictive tracking harness, but I also want to try tracking ths year... can I usre the same harness or will that confuse him and should I buy a new harness for biking?

RallyValley, I would keep the tracking harness strictly for tracking as its used as a marker for the dog

to get ready to track, so much so that it is not put on the dog until it is close to the start line, we don't even put it on them to walk from the car to the startline. Also the idea of the harness in tracking is that the dog leans into it as they track, which is the opposite of what you want in the endurance as the dog must mantain a loose lead in endurance. Unless there is a reason for wearing a harness I would stick to your collar, less likelyhood of chaffing over distance.

[Starkehre]

I have finally narrowed my ET down to either HV in May or Dally in June.

It will depend on obedience trials and shows on around that time.

I actually would have liked to do the GSD at Altona again as I enjoyed that ground last time (except for the bottle necking labyrinth on the bridge but that one is a bit close to our SA Specialty.

I am curious, has anyone ever been balloted out of an ET. I know it is always a possibility, but I have never heard of it happening.

There is so much training and getting vetting organised, it would be so disappointing if this happened.

...and if there is a fair possibility of being balloted out, can you enter 2, get your vetting done for both at the right time frames, then scratch the 2nd one if you get into the first one?

The 2 ETs that I am looking at entering are only 2 weeks apart, so if I missed out on the first one, maintaining that level of fitness in my dog would not be unfeasible for an extra 2 weeks, as opposed to say 4 or 6 weeks later.

I was balloted out once. it is just the luck of the draw. i actually contacted the trial secretary and asked her to Keep me in mind if anyone else cancelled. As luck would have it, someone did and I got in.

As foe entering two, it may not work the way you want. Both may get in and then you either have to scratch one (and then someone else will be dark on you because they missed out), or you have to have a second handler lined up.

M

Thanks AS. That was great you got in, in the end.

As they are 2 weeks apart, I may enter both. If I get into the first one and scratch the 2nd as soon as I know, they will have 3+ weeks to allow someone else in that may have got balloted out, ... or maybe I will just enter one.

Not sure yet, will decide when the time gets closer.

I certainly would not do anything to ruin it for someone else, but I can't see how it would when the trials are 2 weeks apart?

If I notified the trial secretary as soon as I knew I got into the first one, surely no one would miss out?

How far out from the trial are you notifed you are definitely in.. sorry, I do not remember.

Edited January 6, 2011 by dyzney

[ozjen]

A word of warning to those starting to train their dogs to bikes. Dogs are inclined to want to relieve themselves, after a good trot (even when you think they have emptied out at home) and will often stop abruptly without any warning to do so, causing injury to the biker. How do I know this, experience, pain and one dead bike.

Still a little nervous biking with the dog after the last accident, but I replaced the bike with a much smaller one so hopefully I don't get so hurt (just have to peddle more to make up for the small tyres on my kiddie bike).