The Spotted Devil

Agree 100%. Very unfair nonetheless.

Same food during pregnancy although I did switch to puppy dry slowly during the last few weeks and adjusted amount for increase in calories. However she was crazy active up until whelping. More of it during lactation...as in 3-4 times as much. So pregnancy - Artemis dry, chicken frames, lamb necks, lamb heart etc sardines, yoghurt, eggs. Usual diet. Lactation - I fully switched to Artemis (puppy) and swapped quarter raw chicken for the frames with skin removed as the fat didn't agree with her. Added some quality beef/organ mince which pups were also weaned onto. Eggs, sardines, tinned salmon, green tripe, lambs heart. Lots of slushy meals to increase fluid intake - with yoghurt for added palatability. Although I needn't have worried as she devoured EVERYTHING. Em loves puppies for the amount of food she gets :laugh:

Well said Jess!!!

Thank you for the reply. We have all decided to take the weekend to think about it and will discuss on Sunday. I think we are trying to justify keeping her, because when we purchased her we thought we were buying our family pet for life. So we do want to keep her. But if it's in her best interests to go back then we understand that too. We all need to think it over further I think! Really tough call either way. I'd probably return the dog but only because I would hate to feel like I was looking over my shoulder all the time, waiting for them to ask again. Hate to be suspicious but make sure you get a cash refund - no cheque or bank transfer.

Nooooo!!! I love both. It's all learning. What happened? My dog has a short attention span and gets easily distracted, and also doesn't deal well with repetition or failures all that well in a situation like a seminar. I tried to explain this to the instructors and was basically told he is driving the bus, I need to do more foundation (have I done much apart from foundation for the last 3 years? Seems that's all I do half the time!) and they then pushed too hard and asked for too much repetition and too many chances for him to check out, and he ran and took off with someone's toy and I couldn't catch him . It was SO embarrassing! I left early. Basically, I don't have a Border Collie that will try all day long to get it right if they don't get it right the first time. I think that says more about the instructors than it does you and your dog...speaking from non-BC handler experience! I think my dog may just not be a good dog to take to a seminar for a working spot New/different things and testing knowledge of cues in a busy, new environment when I am likely to be quite stressed as well due to instructors being well known, but not knowing the instructors well personally, trying new things, and other people watching. Sounds like a recipe for some failures for sure :laugh: Nothing wrong with failure. But that's seriously a fault of the instructors if they can't work within your capability. Ginny is MILES behind in classes due to my injuries but instructors had me modify everything for success. I was still stressed but she had s BALL.

Good luck! Environment is SUCH an important part of HD...slippery surfaces, inappropriate or repetitive exercise, boisterous play and overweight puppies can all contribute. My dogs are not allowed to play indoors on the slippery floorboards.

Nooooo!!! I love both. It's all learning. What happened? My dog has a short attention span and gets easily distracted, and also doesn't deal well with repetition or failures all that well in a situation like a seminar. I tried to explain this to the instructors and was basically told he is driving the bus, I need to do more foundation (have I done much apart from foundation for the last 3 years? Seems that's all I do half the time!) and they then pushed too hard and asked for too much repetition and too many chances for him to check out, and he ran and took off with someone's toy and I couldn't catch him . It was SO embarrassing! I left early. Basically, I don't have a Border Collie that will try all day long to get it right if they don't get it right the first time. I think that says more about the instructors than it does you and your dog...speaking from non-BC handler experience!

Nooooo!!! I love both. It's all learning. What happened?

Honestly anything you do will build confidence...no matter whether they work close or not. I would look at Rally, Noseworks or Tracking...I rarely go to a club now...my learning is online, at 4 week classes (2 hour round trip) or seminars.

Actually that is a good point. I probably wouldn't recommend it for Thistle. Lots of barking, lots of dogs running all over the place. It is pretty chaotic. If you don't like one dog running through your class than flyball is really going to freak you out. Agreed. Barking dogs at agility are bad enough!!!

Ha! I'm doing a submission for work...cows....it's long :D

Thank you Diva - I will use that link on my website.

Goodness! Links would be appreciated please dragonwoman - I'm horrified!!! Never heard of it!

Don't faint Willem but I agree with you. Get a 2nd opinion ASAP. Do not desex pup without good reason until growth plates have closed. Talk to your breeder and a good vet as it depends on breed and lines. 18 months plus is my usual recommendation.

Definitely. But the fun of it is building the value and transferring the value. Dog bless Premack, I have a Dally who only wanted to sniff and pee...now thinks obedience heel work and agility is THE BEST FUN EVER. And a Springer who retrieves dummies with the same intensity that she retrieves game. Almost :D My favourite thing as a trainer is developing in my dog an absolute love of what I want them to do...even if it's skidding into a sit whilst mid chase after a rabbit.

Priceless :laugh:

Stop bragging TSD!!! :laugh: It's the first thing people comment on when I run him in agility!

Yes! Both Em and I LOVE cheese :D

My legs are long like my Dally's :laugh: We both like our quiet down time. I wish I had the energy of my Springers and could put away food like them but we are all pretty soft and sensitive. Given the opportunity we all enjoy a sleep in :)

Slightly OT but probiotics are incredibly powerful - there are some initial trials suggesting administration of probiotics and protein allergens in children eliminate peanut allergy in 80% of cases compared with 3% for those that were given the placebo. Hope you get some answers soon.

Em had a chicken wing and half a tin of salmon for her 2 one-fault agility runs today! And Zig had the other half even though he didn't even run :laugh: (his ring was too wet underfoot for my liking so I scratched him and the rest of the trial was cancelled due to high winds ) Playing with your dog is the best!

Lol in my spare time SC! The girls get plenty of opportunities to do nose works when they hunt out game for me :D

Huge well done. Two of my mates participated and didn't get all 4 elements Next time! There's always a next time

I'm super proud of Em's first-born! Jo and Murphy (Thornfield Embargo) made the big road trip to Sydney for only the 2nd ever Australian Canine Scent Work trial this weekend. Jo and Murphy competed in Nose Work 1, which is comprised of four elements: container search, interior building search, exterior area search and vehicle search. They not only placed 3rd in the container search but also 2nd in the exterior area search and THIRD PLACE OVERALL! What an amazing effort! So proud of you two and will be raising our glasses to you tonight at The House of Thornfield. Thank you Jo for channeling the Spaniel intensity of the first-born into something constructive!

I'm with you on this angelsun. One standard per breed not one show standard and one working standard. Working border collies for example with their scruffy short coats should be limited register only as they are not per breed standard especially in reference to coat. JMHO Re Shelties: being involved in the agility world, I've seen many different types but I wasn't aware the breed was heading down an English/US path. I just assumed some lines had a more dense coat than others. It's not that simple though. ESS used to be worked on one day and shown the next. Then some decided they preferred to show and others decided they preferred to work their dogs. And they selected accordingly. I wouldn't take a show ESS out hunting - and until you've seen my bitch pick up 20 pheasants in double quick time and go back for more it's hard to describe the intensity with which they work - but I'm not going to proclaim that my way is the only way. Live and let live. There is no "working standard" anyway - I breed for drive, working instinct, temperament and a balanced structure. I select for a dark eye, less coat and shorter ears if I have the luxury. A heavy coat and pendulous ears are a hazard in the field.