Gayle.

I was a bit sad to see that neuter challenges don't count, only neuter of breed. I wasn't wanting to enter to win but I would have loved to have seen my little neuter girls name up there on the leader board but because she was awarded the challenges but not neuter of breed, she can't be there. And yet entire dogs can be counted for challenges, even 6 point ones.

Well said. I'm sure sometimes folks wth smooth Salukis feel the same, as they may feel overlooked for pretty fringes. But I think the difference being that dogs of a different variety, like Smooth and Lnghaired Dachshunds, are not interbred (except for the specific rules around Chihuahuas and Belgian Shepherds) whereas the Cresteds, Salukis etc can have both coat types in the same family, even the same litter. I think Xolos are another breed where the coated ones are not judged separately. I might have misunderstood you, but Collies Rough and Smooth are interbred but shown as separate classes.

Well, I'm booked in! My friend in Sydney is coming down for the shows and suggested we share a 2 br cottage so she's booked a place where we can have the dogs inside. Woohooo! Should be a great weekend!

Just checked the calendar and it seems Victorias school holidays start that weekend so it might be extremely hard to find accommodation in the area.

I didn't buy any food there as I'd packed a heap to take. Which was just as well because I had my sons 10yo step daughter with me both days, and I'd forgotten how much kids of that age can eat. She was like a little Pacman, munching her way through the quite considerable amount of food I'd packed. Just as well I'd brought food though, she would have sent me broke if I'd had to pay for it.

My little girl and I had a GREAT weekend! She did her "apprenticeship" yesterday, and when I told the judge it was her very first show ever, at the age of almost 6, she took plenty of time to talk to her and pat her and making sure she was comfortable before moving on to the examination and teeth. Yay for judges like that, it was the best introduction Shae could ever have had to showing. So today, she got out there and showed like a champion.......honestly, you'd think she's been doing it all her life! She was hilarious, even flicking her ears and cocking her head at the judge and flirting with him. She exceeded my expectations by a long way, I was so proud of her and now I'm really looking forward to MORE neuter shows.

Well that's crap, I asked if they could be posted so I could leave and they said it was too expensive so had no choice but too wait till they were done. Not sure if someone has mentioned but group 5 neuter was a Welsh Corgi. Didn't see any other groups sorry I think because we kept getting told they'd be just a few minutes then when the grp 5 ones were done, the Aussies weren't there, then when they finally got the main challenge certs, the neuters still weren't there. The poor lady in the office, I think she was pretty embarrassed about it all.

I was waiting for another hour after you guys left, got told they would be 5 minutes......longest 5 minutes of my life! I was expecting to be home at 12 seeing as we finished showing at 11 but didn't arrive until just before 3. I know that you usually have to wait for a little bit for the ticket writers to finish the last few breeds but really? 2 hours? I am not that patient at the best of times We were told at 12 noon that group 5 would be "a couple of minutes". At that stage we assumed they were being done, and almost finished. Then after a very long wait (yep, the longest couple of minutes ever), they were ready but ours weren't there. Then another long wait (during which we were told the ticket writer had told a group of people to "piss off") the main challenge certs appeared, but no neuters. So we were told they'd be posted. We said we'd rather have them now thanks, having waited patiently for almost an hour. Poor form that group 3 took a further hour. Honestly, I'd expect that by the time the group special are done, gazebos then down and cars packed that the challenge certificates for all breeds be ready. Hopefully that will change next year because it did spoil an otherwise very good little show.

Someone else might be able to confirm this, but I believe the boxer bitches were all withdrawn due to there being questionable ethics about the dog challenge award. My friend was showing a doberman and they were caught napping and had to rush when the group was considerably shortened.

Yes, we waited over an hour for our certificates, the group 5s were all done except the Australian Shepherds, which we were told were "lost". It didn't dull my weekend, though, I had such a good time, especially with my little neutered girl who showed like a born again Grand Champion!

I use mostly fixed focal length lenses, including my favourite, the Canon 50mm f1.4. The picture quality is superior because the lens makes no compromises, the composition of my photos is better because I now have to think about it. Standing in one spot, zooming in and out doesn't always make for good photography, although it does make taking snapshots fairly easy. And the more a lens zooms, the more compromises are made with the picture quality, especially at the long end.

Our puppies never cried of a night time because they always slept with someone. Either in bed with us, or with my teenage daughter when she was living here. The next one will have to be in with us as she's moved out now. Isaak used to alternate, if she was away for a weekend, he'd come in with us, sometimes he'd still be up playing and she'd go to bed so I'd take him to bed with me. Eventually he decided he wanted to sleep with Dusty and he's never slept back in our bed (although he still comes in for cuddles). None of them sleep on our bed now, but they all sleep in our room.

I think inter was a GSD. I should know, I was there in the lineup! LOL!

Sometimes their stomach acids need to change the ph level, this happens with my dogs if I don't feed bones for awhile and then feed bones they will both vomit No, this was after being fed raw for over two years. No break, no change in diet, just started to vomit it all back up again. I have since tried again, as a change from raw occasionally, same result. She can tolerate a chicken drumstick for breakfast, she can't tolerate a larger meal. But all is OK, she loves her kibble and she has the best coat she's ever had.

Why is it optional for surgery and offered as an "extra" or "upgrade"? It's starting to sound like.......do you want fries with that? If it is integral to the health and wellbeing of the animal, it should be built into the cost of the surgery and routinely done.

The dog in question had a raw diet until she was over 2 years of age. As balanced as I could make it, with various sources of protein, various vegetables and other whole foods etc and suddenly developed the hurls. Nothing came of an investigation, according to the vet some dogs just develop a sensitivity to some foods just like some people do. She can still have small amounts of raw and so they all get a raw meaty bone to start the day, but once I'd established she was fine, it was easier to switch them all to kibble and they've never looked better.

We had a brilliant day, my boy won dog challenge and inter of breed, my little neuter showed like she'd been doing it all her life and was just amazing. Very calm, very attentive and got her first challenge on the board. Looking forward to tomorrow!

My older Australian Shepherd bitch was neutered at 8 weeks of age (she is now 6) and I've had her for a year. She marks over other dogs, cocks her legs to pee, starts fights with dogs who she deems are needing an attitude adjustment, and all this without the help of hormones. My entire bitch pees like a lady, would rather die than push into another dogs space and has never lifted her leg.

A dog that vomits back a big pile of raw food ten minutes after dinner is getting no nutrition from it at all.

A few months ago I was chatting with a very successful breeder about what we feed our dogs and she feeds Pal, dry and tinned. Always has done, she said, and her dogs look fantastic. When I used to subscribe to the Oz dog show email list, I was surprised by the amount of breeders who fed their dogs Woofbix, the Big W home brand kibble. I think we can get very hung up on what our dogs eat, and lets face it.....much more than the dogs do! Mine aren't averse to digging up months old bones and have a gnaw on them. I used to feel guilty about having to stop feeding raw as one dog vomits it all back up about 15 minutes after she's eaten it, but the dogs don't care, they look better on Black Hawk kibble/Natures Gift tins than they ever did on raw chicken and lamb. And they enjoy it just as much.

My dogs all cope with various situations because I expect them to. Puppies from day one have been left alone (I took two weeks off work for one pup, who then proceeded to sleep the day away so I just went out and left her to it). They've always spent lengthy amounts of time outside unsupervised. My comings and goings are uneventful for them, even taking one or two dogs with me and leaving the others behind doesn't create angst.....they just watch and when I start to leave, they turn and walk away. There is another discussion here, the one of some breeders and rescue groups who won't sell to people who work because they don't believe their dogs should be left alone.

I used to buy Ecopet rolls for Benson as a backup and he loved them. They smell very tasty too. I buy my current lot some tins of Natures Gift and they get a dollop on their kibble as a treat and they love it.

That's an awesome entry of neuters and whoever wins neuter in show will have really deserved it. I wonder if it's the biggest neuter entry in Vic so far. It's certainly made it a worthwhile class to add.

Sun 8th Jan Grp 1 1-146 Grp 2 147-206 Grp 3 207-288 Grp 4 289-343 Grp 5 344-438 Grp 6 439-521 Grp 7 522-570

Sat 7th Jan Grp 1 1-158 Grp 2 159-223 Grp 3 224-305 Grp 4 306-373 Grp 5 374-464 Grp 6 465-546 Grp 7 547-595