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I've only been to Sutherland for a agility comp, sorry. But I vote for going to the SCDTC for agiltiy as corvus does. One day that is when your pup is older. Their obedience class would be OK but it is too early for me and too far for you? I can ask but I don't know of any other good obedience clubs around Wollongong area. Corvus - Which dog and class are you doing at SCDTC ? You are keen to travel but it will be worth it. And Kavik is right - I went to PICSI for one training night and we had a great time.

Hope it works out for you and Coco. So Tuesday you might get a new rental where Coco will be OK? Don't rush into anything as you must be feeling stressed. I own 2 small dogs and until recently rented. Once I had to move suddenly and rentals were hard to find where my new job was located. I was so stressed! Lucky I found a place. I think it is very nice that some DOLers have offered to help. If you feel re homing is a better option for Coco then that is your decision. However if you want to keep a dog while you are renting - I hope you can do this as well. You were mislead with the rental you are in now and I do feel sorry for you. How long would it take to find a pet friendly rental? I understand the Sydney area is bad? If Coco is looked after for few weeks could you get a new place? Hope you get some good news soon.

The chi x used it fast even thou it is a bit of a drop on the veranda side. Hard to get it to fit 2 size dogs. But the kelpie would not use the dog door in the wooden door with the plastic flap. The sreen dog door is really just a hole with a flyscreen. They have been in for 6 months thou the dogs are older and have never had a door before as we rented. Since he does agility and cloth tunnels are OK I think it was more he seemed to think the door is shut - hence you wait . One night they both went out, the girl came back in but he was out all night. I think that was when I decided to sit down and train him on dog door entry each night for a week for his dinner. Just in time for winter .

I put furlined oilskins on my 2 little ones when I lived in Orange. Rented so they had to go outside. I hated it. The smaller one got out of hers in the garden once but I thought it was safe.

Found a use for my unused saddleblankets which were once kept for show use only. Perfect fit for my crate and comfy, specially the puffy quilted ones.

From Rooty Hill you could hop on the FW and go to the Blue Mountains or maybe easier to go to Windsor and the Hawkesbury River. I used to live at Ebenezer, out past Windsor. If you are not wanting to travel there are lots of green spaces and parks spotted everywhere out there. There are heaps of new housing areas now but also the regulation parks and walking tracks. Use Where is? or google Windsor. On a Sunday the town street in Widsor is closed and it is a market place. Used to allow dogs and it is next to the river. Thou not sure the water is safe or clean enough for dogs thou the local kids swim in it! Have a nice day anyway.

Unless you are caring for some animals on the property I would be contacting your friend and telling her about the problems you are having. I'll bet she would be surprised and surely understand you cannot keep visiting the property. Besides the fact sounds like the dog won't be letting anybody else in either. Is that maybe why your friend lets him hang around/visit? The dog is getting more and more confident. I wouldn't be going near him.

I have been thinking of helping out with the work you do in regards to the dogs but I can pretty much cope with a gala. Specially now I have no cat! I have never owned a bird thou so if wagalot is more suitable? Message me?

GLad your dog is OK. I rented for years so understand it can be a pain. Maybe it was just friends of the last home dwellers - that happened to me recently. I lock my gates, all 3 of them to avoid any local kids just letting them out for fun let alone tradies etc. Chocolate - I don't think it is unreasonable to leave your pets at home. These days if the neighbour isn't a friend, there are companies run by experienced doggie people who will look after/check your pets. The dogs are sometimes happier at home. Mine would be as safe as they are each day I go to work, locked up and also by doggie door have access to the house. I don't know if I would do it for 6 weeks as mine would miss human interaction even if it is kennel staff. I don't leave mine as they go most places with me ( and worried they would bark at night). However the cat was always home cared. And once years ago the dogs stayed home over 2 days and I paid a friend to walk them for me as well. Sorry OT and just another view.

Now you've got me looking at what I feed my girl. She could lose a little bit too. Wanted to point out just in case you didn't know - you do watch your dogs eating the necks? I fed chicken necks and my chi x is a little piggie. She was happy to chew once or twice and then swallow. A neck barely chewed can still be swallowed. Until it gets stuck. I knew she used to bolt them down but one day while I was watching she got one stuck. She stopped eating and went all stiff while standing. I rushed over to her and she toppled over, still all stiff. I waS deciding what to do when she suddenly convulsed and vomited up the neck. scared me thou. She still gets them but I watch and try to buy thinner necks. happy dieting.

I used to live near the hospital in a country town. When I moved my neighbours told me they would miss me but more sorry to see my dogs go. They said it amused them immensely when the dogs howled at the ambos. I have since heard my chi x howl at Mr Whippy and it is so funny. Hard to describe but makes me laugh.

Sorry, can't help you tonight. I brought a house recently that backs onto pony club grounds ( and acres of parkland) which means I have my own private grounds to run the dogs. I need to sort out tunnels, contacts and a light attached to the back fence to work under and we'd be set. I used to train with CleanRun exercises which are so good and used a few pieces of agility equipment before I moved to a place with 2 agility clubs Can't wait to get going but I am still unpacked from Christmas as I keep getting side tracked. Have a nice weekend anyway Kavik.

Having to leave the ring is a little harsh? If a handler is doing something like treating their dog badly then maybe so - but leaving a collar on which is obviously a mistake. Surely they could let you finish. I supose it depends on the judge that day? On Sunday ANKC trial a competitor left his dogs collar on but it had a tag. He was told about it on finishing but was allowed to keep his quallie. It was his first run so that was nice.

dogmad - that must be very disappointing. Specially as like you say they would have seen many lovely dogs that you have had in the past.

My beans bags I brought for about $20 at some cheap shop are still going nearly six years later. But for something more solid ( hard wearing ) for your s I would suggest old sponge from retired sofa's. I keep my old cushions for use but my sister just goes round at council pick up days to raid cushions.

I thought of behind a cargo barrier but went back seat out and crate (metal) secured more up to the middle of the car. So when I stop I can get stuff organised in the back area and clip the dogs on leads befor ethey jump out of the car. Of couse they have to wait for a release word to get out of teh crate too. As I did have a 4WD before I was concerned if rear-ended that a bigger vechicle could squash the dogs if they were behing a cargo barrier.

HI Tiggy I started in ADAA but just recently went to a couple of ANKC trials. Another beginner came to the ANKC trial to see the difference so we had a similar discussion. As well as what Tony writes I noticed: The biggest surprise to me was in ADAA we compet in height classes - so small dogs run against other small dogs. But in some (not all) ANKC the dogs all compet together. While it is nice if your dog is competitive with bigger faster dogs I found this a bit different. The table is for a count where the dog must be on the table. In ADAA it is a drop position and count. Little bit more relaxed to start thou it is polite to check judge and scribe table is OK in ADAA. You can go back to the dog (I think? thou I don't have to so can't say) but of course not to touch it. Entries for the ankc comps are closed earlier, more costly and the comps seem much busier. Great to have your lead taken and hung up - so spoilt As there is no regular program my dogs jump a bit higher, 5cm for the smallest and 15cm for the other in ANKC. With ANKC a big benefit I found was that you get passes in jumping and novice seperately. In ADAA the dog has qualies in jumping and agility tests for that level. As long as one of them is in agility they get that tittle and go up. So like I did you find yourself doing the next level and maybe your agility contacts or whatever are not quite great. So in ANKC my dogs will maybe get a tittle in the jumping part first but can compete in agility at their level until they are more stable. One change ADAA made recently is the new " not for competition " rule. If you make it clear you are running "NFC" as they say, you can run and correct any faults (like contacts) or work on something like your dog breaking at the start. You can do so for the duration of the standard course time. Most competitors are quicker than this thou. I did not know what contact behaviour was at first so while retraining this I use NFC so I can re-do any contacts if the dog misses. If you do not say NFC at the first you are not suposed to redo or "fix" anything. Letting a dog learning contacts to fly over a contact with no contact behaviuor at a comp is not ideal. This is a new thing so just getting used to it. I do not know the rules in aNKC about correcting this type of stuff. Give ADAA a go. :D It means double the comps you can go to anyway Oops another difference that can get you is that in ADAA - no collars allowed at any time. While I beleive ANKC allows them if no tag. I left my girls pink one on recently in ADAA and not only are you DQ but I had to stop jumping immediately and remove it. Then continue the course. I am an idiot

I missed you today staffy lover. I did see a few staffies have lovely runs. There was a young lady with a dog that looks like Kuta who did very well. But I didn't see your other dog ( the blue boy) so wasn't sure if you were there? Hope that was you cause your dog worked really nicely.

As Kirislin has suggested - use scales at the vets or your own at home to keep track of your dogs weight. I have chi x foxy who can seem to get heavier overnight if you don't watch her. My dog food suggests 1/3 cup a day for her and she id bigger than a chi. But cause she does agility her rewards are often her only food for the day. So rewards must be healthier and instead of her meal. If she got a chicken neck or a bone them she doesn't get the dry food. She is not really into the dry food but that is good. If she doen't want it then she doesn't get anything else. If she was hungry she would eat it. I would seek some advice about her diet from the vets if you can find one who is more helpful. But keep a record of what she weighs and what you are feeding her each day. If she is not dropping weight then reduce the food till she is. I would do it slowly. For treats I would use unprocessed treats and even the odd meaty bone. Supervised of course. Good luck. I found it a bit of a shock after feeding my rottie that they can eat so little. Lucky mine runs round a lot and burns it off. Must be harder because your dog won't run round that much. Progress reports will be required.

I have been reading this thread with interest as I want my third dog for agility soon. I have a toy and mini now and think a mini would be my size. As the original poster said she was going to learn but wanted a dog that would suit - I think a medium energy dog would be good. Lots of good suggestions. I chose a dog from rescue that was half kelpie only as I didn't think that I could handle the exercise requirements of a full working breed. So he is about 10 kgs and jumps mini as he is a smudge under 40cm. Great dog to learn on as he is agile and easy to run. Not that driven but then again not too fast. ophnbark - love to see a pic of your schipperkes only as a few people suggest that is what he is crossed with. I did not think so but the topic of his breeding is asked a lot and I am curious.

I found many dogs are a bit full on when arriving at a dogpark. Takes a few minutes for them to settle down. My dog has a bit of a tendency to rush at some dogs, not all but just the odd one. I tell him "slow" and he should stay in a walk/trot. If he did bolt up to one he would go back on the lead for a little bit. He knows what slow means but I think he was taught that originaly on loose lead with me. I do watch him as he is like the fun police. He doesn't like ball obsessed dogs and tends to chase them and try to get their attention, or herd them. So he goes on the lead if he shows any interest. Good luck with your boy.

When I lived in Orange I started agility at Bathurst with John and Alison Abbott. One lady who was involved in trying to get the club started with them had boxers. Her dogs were experienced and I only saw them train but they were great and had plenty of drive and scope over jumps. And I am another one that has rescue dogs and have decided I will probably go another rescue next time. I know the good points on getting a puppy but it is still a guess as to how the pup will develope. Besides the saving life point, I like the fact the dog is mature and I don't need to wait to compet. I can get a dog that I know its energy level and I want a dog more agreeable to tugging. Plus I know its size too. One point I try and remember as I watch the fast BC's and kelpies fly around is that I have to live with that dog. I need to provide exercise and time suitable for that breed. And something else I am becoming more aware of is that the handler has to have the knowledge to handle the dog. My dogs are not that driven. But they are OK dogs to start with and we are getting the starting titles now in ADAA and ANKC. Each time I run I learn heaps. So your first dog doesn't have to be the fastest dog around. Each dog is different but no reason why not boxers. Go to a agility comp or obedience comp and talk to handlers. Have fun , its a great way to spend time with your dog and like-minded people.

I would suggest getting a behaviourist also. When I adopted one boy he did bite me twice in the beginning - small nips in the face. I wasn't sure what I was doing anyway as he did have some issues and I was inexperienced with dogs. SO I went to the local vet, asked round at obedience and found 2 professional ladies who came to my house. THis was not very costly and very simple instructions were given. The biting was due mainly to fear in his case but if I knew more I wouldn't have put the dog in the situation he was in when he nipped. So it never happened again. Worth that extra help. I remember being hurt thou when he bit me as you are here trying to give him a home and love etc. But from his view things are different. I also found taking the time to train your dog to do anything improves your relationship with the dog so much.

I take it he had his dog offlead again? Some people think their dog is OK even when it should not be off lead and is a accident waiting to happen. Just report it. The ranger will investigate and if somebody else complains steps should be taken. I would be angry if mine were attacked and the dog was showing up again. In the right circumstances this dog could seriously hurt another dog. And letting the dog repeat this behaviour is even more irresponsible of the owner. Glad Honey was OK.

I went door shopping recently and some doors were sold with a dog door in place. The door place had somebody who fitted the dogs before delivery. Bit dearer way to go. I found thou that the doors used (dogmate) only came in small and large. Not really a med available. Happy shopping