Sayly

And that is one of the reasons you need to talk to the breeders - get correct information. Any animal can get bored and become destructive. The breeders know the temperament of their lines and will tell you what is needed for them. If you go on the weekend - whiskedaway will be there - but in the same group you have beardies, borders, corgis, OES, etc.... I can easily give you some names of trustworthy people around that group and in a few others who can guide you around. I will be at the shows on Sunday with one of my Aussies and several of my breeder's Aussies if you want to meet some and have a chat about the breed. I will have Holly, the red merle blue eyed girl in my signature, a blue merle baby and a blue merle older girl. I'm one of the younger people with Aussies in SA if you are looking for me (I'm 22 but people seem to think I'm younger), but we are all happy to chat about the breed if you are interested. My name is Lyndsay. I'm a full time uni student with a very full on degree and my girls are all from more mellow lines and cope well with being a part of the family, walked once a day with some play time. I do very little training with mine past the basics, I'm a bit slack. But my girls are all well behaved, well mannered family pets. It really comes down to lines with Aussies. The right one could suit you well, the wrong one would be a nightmare.

Awesome news!!!!!

Your team looked stunning! Classy and the pink made it gorgeous. Well done!

The first one is ok but nothing amazing, it would fall over under a grey puppy jumping against it I would think, although I haven't used mine in a while. I wouldn't rely on it with any dog with bounce!

If they are as small as they sound I would certainly show him, especially as a baby puppy (unless they cause him pain and in an area the judge is likely to touch). Good luck and I hope you have fun.

I agree with what you have said Gayle, but we also need to be happy with what we are doing and the ethical decisions we are making, or we won't be in the industry long anyway. We have to live with the decisions we make.

Glad it's not just my catalogue missing some of the Sunday classes!

I have a "grooming table" made from an ex-office display hutch.......it's about hip height, it has a good broad flat surface and underneath it has a lot of pigeon-hole type shelves for keeping things tidy. It was originally used in a display home reception room for holding brochures, business cards and house plans. My husband got it for free when the display home was sold as a family residence and he was employed by the building company to remove all their stuff. It definitely makes grooming easier and the dogs are more comfortable than on the floor. I have a grooming shed where I keep all my stuff so my "table" is a permanant fixture there. A fold away one might be better if you don't have space. I have an old table out the back that I use for grooming at home, and a proper grooming table that I take to shows. I also have a trolley, which I love! Trolley comes to every show, the table comes out when I have a few dogs to groom. Trolleys are very, very handy things to have, but if you get one, don't get a cheapie.

Tibbies go on the table.

Poppy adores being groomed. I had to physically remove her from the grooming table today while trimming Aussies. Holly hates baths but she LOVES the dryer, and being hand dried with towels. If someone else is being dried with a towel she shoves her nose or butt into the towel and rubs herself on it.

I show in two groups, Aussies are first or second breed in and Irish are about middle of the group. I like having the two different groups but 99% of the time I have a backup to show the Irish if it clashes. Group sometimes clashes, depending on the speed of the judges.

That's the point though, you stir them up and they hatch, hop out to the surface to attach and are vaccumed up. Better to hatch while the vaccum is there sucking them up than when the dog walks over the carpet next.

Regularly vaccuming, and even better, steam cleaning, your carpet can be more effective than flea bombs. The chemicals from flea bombs often don't get down far enough into the carpet.

When you know what a breed of dog is and the vets at uni don't... When the other vet students know to come to you when they are unsure of a breed. My OH always tells me off when I do that, but my dogs' combs and brushes are much better than mine! Exactly. :D I picked up one of Keshwar's show jackets recently and the dry cleaner had hung a plastic bag from the coat hanger. Uh oh, thinks me - that could be any number of things. It was a chewed squeaky rat that was missing its tail. :o The ladies at the dry cleaners told us one went to check out what was in one of my pocket before cleaning it, felt hairy and refused to go near the jacket again... One of the other ladies had to brave the pocket and it's hairy contents, ended up just being a manky squeaky rat.

Yeah, all babies go in together, and the judge awards 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place once he/she has judged them all. I think bitches and dogs are seperate but I can't remember!

He so did!

Same for me. I even braved a white jacket yesterday at Albury! I was so close to slipping over multiple times over the weekend, and my shoes were coming off but hey, it was fun! And my Aussies love it, I have a dog who sleeps in the rain and another who adores mud, they show better in the rain.

Topspot changed hands late last year and is a bit different to how it used to be. Not saying it's not as good, but it's different.

That's MASSIVE I don't think I've ever seen an entry that big (but I don't always pay close attention). I know a lot of sighthound folk were keen to show under the Gilberts. The interstate match/breed feature/breed lecture has attracted heaps, half of the SA Aussie showies are heading over and we have a 3 day show on here the same weekend with internationals. I'm really looking forward to it now!

43 Aussies! Second biggest breed in the whole show by the looks of it! I can't wait. :D

Do you mean a runner up in group/runner up in show winner getting one point less than best in group/in show? But they may well be more a consistant winner? They beat all the other dogs, except one. I don't see the issue with them getting points for the dogs they beat?

They are certainly Twinnies!

We have been told the same thing by several practice owners/managers.

Exactly. Even a small chance that this dog is infectious to humans is too great a risk. Very sad for the dog and the owners.

You are physically picking your pup up from the breeder aren't you? Maybe before you do, contact her and ask if she is able to give you a little bit of hands on grooming demo when you pick him up? See what she does with her babies. I wish you were coming to Albury so you could do the seminar and I'd be happy to show you what I do, but your trip sounds awesome!