oceanaussi

My Kelpie X GSD is 9 years old and I changed food about every 2 years at least because she got to a point where she refused to eat it. I always used high quality food (Eukanuba, RC ect). Never had any problems with any of the food it was just Hera starting to dislike it. When I got Quentin he was on Supercoat. A food I didn't believe to be the best. I did some research and found a dogfood site which had compared several dogfood and that's where I found Orijen. Unfortunately the supplier was across a toll bridge so I didn't bother. A lot of people here were talking about EP Holistic, so I got that one for both of them and yes, they both ate it - for about 2-3 weeks. Quentin, my Weim had huge runny very smelly poos about 10times a day and Hera just refused to eat it. So the bag went to the RSPCA. I had to get Quentin on a special sensitvity diet (only available at the vet with a huge pricetag). So, I looked once again on all the different foods available. In the meantime I fed BARF but I don't believe in it wiout feeding something else. I found out that there's a new shop near me and I ordered 2 big bags of Orijen. Yes, it's expensive but not by that much compared to other high quality dog food. I read a lot of good things about it here, so I was curious on how we went. My guys have been on it for about a month now which I know is not a long time but the positive differences are so amazing! :D Quentin, the poopmachine, still has a good metabolism but when I walk around the yard in the morning to pick his droppings from the previous day I don't need a breathing apparatus and a few plastic shopping bags anymore. He likes to eat it and looks good. Hera, my 'senior', was always shedding, her coat was dry and she was stiff in the mornings, didn't like to walk anymore, was tired all the time - it actually was so bad with her, that I thought her time has come. Since I put her on Orijen she stopped shedding (first time in 9 years!). A few people told me before but honestly I didn't believe it. Her coat suddently is soft and shiny (also first time in 9 years). She started playing again, runs around like crazy and even jumps again! Today when I came home it was the first time since I had the new car which is much higher than the old one that she actually jumped in without any hesitation! She even jumped on me which she hasn't done since she had her operation for HD. I hardly recognise her. She's full of life and all I did is I changed the food. Honestly, if it wouldn't have done anything, I would have switched back to something else after the bag has finished. But I cannot believe how much they have changed to the positive! Yes, don't fix it if it ain't broken but I didn't even know it was broken.

If you have a phone number that would be awesome thank you, will try to goggle it too! His name is Garry, the shop is in Burpengary and the phone no is 3888 6863.

Sorry I cannot think of the name of the shop. They only sell Petfood - dry and fresh. It's in a little shopping village at a water tower just of Old Gympie Rd. Do you want the phone no or addresse?

There's a shop in Caboolture which sells it but it might be too far for you?

I recently changed my 2 over to Orijen and it's been fanastic! So good actually that they now want their dinner 30 mins earlier and my older girl started to guard her food box! :D I had a problem with my Weimaraner (lots of smelly farts, huge watery, very frequent and very smelly poos) and now he's fine!

We use a whistle for obedience at distance and during retrieving. 1) the Blackdog whistle 2) Anyting from close-by to out of sight, probably several 100 m 3) Not sure what you mean with that one??? 4) Much easier than yelling! 5) Weimaraner 6) Not 100% sure what you mean with that one either. I used a normal sports whistle at the beginning but felt to embarrassed to use it at places with people or early in the morning ect. So I bought a special whistle (high pitch) which isn't loud on me or my surroundings but can be heard well by dogs.

I've got some great tracking books and been training with my 5-month-old Weim. But I'm getting stuck at this question: Air and/or Ground Scenting??? Can a dog do both? As far as I know for a trial only ground scenting is allowed. But I'd like to do SAR work with my dog. Does anybody else on here do it? As far as I know for SAR you use mainly air scenting. What's better to find a missing person or other things (will be using the dog for police work) - air or ground scenting? If anyone could enlighten me, I'd appreciate! Also for the SAR people: where can I train? Thanks!!!

Hihi, yeah whoever incorporated heeling into retrieving just wanted to make it harder! :cool: Yes, taling about the beginners test.

Yeahy!

Thanks! I think you're the one with the 2 - one of them the 7months old? You don't get points as long as you're in test. But you could enter Novice at the same time and there you would get points. Test is really more or less to learn - it's like Baby Puppy in shows. Novice is quite a step up but you can enter in both at the same time. Once you won 1st price in Test you cannot compete there anymore, you have to move on to Novice. I'd say next training day have a look what you'll need to do for novice and maybe enter the next trial in both test and novice? Good luck!

It's great to see when they get so exited amd want to work, isn't it? I think Quentin was still tired from yesterday - he won 2nd in test today! If you want to practice, just let him retrieve somthing you throw. Make him sit - heel - sit stay and hold him on the collar when you throw da dummy. You have to wait until he's calm to let go of him. Don't let go of him when he's trying to lunge forward. If you do that a few times, he'll know he's only allowed to go on command. And with the gun, just get a kiddy gun which makes some noise. I've got a rifle but in the moment it's still too hard for me to hold a rifle and Quentin, shoot and throw at the same time - need to be an octopus for that one! Good luck and if you get stuck let us know. Next training day will be 24th August! :D

Thanks! Yes, I'm pretty proud of my boy but a bit annyoed with his heeling (we practised so hard... :D ) Not sure if anyone has your details but Kerri is going to hold on to your price, she's in Bald Hills. I'll pm you her phone no tomorrow. Congrats again and yes this is why I published it here, so you know about it!

The training must be good! Today we had our anniversary trial and Quentin got his second encouragement award! He's only 5 months and has lots to learn but he did a great job and enjoyed himself! But my special congratulation goes to Megan with her NSDTR Aprilraine Red Silk - He won third price on the test stake! Congratulations!!! This was his first trial and he did so well!!!

Yes, that is the person mentioned before.

There's only one person I know and he cannot help as they have some family problems. :rolleyes:

Very interesting! When I met my OH 8 years ago, Hera was only 1 year old. He doesn't really like dogs and Hera was mine anyway. I recently got a Weimaraner and I told OH I'm getting one, he didn't even know what they look like and just a couple of weeks ago he was very surprised that Quen had papers and a pedigree longer than mine. They're my dogs. I feed them, I train them, I walk them, I play with them, I pay for them. We've been living together for 8 years now and we don't have joint accounts. It was my decision to get a dog so I carry it. He feeds them if I ask him to but I have to show him where the dogfood is and which dog is getting what and how much. I wouldn't even expect my OH to pay for my dogs. ;) Last night he took them for a walk - the first time in 8 years! And as for house rules: It's my house. he doesn't like the dogs inside at all which I cannot accept. So we compromise on no dogs on furniture and in the bedroom. Needless to say I'm doing all the cleaning to. But he does all the gardening. For us this works well. Pitty to hear that some people are in such difficult relationships.

Ok, this is a really interesting discussion. So from what I've read, I assume I can do both. I started tracking, how do I start mantrialing and when???

Thanks for the advice! Will get the book straight away! I've got heaps of good tracking books but none are on scenting. Just to follow up as I'm new to this: Isn't it right when I do tracking the dog follow s the scent of the article while when he's mantrialing he follows the crushed vegetation?

I'm keen to start my dogs on Orijen. After a lot of research I think that's pretty good food. The only problem I have, is where to get it here in Brisbane (North Brisbane actually). There's one company delivering it in my area but they don't stock Orijen Senior :rolleyes: There were a couple of companies offering it in VIC but the postage for 30kg is just too much. Anybody in the North Brisbane/Caboolture area who's using Orijen???

He's a policeman and wants to use Quentin to find missing people in the bush.

Thanks Arya! Hm, that's a hard one. I would have loved to get some tracking titles with him but my partner wants to use him for mantrialing with his job. Not sure what to do now...

Search & Rescue???? Of course!

What's SAR? Yes, tracking is nose on the ground following a track, while mantrialling is nose in the air and scent selective. They can eliminate all other scent contamination and can give you a direction of travel, hence giving valuable information to a search or case. A correctly trained scent selective dog can easily track persons on a bike or motorcycle or in a motor vehicle. With the latest available technology, scent evidence can be taken from a crime scene without touching or destroying other forensic material. Any objects touched by humans can be utilised as a scent to start the dog – even spent cartridges out of a firearm.

Quentin is now 5 months old and from day 1 we did retrieving and tracking and he enjoys it very much and becomes better each day. I also would like to do mantrialing with him but have a few questions in regards to that: Firstly, will I confuse the dog when we do both tracking and mantrialing? Second, any idea on how I can start on mantrialing??? We were supposed to go to a course next month but it has been cancelled. I would appreciate any ideas! Does anyone know about some books or similar about mantrialing? I've got great books on tracking but so far was unable to find anything on mantrialing. Thanks!

I didn't know it was a quote! Thanks for making me cry again, Kamuzz...