Cleo's Corgwyn

Wow. We all know how much hard work, blood sweat and tears goes into a title like that! (well, some of us can only imagine, and dream!) Congratulations to you both!

It's NSW, Whitka, up near Newcastle. I've booked my spot! Does anyone know what state this will be in?

I recently bought a couple of these; http://www.rozart.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=280&category_id=32&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29&vmcchk=1&Itemid=29 They're marine grade plastic, and she'll put pretty much any design that you want onto them (she found the Cardigan corgi design just for me).

I'm going against the grain here; I wouldn't recommend a corgi. Love 'em absolutely myself, but they shed like demons, and need way more than 30 minutes of exercise, plus a commitment to training. I always say to people who ask me why corgis have such a bad reputation when mine are so well behaved; "Think of all the willpower and drive required for a dog this size to be able to move hundreds of kilograms of cattle around. Now think of that same dog being treated like a cuddly, brainless lap dog. It's little wonder these furry little napoleon complexes in a dog suit end up running their households with an iron paw!" Don't get me wrong, I think they're the best breed in the world, but only if you're prepared to put time and work into them. Though I'd suggest a laidback, couch potato Cardigan Corgi selected by a good breeder could work, if it really appealed.

Thanks everyone, I'm really happy to see Shandy working happily again after being a sore and sorry little dog last year. Now if I can just get her retrieving the dumbell again, we might even make it back into the Open ring as well. I'm not going to worry too much about RAE yet as my pup, Zimri will be debuting soon enough, and it will be easier to trial them both! Though this will be my first attempt at trialling two dogs, and I'm not sure that I will juggle it as gracefully as some of you guys do with multiples! Great work in WA and Tassie, sounds like everyone had a busy weekend with some great brags. Amazing work Ptolomy and Bedazzled, and good job Tassie; I always like to hear when people make such good decisions for their dog's sake.

I also have a Rally-related Brag, with Shandy gaining her Rally Excellent title today with first place at the Canberra Royal Rally Obedience comp. This makes two titles, in two different dog sports, in two weeks, for my clever Cardigan girl. She gained her DWD Heelwork to Music Novice title in Sydney 2 weeks ago. She has an auto-immune condition, and was only working very lightly last year, so I'm really happy that she's enjoying working again.

Lots of good suggestions. Lappies are lovely, and were on my short list too. On the small gundog side of things, as well as the Tollers, maybe check out the Brittany, and some of the spaniel breeds. If you like working dogs, one of the Corgis might be an option; cute, but don't forget that they have all the drive and dominant personality needed to move hundreds of kilos of cattle around. I have Cardigan Corgis, and they are definitely a lot more laid back than the Pembrokes, but still very smart and capable of a lot of independent thinking!

Way to go Xena and Ms Gabby! As Mrs D said, DWD is all about the dogs, and how much they enjoy this. They don't mind how we look, they're just enjoying having fun with us.

Whoo Hoo congrats & Well Done :thumbsup: Now where is the video??? :laugh: Well, it's not the best video, as my friend wasn't in the best spot for s clear view, but here you go;

Thanks, I think there were 14 or 15 across AM and PM, but Loretta and Vicki both did some demos to fill in and allow competitors some extra time.

Thanks Tassie, I'm very proud of my clever Cardi girl. We came close to her freestyle novice as well, but I hadn't really done enough preparation, so we'll hopefully finish that one soon! She was pretty sick last year, and we didn't compete much, so I'm happy just to have her back in the ring, enjoying herself!

Yep, Audacity. It's free and does a good job. Ms Shandy was a clever girl and managed two HTM Novice passes today, to finish her HTMN Title.

Anyone else competing in Sydney this weekend? A few of us are heading up from Canberra to compete.

Yes, I'm an admin on that page, so I've posted it there, and to my own page. You could probably try emailing the club directly, and see if someone in the office could print a poster out before class in the morning. It's assessment day tomorrow, so there will be plenty of people around.

Is there something on Facebook yet? Happy to share it around, and I have a few friends around the area. We could also put up a note at Belconnen Dog Club; we're at Mitchell, so very close by.

Because I teach dog obedience classes, I get a little 'over' all the dogs called Max, Charlie, Poppy, Molly,etc. I loved the Goldie called David, and the Whippet called Gary though, so I wouldn't say I dislike human names, just the really common ones! My girl came to us called Shandy, and I didn't feel a need to change it, and I put a lot of thought into coming up with the name 'Zimri' for my pup. I wanted something different, something with a good abbreviation for a call name and something with positive meanings (it means 'celebrated in song' or 'praiseworthy' in Hebrew, and is a Pashtun tribal name meaning fierce tiger)

I've been through all this quite recently, with a 5 month old pup. Geraldine now runs her own classes, at Macgregor, and you can google Geraldine's Animal training. I liked her classes. we also did puppy classes at the RSPCA, and they were actually good; small classes of only 6 and a good trainer. I teach classes at Belconnen Dog Obedience, at Mitchell, so that's where my pup has started regular classes, but CDC at Symonston is also good. They can actually start at a club as soon as all their vaccinations have cleared, but I think a small puppy class is a good start.

My little Cardigan boy had his first run, if anyone sees photos of him (only Cardi)

so sorry to hear of Charlie's passing. He always struck as such a wise old soul, no matter his size, or the state of his little body, and he certainly followed that through to the end, giving you the gift of a clear message that he was ready to go. He's left you with his sibs, who he brought up to be dogs he, and you, could be proud of. Run free, Charlie, and may time bring smiles to his memories.

OK, a couple of quick suggestions. You work really well together, but he does seem to focus on your hands a lot, so figure out a position for your hands, and keep them there. Secondly, especially given his height and focus, think about using your body to telegraph your turns a bit; ie turn your shoulders in the direction you are about to turn. So if you are turning a tight circle to your left, twist your left shoulder back a bit so he can see that is where you are about to go. I'm sure that you'll get plenty more good advice, but that is two things that have worked for us in trialling.

My two share an ancestor - a Grandsire on my girls's side, and great grandsire on my little boys side. The Cardi community is small, and I'm fortunate that the breeder of this dog, who bred the sires of my dogs in NZ has been lovely, and sent me pictures of their ancestor, and other related dogs. Given that I'm looking for performance lines, I've been very fortunate that quite a few of the breeders in my breed have been happy to share their ideas and opinions with me on dogs that had the necessary temperaments, even if they hadn't been trained for the performance arena. We have Cardipedfor pedigrees.

I'd be interested in getting some shots of the corgwyn, especially if it's soonish, while Zim still looks like a puppy. I could probably rustle up a few other friends as well, if necessary.

Another for Cardis Great little dogs........Jan West has had a couple of ADM titled Cardis in Victoria My new pup is a grand son of Jan's Oliver. I love the stories of her dogs - I think I'd steal Olivia, given half a chance!

Ah Misteri, I didn't realise you were getting a Ptolomy baby. No wonder you're going all that way! We look forward to meeting him/her, and Zim is ready for puppy playdates as soon as you are!

What about a corgi? I have Cardigans, but either breed might appeal to you. They're small/medium dog, with short legs. I find their exercise requirements are moderate, as long as they get a reasonable amount of mental stimulation. My older girl sucessfully does Obedience, Rally-O and Dances with Dogs, and my 4 month old pup is already showing lots of promise, and I've had a few people eyeing him off for other sports. They can be a little aloof with strangers, but love their own people, and those they consider friends, and mine are both great with kids, despite minimal contact with them. Fairly easy grooming, but they do shed a LOT. Smart and easy to train, but beware, because they are a little prone to independent thinking!