Jumabaar

Not quite a handling blunder BUT i have been accused of being a bad sport after walking out of sweepies in tears. Clearly the two old biddies thought I was throwing an tanny over not winning- the reality was that my dog had gotten fed up with being baited (we were both still learning) and decided to snatch it out of my hand. She ripped the quick on my thumb and it HURT causing me to exit the ring with tears streaming down my face!!

Not just working Kelpies!! Not all working Kelpies want to work (I had a dud as a child lol), Not all Show kelpies are sedate (another dud but soooo much more fun lol)!! When Kelpies come home they should turn into couch potatos, they should only go go go when they are out!!! Kelpies do know how to flip you the finger, give you a death stare and then walk away if you ask you to do something stupid. They do know when the have been accused of doing something they shouldn't (had a kelpie stand there and bark when I pointed at a hole- later that day I saw the cat making the hole bigger). They will tell off their owner if they are giving mixed signals (like calling tyre while pointing at the tunnel). Kelpies do do the cockoach as well but ultimatly all they really want is a pillow- a boomerang if possible but any raised surface will do!! They bond really strongly to pack. You may not live with them but if you are pack then they love you forever. if you are not pack then you do not exist. Oh and they excel at training humans!!!

Really? so they are smaller than samoyeds then? Samoyeds stand at 20 inches top height for bitches and 22 top height for dogs. I believe (and the Lappie people will correct me if I'm wrong) a male Lappie is roughly about the size of a larger Samoyed bitch That sounds about right. The lappies I have met have generally been a little smaller or the same hight but stockier than a kelpie. So def smaller than a Samoyed.

I think the OP would be dissapointed with a Lappie. They really are not what I would call a clingy dog! They are affectionate but compared to many other breeds mentioned I don't think they quite fit. Also there is a bit of variation in size. Generally they are smaller than a BC and most are under 20kg (a few lines are bigger) my girl is about 14kg and is going on a diet, terranik's bitch weighs less again. My four kelpies don't get walked daily- however they do get mental stimulation with training and do dog sports. Don't rule out working breeds (be they gun dogs herders etc) because they should have an off switch!! Historically theywould not have been working everyday so do cope with periods where they are not being exercised as much. ETA not suggesting a kelpie just don't rule out some of the more energetic breeds.

I tend t free stack my dogs but I always try and checlK that they are square and fix the lead- this let's them know the judges are comming and all up takes about three seconds. A few times now I have pulled up and had the judge reach out to check them while the dog it still comming to a halt!!! This usually ends up with the judge scoring a sloppy wet kiss! It does annoy me when they are this quick to dive in. I have no problem if they have given me about 5 sec to check the dog- about the time for them to walk about 6 steps from where they have observed the dog to where I have stacked it!!

I agree with everyone else that alot will depend on how much you put yourself out there to learn how to be a good dog owner rather than the dog being good for a first time owner! My first dog was a kelpie, I have 4 now and then got a Finnish Lapphund who has been more work than the kelpies combined (destructo pup!) but is gorgeous to train. So ultimatly I think regardless of what breed you get you will have challenges! I think greys are gorgeous and would be a great breed for anyone who was wanting to ease into dog ownership! A Dane needs a fair amount of early training- it always amazes me when I see them around how easily they work for their owner. I had the chance to meet one that was untrained and I can see why they put so much training in as puppies! I really wouldnt suggest a leo as a first time dog. I would actually call them quite energetic! I really enjoy spending time with them but perhaps not where the OP is going! Good luck! Its fun to look/dream about all the different breeds- I hope you find the right dog for you when you are ready!!

I dont compete in agility yet although have trained a kelpie that also does flyball. Flyball training is about training the dog to jump low and long which often means that when you get to agility they are more likely to knock bars. I have also seen a few that just barge right through the jumps that have never done flyball LOL If you take the time to do hind leg awearness exercises and teach your dog to jump properly at agility then it is quite possible to be successful in both! My girl does not knock jumps ever at agility but has been known to wipe out a few flyball jumps because she has a different style for each sport- just the way I trained her!! I know there are plenty of dogs that do both- a dog at my flyball club came first in one of the agility games yesterday at Sydney royal!!

I also have a dog that doesn't enjoy the vet. He is now only being vaccinated every three yrs which has made life more plesent for him (although I hope by his next vac he will be much better). For heart worm I get them online in tablet form which makes it quite cheap. I do monthly to keep in a routein of giving it. BTW- what type of dog do you have skip?

Also no weavers at agility until 18mths! They are worse than jumps. I think alot of the female lappies are very independant until about 9mths. Demi is only just starting to cuddle and I have to say she cuddles me the least!! Terranik, my grandparents, my mum have a all had better cuddles than I have but she is darting to come round!! We are however very bonded when i take her out. I have played lots of chase me games and clicker training to stay close. She loves hanging out now coz it means food. I have also only just got demi interested in fetch- she would try before but I just don't think she had the mental maturity to really play. Good luck. I think in a few months time you will see a big change in her!

Abby SHOULD be proud of herself!!!!! Her team won the supercoat cup- that is she is CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!! it was close racing and went to 5 heats but in the end the best team won!!! Go Abby!!!!!!!!

The big ones are 5L (my old big one was 10L) I bought 3 x 5L today and I know that they were running out VERY quickly (as in there probably will be no more big bowls left)!!! But he said he would be back next year!!!!

I would take your pup to the vet and talk to them. There are some dissorders that can cause a pup to have an intention tremor- that is when they are concentrating on doing something ie eating they begin to wobble. What breed is your dog? How does it walk up/down stairs? Good luck!!

Yep! I agree, I couldn't show one of my dogs when we were competing in sports basically every second weekend. Darcys perfect weight and fitness for sports made him look underweight and malnourished in dog shows! Plus it's not good when we are directly after Labs, I had my first show last weekend in a few years and comparing some of the gundogs weights to the ones I saw at a Gundog retrieving training day I went to recently, there is no chance any of them could cope with a run to a dummy and back without being exhausted!! Don't care if I offend anyone but some dogs in the show rings aren't heavy boned as people have tried to convince me but are fat. +1!!!!!!!!!! There is a HUGE diference between boning and fat like um I can't feel your dogs ribs LOL!!!!!!

Show weight for my dogs is nearly a kilo more than what I would keep them at if I wasn't doing anything with them (is pet weight) which is nearly a kilo more than what I have them at to do flyball and other dog sports.... I have stopped entering them when I am competing in dog sports because they don't even get looked at lol. Amusing when you think that they are mention to be working dogs and should be shown at the same weight they work at!!

They're working out the no sheep issue... just taking longer than they had originally thought. again

I use VAN but I probably wouldn't recomend it for a dog with allergies because of the grains in it. It is also very rich and can put condition on your dog very quickly. So I think go with barf so you can add what you want!!

He was awsome!!! Glad it finally happened!!!!!!!!!

I raised three Kelpie siblings- One I couldnt sell and then mum wanted one boy and I had my heart set on the other!! I have now seperated the boys (both entire and mum moved out anyway) but my boy and girl are more than happy to be left on thier own, go out together or just mix and match with my other dogs. They have always lived together but I made sure that I was the best thing for them. Triangle of Temptation at dinner time and LOTS and LOTS of treats for choosing to be with me rather than the other dogs. I have ended up with all of them loving to spend time with me and generally prefering me to the other dogs. What are your intentions with them- do you want to do dog sports, just have them as pets/family members or something else? Perhaps look into some obedience and alternate which dog you train each week. Yes it is possible to raise siblings successfully- you just need to ensure that you are the leader of your little pack and that they regularly get time alone so they learn to cope well. I would also suggest focus work! This means getting them to watch you, ask permission for cuddles (ie a sit etc) and if you just have one dog out you can try being the sheep that they have to round up (bascially just a game of catch with them trying to follow you).

Abby has king hit me on the chin and knocked me out cold!

Nope probably just means she is healthy and getting a balanced diet so her natural oils are working properly!!

Well I have 4 kelpies that do dog sports (including herding) and they are probably washed every 2-3mths I dont even bother for shows etc. They are all indoor and have access to furniture (including bed) but they tend not to smell or get greasy. as soon as they do they get bathed! My Lappie pup was being washed every 2-3weeks but that has dropped down to 6-8wks. I clean her whites for shows though (well I would really call them greys atm though!)

Nope . I HAVE finaly decided that it will be Safire doing it in victoria and Milky will be entered in sydney. Both need a fair amount of work to get them running nicely so I better get on with it. My problem is that I hate riding with them at night (they are too dark) and I dont see daylight during the week atm with uni so I am not sure what I am going to do.......

I believe that in flyball, the hurdles for each team are set at a height suitable for the shortest dog in the team. So flyball teams look for small FAST dogs so they can get a height advantage with their hurdles. Hence the smallest dog on the team is called the height dog, because they are the ones who set the height of the jumps. I think small smart fast dogs are highly sought after by flybal teams. Yes- so many teams dont have a height dog and so may have to have their dogs jump the maximum 14inches!! Jump heights are set 5in below the withers of the shortest dog in the team to a minimum of 7in. A Good height dog is the backbone of any team!! Idealy you dont want to have dogs jumping more than about 10in so any dog under 15in tall are very popular. I believe with flyball though a consideration should be back lenght ie corgies do not cope so well with jumping and turning in the long term (dont flame me!) whereas the shape of a JS ie lenght of leg to lenght of body lends itself well to flyball!!

$4000 and they were quite nice about it I am sure there will be ongoing fees too. I say you should pay the lot but I know I am alone here. (You asked ) I wouldnt say that the OP shoulw have to pay it all. If they WERE at fault they should have the right to a quote from a different vet to care for the pup. It may have been significantly cheaper to go elsewhere! But in this case the OP shouldnt take responsibility for the others owners not puppy proofing their back yard- it is part of owning a dog. What can you afford to contribute- I think even $100 would be more than enough because you want too but ultimatly it depends on your finances!!

I dont think I have ever seen one doing it. But I do believe that they would be snapped up by any team as a hight dog!! Fast, slightly crazy, spunky, small- yep I think you would have a flyball dog!! They really are a good shape for flyball too- their back is a nice lenght, nice sized mouth etc!! I believe that there is a german spitz in flyall and if a pug can do it than just about any small dog can!!