Ptolomy

Just home from the National Obedience Championships and I didn't think I would ever live long enough to see it happen - but tonight Beans won open on 198 beating Scoota who finished 2nd on 196. Her round was beautiful, she was like a little wined up toy, and the judges comments were - don't leave her unattended because I want to steal her, pack her in my suitcase and take her back to SA! Unfortunately being a very inexperience dog and after 2 long nights she really struggled in winner of winners - But goodonya Beans - you have overcome a truck load of health problems and I love you to bits. Blaize - who is Scoota and Beans's mum finished 2nd in the other open ring with 197 behind Brooklyn who scored 200 for the second night running.- so we are off to celebrate again

We had out state obedience championships last night with some absolutely stunning rounds. Caffy dusted agility dog Alex off and was sitting on 148/150 in open before stays - this dog is brilliant - but then the little bugger dropped during his sit stays. My travelling companion Deb and Broolyn scored their very first 200 and then took out winner of winners - well done mate Rivsky who is here on holidays from South Australia was really happy with Rivers round - yee har he did not only nice dumbbell work but he also did his change of positions - well done My kids - I was tickled pink with...... Bag features Blaize - came away with 195 in open after losing 4 for going to heel and standing yeah we train for that NOT! Scoota won open with 196 and then put in what i think was his best work ever in the winner of winners round. I am usually his hardest critic - but was thrilled with what he did tonight. Little monster missed the down signal in UD. Beans was my highlight with 192 in open. Not sure where she lost her 8 marks - but for the first time ever I came out of the ring and went WOW that was special

You were the happiest person at K9 last night which was so nice to see. You have put in some hard work over the last few weeks - all the distraction training at shopping centres, putting Ruby back in the car when things went pearshaped and each session I could see a HUGE improvement in her. Well done mate - brag away - you deserve it

First UD pass - well done Mollipop - I hear the weather was pretty bad too!

Kathq - just a word of warning - don't stay at the same stage for too long - you want to keep moving forward even if it is at baby step rate. So plan to practice it every day if possible and have a goal to be able to move out one step every day - or to move the jumps 60cm apart each day.

The GSDA grounds are for some reason a hard place to qualify at, not sure if it has something to do with the barking dogs in the surrounding kennels or not.

Yee har one down two to go Well done. Looking forward to seeing you and the boys on Wednesday - make sure you have a sleep on the flight over as we are heading straight from the airport to K9 LOL

What a top effort - well done on your last masters title - ours is still a work in progress

HUGE congratulations FHRP on your Masters Gamblers title - there might be one dog in WA with its masters gamblers title - we don't have that many games here unforutnately. Hows he going with snooker and strat pairs?

Thats a terrific effort you should be mighty please So onto novice you go - good luck!

and how many years has it taken you to work this out - not always right - just older and wiser Well done on Ness's efforts today - you have worked very hard over the last couple of weeks and I know it hasn't been easy putting in boundaries that haven't existed before Its just a bugger you didn't get it on video I am off to celebrate on your behalf

I think I would be increasing her distance from the bars before increase the distance the bars are apart.

Tollers are known as the wash and wear breed in the show ring where over grooming is frowned upon. Like Aussies they dump coat twice a year. Ears need the occassional pluck if you are showing - but pet people usually leave them unplucked. Feet need to be trimmed every couple of weeks. Bathing is as often as you want - I usually do mine once a month or whenever we have a big obedience event on. I find that the coats dry really quickly. Drive levels in the breed do vary. From personal experience the girls learn much quicker than the boys I am not sure if you know this but most breeders charge roughly the same amount and you would be looking at $1500 for a pet puppy and $2000 for a future breeding prospect

OH another negative for tollers - some have the toller scream - sounds like the dog is being fed through a woodchipper and is usually heard when they are excited. Lucky for me only one of my is blessed with this little quirk I have had both an Aussie and a toller run into me while playing - I'd take getting knocked for 6 by a toller anytime. I think the Aussies are heavier boned and are more like a brick wall.

Main health issues are heart, eyes and hips, but also because the gene pool is so small - this could also cause a few issues further down the line. Some lines are more over-the-top too. http://www.freewebs.com/antollergee is my website if you want to have a read about each of the kids, health issues and there are also some clips of them doing obedience and agility

ARGH its a tough decision. I think I wrote somewhere that if I was to get another breed then it would be an Aussie. When I go interstate I travel with Deb and her Aussie and we often compare the two boys. Some things off the top of my head - probably no help whatsoever Tollers don't do well with repetitative obedience training - usually if we get something right we stop there. They learn very very quickly both good and bad things The girls are much smaller than the boys - so you actually have room for 2 tollers verses 1 Aussie I would be researching health issues in some of the lines if you do choose a toller. Tollers are slower to mature than the working dogs. The toller boys have a high sex drive You might be waiting a while for a toller puppy

A couple of things you can try to begin with for a dog that has no idea and doesn't do agility..... You can break it down even further by only putting one jump out and take the box totally out of the picture OR alternatively, you can bring the 2 jumps closer together - so 4-5m apart, still with the box taken away and with the jumps on a very low height I leave the dog in a sit wait 5-10m from the jump and in between the 2 jumps I tend to use a toy (usually an i-squeak ball) or a visable chunk of food (cheese). Depending on which jump you are sending to - I would go up and touch the bar of the jump and then walk to a position directly opposite the dog and give an extended signal and a step to the side of the jump you want the dog to take using the arm with the food or the ball in it. If the dog heads towards the jump I about turn and throw the ball or the food behind me and tell the dog to get it. I then call the dog to me - ask for a present and reward. I then leave the dog in a sit - where it is and I walk to the other end of the ring and go through the same process - because you have taken the box out of the position it really doesn't matter which end of the ring you work from. If the dog runs to me and doesn't go over the jump - I would set the dog up more in line with the jump. From here you can progress - to making it a game - as the dog takes the jump and you throw the food behind you - the dog runs to get the food I then hightail it to the other end of the ring and as the dog comes running back I will give a signal over one of the jumps. Some people say that they start with 2 bars jumps rather than a solid and a bar - but I usually have the gear set up for the other kids so the dogs use whats out there.

Brilliant effort - Gabby is so young - and has many top trialling years in front of her. Good luck with your OC

I need a way to withdraw a few entry forms Open was Smudge 196 Brooklyn 196 Ben 196 Beans 190

Thanks guys He was a VERY good boy in UD but I still would have given it to Brooklyn - both dogs finished on 197 In open - the first 3 dogs finished with 196. Moo was on the same score but dropped in the sit stays (stupid exercise ). All 4 of these dogs scored 28/30 for heel free. Miss Beans finished 4th overall with 190 but scored 29/30 for heelfree - she was like a little wind up toy bless her. She will be very good when she gets it all together

No I was given the option of taking the blood to Pathlab which is in Ascot. The blood was pulled late on a Thursday which meant it wasn;t going to get to the lab in time for the batching day run on Friday. I opted for the vet to send the blood in and wait for the testing to happen on a Tuesday.

I would be asking about the need to test for hepatitis.

Hi Tiggy - If you can get the vet to draw blood then you can actually drop it off the VetPath labs in Ascot. I have just had titres done. The vet didn't charge me to pull the blood (Ranford Vet in Canning Vale) - so it was $66 which was the path lab charge for testing for Parvo and Distemper. They emailed the results to me.

ARGH - dog in the box can you hear me screaming........ After all this time does my OC dog know the exercise NOOOOOOOOO Usually Scoota doesn't have a problem with finding the box in a "normal" UD ring. Make it look any different at all - so put some extra jumps and weave poles outside the ring like we did on Sunday - tell him box and he runs and does the weavers. :p Hmm set him up again point to the box, send him and he runs to the furthest corner of the yard and sits next to a jump. I ended up going 3m away from the box and sending him and clicking and treating when he got it right. We then went back to half way and went through the same process...... Guess who has obedience at the Royal this Sunday. Just more proof that OC stands for occassionally clever I teach box at a young age and usually start with a hula hoop, clicking and treating to begin with for any interaction.

Hmm 16 months physically (mentally they are much much younger) seems to be the go with my guys in obedience - and it is usually a push to get them ready for some kind of BIG event like a Royal or the Western Classic. While they know all the foundations I have usually done very little proofing and stays are a case of cross your fingers and pray that nothing happens. With dog #6 now a work in progress, and still working full time, I think she should hit the ring by the time she is about......5 Agility - they are usually ready somewhere between 18 months and 2, but in Beans case - she has her masters titles but is the most unmasters dog out there with very little (translated meaning NO) skills at all