Livertreats

Had a great day yesterday, weather just beautiful, warm and sunny. 22 dogs were entered in our State Championship Retreiving trials, 3 were scratched and after 4 runs on day 1, 6 dogs left in. Some great work by the dogs, they were fabulous to watch.

Now off to day 2, only 2 runs today so should be home after lunch today.

Raining today so not going to be so lucky with the weather by the look of it, the dogs will not be the only ones getting wet today.

There is a motel at Williams, but I dont think the dogs are allowed inside, so sleep in the car. It would drive my other dogs nuts to be in the car for a couple of days and do nothing and I dont have anyone else to leave them with so for me, its a better option to get up early drive down and back the same day. Always make sure I have something to eat and drink for the trip home, keeps me awake. Plus I like my own bed, hot shower and not freezing my butt off.

It is good to go help as well, but I find I get heaps of chance to do that at other trials, so feel I give back to the sport during the season. You certainly learn heaps by helping out that is for sure.

Where is it Livertreats??

It is being held at Mt Mary Creek, nearly at New Norcia, have directions if you would like to go watch.

Would have been keen but got something on on sat and sunday will make more of an effort to go watch next season as i want to run mason

You've got between now and next April(ish?) to get over your camping phobia. Think you and Mason should come camp with me and Ruby at the Arthur River trial I've done it 2 years in a row now, and I'm really hoping my 3rd time will also include competing. Only time will tell if we're ready!! :D

Thank goodness you don't have to like camping to do retrieving, I just go for the day to Arthur River. Hope we see both of you at the trials next year.

Have fun Livertreats! I have spent the last two weekends sitting in bushes, on rocks, on a cliff edge etc. taking pics at the NSW State and Nationals trials!! I must have sat on a few ants nests as I now have the bites to show for it Lots of fun (mostly) with some great dog work seen, but I'm yet to finish going through last weekends 2000+ photos

If anyone is interested her is what I uploaded from the NSW State.

http://www.flickr.co...ith/6115643443/

The photos are terrific. Nothing worse than ant bites, maybe ticks., Hope they are not too painfull.

Where is it Livertreats??

It is being held at Mt Mary Creek, nearly at New Norcia, have directions if you would like to go watch.

It is sad that our retrieving season is over now for this year, but have to say I have been extremely pleased with how well we have done this year. Glad we are still in novice, so can start next year off with the easier stuff and then also do restricted, sure it will help with the confidence.

This coming weekend is the WA State Retrieving trial, going there both days to take photo's for them, sure hope they turn out ok, hate to have sat in the bush for 2 days and no good photos.

Anyone else going to check it out?

Those still trialling good luck for the rest of the season.

What do you guys do when pups want to play keep away? Zora is going through a bit of a stage of it, so I have only been doing retrieves in the hall where she can't escape, but she does it with things she picks up around the house.

When you started her off with retrieving was she sat in front and learned "take and give" with heaps of click and treats. I played this for ages and did not toss anything until this was solid, we still play this game when my boy finds a toy, he thinks it a great game.

When I started tossing the dummy made sure there were no distractions, area clear of toys and the other dogs, also made sure the treat was extra special. Make it exciting to come back to you rather than off showing the world what she has, clap hands, make a exciting noises that sort of thing.

No I didn't. When she was younger she naturally picked things up and brought them to me, so I just built on that. Now she has learned keep away so I will go back to basics as suggested.

Its hard when they are natrual retrievers, Rebel would bring anything that was not nailed down, but that is their game, now she will have to learn your game. Just make it fun, she will soon learn not to run off with it and use one of the dummies, not one of her toys.

What do you guys do when pups want to play keep away? Zora is going through a bit of a stage of it, so I have only been doing retrieves in the hall where she can't escape, but she does it with things she picks up around the house.

When you started her off with retrieving was she sat in front and learned "take and give" with heaps of click and treats. I played this for ages and did not toss anything until this was solid, we still play this game when my boy finds a toy, he thinks it a great game.

When I started tossing the dummy made sure there were no distractions, area clear of toys and the other dogs, also made sure the treat was extra special. Make it exciting to come back to you rather than off showing the world what she has, clap hands, make a exciting noises that sort of thing.

I really, reeeeeaaaally want to, but we will see what happens with training and how much time/help I can pinch from all you WA retrieving gurus :D It's one of those very grey areas for me in terms of knowing what to do and how to get there, so I tend to just sway back to obedience because of the ease in which it can be trained (anywhere, anytime, by myself, etc. I want to get Ruby in the UD ring at some stage). But retrieving always lures me back, it's addictive!

Gurus, cant be talking about me, still have heaps to learn. I thought you were training with Ann. I train mainly on my own and usually get together with Fetchitup once a week as it nice to have someone toss some dummies for your dog every now and then. Hard trying to fit several things together, I leave the obedience for summer and just stick to retrieving and tracking in winter.

Will help if I can.

Thanks for the info Wow last one already, blink and you miss it!! (or get lazy with training and miss it ;))

So are you going to train over summer and join us next season? :D

Where is Lavendar Farm? If I didn't have agility I'd come to the novice/restricted one

It is near York ( I think ) can get you the directions if your interested in going.

Saturday is the last novice/restricted trial for this season.

State Retrieving trial is on 17/18 September, then one more AA after that and end of season for all.

Yes Saturday's trials in at Upper Swan and the All Age on Sunday is at the Lavendar Farm, not that far to drive and a nice spot.

On Sunday we went out to Beverley to a mock trial put on by two of our new trainee judges. First time we have worked in such terrible weather, so very pleased to see it made no difference to the dogs. I think Rebel thought it was great being out in the rain, I always call him in at home otherwise he would be out there for hours, loves the rain.

Heaps of water in the river and flowing very fast, very pleased the water runs were not across the river.

They do look like fabulous kids, LT.

Love your training grounds too. Is that your property?

Can Molly and I come to visit?

I wish it was my property, its open space area between some properties, beautiful spot as you can see.

Come visit and we will take you there, better come in the winter, no water in the river in the summer.

Here are my 3 fabulous Flatcoats, Taylor, Rebel and Selsdon. They had been enjoying a swim after Rebel had finished his training.

Very Happy Birthday Mason2009

Have a terrific day.

Well done again FHRP and Polo!!

Sorry to ask on here, but is there instructions for loading photos on here, tried a couple of times but they failed.

You can either attach photos to your posts by clicking the "Click To Attach Files" underneath the area that you type in when you are adding a reply in the full editor, then just follow the prompts. I think the photos have to be under 100K in size or something like that.

The other way is upload somewhere (like your website or photobucket) then link to it on here. There is a button above the box you type in that lets you put the image URL in there and it inserts the photo to your post.

Thank you, will give it a go tonight.

Congratulations FHRP, well done.

Always good to finish the season on such a good note.

I would love to go watch a field trial one of these days, but so far they have been when I do tracking or they have been cancelled because they did not have enough entered. Maybe next year.

Sorry to ask on here, but is there instructions for loading photos on here, tried a couple of times but they failed.

Congratulations RS, well done Ruby.

Blimey, glad to hear all are ok, way to go Chevy. Guess the robbers all figured dogs would be out in kennels, good that they were not.

What a chatty bunch today! :D Hi Livertreats, I've been looking at your web site (of course I had to go searching after you mentioned it ;)) and what great stuff you've done with your dogs! You must be very happy with Rebel's ahievements already in retrieving! I really like reading the run down of the trials, wish there was more of it.

RS, I'm sure when you decide to take the plunge and enter a trial you will enjoy yourself and wonder what took you so long ;) Although your girl may not be working lines, I still think you've got the breed most likely to naturally do well at the sport. I enter my dogs earlier than you might in competition, if I waited until I was 100% sure they would succeed I'd never get there ;)

Thank you FHRP, glad you enjoyed my website, I try to write something about the runs, just as a reminder of what a great time we both had. Yes I am over the moon with how Rebel is going, he has settled into it really well this season and his and my confidence grow with each trial. Its amazing how a single mark is made so different just by the different terrains and most of it is only accessed when there is a trial as they are held on private property.

Rebel is from a long line of working dogs and I certainly think its helps but saying that Taylor isnt, and she learns stuff very quickly, just a shame I cant do retrieving with her as she loves it. Goes nuts when she hears the thrower going.

I realise that you rarely get in a trial what you get in training, things always go wrong! But if I don't have it almost right in training, there is no way I am going to have it right in a trial! Even when people were telling me that Millie was ready to start trialling in obedience, I held out a little longer just to be sure she was well and truly ready. I think it paid off. Livertreats, if you don't see me trialling this year, you can be sure you will see me entered next year!

I know where your comming from, I did the same thing, made sure it was really solid in training first, very hard to fix things at a trial with all the added excitment. My reasons why we are not entering in restricted just yet, would like things more solid first and need to convince myself I am ready as well.

Ptolomy helped me with the name SD, she talked me into making a website and had no idea what to call it.

I have 3 liver Flat Coated Retrievers so it fits. :D

Rubystar, you should be giving it a go in Novice with Ruby before the season finishes. From what I have heard, she is going really well. You will find that the retrieves themselves don't get any harder, as they are limited to 100 metres maximum length, but as the season progresses the terrain changes with the rainfall, and there is more cover to contend with. This can sometimes make it a bit harder for the dogs.

My suggestion is to give it a go and have some fun. Go out there thinking "I am going to have a great time today with my lovely, keen, Labrador". She will enjoy it, and it will give you something to base your training on as you go along. Just enter and don't overthink it either before the event or during it. Deep breaths and relax. There are far less trained dogs than Ruby competing in Novice right now; so go and enjoy.

I'm heading out with Ann on Saturday for some training, I'll see how we go

I think she is munching birdies when stressed. We pushed her with too much between her and the fall. Once she finally located it, she brought it back nicely, but there were some punctures in the bird (admittedly it was an old one used in a trial so it wasn't the best to start with). Then at a training day, I pushed her with too much cover and a bird all in one hit, and she munched a bit on her return. So I have birdies and water to sort out still.

Looks like I have some thinking to do!

Thanks to you both for the encouragement, though And as for far less trained dogs competing at the moment, I've seen the novice dogs and I don't believe it! They are all doing lovely retrieves and I am very envious!

Sure Ann will tell you if she thinks its a good idea to give it a go. Only you can decide as you know your dog best.

Every time I went to help at a trial people would ask when was I entering, my standard reply was "not yet, we are not ready". Even when you think you have it all correct, you go to a trial, bang goes the gun and a different dog has turned up. So more things to work on, but really having a go at a trial is a good idea as things are never quite the same in training and it really gives you a good idea where your at with your training.

If its not this year, we will see you and Ruby next year.

I thought you were going to give it a go this year, why not go in the last two?

We're not ready. And I was informed they get harder as the season progresses so it wouldn't be fair on Ruby to push her like that just yet. Gives me time to sort some issues out and go into it hopefully feeling a bit more ready

We started this time last year, and I really did not think the tests got harder. It gave us a chance to work with the gun and the different terrain. The Retrieving Club are having their last training day on 31st July, hope you can go to that.