RubyStar

Make sure you get another breed you really want to live with then.. (Flatcoat? Cheasapeke?) because if your pup fails to develop into a good show dog, you'll still have a dog you love to own. I already have my next breed picked out and can't WAIT!! :D I'm not fussed if my dog isn't a show winning one, my primary love is obedience and agility (where thankfully only working ability comes into it!), the showing thing was just a "maybe" thing to see what it was like.

You'll get just as much criticism of your dog and its breed down the local dog park as you do in the show ring. I've never had my poodles referred to as "poofy" or "neurotic" at a show. It's just average people RS... good and bad, arseholes and angels. You don't need a thick skin.. a sense of humour and a sense of proportion will do just fine. Even down at the local park, I get "is she part Labrador?" because of her size :D But I think that is mostly down to public ignorance, only knowing what a fat Lab looks like that the general public usually own. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think she is beautiful, even though breeders and judges don't agree :D If I do get into showing one day, one thing I know for sure, is it's not going to be in Labradors. Not because I don't believe the same bias comes into all breeds, but because the type of Labrador I prefer is not the type for the showring sadly.

What I personally dislike about threads like these, is that even though I realise part of the conversation is not aimed at the pet owners but about the "bad breeders" and the badly bred dogs they are producing, not very often people stop to think that this can be offensive to the pet owners who own and love these dogs some of you are saying are "ugly" and don't even look like Labradors. Trying to do the right thing, I sourced my first Lab (Ruby the yellow) from a registered, ethical breeder who has had many successes in the show ring, including with her litter sister and her offspring (10 Best in Group this year alone for one dog ain't bad?) No my Lab isn't show quality, but she is not from some BYB who has no regard for Labrador type. I feel like my yellow Lab is judged badly because she isn't heavy set and as someone mentioned, has light eyes that make them want to wash their eyes out with bleach looking at eyes like that (no they didn't say it directly about my dog but after reading that comment, I looked at Ruby and felt awful at how easily she could be judged by comments like that). Every time I consider getting into showing one day, it's reminders like these that talks me out of it. I just don't have a thick enough skin for all the criticism

Nope but I will start training tonight. Cake in one hand, chocolate bar in the other. And liiiiiiiiiiift!!

I'm gonna be pretty buggered. Sitting under a gazebo watching the action and minding all those snacks is hard work!! Oh and stewarding for half a day :laugh:

Yes but was that an 'official' training, ? our trainer told us there wsnt supposed to be a training session, just enrolments, but they changed their mind and had a session instead. I thought it was more 'ad hoc' than planned. So was that week 1 or is 3rd May week 1? Sorry, I don't know then I don't participate in the classes so I just assumed there was training because I saw everyone there. When I first enrolled there was training that night, too. Regardless though, training kicks back in week after next

I'd expect some very tired puppies if you're doing 2 full days in a row and they aren't used to it Ruby did a full day in Bunbury and man was she knackered!! I don't think a bomb going off would have woken her!!

DO you think someone took them or do u think you forgot them somewhere?? I must make a plan for more i-squeaks as we only have one that is in working order as I gave one of ours to a friend Nah I am known for losing things so it's all me! Or Millie stole them out of my bag If you have a non-squeaky small I can trade you for a fully working small if you like? No point me de-squeaking a perfectly good one when someone has a dead one and would prefer a live one!

My 2 old small i-squeaks have gone missing out of my training bag I went to de-squeak one on purpose last night for trial use but couldn't find them! Mine all still have their squeakers, over a year on, love them (not the squeak, but the quality )

They'll be fine, just give them plenty of water and toilet breaks to stretch their legs.

At least come on Sunday! It's the Finals day! I am going to try my best, if I come it will be Sunday as my club has no training due to the Nationals and its the only day i am really free, but saying that I could come down on the friday as I dont work fridays Yeah come on Friday, I am hoping to hang out there all day (well, not all day, I want my sleep in dammit!!) I will make violet crumble slice, probably as expensive as the mars bar one but oh sooooo gooooooooood!! Though I've never made it before, only my sister has, so mine might turn out awful ;)

Well if Amy keeps bringing some gorgeous snacks then that may not be the case for much longer So do you want me to bring celery & carrot sticks??? Or this: Nom! What is that? Looks too healthy if that is muesli I can see?

If not Lincoln's new crate is going to be huge so you could always share! I can climb in Ruby's soft crate with both of the girls in there with me ;)

Well if Amy keeps bringing some gorgeous snacks then that may not be the case for much longer ;)

;) Nope I'll bring an adult one this time, that one hurts when sitting in it for too long! I'll bring some sort of snack on the Friday.

Yep, and then you can be closer for me to get Mars Bar slice from you How many gazebos are we going to set up between us? From my understanding we will have OzJen, J and I with 4 dogs, you with 1 (unless Trixie is coming for a visit ), vCBR with 1 (or is Lincoln coming too?), and another one of my friends with 2. So between 8 and 10 dogs. So do you think we only need 3 cabanas or should we set up 4? I'm coming down to watch and was hoping to sit with you guys I'll be dogless, though.

Training did start the 19th but there is no class this Monday due to public holiday, so you won't miss out on as much as you think.

Yes. I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm only stewarding the arvo this Sat but going down earlier to help out with the grub for judges and stewards

Yes maam!! Yep I'm nervous I'm only stewarding though What days are you entered?

Katie what day are you going to Nationals to watch, I am thinking Sunday as the saturday I have tracking. I'm hoping to get Friday off work so I can go down and chill out under Amy's gazebo Then I'm stewarding Sat arvo, and might head down again on Sunday, depends on how tired I am

Yes, please do share AD, I have the queen of the "it's my turn to train and it's my turn NOW!" tantrums, Millie!! Ruby is such a good girl, if I'm training at home she knows she has to go back inside the door for Millie's turn, or gets back in the car at club (all with a bit of a sad look on her face mind you!) but Millie, tantrums galore ;)

Everyone has preferences RS. I like the yellows too. But buying a dog when a less common colour becomes your primary requirement means waiting or compromise. What I object to is when a fashionable colour becomes the primary goal of breeders who breed to fill that demand. And that's because they compromise on breed quality to do it. In essence they cash in on breed reputation established by others but do nothing to contribute to maintaining or improving it. When that colour can have health implications or is a breed fault, its downright unethical IMO. Completely agree. If the colour I was dead set on meant waiting for a good quality one, I'd do it. But if the colour didn't mean as much, then I wouldn't let it be my primary focus.

I didnt mean to 'have a go'. I just hear quite often, i pay your wages, thats what i pay my rates for. So the money bit is a bit of a sore spot for me It was a poor choice of words on my account, money hungry wasn't the best description And as I said, was nothing to do with the workers, but to do with some of the ridiculous council laws out there. Mirawee, yes best keep those thoughts off a public forum

Valley, I do agree (for the most part), it was a tongue in cheek comment that got taken out of context! The ;) wasn't put there just for fun!

Interesting discussion. I own a chocolate Lab but not because I wanted to jump on the colour bandwagon, she came to me as a rescue dog. I originally wanted another yellow puppy but fate brought her to me instead. She must be poorly bred, she has the pink nose/eye rims/lips, so it must look like I went out and got myself a poorly bred choc pup because I wanted to jump on this so called bandwagon. Doesn't mean I love her any less and I think she's beautiful. If I had gone the puppy route instead of adult rescue, I definitely wouldn't have bought a choc pup. I don't find the colour that fantastic that will justify me going on a longer than usual wait list and paying prime $$ for that privilege. Give me a yellow anyday! And yes, yellow are my preference, why shouldn't I be allowed to have a preference as one of these "pet" buyers.