RubyStar

Very inspiring!! What a great little handler!!

Cider is a very lucky girl, she has one of the best trainers/handlers around! I have a 3 year old who struggles with attention, so don't beat yourself up MM I just know that with my next dog, focus and attention is one of the very first key things I will be teaching! I didn't know it was so important back then You learn so much with each and every dog!

Nope, mine are still going strong! I only use the 2 mediums all the time and they have lasted over a year so far, and yes I own LABRADORS!! Definitely a thumbs up for quality I must add, for some reason, my girls must understand these are "special" balls, because instead of the usual tennis ball massacre that gets ripped apart in minutes, my girls will take their i-squeak when they are puffed out from me throwing it and lay under a tree with it, very gently squeaking it in their mouths. It's a very delicate operation!!!

The biggest trouble I had with my "retriever" last year was her returning to the bank, dropping the dummy, then shaking off the water. Grr!! But on dry land, lovely!!

Not training related, but doggy related! I think I lost my dremel I bought for the dogs nails in the storm It was sitting on the floor plugged in under a window, and a bit of water came in. I found it this morning sitting in a wet patch which I am sure was wetter yesterday. Bugger!! I can claim that on house contents insurance can't I? Not sure if I should test it out, I might zap myself

I reckon That's why her dogs are so good me thinks

OMG!!! And there's a missing man?! Mim, haven't seen your other thread, but hope everything is fixable or claimable!!

Wow Candice it was like you guys in Ellenbrook were in a world of your own! Look at that sky

They were HUGE! Bigger than golf balls some of them! All our cars at work have hail damage - we had to just stand there and watch I was driving home through the flash flooding and other people had no windscreens and rear windscreens! Our power was out for 12 hours, has just come back on now. That was certainly the worst storm I have been through. Bugger GR!!! That sucks about your car Does anyone remember the big storm we had back in the early 90's sometime? It was like a cyclone. I remember our parents were in Sydney at the time so my sister's boyfriend stayed over with us kids, and we're all camping out in the most unsafe room in the house, the loungeroom with cathedral ceilings! Lucky we didn't lose our roof, but many people did. That was the worst storm I've been through. Though the one yesterday was pretty damn scary, I was on the train when the brunt of it hit, I was convinced that the train was going to be struck by lightening and I was a goner!

I love the name "fetchindawgs" Every time someone mentions retrieving, I get sad! I so desperately want to try it with Ruby again, she seemed so keen when I tried it with her last year, but like I said, retrieving is so daunting without proper guidance!

Hi Mirawee, Would you consider your property for use for a retrieving trial ? I compete in retrieving, and judge, and we are desperate for new sites to hold our events. Biggest problem has been water, and it looks like you have heaps. By the way, to those gundog owners saying they have to toss up between obedience and retrieving, or agility and retrieving. You don't you know. There are several of us who do two or more disciplines, including retrieving. Training for retrieving trials is the same as training for any discipline, consistency, building confidence, gathering information, and training often. If you do obedience, you will have no problems with retrieving. Get a toy cap gun and get your pup/dog used to the noise (at a distance at first, then closer), then practise steadiness at heel, then a retrieve on command with a return to in front position. There is lots more of course, but if you have the basics, then go to the training classes, talk to people who trial for advice and suggestions, and have a go. You won't ever have as much fun with your dog, and, your gundog will be doing what he/she is bred for. I know there are plenty of people who compete in several different disciplines, and I admire them greatly! But as I am relatively new to the training world (3 years), have 2 dogs, and work full time, I just don't feel I could adequately split my time between training different disciplines and get the best out of my dogs. I feel in a few years time when I have more experience under my belt, I may branch out, but for the moment, I'd really like to use my limited spare time in getting the best I can out of my dogs in obedience and agility I tried retrieving, but due to personal commitments, couldn't keep up with it. I'd really like to try it again, but as per above, want more experience under my belt. Retrieving appears very daunting with sooooooo much to train, that in the future I would like to dedicate training to that solely for a little while (and hopefully get lucky and find someone experienced in retrieving who wouldn't mind taking me under their wing for a little while!! Though I know that is very unlikely ) That of course means I need to stick with gundogs, and my next dog wasn't going to be a gundog

Dad called to say power came back at their place at 8.30, so I'm hoping mine is back too!

Thank goodness your dogs were ok!!!!

If it's under with water like it usually is I'm not sure if they would still hold it? We're meant to get another storm I think so I'm not entirely sure I will be taking Millie to agility tonight, probably too risky with how slippery it will be. As much as I do wanna go!!

Nope no training for me last night, not even at home. I ducked out of work at 4.30 when there was a break in the storm in the city. Made it onto the train when it hit BIG TIME. Thunder and lightening surrounding us on the train, rain blowing in when the doors opened. The train terminated one stop before mine due to the severity of the weather so I had to find my way home from there! Waded through knee deep water to find a bus, and that bus took about an hour to get where I wanted to go due to traffic lights being out and flooded roads. It was a river-bus So much water on the bus! Finally get home, no power, and still have no power this morning Thank goodness my dogs were at mum and dad's and got to be inside during the storm!!!! Can't believe you still went out in it last night Deb I went to bed at 9.30 due to nothing to do! Amy, hope your dogs were ok?!

OMG that sucks!! Not only is that annoying for you (and me ), but that is very bad english!

P.S. HOORAY FOR RAIN!!!! Perth hasn't had rain in about 10 years

I'm thinking training at the K9 is off for me tonight! The storm has just hit and I'm stuck at work! Hail stones the size of golf balls are coming down :D Not sure when I should risk going, will it get better or worse Once I finally make it home I may do some steady feet training inside

Took the girls to an oval yesterday with GoldenRules and Dougal, while Dougal opted to eat grass after his short i-squeak play, my girls took theirs and lay in a longer, cooler patch of grass just squeaking away. Ruby would occasionally get up and bring her prize over to us with her "happy face/wiggle bum" on, then went back to the grass I'm keeping their new ones aside until their old ones break, what a mean mummy! While they still squeak and aren't ripped in any way, Dougal's brand newie certainly had a more ear piercing squeak to it! I guess cos it wasn't built up with slobber like my girls old ones

Would make life easier if it was for entire bitches only. Both mine are desexed and one is on the Associate register so therefore HAS to be desexed, yet I still need them vetted. All they do is put a little scribble on our number card after we've picked up our number - who actually takes record of dogs that were and were not vetted? Because I haven't seen them mark names off nor check our numbers for the signature when we enter the ring

I've got so much to work on I'm feeling a little defeated at the moment! Anyhoo, topic of scent, I tried teaching Ruby with the dogscout method and it took her FOREVER for it to click. Taught Millie in one session by starting with one article hidden under a magazine on the floor. She sniffed it out, brought it back. Did that a few times, then added an unscented one under another magazine. Off she went, sniffed them out, and was bringing back the correct one. Got rid of the magazines and kept the 2, repeat, correct one. Added more, my smartie pants girl still got it I haven't practiced it in ages, with either of the girls, so not sure what current state their scent is in. But what I do know is their presents are AWFUL. Ruby brings them back by the tip with it hanging out of her mouth ready to fall out - metals are the worst as they're hard to pick up. Millie can't bring it all the way back yet and offer a present, as we are still working on that part with the dumbell too. I'll make an effort sometime during the week and do a scent session with both of them and film it to see how they're coming along since last time.

So I won't be surprised if you bring some poo along on Monday then for training That's a good idea actually, I may get Ruby to down stays with poo around her - which is the ULTIMATE reward for her so great distraction!

What I wanna know is how did poo end up in the ring and not removed! :D If Ruby had been in that ring, she would have brought the poo back not the article. No wait, she would have eaten the poo and then forgotten she was meant to bring an article back. Dogs, who would have 'em!!! Yes the Open ring was a bit distracting last night for some reason. Ruby was caught glancing their way quite a few times but managed not to run off to them so that's a plus

I've never actually had anyone in the general public call my Labs "skinny" - but that is because they think they are Lab X's because they are not the usual fat tub of lards they see!