RubyStar

Not to worry Sally, I'm sure you guys still did great Hope Ness feels better soon as it sounds like she is feeling a bit not like herself. You're braver than I, don't think I'd ever enter a Royal, sounds awfully hard!

I also think the majority of people realise new people are the future of obedience trialling. If new people are not coming onto the scene all the time, the sport would die off!

Well done to you and Ness! Can I find this on youtube yet?

Oh such a shame, but congratulations on making it through your first trial!! Glad you got some nice tips from some people and the judges - can't believe other people can be so nasty, though! ;) Good on you for not letting it get you down. I don't know if I could go on unnerved if someone said to my face how much we suck in a nasty manner. I'm sure you guys did great and congrats once again on getting through your first! Best of luck for the next one

Darcy has a 42" soft crate for trialling which gives her plenty of room to completely stretch out in (she's 22 kg - Lab x). She fits in Zee's new 36" soft crate and while she can still lay flat in it, it's a bit more snug. Fine for short term like training, but I'd prefer to have her in the bigger crate if it was warm just to give her a bit more airflow. Thankyou

To those who have purchased soft crates, what size do you recommend for a Labrador? I'm after one that isn't overly expensive, big enough for a Lab, and doesn't cost the earth in postage either! It doesn't have to be top quality, as it isn't going to be used unsupervised. I just need a portable crate to pop one dog in while I work the other nearby and it's too hard to lug the metal collapsible crate everywhere!

If your dog stretches in the bow position, you could start marking your dog when it offers this behaviour. That's how I taught Ruby to take a bow Took a while because I wasn't really serious about teaching it, but soon she clicked what she was doing and then offered it.

:D :D I might get off my butt and do some stay training while watching TV. Didn't get a chance today

She whined her little heart out when we did that end part with just the humans. If I took Millie with me, she would have barked the place down :D So I guess I can handle a few whines as it's better than barking! I have to work on that with Millie, not sure how to, though borrow some people tomorrow night. I will find some randoms for you. And Katie, you can come home with us..can you cook? I tend to only bring Millie on Mondays now as they are ratbags together at training, but maybe I will risk it and bring both tomorrow night so I can work Ruby in the ring and skip the class. Some randoms for figure 8 posts would be awesome, thanks :D And nope, can't cook to save myself! But I can bake :p

Does this mean Sue tends to start stays with puppies when they're still pretty young? I think she started them on the concept of not moving their feet and introducing a release cue, so the stays were still really, really short. As they get older, the length of time before they get a release cue increases.

did you have a staffy with you ? I was cuddling a big solid staffy, just looking at your avatar. Yes that was me and my Staffy Banjo . He got a few cuddles. He loved it. I think I saw you and was going to come over in the break but you disappeared But then again I didn't wanna say "hey are you from DOL?" and get a weird look in case you weren't :D

wasn't that amazing ? I think everyone wanted to take Katie home. Aww shucks, I wanted to go home with you all, too. Oh wait, you meant the border collie, my bad :D

*cough* namely my ratbag Well, except she wasn't doing really well before you walked up either, but was all lost when you or Deb came by! Can you rent yourself out as a figure 8 post for me too? Cos that is some good distraction work - Ruby stops to say hello to her figure 8 posts quite often :D I also learnt I need to be more consistent with my release cue, and that it needs more work as she feels she can release herself from a stay when Sandi walks by.....

RubyStar learned how to get out of playing aeroplanes by keeping her hand firmly on her hip yep Sue had the entire workshop playing aeroplanes...except Ruby Star and myself. I was holding someones dog for them I did an aeroplane pose for Janice when she had the camera out, so if she happened to snap a shot of me looking like a dork then I can pretend I really was doing aeroplanes! I learned that I wanna trade my two in and start again with a cute little fluffy puppy :D I will be working on the stays for my two, stays are a big hole in my training too (amongst all the other holes ) And I need to do bucket loads of distraction work! (but that part I already knew... you tend to be aware of every distraction possible when you own a Labrador...)

I'll believe it when your flight is booked - Miss Indecisive!!

Congrats Cleo and Shandy!

I didn't take notes this time cos my scribe (you!) didn't show up I'm feeling like a zombie at the moment, brain not functioning enough to give a report right now! Hopefully one of the others can fill you in

Today was good, cold though!!! Had to steal Ruby's crate blanket for myself

Cute!! He looked like the colouring of one, but the clipped coat threw me off :D He looks like a big cuddly bear clipped like that in your photo!! Have you got anymore photos of him clipped? Don't think I've seen a clipped one before. Would love to see

I think we all do that :D

LilBailey - what breed is Dudley in your sig?

Is she who you referred me to a few months back, or someone else? Hope she's ok.

Ruby passed CCD at the beginning of May and I haven't entered her in Novice yet cos I don't feel she's ready. But in a couple of weeks time I've entered her into a "Not For Competition" novice round to see how she goes. Same with Millie for CCD.

Wow what a great run Xena98, and especially for Gabby!!! Way to go! She sounds like such a little star and such a young age to achieve all this, awesome!!

You just described Ruby The judge was giggling to herself and shaking her head as she walked past Ruby in the down stay, just munching away on the grass. I was asked afterwards if I needed a lawnmower at home And at training class, I've been told to bring some roll-on lawn as training treats she is that obsessed by it