megan_

My guess is she wants to get rid of it - and is saying that it cost $3000 to get you to part either cash.

You can't leave a dog locked outside for weeks on end with no company regardless of how often it is fed.

Just because she's a novice owner doesn't mean she can't be a great owner. Everyone was a newbie at one stage.

She sounds like she's doing her research ( nothing wrong with wanting a pedigree pup from tested parents over a rescue puppy).

I'd PM lab lover and ask for some recommendations for breeders who do health testing and produce lower drive great pets.

Yes but she asked about agility

I know people with little dogs who always wear white sneakers so the dog can see their feet.

I was at the Justine Davenport (agility) seminar the other week with a young kelpie who would bark, bark, bark, bark....

Justine's advice:

i) If the dog is working well and barking, she'd accept that and carry on

ii) If the dog was barking because of overstimulation and not working (as was the case with this young kelpie) the game was over. Owner stood relaxed, stared blankly. As soon as the kelpie stopped the owner would re-engage (impulse control = fun happens, no impulse control = fun stops). Only had to be repeated a few times for the dog to get hte point. Of course, this behaviour has become ingrained so it is going to take a fair bit of work to get rid of it. It also means a lot of agility training opportunities get missed (eg might go to club and never actually do agility because the dog is over-aroused).

You also see a lot of "what do you want me to do" barking at agility trials (especially from BC's?). If that's the case I'd suggest it just means more work on handling and independence (eg verbals).

It really is the quality of the fittings that makes the difference - I've seen "good" leashes break when a dog pulls. I go for safety over look any day. I would never go for coloured leather.

The ruthless leather ones are great, but if you're looking for something cheaper that can cope with water, I'd go for the "fake" leather ones that K9Pro sells. They're very affordable, great quality and are easy on the hands.

I know it sounds superficial but I'm just not a fan of the nekkid lowchen butt.

The canine councils are often the ones to blame for tardy paperwork. As RP pointed out, there is no single national register of all chips - so not being on AAR doesn't mean the dog isng chipped and registered.

Resist this megan. I dare ya! :laugh: (Thanks to Claire Murphy for this great photo of Em from Warrnambool the weekend just gone).

Ha! If they change heights to be like NZ Em will clear them no problems

We can walk around town and the estate with no issues as long as there are no dogs. Then when she's off leash dogs are fine and people become the issue. Thinking about it now I don't think she reacts anywhere near as much when I'm out with mum and her dog, so I assume walking more often with them could help get her into the habit of not reacting?

Personally, I'd see a professional. Someone like Steve at K9Pro (who has working line mals). It couldn't be excitement, it could be weak nerves/fear agression). She might be a pup now, but I doubt you'd want her barking at people when a fully grown dog. I for one wouldn't appreciate it. Rather than try a bunch of things that may or may not work, I'd get someone like Steve to assess her in person (or via video) and come up with a program to help her over this issue.

He's very fit and can exercise for ages - he just doesn't like to repeat things over and over. When you're learning new handling , this often happens. He also hates hest . He's an oodles I bought online, so I certainly don't expect him to match up to orformance bred dogs. That said, when he's on he is fast and drivey. I love training him and I'm not looking for a dog to replace him. Rather , my next dog will be selected with my sport in mind, knowing that life happens and I might land up with a dog with low drive/who doesn't enjoy agility (I know of one such dog from a performance kennel and from great lines).

Part of the reason I'm not getting a dog in the near future is that I want to spend the next few years getting fit and enhancing my handling skills ( which Ione if the reasons I'm learning SGs new system do that I can handle from a very big distance ).

Just to be clear - I'm not looking for a new dog to replace my current one. Fergs will be trained until he retires , and then we'll train something with less impact. Lucy. - 7, doesn't trial and no plans to - gets training too because I believe every dog needs to use their brains etc.

I shipped mine off to the dog sitter the night before and picked them up when the move was complete. They had a quick look around and decided they liked it.

I didn't want them here with movers leaving doors open etc.

I really think (honestly, not actually being bias!) you would love a rough or broken coat JRT.

I love kelpies and ACD's and don't mind border collies but i can picture you with a JRT far more easily. A nice Lagotto would be worth considering though maybe a little too heavy for ideal agility dogs.

Last time we spoke you said a cairn - but I suspect that you wanted md to get one so you could puppy sit it!

I can definitely picture myself and my current pack with a Gilbert - oops, I mean a broken coat JRT :-). Gilbert has the perfect temperament for me - confident, happy, outgoing but not swamping every dog and human, nut I don't know how typical that is.

Every lagotto I've ever met has been weak nerved/ reactive :-(.

Of course when it comes to the crunch (and we're talking years here...) I'll be hounding you for advice because you know me and my "quirks" well.

Jess - I saw that article before and laughed. I'm not an expert it I'm also not someone who thinks every problem I have will be solved by a high drive dog. ( I'll get me a BC and win the nationals etc ). My boy actually has more get up and go than many BC's I see. Training my dogs is my hobby and agility is our major sport so I want a dog who loves it and has the potential to excel. My boy loves it and is pretty darn good despite me. I definitely love the ones I'm with and I'm not planning on another dog for a fair while as I need to build my skills, fitness and handling skills do that I can old with the dog I want. I've also got my hands full with my current ratbags.

ness - agree, which is why I'm on the fence with BC's . Some I love, some don't appeal to me at all. Part of my hesitancy also stems from the health issues that you and other people have experienced even though you've done all the right things.

Thanks everyone for your replies (and keep them coming).

Yeah the courses are getting more and more technical (twisty and turny). We did a seminar the other week and the advanced courses had only one or two straight jumps

Can't really go past a border collie or mini poodle! Can get smooth coat border collies if the fluff bothers you.

I want Elsie too!

Em is beautiful , and I've seen her fly over those jumps. I'm envious of the relationship that you have with her TSD.

This gives me a lot to think about. I like some BC 's, but there is sooo much variation out there and I've seen a few reactive "sporting" ones. I just don't have the nerves to have another reactive dog. The ones I like I really like though, so we'll see (for those in Vic I love Katie's Plug).

I also lurve W/L mals. I don't think the bigger ones are ideal for agility, but there are done super agile ones out there (dog crush on Wiz too). I don't think I have the skill for one though.

Thanks all. Most of the shelties I've met are waaay to soft gor me - and low drive. I know they're not all like that but I don't know how many true sorts breeders there are in Australia.

With BC's, I used to be totally against them.... I've met a few I really like though, so that door remains open. I'd just have to find the right breeder .

TSD. - I'll put an order in for one of em's pups right now. I don't think I'd be fast enough around the course though . We'd really need to nail the verbals :-)

I'll take em thanks

It will be a fair while before I get another dog (years...) but I like to think/dream in advance. Any recommendations appreciated.

My main sport is agility. I do it for fun and fergs loves it. It is my main hobby so I'd like my next dog to love it and have the potential to excel at it.

My requirements:

- decent drive and work ethic - if I go to a three day seminar I want a dog that will be happy to work for three days (crate rest of course , but fergs only lasts 1/2 a day and then Is over it). Off switch when not working.

- agile breed as my main sport is agility.

- size wise, I'm not fussed in this, but I wouldn't want a 600 dog. 300, 400 or 500 all okay.

- nerves of steel (after having a fearful dog., this is a must). Doesn't have to love everyone but must be self assured.

- must not have DA breed tendencies.

A couple of breeds I have rules out (no offence intended , but they're just not for me ):

- Aussies (have seen a few working ones that I like though )

- bull breeds

- GSD's

Just lock the gate? Mim on a corner block and the garden is in the front. The gate is padlocked. Even with two barking dogs on the other side people still try to open it. I doubt a sign would deter them. ( dogs going nuts doesn't) do I lock it to keep everyone safe.

Ricketts point. I've had mostly good experiences there. I wouldn't go to a popular dog beach - too many idiots . If you go early ricketts point is really nice and not crowded.

Thanks all. Both pots have soil and compost , but they haven't been topped up for over two years. - so I imagine there isn't much compost left and it is mostly just dirt. I've denied access but was worried as to why they're obsessed with dirt.

Both of my dogs have suddenly started eating soil from two specific pots in the yard. They try to eat it by the mouthful . Fergus actually did a soil poop the other day. My first thought was a diet deficiency but they are fed holistic select (is good quality) and some raw (lamb and chivken necks. No offal but they get these from their dry). Both have actually put on weight and aren't losing any.

Any ideas? I'm surprised that it is oth of them and they run straight to the pots if I let them out onto the decking. They would eat it all day if they could I suspect .

Hmmmmm.

I wish Insurance companies worked out their premium based on more than just the name of a breed. For example, if your breed has known health problems and you can provide evidence your dogs parents were health tested it should mean a lowered premium. Its in their benefit to have less claims on preventable problems I would have thought.

I know there's a lot of other factors involved in health too but surely there's some way of offering an incentive to those who try and do the right thing? I realise that discounts rescue and crossbreds but hopefully there's some other way incentives could be offered there too?

This would only work if people are actually claiming for these health related issues in droves. Take TNS for example. If a dog has it, there is no treatment and it would be put down. This doesn't cost insurance companies a lot of money. So if you have proof that your pedigree BC, for example, is TNS free then it won't actually save them much money, so they won't pass savings on to you. If we want insurance companies to do detailed analytics to work out one-on-one pricing (ie a price catering yo your dog and their risk profile) then uptake will need to increase dramatically as this can cost millions to implement.

I think alpha_bet is on the money. There are so many expensive options these days and it is up to the owner to authorise the procedure. I have a 100% cover policy with a $150 payment. Of course I am going to choose the absolute premium treatment for my dogs and it isn't going to cost me any more that the more conservative treatment option. For example, Lucy hurt her neck. Vet said we can give her anti inflame and wait a couple of days or get X-rays. I chose X-rays even though the treatment plan was going to be the same.

The thing is that, under the current structure, pet insurance is ridiculously cheap . If you want Lowe cost options , you'll need to accept lower payments, more exclusions or a set of insurance company approved treatments. Paying tens-of-thousands-of-dollars because the owner wants the best treatment means higher premiums.

Don't change companies - it would definitely be an exclusion (which is fair enough). Either drop them or stick with them. Your excess might be $500 because of the plan you chose?

I've been with them for over 6 years, never had a problem and they've paid out over $7000 to me.

Dogs are expected to be fluffy stuffed toys these days - most people it doesn't even occur to them that a dog may chase or attack a horse and are horrified at the thought of such a 'dangerous' dog being at the dog park.

People don't understand that dogs are predators.

Our legislation reflects this. In NSW if one of the dogs chased a horse at the dog park and the owner reported it your dog could be declared menacing or dangerous.

I agree with you that it's madness to ride horses (prey animal) in a dog park.

There is no such thing as a dog park in Victoria. They are all access public places where dogs are allowed off leash . People are allowed to play ball games or even it a picnic there. That said , I wouldn't ride my horse there.