Tapua

Gotta love a black Lab though here is a mother & son pic & BTW mother gained her CCD at Bathurst yesterday - 3 trails 3 passes! Clever girl Tua Mother Tua is putting her lump of an 8 month old son in his place!

Why obedience? Because it is good for me and I think it is good for the dog. My primary focus is on breeding good mentally stable and intelligent Labs and I believe all dogs should know their boundaries at home and in town. I train at home and I see the process of building the dog/human bond. Plus IMHO obedience has more credability for breeding dogs because it is a testament to their temperament and trainability. :)My guys get very excited when I have the lead & martingale in my hand and push each other out of the way to put their heads in the collar they 'get dressed' to train. My nearest obedience club is 89km away so not a regular option. Though I must say the people who are at the trials are fantastic and I enjoy their company at trails. I have found show people a bit precious. Obedience trails are fun & I only have to put up with a trails a few times a year. Its a judgement of my relationsip with my dog & my dogs abiltiy. Not like showing where I used to drag my bored butt to dog shows and the judgement may be about the quality of the dog but may also be about who is on the end of the lead. I am a lame trialer - if I think whichever is good enough to trial I will do enough work to get a pass in CCD or CD. So I have 1 Border CollieX Croftie got his CD in 5 trials with score of 178, 186 and a fantastic 196. I just qualified our Lab girl Tua yesterday in CCD. 3 trail 3 passes first at the Lab National lame scores of 78/100 & 86/100 but yesterday she gained 90/100.Go Tua I was going to stop at CCD with her but I might keep going. I have a young 22month old Lab bitch who has potential for obedience so she will get my focus now. She is a keen worker and good retriever so I might try CDX with her.

Good dog that Gert

OK heard back from Andrew - care packages are MOST WELCOME and many thanx for the thoughts and prayers. The cut off time to get packages to teams in Charlie Company is mid September. To send anything to any Sapper address it to 'ANY SAPPER' and they split it up amongst the 8 Engineer groups. Specifically to Andrews section you need to address it to Charlie Campany Sappers 'Bravo' MTF-1 AFPO 13 OP Slipper ADF Sydney 2890 They are keen on Muslie Bars, Choppa Chomps, spicey 2 minute noodles, flavoured Coffee, soft toys tend to get strapped to the front of their patrol vehicles as good luck charms - exhibit A The Stuffed dog is a Beagle BTW. Dont worry about Vegimite - he says they have tonnes of it! Andrew says his 'Stuffed Lab' will be riding with them inside the vehicle. If you want to support the guys OS care packages lift their day big time.

Dimps will be well cared for - Andrew has a housing set up with others from the base all dog handlers - I think Dimps will be much loved and cared for but of course if he has to go away for any length he comes back here. Andrew doesnt expect to be re-deployed for a 3 or 4 years now. I will check with Andrew about the addresses to send stuff and I will get back to you - anything from OZ is appreciated.

Email from Andrew today he is safe and deeply appreciates all the thoughts and kind words from people here. He is thinking of calling our Lab 'Hero' now after all the 21 fallen. I suggested wait until he meets the furry monster - the right name will come when he meets him. This kid needs to come home - as do all the others. Thanks to everyone who have shown they care - it is deeply appreciated over there.

OK maybe we are lucky but my husband and I do run the dogs/breeding as a business - we have an ABN and we dog made a small profit last financial year when we bred 2 litters - largely due to the fact one our girl bred 12 in 1 of her litters. I have a breed that sells and I breed and part train them as service dog. However we do not rely on the income particulary, we are both fully employed, we have built council approved kennels and fencing (all tax deductable) - which meant the neighbours all know about it and do the right thing about noise and cleanliness. We do obedience, primarily though I will attend the speciality shows annually atleast. We breed 1 or 2 of the bitches a year. We pay for an outside stud - eventually we will breed a stud suitable to use but he will be parked with someone - this keeps the noise down heaps. No entire males howling for the girls. For us our 'hobby/bussiness pays for itself and sometimes makes a small profit all below taxable amount. ATO is OK about that. We can claim show/trial trial entrys, materials for maintanence, food, collars, leads (usefull becasue we gift them to our puppy buyers, dishes, depreciation on the kennels and the computer, vet bill.) When we replace the car the business will buy it and all is tax deductable - but we have to keep a log - pain in the butt! The first few years we made zip on the dogs so the expenses acrue. We are in a village on 1acre, not in town- the local council are painfull about dogs in town but OK in the villages. Its do-able but you have to be honest and you have to seriously consider the noise factor for the neighbours. The little we make as profit is a windfall but it pays the rates, some of the credit card sometimes and keeps our head above water. Its just Pete and I, we work shift work and opposite shifts so the dogs are rarely alone more than 3 hours of a day and never at night. We - very luckily - have a friend who stays when we are away. My point I do think I have a right to own and breed dogs but I also must consider the otheres around me and the circumstances I put them under. However I think this can only be done safely in NSW.

Yes I heard the news about the latest fallen soldier, he was a 28 year old infantryman based in Brisbane, as I was heading to the post office to send of his 'Stuffed Labrador'. I will let Andrew know about the warm wishes for him and the others OS. He is hanging out to get home and any warm wishes helps him to hang on. meanwhile Dimps justs keeps on growing and growing!!!!! Glad he likes big dogs!

He is due back 31 October

Finally got a decent pic of Dimples. AKA Saint Just sending off a care package to Andrew, enclosed are photos, Dimples extended Pedigree and a Labrador in a Harness from the Guide Dogs.

Nope it will be changed to 'Saint' after another of Andrews mates who died in July people might remember him as dying with his bomb detection dog - he was a good mate of Andrews and known as 'Saint' so Dimples is named after a fallen soldier, gulp makes me very teary at times - our dopey pup will be much loved.

Having dramas getting photos of Dimples on I'll try again!!!!!!! this is when he was about 4 months old - he is much much bigger now - you can see pics of him on our website

This thread needs a photo or 2 Andrew AKA 'Nads' Dimples

Just thought this would be a story some of you might be interested in. We have a litter due of Labs and of course there are numerous enquiries - a couple of weeks ago we were emailed about from a soldier who said he was in Afganistan called Andrew wanting a pup from this litter. My husband & I were a tad dubious about it all but we emailed back asking if he could confirm more details about who he was and what he wanted. Back came name, rank and that he would be calling in a couple of days. Which he did.Amazing conversation! Anyway the short story is his X- fiance took off whilst he has been over there and worst for him SHE TOOK THE DOG! So he really wants a companion to come home to when he is back in October. I really wanted to make sure he gets a pup but given how many orders I offered him the option our 7 month old male ... who has morphed into a small horse and just way way over size. Anyway Andrew delighted to get Dimples our 7 month old since he will be about the same age as his pup that was taken by the X. So the emails and pictures have been flying of Dimps and Andrew and some 'bonding at a distance' has been happening. Which is lovely. Then this morning we got an email that 2 of his friends were injured yesterday and he sounds scared. So this brings it home to me people not onlyabout our men and women serving in Afganistan but the importance of dogs as therapy. As dissapointed I am that Dimples wont make it as a stud for our kennel this adorable big lug has a purpose and I know he will do his job well. Light a candle for the people serving overseas -things are hotting up over there especially in the area where Andrew is. He is just a kid he's about 20

I have a litter due is 3 weeks - I get very clucky but I admit I am usually fairly happy to see them go at 8 weeks. In our last litter there were 12 - way way way too much work But Lab puppies are sooo huggable

I know solid working lines kelpies and tan marked show lines kelpies so colour doesn't really make a difference as to what type it is likely to be. My ideal for my next kelpie is a red and tan show lines bitch :D I have found them easier to pick looking at a combination of colour and build yeah you can get soild working kelpies but the marked kelpies are prefered. when you say show line ??? arnt they a soild colour to be shown ? how do you get tan ones from a show line, im confused? Hi Catherine B - well the colour debate is one of the most torturous debates in the kelpie works. Working vs bech vs colour. In the past ( and ocassionally still) show line breeders would - shall we say - exaggerate the working ability of the bench lines regardless of colour - this was very much the case before sheep trail training became popular and you could prove wether the dog had ability. So back then to distinguish between bench and working there was a tendancy for show Kelpies to be solid colour and two tones to be working lines. A few breeders have crossed their lines with dual registered working lines (both (ANKC/WKC)over the time and kept colour in their lines somewhere. But unless the dogs are started correctly as young pups they are unlikely to be good stock dogs. However my point is the two tones are quite common now amongst bench dogs and accepted in the ring- just dont get bluffed that they are necessarily good as stock dogs - and if they claim the dog can work - you need to see proof that they do. Hey Sandra - The Princes & Princesses of Tapua know who is in charge .... they are!!!

No No I think you are neglecting the children - I mean colour co-ordination is essential- the sheet should be tan or yellow - plus a teddy bear and someone - like a personal servant standing by to ensure their every need like food, water and a bunny rug when its cold - now snap to it Sandra and get cracking!!!! :D

Thanks for that

Finally my dopey 7 month old baby Lab has dropped all his baby teeth and I have been working on retrieval with the soft toys etc until now. Though not alot - I really want to back chain the dumbell and get that really solid. Now that his mouth is not affected by tender baby teeth - a couple of suckers just hung in there - I had an appointment for the vet to get them out tomorrow and lo when I looked today his mouth is all clear woo hoo! This little boy is very bidable and understands sit, stand, drop and come, he heals onlead better than I expected and I am hoping to get the dumbell back-chaining routine happening. Its all been fun and games and part of the puppy -preschool teaching him all the basics but I really really want to focus on getting him into CDX or UD.... one day Ca anywone recommend a website for training with a dumbell plus? Plus I am way out of practice with clicker training - my timimg sucks - is there some utube sights people can recommend for clicker trainig. Argh the joy of being in a regional area - not many people near by to brainstorm methods with.

Yup its hard in the regional areas - I train on my own my nearset obedience clubs are 96km in one direction or 86 the other ... each way! I have a trail in a couple of weeks - and because its 3 months from my last trial I have to cue my bitch up again because although she passed her first two trails there wasnt a thrids for another3 months out here and we loose the momentum - what a pain!!!!! :D

Well enrichment... well we have 1* geriatric 11yr old Kelpie 1* 5yrold Border Collie X Coolie, 4 * Labradors, 3yrs, 2yrs, 18 months and 5 months We own a 1acre property, 3/4 fenced off for the dogs. They all have group and individual inside house and outside in yard time With the exception of the geriatric who is a retired Aus CH - the others have either attained CD or getting CCD or training for CCD - as well as 2 are being shown all of which involves lots of hands on motivational training Their various yards, both the big kids kennels and the baby puppy yards, have dog safe toys, tunnels and trees (generally with a tree guard because the buggers chew them) Plus - all pups we have bred have had the neurological stimulation training between 2-16 days which makes them painfully bright anyway. Outings - well there is a dull day at a dog show, a less dull day at obedience and then when we go on holidays the furr family come with us to the beach which is megga fun, locally there is swimming in the dam regularly ... which is megga fun and going for drives to anywhere ranks pretty highly too - plus visitors, visitors with kids and visiting friends with kids and other dogs - though we tend to leave the geriatric home because thats too much for her. So I recon their lives are pretty enriched - their not locked in a kennel all day every day with a couple of runs. So I am happy with that.

Could I suggest that cocking his leg to pee is a totally normal male behaviour and getting him to squat like a bitch will not happen. On lead I allow my boy to pee a few time at a lamp post to relieve himself, when he naturally goes to pee I will praise a biref -'goodboy', not say anything else I walk away from the spot a couple of feet and return and if he pee's again 'good boy' and repeat this 2 or 3 times until I am sure he has emptied his bladder himself. After that he is just making territory OMHO. So he gets 'No' if he tries to cock his leg when we are walking on lead. When he is off lead he can be free an do what he likes but if he pee's on someone elses furniture or car its a loud NO. He usually bolts off and doesnt mark the areas I say NO to. But every tree in the place is drowned!

... all the newly planted geraniums - only because we would not play ball, toilet paper confetti, newspaper confetti, pillow confetti, Iron chord, computer chord, power drill chord (OH not happy about that!!) many holes in new and old socks, many single socks, some crutchless underwear that are definately not a turn on.... need I sat any more. As I gaze upon this little 4 legged cherub asleep on the couch ... I wonder how he has lived this long!!.

Thanks everyone I really appreciate the input. I will set up the baby boy tomorrow with yummy treats and the bumbell. He is a goose with the concentration span of a gnat sometimes but he is really keen to please so I am hopefull. I will look up the Shirley Chong method tonight and study it first. I confess to being 'traumatised' by one of my Kelpies with a dumbell. Years ago (10-12 years) we were trialing in CDX and she started to refuse the dumbell in the ring. She never refussed out of the ring just in th ering it because a game with her - I am possitive she knew I couldnt do anything to correct her and she would shift the goal post with a differnt 'mistake' each trial. She would drop the dumbell over th jump - retrieve the dumbell to the judge, the last srtaw was when she retrieved the dumbell to the novice judge int he other ring :D With 2 passes in CDX and pretty well prepared for UD I had to abandon the CDX ring. Loved the old bag but jeezus I could have choked her at that time :D I will definately have a look at Retrieval later down the track..... after CDX

retrieving in the field is very different to obedience retrieving, most experts say never to cross train, I am inclinded to agree, however it is up to the individual. Retrieving dogs need to run straight work on a whistle have a pretty good heel as ten points out of fifty go towards heeling. They learn to memorise where the birds or dummies are dropped etc. need to stop immediatley on whistle and go in different directions with a different sound of the whistle, good retrieving dogs are a dream to watch. What you described on learning the dumbell sounds like the way I train, a dog that just chases even a pup will not usualy have a reliable retrieve, very careful training in the first place will pay off further down the track. My advice is go with what you have seen on the U Tube, as you always want your dog to pick up in the middle also, if you go into UD this is very important. Also if you do do retrieving a good clean pick up of the bird is important Retrieving is great I luved it unfortunatley my dog I was intending to use for it has health problems, and my new pup not a retrieving breed. My big boy however can pick up anything around the house and present it to me so the pain staking work in the first place was well worth it Beagie Thanks Beagie Yes it is sensible to stick to one or the other - I'll focus on the bumbell and obedience - I know that area it doesnt cause me much anxiety so hopefully I doesnt transfer tension to Dimples. I'll check out more stuff on UTube so I can see what they are cuing. Thanks again.