Zug Zug

Is the pup a bit shy? I have a shy one who never learnt to alert me to his need to go out. I just have to take him out at regular intervals and he goes on demand. Other dog more assertive - no problems bossing us around. Strides to the back door and lets out a very clear bark. If I could translate it into English, I'd say she's saying something like 'Hurry up - let's move!'

It seems to make their legs look longer. Not sure why that is, but I really like that look. Is it hard to keep the prickles away?

Oh and thanks Koemi - I think they're kinda cute too. Sadly I can never be a real groomer though - I'm hopelessly allergic to most types of dog hair but can tolerate poodle/bichon coat (although still have a mildish reaction while clipping). Professional groomers need to be made of tougher stuff. And I think that's a marvellous reason/excuse - as if you really need an excuse! I am pining for a puppy too at the moment - having to resist the urge. Trying to stay on side with husband to bring him around to the idea. Using his hair clippers (not sure what number - possibly no. 10?) probably wasn't a good start. I fessed up. We're still married. Just. Yay - frufru - go the flares, I love it!

It's the safety stuff and how to get into the nooks and crannies without risking cutting the skin. I have really never watched anyone do it. Youtube is helpful but you can't ask questions. Thanks for the tips and encouragement. I think we're making some progress. Oh and wouldn't this haircut be the ultimate? Got this off the internet. Still relatively short for most of the body, so practical and groovy at the same time. They look like flares!

Photos as promised. - Sorry couldn't resist taking this one. Gives you a good view of the tail :D

Totally uneven here. Zamba (poodle x) - quick to learn, loves to train, easy to teach when i know what I'm doing (I am the weak link here I'm afraid). She gets HEAPS more training. Mind you, she needs it more. Get bored easily without it. Mozart (bichon) - well they're the same age but he's much slower and feeling his age more. Losing his hearing, losing his eyesight. And anyway he's always been soooo good anyway. I train him tricks and fun stuff sometimes because he enjoys it, but nowhere near as much. But Mozart is the dog you want on your bed when you're sick. He's the soft, loving one, she's the sporty one. Both good - just very different.

You're right - she's still really active so why let age hold us back eh? And we both enjoy it. So with that in mind, quick update. Drop on recall - she's picking it up ok - early days. Tried it in the park today and had to build it up again but she caught on. Need to work on dropping straight away, not keep running then drop when she gets near me. But I'm happy with the progress and it's not as hard as I thought (famous last words...) Question: how far can she travel after the signal before they say she hasn't done it? Distance Control - OK you all convinced me to try, so gave it a quick go today. From what I saw from her today she'll get it (at least the basic response) pretty quickly. Will be harder as I move further away, but that's just time and practice I guess - no rush. I won't do much more of this until we've got our 3rd leg of novice. Sit stay out of sight - up to 2 minutes and most of the time she does it right. Sometimes she drops tho and of course I don't know about it until the 2 minutes are up because I'm out of sight. What do people do about this? I need spies in the trees! Drop stay out of sight - rock solid - yay!!! There was a time in her life when I thought the whole idea of 'not moving' would never, ever, ever catch on. Age does make some things easier.

And Herbie as a name for a whippet - perfect!

Showdogs I'm sure you're right about a good salon should be able to accommodate the bichon style. I don't think he went in with matts, although I guess there may have been some small ones occasionally. I think it was more a communication problem. Anyway, I seem to be getting the hang of his haircut and I'm really chuffed with how he is looking now. I feel a little bit proud of myself actually. Unfortunately at the salon I was using, while they treat the dogs really well and the staff are lovely and overall I've been happy, they just said 'this is the way we do bichons' and it looked just like pretty much every other dog. So I don't know but maybe I was hoping for too much or maybe they were just a bit inexperienced in that area. And also I think over time my needs have changed - in the early days I was happy so long as they came home neat and tidy, but I'm wanting a bit more these days. As for the poodle feet - well does using the hubby's hair clipper count as a blade number? I suspect it's the equivalent of a number 10. I haven't bought my dog clippers yet (still deciding) and was pleasantly surprised that hubby's clippers did it easily. Don't tell him though! Trouble for me was getting the hair out of the nooks and crannies on the feet. I am looking forward to getting a lesson on how to do that safely. Zamba was shaking the whole time the clippers were on and I know she has never really enjoyed having her feet handled, so I want to avoid any mishaps. Today was safe, but very slow. I'm proceeding with caution.

Oh and by the way Blue Fox - is that T in your banner? If so WOW he is a stunner and if you can do that then I think you gotta be very happy with that!

Thanks everyone - for the offers and the reassurance. Re why I'm not going to professional groomers - it's a good question. I have always done it that way until now (for over a decade). 2 reasons we're changing (although I'm sure we'll go back again from time to time). First reason - this way I can keep on top of it (do it more often) and get the style I want. I've always found it really hard to explain to a groomer what I'm after and have often had the dogs back looking very neat and tidy, but with a very different haircut than I was hoping for. In particular, the bichon often came back looking quite poodley. I guess they're not a common breed but I like the bichon look (shorter version, but still rounded if you know what I mean). They just wouldn't do it. Second reason (and this is what brought it to a head this year) - I missed our regular appointment late last year because I had to attend a family funeral. The groomers are FLAT OUT at that time of year (hot weather, xmas coming up, etc.) and I was unable to get another appointment until the New Year. They really needed a cut, and with so many grass seeds around I decided I just had to do it myself with scissors. This has happened to me before (about 5 years ago - also just before xmas) and I started to think well, if I need to know how to do it anyway for emergencies, and I need the equipment at home anyway, then why wouldn't I just do it? And now I'm kind of enjoying myself! Christina I have replied to your PM and thank you SO much! I will certainly take you up on that offer if we can find a time that suits you. It is a very generous offer - I'm very grateful. And a general update - tried poodle face and feet on Zamba this morning. First attempt, very slowly. Her face turned out quite nicely I think. Feet I was less confident about and how on EARTH do you all get between their toes??? Anyway, lots to learn, but a good start. Gave her a bath and fluff dry afterwards and she actually looks quite poodley - except her nose is a bit on the short side and she's either too big (for a mini) or too small (for a standard) but oh well I think she's beautiful. Can't post photos from home, but will do it from work next week. Funny thing - she is a very hyper dog. She now has a permanently surprised look on her face. No doubt that look was always there, it's just that I get a clear view of it now. When you see the photos you'll know what I mean.

Thanks - I'll post some photos when she gets her next 'do.

I've maintained them between appts for many years, but now wanting to do more of it myself. In terms of get in there and do it, that's cool. I guess in a way that's what I've started doing. I am a bit nervous about just 'getting in there' with clippers tho. There are some sensitive bits of skin in there, aren't there?

I am starting to learn to groom my own dogs. Recent attempts not too bad, but plenty of room for improvement. I am pretty happy with how my bichon looks. Have been told recently that I made the poodle X look like a bichon too. Primarily because I haven't attempted to use clippers yet, just scissors. What is the best way to learn how to groom them properly? I have ordered a poodle grooming book (by Shirley Kalstone) and I have a reasonable set up at home (huge bench as part of our outside 'kitchen', hot/cold water over big laundry tub as part of the same, got some good straight and curved grooming scissors recently but just use my own hair drier - no clippers yet but hopefully soon). Is it possible to get a grooming lesson 1 on 1? I don't even know if that service is available, but it strikes me as potentially a good option.

Yeah it sounds like what you need is to sit down with a really good counsellor and get all your feelings out and work out how to get back on your feet. Probably the last thing you need at the moment is a puppy, and all the demands a puppy can put on you. And remember - the psychic may not have been correct about what happened to your dog. You may never know what really happened. Good luck - I hope you start to feel better soon.

Yeah ok I get that now. Tried that last night in training - drop, click, throw food away to reward, she chases it, then on her way back drop, click, etc. She loved it - too easy! Haven't linked it with the recall yet but getting a very quick and excited drop in motion now so that's a good start. I might try the distance control thing in the next few weeks and see how she takes to that. V. quick learner this one. Also quick to learn bad habits unfortunately. Keeps me on my toes.

There's a really good working breeder in Adelaide if you want to look more broadly. Her dogs all have obedience titles etc. - straight backs, working lines etc. I don't know her prefix but could put you in touch if you want to follow her up. Sounds like you may have some good choices to follow up in NSW too.

Things I wish I'd known: Clicker training - it's just so easy! Crate training - ditto and with extra benefit of being incredibly useful and would have been perfect when my white boy was a puppy. And that grooming is NOT for sissies. It's actually very important for their health and also good for your relationship (and not just for high maintenance breeds like mine - for all dogs to varying degrees). And I shouldn't feel embarassed about washing/brushing my dogs just because in my childhood you didn't do that sort of thing. Just do it. Anyway, they smell better and it's just nicer.

Yes - but there was a lot to learn that day. What have I forgotten?

2 food game? I don't know what that means. So consensus is distance control is worthwhile? Perhaps worth a shot then?

Okay, so with 2 legs of Novice under our belt and so close to having our CD title (the long-time dream), we are actually thinking about competing in Open sometime next year. Well, I'm thinking about it. Zamba doesn't know yet... Anyway, this is where we're up to. Heel free - still inconsistent - sometimes brilliant. Working on this at present. Needs work. Stand free - amazingly we've become pretty good at this. Who woulda thunk it? Drop on Recall - haven't even dared try it. Scared. Retrieve Dumbbell on Flat - she loves it. No problem. Retrieve Dumbbell over Solid Jump - jumping makes fetching even more fun. Bring it on! Broad Jump - probably easy based on a few practice tries. Might cut the corner a bit. Distance Control - definitely harder, definitely more useful - undecided about learning this one. Stays out of sight - we'll get there. Building it slowly at the moment. Progressing well. So key questions are: how and when do we start working on Drop on Recall? Can it stuff up our normal recall (hence better to wait until after we get our 3rd leg of novice)? And is distance control really worth it? Note: Zamba is nearly 12 (we think - rescue dog from over 10 years ago so we don't know her exact age but she's still very fit and lively). Given her age, chances of going on to UD pretty slim.

RRAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNN!!!!! Thank God that's over! The older my dogs get, the more I worry about the heat. (And unfortunately, the hotter it seems to get.)

Equinade - but tempted to try Groomers EPO and see what it's like for my two. Do you all dilute the shampoo first, then use it? Or just pour it on?

Booked in my calendar - I'm really looking forward to it. As for the Britney thing - not funny when a person does it, but Steve if you could show us how to train our dogs to lip sync to music - now that would be cool!

Yep - another vote for a crate arrangement here. It's 43 degrees in Adelaide today - so both dogs inside with us all day. We pop them in their (oversized) crate while we're eating, and we've used it before during parties and when little kids come to visit. Having the crate there to put them away for short periods during the day is really helpful. They also sleep in there at night. It's a great way of keeping them safe (the dogs I mean, but also the kids), and letting the kids roam around and babies crawl etc without having their faces licked!