RallyValley

I went out today and wasn't brave enough to take a single pic. This is the first time I feel like this but I don't think I will be able to submit anything...

Argh! Not sure about this one.... Might have to use my Pentax K01 for some sneaky shooting after work around Midland.... (anyone who knows WA knows how dangerous that might be )

Zach on point IMG_8328 by rallyvalley, on Flickr Zach working the paddock IMG_8306 by rallyvalley, on Flickr IMG_8301 by rallyvalley, on Flickr Zach backing Olive's point IMG_8313 by rallyvalley, on Flickr

We went out again today, the drive out to the paddocks was over 2hrs. It was around 30 degrees and the paddocks we were working on did not have much cover. Between the three dogs we were working (all Britts) we found maybe 20 or so birds, but due to the conditions they were not sitting and due to the heat the dogs were having difficulty scenting them. The birds were not sitting very well either. In the first paddock Zora was covering the ground really well, working with the wind and bumped up two coveys of three quails. The whole paddock only had one productive point for any of the dogs. In the second paddock we didn't find any birds but all the dogs got a dip in the sheep tray and felt a bit cooler and refreshed. The third paddock I had Zora on a long line, so we could work her on the birds instead of her bumping them. At one point she was very intent and I could tell she was on a scent... But then I bumped up the bird We were working with Zach who is much more experienced and an awesome dog so Zora got some chances to back. After this point I had a little bit of a moment when I realised my fumbling on the long line and my inexperience was mucking Zora up. Zach's owner took her line in the fourth and final paddock and in about 15 mins they managed to find four quail, have one good point and three very near points (she stopped but then lost confidence and turned back to her handler). It's all a learning curve but it is so disappointing when you know you are ruining a very nice dog with lots of potential through bumbling novice handling. We worked for just over 2 and a half hours. I'm hoping to go out again soon. I get very disappointed sometimes, but I just added it up and Zora has only been out with wild quail 6 times (and half of those had very little/no quail around) and she has improved each time. She definitely knows how to hunt and what she is hunting for. Our elements of control are getting better too - she is really recalling well now and listening to directionals. Zora hunting IMG_8276 by rallyvalley, on Flickr IMG_8288 by rallyvalley, on Flickr Zora and Olive quartering opposite ways IMG_8293 by rallyvalley, on Flickr

Good going everyone!!

Would love to go.... I just need to do some agility training with my dog. :laugh:

She's two in a month! The time has just flown by!! Congratulations Ptolomy, Bedazzled and Ness on your SA obedience success. No RATG for me this weekend - I've been able to get a chance to go out in the field so I am going to Toodyay! :laugh:

Hmmmmm will be a challenge!! Might have to use my little Pentax and be sneaky OR my 200mm with a 2xTC...

I'm not on DOL very much any more for two reasons 1. My job banned all internet use and mobile phone use and 2. I'm acting in a more senior role so I'm just too busy I guess my only interesting news is that I'm getting closer to having a litter, Zora is due into season any day now.... so she will probably come into season in July :laugh: Oh and I'm moving house in the next few weeks to my new house. I should hopefully see some of you at the States next weekend :) (SA interlopers IF I send a puppy to SA will you guys help me recommend some vets/training clubs/puppy schools?)

Unless I get an offer to go out in the field I will try and come :)

Sadly RS I think the rest of the sessions for this year will be out in whoop whoop or beyond. :laugh:

Tassie a lot of this retrieving stuff is beyond me too! I train retrieves for field trials so I don't need too much of the fancy stuff :laugh: I went out on Sunday with SparkyTansy to a Utility Gundog training day. It was run on caged quail and there were various mock exercises set up, including a "bird" (well a frozen long deceased one) flying up after the dogs pointed and a wooden cut out 'dog' popping up on point to practice backing. Zora had a similar session in October last year and one other one in December. It was in these sessions she began to develop more control and stronger points. (She had already proven she has a fantastic nose and was able to find birds even when more experienced dogs struggle). This session on Sunday was more of the same and I am really pleased she remembered her lessons! She was absolutely brilliant, she was so intense on point, pointing about 5m away from the bird on scent alone and was really holding her points. She was really working with the wind and took minimal encouragement to quarter nicely when she was working. On her first go through she was briefly acknowledging Lulu's points but then kept working. I then ran Zora with a very talented GSP bred by FHRP's Polo. She is only 6 months but was great to work with, her points were very clear and steady - which allowed me to do some work with Zora on backing. As we progressed through the day her backing got better and by the end of the session I was happy with how she was backing. Zora loves Field work more then anything on earth and it pleases me so much to see her instincts kicking in. Hoping we get a chance to go out as much as possible in this season, we should hopefully see some good progress with Zora.

I have asked this one before and had no clear answer. When I think of an 'outcross' is breeding two dogs together who have very few common ancestors. I have a mating planned down the track I consider an 'outcross' where the dogs have the closest common ancestor 6 generations back.

kja maybe we should post up a list of the 'order' and then people will know who is next - saves you some mucking around. And I think the post announcing the upcoming theme could be done by the person who chooses it both here and on the blog :) Not that I don't think your doing a great job but then it could put the responsibility on everyone.

Any news on the next theme? :)

Thought this was going to be a thread about chocolate :laugh: Well done everyone. No showing for me Easter weekend.

My dog does tracking :laugh: But I get my 'professional handler' to handle her and she has been training her too. I just come long, lay tracks and take pictures :) It's a very interesting sport! I'm always in awe when I see dogs nail it.

That's actually my name. And no, I wouldn't call a dog Dora, apart from the fact I don't like the name I would find it a bit weird personally, but each to their own. I also had a friend name her pup Aurelie, which also happens to be the name of a mutual friend of ours. Human Aurelie thought it a bit strange, and so do I. Don't think they're friends anymore. :laugh: Was listening to the radio the other day, a guy called and you could hear a dog yapping in the background. The radio presenters asked what the dog's name was.....it was DogDog. I prefer unusual names, but it does get a little tiring having to repeat your dog's name over and over to other people. MUP, I love the name Maybe! My dog is called Zora too It's a great name :D I chose it because I wanted something Slovenian as a tribute to my great grandma but it had to sound the same way it was spelled, so I didn't have to hear people saying it wrong.

Lol. Thats really funny. Imagine yelling that at the local dog park. One of Kirislin's whippets is named Puck. I'm not telling my hubby that there is a precedent. (Although I do actually think that it is a really good name for a dog as Puck was a cheeky, playful and mischievous character. I just wasn't game to shout it :) ) Teach your dog to recall to a whistle - no shouting necessary :laugh:

I didn't realise it rhymed until someone pointed it out Teidrix : And now when I think about it I'm worried its 'cutesy' having a name that rhymes with my dogs and people might think I did it intentionally I love a breeder in the US that names all pups in the litter and gives them matching show names, and I was really keen on this, until I realised people would likely change the call names and break my heart :laugh:

There is a name I really really like for a distant future dog, but when I told someone they pointed out that the dog's name would rhyme with mine and it was 'too much'. Im on the fence about the name now. E.g person named Jo with a dog named Mo or a Dora with a dog named Zora. But I thought it might be interesting to find out what else is a no go for people, ex's names? Friends kids names? Famous names? I think I am a bit of an odd one as I spend so long choosing a name and it has to be a relatively uncommon name.

Thanks Mim, I think so too :laugh:

*No animals were harmed in the making of this image - the rabbit is from Ikea* IMG_7564 by rallyvalley, on Flickr My Easter effort. I hid Zora's rabbit in the paddock and we had an Easter Rabbit hunt :laugh: IMG_7569 by rallyvalley, on Flickr

Put your camera on manual exposure and take a meter reading from the sky. Then shoot away so the sky is correctly exposed and you will get nice silhouettes on the foreground objects. This is a sunrise shot at 70mm, f/ 6.3, ISO 400 and at 1/1600 of a second. It was handheld at 6.30am.

Then Airedales should be added to gun dogs too! :) There are already enough dogs in the Group 3 ring that have no modern ties to their ancestral ability - what's another :laugh: I wonder if a Poodle of today could hunt and show? I have seen pics of Poodles in the US hunting but none in a show clip or any that are currently shown.