gusgem

Oh that is just too cute....they are gorgeous!!

I'll second that diet related coment! it really does make a difference

LilyW where did you get her cool bed and collar? I love them!

Vickie, just to let you know on wednesday night there is baseball at ELS. So if you are going to train you should probably do so before 5:30pm if you wanted to use that field. (just thought that that field is closer to the cars....you'll have a shorter distance to lug all your gear!)

I wouldn't worry too much...I have a labrador that is sometimes a fussy eater!!!

Well done WL. You have put so much work into him... nice harness...I see he is just another excuse to purchase more doggy attire!! hahaha ETA- how are my boys going??

Yeah c'mon guys....sorry I forgot to ask you when i saw you Vickie. How did Trim go, and Sam how did your boys go?

Vickie, as if Trim would do that!!! lol Thats more what Maple does even when she has had heaps of training!! lol Good luck for tomorrow and sunday, hope to see you then

OT- but thanks Vickie...she's good, Maple loves her!! The last trial I entered was the manly one on the 8th July. I was 31 weeks then and decided that I could not run carrying her around with me after that, so that was the last one! I wasn't overly big.... Although she ended up being 3.92kg and 8 days late... I think cookies and cream ice cream had a lot to do with her end weight!! haha I saw you from a distance with the new pup....pitty OH has set rules... although I have two dog limit here, but they are all I can cope with at the minute. best of luck to both of you for the weekend! Oh I'm coming on sunday to watch...I'll probably see you there!

Sorry won;t be there....just had a bubba. i assume Vickie and trim and bryte will be there/ Have you seen her at the park lately? I know lots of people going, but you wouldn't know them, sorry. I hope you have fun though and the dogs are good for you. Have you entered both?

I've tried the supporting byt the tail and under her tummy but her head goes under and she sinks!!! Maybe I should invest in one of those life jackets for Maple.....i've had kelpies and german shepherds that swim better than she does!

I would love to know the answer to this too...My labrador can not swim at all...its so embarrassing!!! She won't go out in the water past where she has to pick her back legs up...

i pay my guy $55 for two labs....but I don't know what it would be for jsut one. I assume I am getting some sort of discount cos I have two. AHving said that, I used to get charged $75 for two GSD's and a lab. That included, ears, nails washing, towel drying and a quick blow dry....they were never 100% dry.

NO he isn't too young for agility. Dogs can start trialling at 18months! He is a big dog and will hardly even step over the jumps!! Have fun....can't wait to hear how he is going with everything....oh and where did you get him from?

AGILTIY!!! I was at the Cessnock trial a few weeks ago, so I know they have it up there. I can't wait to get a GSD to do agility with. It is so much fun and the dogs just love it!!!! Plus it can be quite mentally difficult for a dog to learn so it will keep him occupied...and hopefully for your sake wear him out a bit!

For agility.... I have heard that some shelties do have rough collies in them somewhere anyway..... I like the bigger ones better anyway, they look better and like they could work!! haha

my friend breeds shelties and her current agility dog is something like 43cm....great height for agility! But all the other pups in her litter were of standard size as was mum and dad. She requested a 7-generation pedigree from the canine council and found out that from the fathers side unbeknown to her, had a rough collie in it!!! So that why Kelly is bigger!!! Had nothing to do with her diet!

Are you kidding me??!!! She will NEVER EVER lose weight if you feed her that much.... She will have to be running all day to lose anything. I really think you should rethink this mover...have you ever owned labs before?? Sorry to be harsh...but thats the truth!

I suggest feed her in the morning....it works well with my labs. My boy is only 29kg and my girl...whom is very small for a girl is only 22kg. 38kg is way to much. you have to be tough!!! Don't give into her with those eyes...trust me, I know how labs can look at you. If she was my dog, I would give her one cup of dry food (I would use hills r/d, its very expensive but worht every cent) in the morning and thats it...thats all she needs. People think labs have really poor metabooisms...in fact they have great ones cos they only need a little amount of food to keep them going.... And I would suggest you start agility with her until she has at least dropped ten kilos and is a new dog!!! Sorry but you have to be cruel to be kind.

Not to clip!!! Their coat does protect them from the heat to a degree. Plus if you clip them, next year their coat will be twice as thick and need clipping earlier, then the same for the year after that and the year after that! Plus they look totally STUPID clipped. If anything, make sure you rake the undercoat to thin the coat out, but don't clip!

OOH...I have to add another bit. I believe that Vickie did a clean sweep again in Novice Jumping and Agility at BRush Farm....Well done again....please correct me if I am worng, not actually there...although i would classify my source as sometimes mildly confused!!

You deserve it and so does she....best of luck for today!

I went and watched the agility trial at castle hill today and our very own Vickie and Trim, got three qualifications out of three runs!! And...this was her very first daytime trial!!!! And I also think she could have got 3 1st places aswell....I know she definitely got two!! So a big WELL DONE & CONGRATULATIONS to Vickie and the gorgeous TRIM...you two truly looked like you have been doing it for a hundred years!!! Well Done I'm sure she will tell you more about it when she gets home this evening! Again, congratulations from Kim and the brown dogs!!!

Oh and join a local obedience club like Northern Suburbs. They are in St IVes and are on Saturday afternoons.

Good idea herding guy, that is what I was going to suggest too. If Maple goes overboard with her playing with Gus or just trying to be very naughty/dominant with me, i (and I know not everyone will agree with me) grab her scruff around her neck and growl at her, I don't hurt her. Then when she has settled I always praise her. This has seemed to work really well as I only need to growl at her or a strong NO and she stops whatever she is doing....and then she tries to suck up to me! But follow Dave's idea and go and look at a litter of pups.