Abbiestar

Hi, We very recently imported semen from the USA. We used Sires on ice www.siresonice.com.au Very very happy with their service and follow up. Good luck with your breeding. M

Thankyou this will work for me :) the new bikepath at our local reserve i can ride on all three surfaces yippee no need to travel far to train D: Good luck! One of my vizslas is in WA and will most likely be competing as well. She is CH Abbiestar Caisse Depargne T.D. Owned by Jo Washington-King. Jo has also just become licenses as an obedience judge. M

We will see you there again this year M with another cocker, l loved this ET last year. Good for you SS! Cherry lake is by far my favorite ET venue. It is very flat and quite picturesque around the lake. The GSDCV goes to great lengths to put on an excellent ET with funds raised going to the Lost Dogs Home. Well worth everyone's support. M

Hi. Good luck with your future et! ET details for WA can be found on the dogswest.com website. The ET is being held on June 23 and Is hosted by the German Shepherd Club. They are also holding another in Perth on September 8 and 9. Interestingly, the German Shepherd Clubs of Vic, S.A. And W.A. Are all holding their Endurance Tests on June 23. Let's all make sure these events are well supported. You will need to train on three different surfaces. Most ETs cover paved areas, gravel and grass. M

Me again! Dalmatian Club ET details are up on their website. www.dalmatian.asn.au M

Hi again, The GSDCV in Melbourne is also holding their ET on June 23. It is at Cherry Lake, Altona. I am delighted to be one of the judges invited to this ET. Details on their website www.gsdcv.org.au M

HI All, here are some details for the GSDCSA ET in Adelaide. GSDCSA ET is scheduled for June 23, 2012. 9.00 am start. To be held at our club grounds, West Beach. Judge is Peter Dynan. Entry fee $15.00 per entry. For further help, you can contact the trial manager, Donna Vigor or 0437 191 109 after 5pm only. M

You may have to go to Canberra. ET's listed are the only ones in Victoria. Canberra may be holding theirs late July, or August. Will find out..... M

Don't be scared. And remember who is training who. The dogs learn to behave, they can also learn that you will adapt to their wants and needs. Don't do that! :) Pick up your pace so the dog learns that he/she has to move with you, not vice versa. M

Hi All, Yes, you certainly can enter an ET in another state. Many do due to the scarcity of these events. SS very sorry to hear of your fall. Wishing you a very speedy recovery. M

Will see what I can find out. M

Here here M, I have ende up with 4 mountain bikes, 1 off Ebay about $40.00, 2 from garage sales, the 4th was given to us :laugh: we have both 24" & 26" bikes Oh Micheal, ran the thought of our club running a ET past the Secratary tonight, she was a bit iffy at 1st, but another lady jumped in & said she could help witha vet & steward helpers, the secratary then thought it could be a good idea. Great news murve, Keep at them and work towards a committee resolution to host an ET event. Happy to provide any info and assistance. M

When looking for a bike, remember, despite how good they look and how light they are, you do not need the $$$$$$ carbon framed road bike! :laugh: A mountain bike is a better option for the ET. Preferably, one with gears and a good seat (consider cycling shorts again). Many ET'ers have had great success from bikes they have bought from Aldi, or garage sales for around $50! Good luck, and keep us posted on your discoveries! M

Hi, Me again! Thank you for the comments on the ET info on my website. I think it breaks the requirements down very easily and I have written it specifically for the uninitiated to get a full basic understanding of the ET and what is involved. (Those that have not seen it are welcome to go to www.abbiestar.net and click on "Endurance Test"). If you were to start now, you would be more than ready for the ET in May. Start off by getting your dog used to the bike. This can start by walking the dog whilst wheeling the bike alongside. The bike would be positioned between you and the dog as you walk. Once the dog accepts the presence of the bike, you can then start riding it with the dog alongside. Smaller distances are best to get the dog comfortable with you and the bike moving as one. Go only to the end of your street and back in the first few training sessions. When the dog is really comfortable with this you can extend the distances. Ideally the pace should be approximately that of a show gait for a larger breed. If you have a speedo on your bike, average around 10-11 kph, if not, stick to the 'show gait' speed. Practice riding also without the dog. You too will need a reasonable level of fitness and should also have good control of the bike. (Some good padded cycling shorts would also be an idea for your own comfort!). Dogs recover very quickly from exercise, so with the mandatory break periods between the three separate legs of the ET, they will be well rested and eager to continue. Try to train approximately 4 or 5 times a week. Ride on the road, around the local football oval, or along a gravel track. This will introduce you and the dog to the different ground surfaces you will be expected to cover in the test. Over time, build up to 6 kilometres a session. When you and the dog are proficient in covering this amount of kilometres in one session without tiring, you will be ready. And don't worry about the willingness test. This is the easy part and does not need to be of trialling standard. M

No boots, badages or other impairments to distract the dog. Dogs' pads are very hardy and they can easily cover the grounds required for an ET. There is no set distance to cover for each of the ground surfaces, they just have to cover at least three (grass, gravel, paved). From experience, most of the grounds covered are paved, with gravel and grass being covered in lesser distances. M

Hi Saffioraire, welcome to the ET thread. Happy to answer all your questions (and more), and will start with the easy one first! :) I prefer a collar. A harness generally goes around the chest and body of the dog which is the STRONGEST part of the dog's body. You will have much more control of the dog by being able to LEAD the dog from the neck, rather than the dog DRAG you by using the full force and strength in his body. Correction collars are not allowed, so a regular leather or nylon webbing collar is ideal. M

With only one ET in South Australia, it is possible that Horsham could attract entries from both SA and Vic. It is worth a try to talk to your club and see if the interest is there. M

I belonged to WODC back in the 1990's! Showing my age now! Very easy to set a course around the park. I did that for the Vizsla Club many many years ago. Let me know if your club is interested. M

Happy to help any way I can. BTW, which is your club? M

Hi murve, how about petitioning your club to look into hosting an ET? The more profile this discipline can get, the more popular it will become. Happy to provide any info to you or to your club. M

ET's being held 2012: QLD Mackay 24/6 Tableland 8/7 Nanango/Ipswich 5/8 Nanago 26/8 VIC HVCV 26/5 Murray Valley 3/6 Dalmatian Club 9/6 East Gippsland 7/7 GSDCV 23/6 SA GSDCSA 23/6 NSW Grafton 15/7 DogsNSW (Erskine Park) 12/8 ACT tba (possibly end July) There may be more, these are the ones I know of: Cheers, M

Thank you :) Do you happen to know how I could find out the dates or should I phone Dogs Qld? Sorry to be a pain. I will see what I can find for you. M

GSDCV host a great ET. the grounds at Altona (Cherry Lake) are perfect for this type of event. that and the best run ET I have been involved with.. M

Hi StarLapyz, you can do one in Sydney at Erskine Park, or one in Canberra at the ACT showgrounds. M

There are two ET's in QLD that I know of. One is in Mackay, the other in Ipswich. M