brintey

I have just started to bring my two non-show dogs along to shows with my show dog. Otherwise they would be spending a large part of the weekend home alone, as I work long hours during the week this wasn't really fair to them. My desexed dogs love the shows more than the show dog! My gazebo is big enough for all three crates so I don't see any problems with it.

Between the ages of 20 and 40 I didn't exhibit but did take my dogs along to shows on some occasions, once to see a breed specialist to advise me on coat care, once to visit some interstate friends with my rare breed and once as I had a rescue of the breed and wanted some advice - I was there with him for agility anyway so that was more opportunistic than planned!

- shows at Castle Hill (its close to my house and I am lazy!)

- shows with plenty of space for parking and gazebos

- as I have a full-on weekday job I really hate shows which start on a Friday, if you have to come down on a Saturday it doesn’t matter how early you are on the day, if it’s a popular show finding a spot to set up is hard

- judges who will put up a rare breed

- international judges from Europe, as opposed to the UK/Asia/the Americas, just because they know my breed better

- any show where I know my friends or other owners of my breed will be going

- shows with neuter – I don’t actually have a neuter but like to support the initiative

- any show which has EFTPOS so I can buy my lunch – I don’t get paid in cash and I don’t always have time to stop at an EFTPOS machine on the way

- any show which I can enter using OzEntries – I don’t have a chequebook nor access to a post office during working hours, so if I can’t do it online, it doesn’t get done!

I visited Victoria last year and I loved KCC Park – the hard surface for running on was particularly good as I have a speed demon giant breed - I could get a much better grip and could actually keep up with my dog. Would love something like that for Sydney!

Current breeds I own:

A Paw of Pyreneans (or a Snuggle)

A Pounce of Leonbergers (also could be a Snuggle, or a Headbutt, depending on mood)

A Curlicue of Greyhounds (mine is so delicate and bendy!)

Past breeds:

A Cyclone of Setters (Irish red and whites)

A Pride of Alaskan Malamutes

A Happening of Border Collies

A Psych ward of Aust Silky Terriers

I have trained my dogs there on and off for many years, since I was a child (I'm now 43!)

I highly recommend them, especially for new puppies and particularly for first-time owners. I will never take any of my dogs to privately run puppy preschool again!

(And TerraNik and ~Shell~ are both great instructors!)

I feed my Leonberger puppy raw, and have done since getting him at nine weeks. His breeder also fed him raw since being weaned; he's never had dry food in his life!

So, I disagree with the suggestions against feeding raw to giant puppies. You don't need to be too stressed about what you feed them, just try to get in some calcium (chicken carcasses, wings etc) and red meat, like mince, and you should be fine. My fellow loves roo tails, lamb bones, chicken caracasses, green tripe (his fav). His main meal is mince with veggies and occasionally some supplements like flaxseed oil, fish oil, yoghurt, eggs etc

That slap happy advice is perhaps some of the worst I've seen handed out on DOL.

Hi RSG,

Not sure if I've got this quoting thing right, but this is the diet recommended by some Leonberger breeders, in particularly one from NZ who sends a lot of her puppies here, so Lionelmessi could just be following the breeders' advice.

I also go to Pauline's class on the Wednesday night with my Leonberger and would recommend it.

Class goes from around 7pm-8pm and cost is $10.

Not sure when we are breaking for Christmas though!

If you want more information, you can google Pauline's website, Hartwyn, which has her contact details (sorry not sure if I should post them direct on a public forum?)

A big thank you to the very generous Mathilda's Mum from the NSW and Tassie people you hosted - we had a wonderful time and you looked after us so well. It was nice to see so many Leonbergers at a show at once and get to meet the Victorian Leos and their owners.

Beth and kirst_goldens, what is Luna's registered name? I posted the results of the two shows to our NSW Leos list and she was the only one I couldn't remember (I forgot to bring my catalogue home with me!)

Chicko, you are more than welcome to borrow one of mine or Beth's!

Hi Kat99 (and any lurking Leonberger lovers)

If you are in Sydney, there will be a Leo fun day held at Annandale this Sunday, with lots of Leos attending, including some which have been flown over from breeders in New Zealand. If you'd like to attend, here are the contact details:

Sunday 22nd of August 2010

Federal Park, Annandale Under the Arches

Fun day starting around 12 noon...

There will be people attending who have Leos on acreage, Leos in the city, and people who have shown, bred, done obedience or agility with their Leos, so come along and ask us questions!

I will be there with my Leo Singe, and my honorary Leos Sass the Pyrenean and Amethyst the greyhound. Come and say hi!

meganmm, where and what time is the dog show that you spoke of? Are there certainly going to be Leonbergers there?

Hi lionelmesssi,

Just in case Megan doesn't see this, she and I will definitely be at the show on the 7 March, and lovemyleos may be there too along with some others.

The show is Blacktown Kennel and Training Club, Blacktown City Canine Centre, Owen Street Glendenning at starts at 9.00am although we will probably be there a little later.

There is also show training at Castle Hill Showgrounds on Wednesday nights with Pauline Hartwell, from 7pm. I go with my young Leonberger. Pauline is a judge and it's purely show training, her website is: http://www.hartwynoes.com and there are some contact details on there if you are interested.

I am Meganmm's sister and I have one of her Leos, Singe.

I think you may be thinking of Freyja's daugher, Myrtle, who had pups in August. My Singe is from that litter. Singe's brother, Grizz, and her sister, Violet, are also being shown at various shows around Sydney at the moment.

Here are some photos of Singe taken by the lovely and very talented TerraNik:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/terranik/sets...57623125013372/

Click on the baby Leo fuzzy bum shot to take you to some more photos. She is five months old in these photos, you can get an idea of her size from the last one where she is being held up by Woofenpup.