FalconRange

No worries Piper. I know right after Christmas isn't the best time for most anyway too! I'm Only doing it now because the summer holidays are the best time to get some training under the belt, and hopefully a contacts dvd will help us improve substantially!

I'll finalise it by Thursday or Friday, so no problems. Hopefully they bring it back next year, when they realise how many less Aussie orders they got!

So, since Clean Run decided not to offer their free international shipping this year, I've decided to get a group together combining orders with a few people from my local dog clubs in the hopes of splitting the shipping costs. I have a few people together at the moment, but if any more Adelaideans wish to join in, you're very welcome! I have coordinated an order before as well, which went smoothly, so I assure I'm trustworthy too. :)

Thanks guys! Some of these are awesome, and definitely not what I was finding when I went looking! I love how sharp some of these dogs are. So much focus. We're not there, but we're working on it!

I'm looking to find some awesome heelwork examples on youtube etc. I know I've seen heaps of cool ones in the past, but of course, the minute I start looking for something is the minute I can't actually find what I'm looking for! Has anyone got any particular favourites they'd like to share? Or even just cool personal brags? All videos welcome! :D

Excellent video LMSW. Looking forward to heading up there next month and working towards this kind of heelwork!

Love my leather lead from K9Pro. Don't think I'll ever buy anything else now. It's also converted a few others from the dog club too, especially those with callouses from pulling dogs, or those who've had leads snap or clips break!

Thanks for the information!

Snake catcher, are there any truths to the 'Natural Snake Repellant' recipes going around Facebook? I'm rather skeptical, but have no experience with snakes, so can't rule them out.

Another option could be a Toller - there's a few doing very well in SA at the moment, and as a bonus, some are 400 dogs too.

Teela, are you North side or South side? I'm Southside, so go to my local club plus West Beach. I'm a rank amateur but have never had any trouble joining either club. I haven't any experience with the Northern clubs. My local club is great, and West Beach is generally good too, depending on which instructor you get - seems to change every week. Not that there's anything wrong with the instructors; it's just that some like to talk more, which gives you less time on the equipment. If you can make it to West Beach or one of the Southside ones, give it a go.

Love Borders. I can admire a good Aussie, but they're not for me. The clown-like nature will always lose out over the lovable yet serious one! That and I like the longer litheness over the more square body. One day, after a few more dogs for experience, I'll get a Malinois. I love both the typical short hair and the coated Mals, but oddly enough, not the Tervs.

Hmmm, that's a shame. I'd love to do a couple of SG etc. online courses, but they're a bit expensive, and I'm a little time-poor to commit to one at the moment. Maybe I'll stick with going with the 2 on 2 off DVD that Clean Run has, and work through it in my own time. Thanks for the responses though MRB and Kavik!

Check out the discount car places - repco, supercheap etc. They might have something decent to offer. Pretty sure my one came from there.

Out of curiosity, does Garrett have a contact training DVD?

When you say the 2 on 2 off DVD, are you meaning the Rachel Sanders one, or is there a better one? I'm looking at getting one to get some better contacts.

StarMark Everlasting Fireplug works great with my Border (size large).

Thanks MRB. Perhaps we should sign up together? ;)

Hi all. I've started agility training about 2 months ago, and we're both enjoying it a great deal. I'm wondering if anyone here trains at ADCSA in Adelaide? I'm thinking about joining up in their next intake for some extra training and more time on equipment, but am wondering what their training involves. Does anyone know how much foundation they do?

There are two down south with permanent pseudo-equipment. One is Minkarra dog park in Aberfoyle Park, and the other is a trail in Morphett Vale that runs next to Southern Districts dog club. The one near SDKODC is okay, but being permanent fixtures, safety can be compromised with jump height and spacing etc. Equipment is also mostly wooden and far from ANKC standard.

Not quite. People register their dogs with their local council to say that they do indeed have a dog at that address. In SA, at least, all dogs are meant to be registered with their council, whether they are pedigreed or crosses, desexed or not, show, pet or otherwise. Backyard Breeders then often advertise their sire and dams as 'Registered' dogs. This simply means that their dogs are registered with the local council (as every dog in the state should be), but nothing more. This may be as a result of ignorance - seeing ANKC registered breeders advertising their dogs as 'Registered', and labeling their BYB dogs as 'Registered' as well in an effort to compete while not knowing the difference. It could also be a deliberate attempt to convince unknowing public puppy buyers to purchase their pups, believing that they are somehow more desirable or better quality pups than those from BYBs who don't advertise as such, or from ANKC breeders as well. Either way, it's always best to ask questions first like you did, and find a responsible ANKC breeder who health tests and breeds for temperament. Better to get a pup from a good breeder than from an ignorant or misleading one!

Saturday afternoon, I took my dog and a dog I was house sitting to the oval to play fetch with the tennis ball. They were having a good time - my boy chasing the ball, and the girl chasing my boy - until they collided partway through the next retrieve. My boy pulled up lame in his right leg, alternating between hobbling and holding it up as he returned to me. Playtime was quickly cancelled and he was given crate rest for the rest of the day. Three rest days later, he's still not walking properly. He's crashed into things before and shown some signs of lameness, but the symptoms only lasted for seconds or minutes. Never has he shown prolonged signs like this before, so I think it's time for a vet visit. My great concern is that he's injured his right cruciate ligament/s. This is a worst case scenario, but certainly a possibility after doing some research and comparing signs and symptoms with the material I've come across. He's a lean and active 4 year old Border Collie. Much of the material suggests this is common in active dogs over 4, especially working breeds involved in dogs sports like we've engaged in. If this is likely, where should I take him to seek treatment? The vet hospital clinic I usually take my animals to is fine for general practice stuff, and is well equipped with imaging equipment. However, would I be better off going to see a specialist who might be better able to diagnose and treat these kinds of injuries? If I was to see a specialist, do I just contact them for an appointment? Or do I need a referral from the general vet first? Does anyone have any experience with cruciate injuries? Where did you go to for diagnosis and treatment? Did corrective surgery have a good outcome? I'm kicking myself for having taken him out for a run on a day he's usually rested, and if this leads to him being unable to continue with agility and obedience, it'll be heartbreaking. Just trying to find information to prepare for the worst if it's indeed the case.

Christmas lights. Also the Lions Club Santa that pops through the neighbourhood every year. Maybe he's a Christmas-is-so-commercial hipster?

Golden Grove and Penfield Boarding Kennels are the only two I've been really happy with so far. It's worth the 1.5-2 hour drive to get to the northern ones, I've found.

Thank you so much for the recommendations, guys! I do need to get around to watching a few more Kikopup videos. And that article is exactly what I was looking for, so thank you heaps, Sheena. Looks like I've got some inside stuff to do while the weather goes into meltdown again this week! :)