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Thanks, but I have had a little whisper in his ear and asked him not to be in such a big hurry to get to restricted. We still have things to work on. :rofl:

There are 4 more trials after that one on the 24th, so heaps of time to come and watch before end of season.

Edited by Livertreats
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Thanks for the kind thoughts for Molly.

She was desexed last week after her discharge wouldn't stop.

She was in a lot of pain for a few days and didn't move or eat but is recovering well now.

Problem is, one of her ovaries was huge and very dark and evil looking. Once again we are waiting for lab results.

Fingers crossed it is not what I'm dreading!

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Thanks, but I have had a little whisper in his ear and asked him not to be in such a big hurry to get to restricted. We still have things to work on. :rofl:

There are 4 more trials after that one on the 24th, so heaps of time to come and watch before end of season.

Only 4 more before end of season? eek1.gif

Definitely not entering this season, then! I will enter next season, even if it kills me!!

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I thought you were going to give it a go this year, why not go in the last two?

We're not ready. And I was informed they get harder as the season progresses so it wouldn't be fair on Ruby to push her like that just yet. Gives me time to sort some issues out and go into it hopefully feeling a bit more ready :)

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Thanks for the kind thoughts for Molly.

She was desexed last week after her discharge wouldn't stop.

She was in a lot of pain for a few days and didn't move or eat but is recovering well now.

Problem is, one of her ovaries was huge and very dark and evil looking. Once again we are waiting for lab results.

Fingers crossed it is not what I'm dreading!

I hope Molly makes a speedy recovery and the lab results come back as nothing too sinister! :crossfingers:

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I thought you were going to give it a go this year, why not go in the last two?

We're not ready. And I was informed they get harder as the season progresses so it wouldn't be fair on Ruby to push her like that just yet. Gives me time to sort some issues out and go into it hopefully feeling a bit more ready :)

We started this time last year, and I really did not think the tests got harder. It gave us a chance to work with the gun and the different terrain. The Retrieving Club are having their last training day on 31st July, hope you can go to that.

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Rubystar, you should be giving it a go in Novice with Ruby before the season finishes. From what I have heard, she is going really well. You will find that the retrieves themselves don't get any harder, as they are limited to 100 metres maximum length, but as the season progresses the terrain changes with the rainfall, and there is more cover to contend with. This can sometimes make it a bit harder for the dogs.

My suggestion is to give it a go and have some fun. Go out there thinking "I am going to have a great time today with my lovely, keen, Labrador". She will enjoy it, and it will give you something to base your training on as you go along. Just enter and don't overthink it either before the event or during it. Deep breaths and relax. There are far less trained dogs than Ruby competing in Novice right now; so go and enjoy.

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I thought you were going to give it a go this year, why not go in the last two?

We're not ready. And I was informed they get harder as the season progresses so it wouldn't be fair on Ruby to push her like that just yet. Gives me time to sort some issues out and go into it hopefully feeling a bit more ready :)

We started this time last year, and I really did not think the tests got harder. It gave us a chance to work with the gun and the different terrain. The Retrieving Club are having their last training day on 31st July, hope you can go to that.

I will have a think about it but it's become very apparent that we just aren't ready. :)

I will be going to the training day. I need to get out and train a hell of a lot more than I do if I am ever going to be ready!! eek1.gif

Edited by RubyStar
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Rubystar, you should be giving it a go in Novice with Ruby before the season finishes. From what I have heard, she is going really well. You will find that the retrieves themselves don't get any harder, as they are limited to 100 metres maximum length, but as the season progresses the terrain changes with the rainfall, and there is more cover to contend with. This can sometimes make it a bit harder for the dogs.

My suggestion is to give it a go and have some fun. Go out there thinking "I am going to have a great time today with my lovely, keen, Labrador". She will enjoy it, and it will give you something to base your training on as you go along. Just enter and don't overthink it either before the event or during it. Deep breaths and relax. There are far less trained dogs than Ruby competing in Novice right now; so go and enjoy.

eek1.gif

I'm heading out with Ann on Saturday for some training, I'll see how we go laugh.gif

I think she is munching birdies when stressed. We pushed her with too much between her and the fall. Once she finally located it, she brought it back nicely, but there were some punctures in the bird (admittedly it was an old one used in a trial so it wasn't the best to start with). Then at a training day, I pushed her with too much cover and a bird all in one hit, and she munched a bit on her return. So I have birdies and water to sort out still.

Looks like I have some thinking to do!

Thanks to you both for the encouragement, though :) And as for far less trained dogs competing at the moment, I've seen the novice dogs and I don't believe it! They are all doing lovely retrieves and I am very envious!

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So what did Zora's registered name end up being?

T... Flirt N With Danger :) Her dam is T... I'm Just Flirt N and her granddam is T... Flirt with Me, so I followed along that theme.

Next weekend I am going to watch a field trial with a friend and we are taking the pups for some socialization. :)

:thumbsup: Make sure you report back on the day :D

Definately, going to take my camera. So excited to see a trial in action.

Thanks for the kind thoughts for Molly.

She was desexed last week after her discharge wouldn't stop.

She was in a lot of pain for a few days and didn't move or eat but is recovering well now.

Problem is, one of her ovaries was huge and very dark and evil looking. Once again we are waiting for lab results.

Fingers crossed it is not what I'm dreading!

Fingers crossed for Molly. Hopefully it's nothing horrible.

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Rubystar, you should be giving it a go in Novice with Ruby before the season finishes. From what I have heard, she is going really well. You will find that the retrieves themselves don't get any harder, as they are limited to 100 metres maximum length, but as the season progresses the terrain changes with the rainfall, and there is more cover to contend with. This can sometimes make it a bit harder for the dogs.

My suggestion is to give it a go and have some fun. Go out there thinking "I am going to have a great time today with my lovely, keen, Labrador". She will enjoy it, and it will give you something to base your training on as you go along. Just enter and don't overthink it either before the event or during it. Deep breaths and relax. There are far less trained dogs than Ruby competing in Novice right now; so go and enjoy.

eek1.gif

I'm heading out with Ann on Saturday for some training, I'll see how we go laugh.gif

I think she is munching birdies when stressed. We pushed her with too much between her and the fall. Once she finally located it, she brought it back nicely, but there were some punctures in the bird (admittedly it was an old one used in a trial so it wasn't the best to start with). Then at a training day, I pushed her with too much cover and a bird all in one hit, and she munched a bit on her return. So I have birdies and water to sort out still.

Looks like I have some thinking to do!

Thanks to you both for the encouragement, though :) And as for far less trained dogs competing at the moment, I've seen the novice dogs and I don't believe it! They are all doing lovely retrieves and I am very envious!

Sure Ann will tell you if she thinks its a good idea to give it a go. Only you can decide as you know your dog best.

Every time I went to help at a trial people would ask when was I entering, my standard reply was "not yet, we are not ready". :) Even when you think you have it all correct, you go to a trial, bang goes the gun and a different dog has turned up. :rofl: So more things to work on, but really having a go at a trial is a good idea as things are never quite the same in training and it really gives you a good idea where your at with your training.

If its not this year, we will see you and Ruby next year.

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I've booked in to take my firearms test so I can get my license and start shooting over Little Em :)

RS - yes, from what I understand too much pressure and munching often go hand in hand. I can see where Livertreats is coming from (great name by the way :laugh:) but I'm personally holding back until we tighten up a few things (water and shooting). I remember Lablover saying.....a double amount of wanted but you might get a triple amount of unwanted. At 10 months there is no rush.

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I realise that you rarely get in a trial what you get in training, things always go wrong! But if I don't have it almost right in training, there is no way I am going to have it right in a trial! Even when people were telling me that Millie was ready to start trialling in obedience, I held out a little longer just to be sure she was well and truly ready. I think it paid off. Livertreats, if you don't see me trialling this year, you can be sure you will see me entered next year!

TSD – your Em sounds like she is light years ahead of Ruby in training. I've done little work on backs/overs/blinds, just really trying to get the novice stuff sorted and that is proving tough enough. Like you said though, at 10 months, plenty of time, and when you do eventually go out and trial, you guys will be superb because you've put all this great groundwork in! I will chip away at it slowly with Ruby (and Millie), just to teach me how to teach, because I think my next pup his main focus will be retrieving (and obedience :p) and this time I can start it all from a pup and hopefully not squash his drive the way I did with Ruby!

Edited by RubyStar
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I realise that you rarely get in a trial what you get in training, things always go wrong! But if I don't have it almost right in training, there is no way I am going to have it right in a trial! Even when people were telling me that Millie was ready to start trialling in obedience, I held out a little longer just to be sure she was well and truly ready. I think it paid off. Livertreats, if you don't see me trialling this year, you can be sure you will see me entered next year!

I know where your comming from, I did the same thing, made sure it was really solid in training first, very hard to fix things at a trial with all the added excitment. My reasons why we are not entering in restricted just yet, would like things more solid first and need to convince myself I am ready as well. :laugh:

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RS - a couple of things for you to think over. Firstly, retrieving is HARD. Much harder than it looks and sounds so go easy on yourself and your dogs :) Secondly, your girls seem to have a natural retrieving ability but they aren't selectively bred over generations to retrieve like a working line dog is so it does make it more difficult. Not impossible mind you! Even Em is not going to be as highly driven as a working line Lab to retrieve (she'd probably quarter game all day given the choice :laugh:) so I have to be a bit creative too. Then again I do have a Dalmatian doing obedience and agility so anything feels easy after that!!!!!

Just enjoy the journey - the rest will come :thumbsup:

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What a chatty bunch today! :D :thumbsup: Hi Livertreats, I've been looking at your web site (of course I had to go searching after you mentioned it ;)) and what great stuff you've done with your dogs! You must be very happy with Rebel's ahievements already in retrieving! I really like reading the run down of the trials, wish there was more of it.

RS, I'm sure when you decide to take the plunge and enter a trial you will enjoy yourself and wonder what took you so long ;) Although your girl may not be working lines, I still think you've got the breed most likely to naturally do well at the sport. I enter my dogs earlier than you might in competition, if I waited until I was 100% sure they would succeed I'd never get there ;)

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