mum24dog

My dogs have the same sort of lifestyle as yours and I would have to be given a compelling reason not to vaccinate if it were one of mine in that situation. On the one hand, apart from kennel cough, you don't tend to get epidemics spreading around competition dogs. Just guessing but a high proportion will be vaccinated and will also be fit and healthy. On the other hand, competitions are often held at venues where the general public normally have access with their dogs, which is a greater risk IMO. No help at all, I know. If you are in any doubt, ask your vet to arrange for a blood sample to be titre tested to get a guide as to his likely immunity levels. The test isn't foolproof, but you might gain enough of an indication to show that he doesn't need a booster anyway and that would set your mind at rest. Pam

I don't get Clean Run but I have read a lot of back issues and it's interesting to get another perspective from another country. It depends what you want out of a magazine. We get Agility Eye as our points are added to the tables automatically every month and we can see how we and others are doing, even if the results are rather behind in the summer because shows haven't sent them in and there are too many to print at once. (You get points up to 15th place.) I think (but haven't checked recently) that the Voice only gives points to 10th place and you have to submit them yourself. Not sure if they publish show results and tables like the Eye. While both magazines are national, the Voice is more southern based and the Eye northern and Scotland. It must be hard for both magazines to keep up with important matters in the agility world as they are monthly and by the time they come out, anything of significance will have already appeared on line - usually on Agilitynet. Pam Pam

Pavilion 1 is exclusively for Obedience and the Special Events Ring is moving to the Arena next door. The KC would have a riot on their hands if they tried to go back to that horrible and dangerous carpet for the Agility. The Astroturf stuff is slippery enough. The poor YKC members will probably still be stuck with carpet though, although I have emailed the YKC Office to ask. If the YKC Ring is still going to be in Hall 3 it's going to be a nightmare for people with dogs in both YKC and adult competitions. Pam

Brilliant.

I prefer practical stuff like glassware but not very practical if you have to post it. I'm sponsoring the Juniors and I rather hoped Karen would sort it and just let me know how much I owed. Lazy of me, I know. No doubt she'll let us know what she wants us to do. Not a problem if I need to get trophies myself. Trophy of some sort rather than a rosette for me. Pam

I have to make a brag on behalf of my daughter Carrie and her borrowed dog Penny. Penny was Carrie's first agility dog and they have been competing together for over 5 years since Carrie was 10. Penny will be 13 in January and we are always on the lookout for signs that she's ready to retire, but this weekend at Easington I think they had their most set of successful results ever - 5 places out of 5 runs. 5th in Junior Agility 12th and 16th in Novice Agility 15th in Intermediate Agility and 19th in Intermediate Jumping. Not high places, admittedly, but no lower than she could manage when she was younger, as she's never been particularly fast. Best of all, she got 3 out of 4 dog walks, which she misses more often than not. Pam

We're spoilt nowadays. My first serious agility dog (now 6) is a medium and when we started, if there were midi classes at all, there were never more than 2. Still only 2 at some shows, but at least we now have more dogs to make going to shows worthwhile. Pam

We all make mistakes - even me who should know better. I think I may have entered Cedar in an Intermediate class instead of Juniors at Easington next weekend. Not a problem as he's eligible and I will check with the Show Secretary when I get there (not first thing on Saturday) but if I have made a mistake and I'm told it can't be changed, then that's my fault, not theirs. Pam

As a show secretary, I do have to point out that there is no provision under KC agility rules for a dog to run NFC. I consider it the judge's discretion whether they will allow it. Some judges I would advise the competitor to ask, some I wouldn't. Changing classes on the day because of a competitor's mistake (again against the rules but it happens) involves a lot of faffing about on the part of the organisers who will be under considerable pressure anyway and I wouldn't criticise anyone who refused to do it. They would be well within their rights. Pam

It's Form 5 you need. Pam

I think Kathy is mistakenly assuming that because her dog has stopped barking at people when out at the front of the house as a result of being put back into the house immediately when he barked, then putting him back in the car if he barks at someone when out will work as well. What isn't taken into account is the delay between the behaviour and reaching the car. Even a couple of minutes is a lifetime in training terms. Absolutely no connection between cause and effect in the dog's mind. Not at all the same thing as was done at home. And I agree entirely with everyone who said that he should not be allowed to bark in the first place. Most dogs will give signals in the way of body language that they are unhappy. That is the time to preempt the unwanted behaviour and reward the dog for coming back. Pam

I'm impressed too. Pam

The dog won't think anything of the sort. They don't think that way, and how would he know that visitors were coming? He may not settle in kennels, which is a different issue, and it is perhaps a little soon for seperation, but there are times when compromises have to be made between the interests of human beings and animals. We rarely have family round since we have got the dogs, but when they all come, the dogs go into kennels, which is best for all concerned for various reasons, and I would seriously resent anyone telling me my dogs take second place, given the attention they get for 99.99% of the time. Sometimes people have to come first. Pam

Really! We have regular dealings with them, as do most of the people I know, and Chris has always been great to deal with, and very generous too, as I found out this week. Sounds more like missing in transit to me rather than a deliberate rip off. Did you take it to the Small Claims Court? Pam

Those were my thoughts too. It's hard to tell from photos, but I would doubt that the equipment would be robust enough for heavy dogs, although I have no personal experience of it. I can also recommend www.adamsagility.co.uk. Pam

Back to Crufts again next year for the YKC competitions. My daughter Carrie qualified for both the Agility Dog of the Year and Team competitions at the weekend with my ex dog Hazel. Entry to the Medium agility is to be based on points during the year, but I don't think there's any danger that she won't get enough. (I don't mean to sound arrogant - I'm willing to bet that virtually any YKC member with a Medium dog who sends in points will get in.) Next she has to try and qualify in the Jumping with her at Stoneleigh in August. Being realistic, it's not as hard to qualify for Crufts with a Medium as with a Large dog because of lower numbers. I wish I'd taught her to do Flyball too. We like to keep busy at Crufts. The Champ class was a different story - slight hesitation where she should have sent Hazel round the back of a jump and E'd for a back jump in the Agility round. In good company, though. I can't remember how she got E'd in the Jumping. Good enthusiasm from a very moody dog, though. Perfect weather for her - cool and cloudy. Pam

I have resorted to legging it out of the ring sharpish so they don't get a chance to catch me. I do actually know what I need to do, I just don't care enough to put in the work. I don't need to be told that I need to sharpen my turns, get my footwork right and stop sticking my bum out on right and about turns - I know.

Oooh - I really, really hate that. It's so patronising. On the odd occasion that I venture into Obedience, I don't give a stuff what the judge thinks or tells me I should do with my dog. I can take advice but not from someone who doesn't know me or my dog. Pam

Any of my brags will always be about how my daughter has done with mostly my dogs as she nicks them off me. This weekend at Barrow Cedar actually got his KC name read out for the first time with a 7th in Junior Jumping. Fingers crossed that he may at last be getting over his setback after being attacked at training about 18 months ago. And old girl Penny (12 and a half), who we've been thinking should be on the verge of retirement for a good while now, got her first ever place in Intermediate Jumping (as far as I can remember) with a 19th - and a 19th in Intermediate Agility - and a 13th in Novice Agility - and a 5th in Junior Agility. She's never been a very fast dog so it's all the more surprising that she can still get placed. Most remarkable of all - she got her dog walk contact at least 3 times - unheard of. Pam

Our baby Cedar got his first rosette yesterday. It's only taken him 15 months. I haven't actually seen the rosette yet - I'm told Sandymoss picked it up for me. OK, it was only 25th in Starters Jumping at an unaffiliated show, but Starters were classified as any dog that hadn't had 2 wins, so there were some pretty experienced and successful Novice dogs in the class. It was the best round he has ever done, and if we can get a few more like that out of him, I think it will be time to start pushing him. We haven't dared push him up to now as he goes right off his head. Pam

Exactly - I must be singlehandedly responsible for global warming. And my daughter was asked to judge Agility at Scunthorpe the same weekend but I couldn't work out a reasonably practical way of doing it.

My Hazel is definitely a first thing in the morning dog in Agility. Not sure about Obedience. No doubt I'll find out if I actually summon up the energy to go to Wigton in August. I have entered (not seriously - it was more to give me some incentive to practise), but we're at Stoneleigh near Birmingham on the Saturday for a YKC Crufts Jumping qualifier, supposed to be at Wigton near Carlisle for Obedience on the Sunday and near Barnard Castle in Co Durham for Championship Agility on the Monday. Pam

I think it's the very nature of Obedience itself that encourages people to get uptight. When you're worried about tiny imperfections in performance it's bound to affect your outlook. I've only dabbled in competition, but there didn't seem to be many chilled out people at the shows I've been to.

Why do people worry about being drawn? You can't do better than your best, whenever you work. I'd rather get it over with than hang about for ages. If I had a very early draw, I'd just get there in time to watch the judge and steward working out the heelwork route. Pam