Where is everyone???

[Milesmom]

Hey, where is everyone? I hope it is quiet because everyone is too busy having fun with their dogs to be posting here!

Miles and I got back into action last month and have accumulated 3 more double Q's and about 65 points toward our MACH. We even went 5 for 6 this last weekend which was pretty cool. There was one Standard course that pretty much chewed everyone up and spit them out! I have 2 agility instructors and one of them, who I take privates with, referred to Miles as a "seasoned" agility dog. OMG! I am not used to hearing my dog referred to as "seasoned"!! Ah, but it is true, he's 5 1/2 and has been competing since he was 17 mos and competing in agility for 2 years. So I guess he is.


My boy is so easy now. He's a steady Eddie, very reliable. I don't need to spend much time training any more, just practice and keeping fit. I guess that means it is time to search for a puppy. I am working on getting my husband used to the idea of a puppy next spring or the spring after.

Any advice on how to search for a breeder of performance labs and what to look for I'd love to hear it. The breeder I got Miles from retired. Most of the breeders I know focus on conformation. When I got Miles, I thought we'd just be a pet home so I just called around until I found someone I liked and met a dog I liked. Miles dog mom, Jenna, stole my heart so the check book came out. The breeder had been talking to me about Tabitha, Dickendall and I had no idea what she was talking about! Look what happened! I got very lucky that he's turned out to be so good at obedience and agility.

Anne, I wish you were closer to me!

[Belles mom]

We are done competing for the year, and waiting for Kodi to whelp on Halloween!

[Luvmydog2much]

We're busy working with our new puppy Nola. So far, I'm very, very happy with her and the drive that she has.

I say, find a breeder you're happy with and get one of their puppies.

I think (and I know I'll get jumped for this one LOL) that finding a puppy that fits you is more important than finding a puppy from a 'performance' breeder....or maybe I've just lucked out!

Ruby's not from a performance breeder, and she produced a 19 month old UD...

[Milesmom]

Oh how fun Karen! Good luck! Post some pictures!

Thanks for the advice, luvmydogtoomuch, sounds like you are keep busy!

[windycanyon]

I for one am out of competition til spring... due to.... ahhh, forget it! I need to get my office work done first as it is so I can pay the bills!
But really, w/ you in OH, you should be in a great spot! PM me if you are out of ideas.

[patm]

Emilu is "retired" from showing, but I have been using her as me demo dog for the Rally/CGC class that I just taught for the past 8 weeks - she loved riding in the car with me and getting to show her stuff (and get treats for it). Baxter is 15 months old and we've just been training in obedience mostly - a little confomation last spring. He is doing well, but would be doing better if I trained him better.We're going to test for the CGC next week. I figure it will be early next spring before he is ready for Rally. He is smart and eager, but easily distracted by other dogs, etc. When I got him, I was looking for a "good looking" conformation bred dog to train for obedience. There are ALOT of good breeders in Ohio - both field and bench. I told friend (breeders) that I was looking for a smart, energetic, interested in people dog. I got Baxter - he has been a handfull, but I blame myself for alot of his "problems", which he is slowly outgrowing. I still stand by my thoughts that he will be a great dog someday

[brody]

I'm working my self to the be at the moment - ridiculous but there it is - hoping to get back to agility in December... glad things are giong well for you

[debjen]

Just finished out local trial where Cedar earned his Exc A JWW title with a 2nd place and now is my 1st dog to be able to earn double Q's (tho can't remember the last time he actually got a double Q...LOL....although most of the weekend my dogs looked at me and said what is that I've never seen those poles sticking up from the ground..I've never heard the word weave before..are you sure that's what you want..contact zone..where is and what is the contact zone...

Anyway we are pretty much done for the year..everything is on the other side of the mountains and I don't like to go over the mountains in winter..

[Belles mom]

Emilu is "retired" from showing, but I have been using her as me demo dog for the Rally/CGC class that I just taught for the past 8 weeks - she loved riding in the car with me and getting to show her stuff (and get treats for it). Baxter is 15 months old and we've just been training in obedience mostly - a little confomation last spring. He is doing well, but would be doing better if I trained him better.We're going to test for the CGC next week. I figure it will be early next spring before he is ready for Rally. He is smart and eager, but easily distracted by other dogs, etc. When I got him, I was looking for a "good looking" conformation bred dog to train for obedience. There are ALOT of good breeders in Ohio - both field and bench. I told friend (breeders) that I was looking for a smart, energetic, interested in people dog. I got Baxter - he has been a handfull, but I blame myself for alot of his "problems", which he is slowly outgrowing. I still stand by my thoughts that he will be a great dog someday

I hope to be where you are in a year!!

[IdahoLabs]

I'm still around... we're done for the year, will (hopefully) be competing in agility and utility in the spring. My folks have a young pup that I think they'll end up having me show too. She's a 7 month old Lab pup by an Intl show CH with a mix of field and show lines, so I might end up keeping and showing her in the spring too.

My thoughts on pups; after health, temperament is far more important than anything else. If you're going to compete you need a dog with a temperament that meshes well with yours. Also, if I were buying another pup at the moment I'd only get one from a breeder that had competed with his/her dogs near the level that I wanted to compete at and knew what I need in a dog - or they'd produced multiple dogs that earned advanced titles. I've chatted with some breeders... I might be looking in another year or so... and I get a little tired of hearing people tell me their pups have potential to do anything I want to do, when the breeder has never shown or only ever put rally titles on their dogs. You've got a UD dog and a list of other titles after his name- you're a proven performance home and IMO you can be picky.