Doing anything interesting for New Years Eve?

[Jovial Monk]

I am closing up in 24 minutes, start of a glorious 8 day break!

Closing early to get ready to take my stupid Jack Russell/Silky terrier bitch to Gawler for a dog obedience trial, our first real trial. Weird way to celebrate the new year or what? Apparently quite a drunken show so should be fun.

[Jovial Monk]

This is the stupid dog in question

We should be alright (but never can tell with a fersluginer terrier!) as here she is sitting solid as a rock despite cyclists whizzing past while I took some photos

[cynik]

You are a curious individual, dita.

Happy new year to you and the mutt.

[Jovial Monk]

and to you

[Jovial Monk]

but yeah doing the trial result of a long chain of events

[TomB]

I shall be watching you drunken 'tards make dicks of yourself while conducting myself with decorum.

[Jovial Monk]

dog did really really well in the trial, up till the recall when she ran past me AND FUCKING BOMBED THE WHOLE TRIAL!

Ah well, another trial in a few months.

Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck!

[cynik]

I think I like your dog.

And it sure sounds like a trial. Like an ordeal, in fact. Maybe they should call them Obedience Ordeals?

Anyway, what is with the fascination of getting the little mutt to act reasonably? I have tried it frogen for years, and it just isn;t worth the effort.

[mantra.]

Frogen is nice. He never says anything nasty - that I've noticed. I don't agree with his political views, but that's about it.

Monk - the photo of your dog couldn't be accessed for some reason. Have you got 2 dogs? Don't they have to be pedigrees for trials?

[Jovial Monk]

I have fixed that first link, Mantra.

No, only pedigree dogs go into shows. Would bore me to death "here is my dog, its got a head, tail at other end & four legs." In Shows judges look for breed characteristics, how well it is groomed & other totally boring shit.

Any dog, even a mutt (and I prefer mutts, their hybrid vigor gives them more resistance to disease etc) should behave properly. I laugh when I see someone 'walking' their biggish dog and the dog is dragging them the whole way! Who is walking whom? The other aspect of dog behavior is barking.

In the morning when I paddle out to the back veranda to drink coffee the alsation dog over the back fence starts barking and keeps it up for 10-15 minutes. If the tennis ball I throw for my dog to chase hits the back fence it starts up again. Very boring! My dog gets plenty of walking (my way of trying to get fitter and less fatter) as you can see here (also TLP2.htm & TLP3.htm.) With all that exercise and things to explore she is not bored & doesn't bark bark bark bark. She is energetic and it was a pain walking her until starting the obedience lessons. I got her up to grade 5 which is some doing with a terrier! People into this stuff have border collies etc, working dogs.

In the winter I walked in the Adelaide Hills, following the Pioneer Womens Trail (still have to do small last stretch bridgewater to Verdun) but snakes are out now with the warmer weather so Torrens Linear Park it is. After that might walk the beaches of Adelaide, from Hallett Cove to North Haven.