BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.


Sorry about the newsletter being a week or so late but life is not without its complications. As everyone knows Debbie took possession of 'Benni' her Miniature Poodle pup who along with my Pansy, will boost the small dog numbers at the Club we hope especially for Flygility. If you check out Deb's Facebook page you will see that Benni already has a good grip on a full size tennis ball.

The weather hasn't been conducive to lots of training but we have been quite busy enrolling new people with dogs from animal shelters and special purpose bred pet puppies, so the Club continues to grow.

With Christmas just over a month away it is time to start thinking about how training will run through this period. As is normal for me I only observe the statutory holidays and the training goes on. 17th and 18th of December is our two day tournament for Flygility. and the week after that leads up to Christmas. It will be training as usual up to and including Friday night Behavior Class. Saturday 24th is Christmas Eve and people are usually doing family things by then. Wednesday 28th will be a general training night from 4.30 to 7p.m. I will set up course work coaching and class work for whoever turns up. If you can txt me and let me know I will be better prepared. Thursday 29th will be Sprints and Flygility night. Friday is available for coaching or behavior. Once again let me know and I will prepare program for you. Saturday is 31st New Year's Eve so once again no training. 4th 5th 6th January will be as per previous week with class work and or coaching and course work. If there are people not working through the daytime or are on holiday, let me know if you want some day time coaching one on one. Saturday 7th normal Saturday program.

From the week starting 9th of January there will be a new training program. There will no longer be Tuesday training. Wednesday night will stay the same seniors at 5.30 Beginners Agility 6.30.

Thursday night will now be new dogs and puppies Obedience Control and pre Agility with a focus on Sprints and Straight line equipment work.

Friday night will stay Behavior Class for those who are having real trouble controlling chasing attacking aggressive or non compliant behavior. It is to upskill the handlers as well as the dogs.

Saturday will stay the same. Tuesday for me will be a time to do work with dogs at my place including stock work behavior and compliance. In the evening I can see those people who need to see me at their place to sort management and training. This is also another year of reducing the amount of time I spend at the Club which will be continuous throughout the next four years. I will drop a day each year. I am hoping the Club will put some other work such as Obedience or Peer Group work in place on Monday and Tuesday nights to keep the Club ticking over. At some point I will be forming a mini dog group to cater specifically for small pet dogs. There are five interested people including myself at the moment. Just where we will fit our program in I don't know it will be about the time that most suits the five of us.

I am always available to give private lessons or do coaching for specific sports to those who want extra work. That will never change. My main drive personally is to get my small farm back in proper operation after ten years of almost full time dog work. My milking goats are very important to me as are my Muscovy ducks of which I have a full range of colors including the very rare red. If I don't dedicate some time to them soon then I will lose that strain which would be a shame. My house and garden is desperate for love and attention and I really enjoy gardening. I feel at 65 I have almost done what I set out to do with dogs and I need to move on.

For now though let’s do the summer program and enjoy some fine!! dry!!! club time. This last year has been a nightmare to train in in terms of the weather. I feel strongly that an indoor venue for training would be a vast asset to the Club. I am investigating some options at the moment.
Enjoy your Dogs

UPDATE ON PANSY.


I have now owned Pansy for eight weeks so I should have seen the most of her behavior by now.

She is a lot calmer although she is quite clingy with me and wants to be with me at all times. She has a big eye for chickens and birds generally and anything that moves very quickly catches her attention. Rabbits on the Club lawn, Katie's little girl Jade's floaty princess dress. Anything that moves. The good news is that her ‘leave it come' command is working brilliantly. She is not trustworthy yet though. As long as I am there to make decisions for her she is just fine. Works well off lead. Loves cuddles. Loves grooming other dogs and people. Her play drive is increasing. She will now chase a full size tennis ball twenty five thirty meters and bring it all the way back and pretty rapidly too. She is participating in pre agility class and is just getting a handle on off lead tunnels and hurdles. She definitely loves to jump.

It is early days, but to me she has promise as a small flygility dog and probably Agility. My whole pack are getting along fine. There have been no further incidents with attacks on Fae since the last biggie. All my dogs are in a daily program to bring young Benni the Poodle into the pack. Beckiboo is perfect. Fae isn't interested in Benni, she isn't interested in dogs much anyway, Chip thinks it is definitely a boy and continues to check Benni out but not too boisterously. Pansy is over interested, as she would be, all that orange fluff looks good to her. But day by day she is improving with him. Benni likes them all except the bit where everyone sniffs his bum. He turns his back on them and sits on it. Good man Benni.