Ms Hannah, Tiffany JDX

Hannah has been converted from a Miss to a Ms and is doing very well. We have to keep her 'quiet and calm', for 2 weeks. We have a better chance of winning the lottery. So far so good, she has recovered from the surgery very well and is actively resisting all attempts to keep her 'quiet and calm'.

I went to the trials on Saturday, and passed two Jumping Dog Excellent trials which means I have another title to my name, JDX.

It was close for the first pass, I almost went passed a jump when Keith called me back, and Judge Joy was right in the perfect position to see if it was a refusal or not. After she said it was less than a centimetre in it, but I got the pass, and my Title. I will have to talk to Demon to see if he can get his mum to put me in the Masters Jumping at Mt Gambier next week.

20 years of Tollers

The Tollers have been in Australia for 20 Years, and to celebrate there was a gathering of Tollers at the United Retriever Club of NSW in Sydney. We were there and Tiffany won 1st place in the 400mm Agility Dog Excellent class,with a qualification. The pic shows her running through the weaving poles on her way to the win. The Jumping Excellent went wrong when Tiffany went the wrong way over a jump after leaving a tunnel , but the rest of the course was good.

I was in Novice Obedience, but it was all too much for me and I got put off by the thunderstorm that went through just before the start of the trial. Anyway, I did the heel work OK, but I would not sit at the start peg for the next exercise so I was sent home early.

There were lots of Tollers on the grounds. There was a Conformation Show, the Agility and Jumping trial, the Obedience Trial and the Retrieving Ability Test for Gundogs, with Tollers entered in all of them. Maybe next year at the 21 year gathering we will do better.

Wisemans Ferry

The Toller Tourists are out and about, this time at Wisemans Ferry, just a short drive from Castle Hill. We stopped at the lookout, and then went down to the ferry and had a walk round the park. Hannah started chasing the blossoms that were falling off the trees and we spent ages trying to convince her they were harmless and did not need to be driven off. We met some people that wanted to pat us, so we put up with that for about half an hour, then went down to the river bank to see the Blue Wren that would not stay still long enough for Keith to get a photo. I don't know which was the funniest, Hannah chasing the blossoms or Keith chasing the wren.

Sydney Trials

We have had a week-end at the Sydney dog grounds at Erskine Park. KnK have been judging for two days, and we have been left on our own. Well we fixed them, we chewed Keith's pillow on the first day, then chewed his hat on the next day.

It's not all been bad, we have had lots of runs on the ground and played with lots of new dogs and watched the end of a RATG trial.

Most of the other dogs have gone home today, so I suppose we will be moving on tomorrow too. Hannah is competing in an Obedience trial next week, and I am doing Agility, with lots of other Tollers. Hopefully we will get some practice in during next week.

The Dogs on the Tucker box

We are in Gundagai, where dogs are required to sit on a Tucker Box.

We stopped for lunch by the monument to the original Tucker Box-sitting dog and posed for pictures. First time for Hannah, but I have been here before.

It seems a long time ago, a bullock team driver broke down and had to walk 9 miles to Gundagai to get help. His Dog sat on the tucker box, which was where the Driver kept not only his food, but all his valuables too. The dog guarded the tucker box until the driver got back. Not much of a story really, but that was probably the most interesting thing that had happened in years. The monument was put 5 miles from Gundagai, as the 9 mile point was not very good for a tourist trap.

Anyway, whenever we pass the humans want us to pose with this statue, so we did.

Champion Hannah

She Did It! Hannah got Best of Breed and Challenge to get the final points she needed to be a Champion.

Her formal name is now

Champion Sherbrooke Highway Hannah CCD.

We went to Monato near Murray Bridge for the dog show. There were lots of dogs there, and Hannah was the best Toller. She did not do any good in the Group line-up, but that does not count for her title.

Hannah did her usual "wag everything while the Judge is approaching" trick, although she did not move from position during the examination and she ran round the ring perfectly.

Now we are both Champions of the Breed.

Whyalla

What a hot week end. The wind came up and blew all the dust about, the sun was out all day and we were hot and sticky. All we wanted to do was lie on the cool bed until we could get back to the caravan and the air-con. Keith expected me to run round the Agility ring, but I was too hot, sticky and uncomfortable to try. Hannah didn't have to run, so why should I?

Anyway, maybe the next run will be in better weather.