WildFlower

Michelle, I am so sorry to hear about Crow. You guys are in my thoughts and prayers.

Oh no, poor Crow! I hope that all is ok! Sending good vibes.

Interesting conversation - thanks to all who have contributed.

I'm reading the book right now!

Hello, Please also remember that rescues often have litters of puppies available. In most cases where a litter is available, they go really fast! So it is helpful to be approved by rescues before litters come into rescue. Rescues also get one off puppies from time to time. Just as a quick personal aside, my Jess came into rescue at 10 months old from cattle dog lines. Her story was that she was too much for her family to handle. (She is a handful!) But she is a lovely dog and has just needed some time to adjust to my house, routine, and learn some basic manners. She needed consistency, attention, and love. She is keen as all get out on stock. One man's trash is another man's treasure and all.... Good on you for sticking around. So much is lost in translation on forums. This group is a wonderful resource full of very passionate people who love this breed so much. Best,

Hi Joe, Best wishes on the success of your book! I look forward to reading it. It looks like you spent a lot of time learning about the training of stock dogs! They are fascinating dogs and it is something magical to be a part of or even just witness.

@ GentleLake - I feed Fromms Classic (cheapest) to 4 dogs right now. 2 of them get 1.5 cups a day, 1 gets 2 cups, and 1 gets 3 cups. They are all a healthy weight. The girl that gets 3 cups is actually a little thin for my liking. And I like my dogs lean. I think that it depends on the dog's own metabolism and the exercise the dog is getting.

I am so sorry for your loss, Mary. Run free Buddy.

I'll be there Sue - and already signed up to help!

Daisy - DaisyDoodle, Doodlebug, Crazy Daisy, gross dog (she's my dog that rolls in gross stuff) Devon - Dev, The Devonator, 'lil Dev, Devil Teak - Tiki, TeakMonster, Needy dog Jess - Jessie, Muffin ^ She's my newest dog so has the shortest list. The evolution of nicknames is fascinating.

I hope to meet you both there!

I am so very sorry for your loss, Mary. Hugs to you. Run free Buddy.

You are in good hands with Bob Washer. Perhaps I will see you down there sometime.

Thanks for sharing! What a good girl Glama!

Good luck!

What a stunning window!

My Daisy does this too!

I'm so happy for you and Tio! What a delightful video!

Welcome!

I am so sorry for your loss. Run free Sassy.

I enjoy this forum very much. I check it daily on my lunch break.

I am still a relative novice - so keep that in mind... But I would go if I were you and run my dog. (Of course I would volunteer and spectate with excitement, too.) Here is my reasoning: - You say trials are few and far in between. So when will you have the chance to "test" your dog again? Another year from now? You say you think she has improved some - maybe not as much as you would have liked her, too - but she has improved. - You can learn more ways to improve as a handler by watching "better" handlers run their dogs. That's one of the best parts of trials! - Every trial is a learning experience for your dog. Hopefully, a good one. Even bad experiences are learning experiences - not always pleasant but they are. I trial as much as I can - this year it was 6 trials. But I try to remind myself before my runs that its just me and my dog working together. Being competitive is fun but I always try to measure our success against where we started and where we've been along the way. Good luck! Edited to add - for my softer dog, I also have a "get 'em up" command which is the ok to use "dental diplomacy". My other dog needs no command... In fact, he needs the opposite sometimes! LOL.

Happy birthday!

I agree with Tea!

Hi! The best way to find good breeders is to go to stock dog trials and talk to people. Or, even better, volunteer at stock dog trials. Check out the USBCHA website for a list of trials. (Sorry I couldn't paste the link for some reason.) I think I counted 5 trials in CA between now and the end of the year. The stock dog world is full of wonderful helpful people. Meeting them and their dogs is the best way to learn about litters and more about the dogs. (I read that you went to a trainer, too. That's great!) I know that you were given some names of folks in CA to contact and it sounds like you contacted them. Could you try and contact them again to ask if they know of any other handlers that are having pups any time soon? Please do keep in mind that when you first posted this thread most handlers were likely trialing. Some of the biggest trials in the western USA are in September. Another website to keep an eye on is www.handlerspost.com. This website has a classified section that lists dogs and pups for sale. One other thing that I will mention, is that most handlers only breed when they want another puppy - they aren't breeding puppies to sell puppies. That is not the "business" that they are in. So litters are fewer in number than other types (i.e. AKC or BYB) of litters. I am a relative novice in the stock dog world - only been in the stock dog world for 5 years. One thing that I have heard over and over again is that if you want a puppy from a particular person or dog - get on the list for a pup. So when I started to think about wanting another dog - I did just that. And I have been waiting for 2 years to get a pup from a particular breeding. I am happy to wait. I know what I want. So the point of my little story is - if you really want a nice working bred pup you may need to be more patient. Not what you wanted to hear, I'm sure.