Looking at dogs in the US and Europe, it is just kinda hard to explain what you see when you end up down under. But that's why I get the big bucks (????) to educate all the K9PS folks about every thing going on with dogs around the world, and boy have I been around the world lately.

A few weeks ago I was in Denmark for the European Championships hosted by Carsten Skals, get home, write up the first part of a really great trial, with some unique dogs and things to learn for everyone, sleep a little, see where I live, jump on a plane and head off to Aussie land! And let me say what a land it is for dogfolks!

I am getting ready to head for Houston, Tx. for a weekend seminar, so I may have to keep this one brief but I can promise, what went on in the land down under will interest every one that thinks they like dogs.

They do things a little different down under than on this half of the globe, for instance when people in the states have a trial or seminar, usually the first thing asked is, where are the dog friendly motels? I can say in all honesty with two trips to Australia I have yet to see the inside of a motel room.

When Katrina Hartwell of Southern Cross kennels and Maria Bryan of True Blue Bandogs do things they do it Aussie style.

We had NO motel, we had camping out. That's right they reserved a campground in Woodford where we watched the Cockatoos fly wild in the evening and the Magpies woke me up every morning, before sun up. But the air was fresh and Ryan had eggs on the Barby in the morning, and steaks in the evening.

Between sunup and sundown we had dogs! We had Bandogs, and Neos' and GSDs' and Mals and Dutch Shepherds, and we had dog folks.

We had dog folks from Japan (that's right I said Japan, they have dogs there too) we had working dogs from security companies and we had hog dogs that supplement their income by doubling as guard dogs in their spare time. We had dogs that still work for a living and you could see the 'click' between the handlers and the dog.

Seeing all the people that would turnout for a K9PS seminar and trial on the flip side of the world was really great. And for all the people that traveled they were not disappointed. I got to work dogs for people in the traditional bite work. We took most dogs that had never done bite work before, to trial level participation. But the best part for all was the opportunity to learn about DOG, not PP dogs, or Sport dogs, just DOG their best friend.

Tony McCallum, K9PS Director Aus, and the man I look to when I have a question about DOG, was there for the entire seminar. It would be very difficult to find a person with Tony's everyday hands on experience in dogs. Couple that with a very entertaining way of explaining how dogs think and work and you have a great chance to really learn about your best friend, not just how some sport is done. And you can only get that from Tony.

If the chance to work with Tony wasn't good enough Craig Murray Internationally certified trainer working with the Universities of Sydney and Tokyo dropped in to help, and be sure we all had a world view, of how the dog world is going on in several different countries.

But time is ticking and I hear Houston calling, so I will have to make this a wrap up but, we all love to hear the phrases and terms used by Aussies, like "throw a shrimp on the barby" and "G'day Mate", and of course we have "Sheila's" & "Roos" and if you had seen what I saw you might even think that Bandog was Aussie instead of English.

So I will leave you with a little trivia, another Aussie term a "Bolo Bump" any non Aussie knowing the meaning of the term will receive a free forty pound bag of Royal Canin and tickets to the World Championships Nov 3
BE THERE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More to come on Australia and the European Championship, stay tuned.

Listen Well, Bite Hard!!!

Where do you come up with this stuff?

Well anyway, to guess, let me take a crack at it... Is it when you wallop someone / something with the flat of the blade of a bolo knife (similar to a machete)?? Like say smacking lifestock in the butt with it to get them to move?