Thank you so much ladies. I felt very, very, very responsible about this idea but then SIL went & shot me down.

This is my second dog actually. Very miserable experiece with our first dog, which is why this dog has been planned to the enth degree & has caused so much deliberating, anxiety, etc... etc...

Basically our last dog - Rhodesian Ridgeback - bit Jessica's face when she was 11 months old. I did the most awful thing I have done in my life & that was have her put to sleep. I just had to do it, I couldn't live with myself keeping her here in case she did it again, but worse (she had bitten a couple of strangers before, but that was provoked on their parts, once she bit 'one of us' I couldn't chance it happening again). Also, my vet advised they weren't allowed to rehome as she had a history or biting other people & also children.

So all that aside, I am try as best I can to make this experience a much better one & I am trying to act as though this is my first dog.

But JANIE in response to you, YES YES YES obedience is going to be a 'must' for Banjo. I did it with our previous dog (Poppie) & we earned a CD title I think? She was very good at obdedience & I loved going there, but same story with you, I got pregnant & stopped going. I also plan on doing the agility & time trial agility with Banjo. This part is more for MY fitness as I have to fly around the course with him. Do you wanna know my mantra??? 'Banjo is going to make me skinny'