dasha

Well thanks again for the ideas and support. She has been sold to a guy on a property. He got her on Fri and he said that he had some sheep in a yard there so thought he would put her in to see how she works. He said "You're right, she has a ton of work in her, but lucky His mate was still there as it took 2 of them to catch her. As soon as they started to call her she just fired up, so luvky he was there to help or he may stiil be there trying to catch her" So I guess he will see how she goes. His horses are not as close to the house as mine as he is on a larger block and he said any cats she can find she can have. He is also going to take her with the motorbike for 6-10 k's daily to take the sting out of her. The replacement dog will hopefully be arriving here between Christmas and new year. I am having an elbow operation next week so will be home to bond with her for a month when I am home and then train her before the trials start again in March.

Just take a nice length of persuader with you........Like a walking stick or sheperds crook thing. Start using it to protect your pup from other dogs approaching.....You will be surprised how many people will recall their dog if they think it may get a whack out of it. Obviously use common sense and use it as a blocker not a weapon.

Well thanks everyone for their advice over the last little while. After trying a range of other stuff, she still doesn't have the right temperament to make a good working dog partner. The breeder (who always thought she was the pick of the litter for some strange reason) took her for a few days to trial her. She brought her back to me as well. Said she doesn't have the time to put in as she will need way too much work. She also agreed that she would never make a reliable trial dog. Soooooo........... I have sold her to someone else to try as a cattle trial dog. He has also got someone interested in just a working farm dog if she doesn't fit in with him either. He wants a well bred BC bitch for his working dog team. So she will be heading off to Scone tomorrow for a new start in life. Hopefully she will make the most of it and fit in with his plans. Now to search for a replacement to start training for the trials starting up in March.

I was chuffed about my dog when at our 1st 3 sheep trial I had about 3 different people all come and want to buy my dog as we were leaving the trial ground. Over the last few months I have had numerous people all come to me and compliment how well trained my dog is and how responsive and eager to please....a joy to watch and that the word is that according to some very well respected triallers in the country have said she is one of the best natural working dogs that is on the cisuit at present. And we will be a future force to be reckoned with when her and I hit our straps in the next year or so. She is only just 2 so far.

Lablover..When she said it she said she had to scruff her to no end, she bit the dog on the ear (she heard it was effective), she had pinned it to the ground heaps. This was in order to "break" her dominance and to make her understand that she had to listen. It is not really a herding term. I have no idea what herding people to to train their dogs as I am not involved in herding. I compete in 3 sheep trials which have totally different instinct requirements and different rules

Well I have had the usual scratches from rough play. Fat lip from head butts etc and a chipped tooth. The biggest one was from a labrador that I was holding for someone else and he suddenly lunged behind me to try to run over to the bins and propmtly wrenched my shoulder which has resulted in: Shoulder surgery to cut off end of collar bone, followed by elbow and wrist surgery to fix the damaged nerve. Now need another elbow surgery to repair a torn tendon from the latest devil pup hitting the end of long lead so much at speed.

No problem Clyde. The way I see it, dogs are supposed to enhance our lives and bring us pleasure..... not provide us with a whole new way to spend money or time to suit 1 little dog because it won't listen.

The only way to keep her out of the horse paddock is to keep her on a lead. (which she is 99% of the time) That is not really going to help her though as on the lead she is good and well mannered. Paddocks are only electric tape so it is quite easy for the dogs to go under etc and the sheep etc. Unfortunately for her she may have to get kicked or chased a few more times. Problem is kicking doesn't put her off and chasing just teaches her bad habits for a sheepdog as well as increases her drive and absession to control it. We do NILIF and have done for a while to try to help her bond and have started TOT for now. A gruff voice just makes her go from 100% obsessed to 300% in a split second so raising voice or lower tones just totally fires her up beyond any reasoning at all. Sheena she is learning a stop on the lead but without distractions. Once she has got her sights set on something she will not look at me. There is no way she will give eye contact when stock is around. Even if you drag her away from the stock or give her a helping hand with ecollar or poly pipe or block her she will not look at me at all. She may be with you in body but her brain is still somewhere else. Vickie, Good suggestion. 3rd option is good I agree. PS sheena, her ears aren't pricked. If she makes me pull them too many times though they may prick

Well we have been away for a bit and as usual I took her with me. To be honest, when we were away she was well behaved. She didn't chase any guinea fowl or cattle at the place we stayed. It may have helped that when she got too confident or naughty around this place, the pack (approx 15) of Mini Foxies and a range of other farm dogs would get stuck into her like ants attacking something and she would have to come to me for help. She recalled each time I called (which is usual except around sheep,cats,horses) and was very behaved especially for a pup. Then we got home. I let her out of the car and we walked around to the back of the house and she followed me around as usual. She spotted the cat............ I called her.....she started to come back as cat walked towards pool fence to get behind it..................... just before cat could reach fence and I could not reach her............she looked back at cat......then me...................and raced to grab cat before he could get through the fence. When he was through she then comes running happily back like she has just done a nice recall for me. Then repeats same for horse. I took her with me the next day to pick up my sheep so I let her out with the other dog to bring the sheep in to draft mine off. SHe did a good job (although a bit quick) but she isn't broken in yet so can't expect anymore. As usual she wouldn't come off the sheep so had to do usual block and chase dance till she finally gives in. Got home, put her back on long string for general daily things now as she still wants to bite the horse to make it run so she can chase it. Also to keep her from the cat............... I now have a sore arm where it is possible I have ripped tendon joining bone when she hits the end of long rope multiple times at high speed..................She sure packs a punch for a little dog. Perhaps it is time for a return of the collar for training at home. Or the person that wants to buy her for a cattle dog may get a call...................... Still undecided. SHe has days of being well behaved (but still not bonded) and days of making my blood boil.

I am in the same prediciament ATM. I have a 51/2 month old BC pup that I am having trouble bonding with. Even when she is with me in body-her mind is not. But she is so happy to see the other dogs and people but I do not get the same enthusiasm or interaction from her. I have also been offered another dog from someone.She is a lovely engaging dog even though she doesn't really know me yet, she still looks at me when I call her name and at least acknowledges me with a tail wag and a look. As I bought my dog for a specific purpose (sheepdog trialling) which requires a strong working realtionship, I am 95% sure I will rehome my pup and take the other one on offer. There is nothing wrong with the natural working instincts in my pup but it is simply her lack of human bonding that makes me think we are not made for each other. The fact I get so frustrated with her also make me feel bad for her that she won't end up getting the same love and attention she deserves so she would be better off somewhere else. I think if the other dog on offer could make you happier or progress you further in what you want to do, then you should take the opportunity and get the other dog.

I am prettty sure that the Spotswood dogs would be offered to go to Syd or Byford. With Byford always full I would say they will mostly go through Sydney untill the new facitilies are ready.

Thanks for the tips. Jeff Jones...Don't worry if she was a shep I would send her there. Could I paint her to look like one? Easy to say not to let her around horses etc but we live on 5 acres with horses, cats, sheep etc so basically she needs to learn to do as she is told. As it is she has been limited to a long lead, chain or crate for the last month to try to get some form of control, respect from her. She is kept seperate to other dogs, she only gets fed from my hand and that is only after doing something I ask of her (Sit, stop, stay, drop, recall etc) and giving me eye contact to acknowledge me. She does not play with balls, has no interest in following them or retrieving them. In fact she is not very interactive at all. Just focussed on looking for the horse or cat. Keeping her confined forever isn't an option because she needs to learn the lesson, not for me to remodel my whole lifestyle or property around her. She has already had some lessons with an e-collar (and yes it was with a professional trainer). The question is how to get through to a dog that has already had extreme negative association (kick by horse, pressure washer in face and ear- which she did herself, e-collar stimulation,) with a behaviour but still wants to do the behaviour knowing what the result will be. Aussielover I would like to TRAIN her rather than break her. That would be ideal. The thing is sheepdog trialling is a team sport and she needs to follow a lot of repetitive commands later in lilfe. If she isn't interested in being a team player then she may have to go work on a farm or something and I will get a more natural willing team player. She can work stock again at 8 months which is why she needs to learn how to be a partner before she is let loose on stock to take control.She is no good to anyone if she thinks she is the boss. Erny thanks for the advice too. I will look into some things also. Vickie, thanks for your positive comments and support

Ok guys, I am after some advice as I am at my wits end. I have a 51/2 month old Working Border collie pup that is really starting to push my buttons. When away from home she is good (unless there is sheep or horses or cats). She will recall, follow me around, sometimes play but not too interactive. She is usually scanning the horizon at all times for something that resembles horses or sheep or cats to run off to. She seems to have a VERY high pain threshhold which prevents her from learning from bad experinces...In fact the more it hurts or could hurt, she gets more intense and goes harder. She bites the cat on the face to make it run so she can chase it, she bites the horses back legs to make it kick so she can bite it again. When she is doing her thing, she COMPLETELY shuts me out. No respect at all. She has been on a long lead for ages (and has ripped my jeans loop when tied to belt, nearly broke my wrist, wrenched my shoulder, heaps minor rope burns) all to get to the horse. She has been kicked fair in the forehead by one horse and all she wanted to do was get back at it for kicking her(even though she couldn't see out of one eye). She does not give ground to people.If you walk into her she will sqare up. If you clap your hands or make any sudden sounds to try to scare her or chase her she comes back harder. Or if you raise your voice, she goes about doing her thing harder and faster. I am looking for any tips of any kind to get her to listen to me as her leader and show respect. I have been told her mother was also an extremely difficult dog to start but once you break her she was ok. But I don't think their meaning of break and what I sometimes want to do to this thing is the same meaning...

I will be heading down for that too. Only as a competitor. Should be good, I have heard good things about it.

After telling us what it is currently fed, it is porb overweight and the already has poor nutrition so the vet was prob trying to get her back on some form of digestible food. Maybe the vet suggested a bland diet for the body to get over the other crap in it. I don't think it could fit the biscuits in after eating pasta, sausages, mcdonalds etc

That reminds me. I saw a shar pei a while back that was all spotty like a dally. It looked kinda cute.

Nothing you use is 100% effective. No matter what combinations you use, you will still need to do a thorough tick search daily if you live in a bad tick area. When working at vets we had dogs treated every 2 weeks with frontline, lived in a cement run, mown grass all round and still had several trips to vet a year to be still treated with for tick poisoning. It is what ever combination suits you and your budget. Even if you use everything possible you still may need a trip to vet for treatment anyway.

I worked for a vet in a very bad tick area in Sydney and we had a lot of people using the Virbac PrevenTick collars. They seemed to help control the ticks very well.

I worked at a vet clinic and it varied ther on the age the first vacc was given If the 1st on was 6ish weeks then they got a series of 3. If they were older say 8-10 weeks at their 1st one hten they only got 2. It was a long time ago but it had something about the maternal antibodies and it was questionable how musch of the 1st one is effective so thereofre another 2 were needed.

Well they are listed on the world breed list as a breed in USA. But other designer breeds are not. Anyway I have seen 2. They looked a bit snipey nosed though like they had pomeranian in them or something to get the size. Cute but didn't look like a small version of the real thing.

Corvus, yes in Sydney. They look so much like wolves and are quite big. Also seen Coton de Tulear, Dutch Shepherd Miniature Aussie Shepherd, Thai Ridgebacks (not very friendly and a bit ugly) Pražský Krysařík These are the ones that are tiny like a small chihuahua. Shikoku All of these were seen in Australia

I have seen 2 czechoslovakian wolf dogs, Black Russian terrriers, Patterdale terriers, Podengo's and recently a Boerboel. Also some kind of tiny dog-smaller than chihuahuas from Russia I think. Will try and remember the name.

That is the lens I have and have found it to be a very good allround lens. I can take good action shots as well as stills. I am very happy with it so far.

My now passed border Collie did: Home and Away (scruffy) An Ice cream ad for Japan A car ad for another country. My older Kelpie did: Powerade - where she takes the ball from a soccer game and hides under the car with it. Sultana Bran Farmer wants a wife ad (howling dog) Medicare ad My younger Kelpie did: CASe IH in the country areas for machinery. True Blue Dog food - Her pic is on the bags Another ad for country areas but can't remember it. I think Drontal Commonwealth Bank A car ad for Japan My young border collie did Farmer wants a wife ad as a pup. My horses have been on X factor, Murder Call, some other ads too. Cat is about to come out on the new advocate ad too. As a gangster

What a surprise. I was just looking at the different dog foods and a particular one grabbed my attention. I thought thats a good looking dog, looks a bit like mine. The background pics looks ALOT like one we had taken for advertising another company................. Look a bit closer........Yep Thats my dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The actor in the background pic is the same one we had on teh other job...................Thats because this comany has gone and used the pics. NOT HAPPY