Janba

What about a voice command only? All 3 of your excersises have a hand signal in them so the dog could fetch all 3 times on the hand signal regardless of what the voice command was. I will try this tomorrow but with number 3 will just use the voice command.

Mishka - came and did a straight present though could have been a bit closer. She has 2 passes at CD before she went on strike and I have taught her to recall from different positions and do a straight finish. Moss - came and sat at right angles with his head in front of my legs- so half way there. He is just about ready to trial in novice. Cole came and stood in front off me. He has very little formal obedience but a very reliable recall.

Maybe if you are lucky If I could get the same focus on me as he has on sheep I would be ecstatic.

I just tried it with Cole - 22 months BC, has done puppy preshool, a Jo Hill clinic as a pup, and been to obedience training a couple of dozen times, I do a bit of clicker training with him for mental stimulation and does know a watch command. Has had a lot of herding training so is used to working as a team. He did 26 seconds then jumped up on me still looking at my face.

HIC(HIT) hasn't been a title for at least 3 years. Before that you could apply for and get a title. Now you just have to have one pass at the instinct certificate to go onto the herding test (HT) which is not compulsory or the pre trial (PT) which is compulsory. A lot of trials now let you do the HIC then move up and do the HT or PT on the same day. You can still get a HIC certificate if you want to pay for it.

In what way does she challenge your leadership? How does her behaviour change if you give her more attention?

One that I would highly recomend is The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell. It gives a really good insight into both dog and human behaviour patterns and how they inter relate. Any of her books are really good. Karen Pryor's Lads Before the Wind is also a good book although it is mainly about dolpins a lot of what she says can be related to dogs although it is an older book. Suzanne Clothier's Bones Would Rain From the Sky is also another good one. I will probably think of a lot more when I am less tired ETA If you really want to read some classics I would try some of Konrad Lorenz's books. Though a lot of what he has written is now a bit dated he is considered one of the founders of ethology and the books are well worth reading.

I agree go to the vet as soon as possible. It may not be due to the vaccine but an allergic reaction to somethoing like an insect bite.

A little brag from today. Cole got his second pass in herding in started B sheep with a score of 92.5. Once again we lost our points on the cast (he is too flat at the top) and on me putting him in the wrong places at the pen . Hopefully last pass and title tomorrow.

can you explain this a little more pls Erny I agree with Vickie's queries on this. The problem with turning their herding instinct on is that if you have a dog with strong instinct you then have to continue to work them regularly or provide another form of mental stimulation when you can't work sheep or the problems will return and it may be worse. Wouldn't it be better to do some other form of stimulation that can be carried out on a regular basis? Stalking birds and rounding up kids and other dogs has no correlation with wether or not the dog will actually work stock properly.

Don't clip him if you can avoid it. With BCs when you clip them the coat grows back thicker and harder to manage. If you have to just clip the really bad bits and hand clip the rest. A brush like the mars coat king will also help to get the undercoat out. I would get some malaseb and wash him in that - it is antibacterial and anti fungal. Curash powder also helps to dry them out. You might also need to get some anti biotics from the vet if tyhe sores are infected.

Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome, a recessive fatal disease that borders can have. You test for it by a DNA test that is done by Alan Wilton at NSW Uni. You ideally need to look for a pup that has had at least one parent tested DNA clear. Carriers aren't affected so it wouldn't matter if a pet was a carrier. http://www.bccnsw.com/tns.html

The behaviour you are trying to stop is in itself rewarding as I assume the pup is sometimes successful in getting the food off your son and a behavour that is intermittently rewarded can be hard to extinguish by purely positive training. If you were going to be purely positive you would have to make the reward for not trying to get the food of a greater value than trying to get the food. I would tend to do very much what leopuppy described.

I think a lot of vets are aware and it is not only ivermectin but a range of other drugs as well that are listed in the link laffi posted. I don't know what the incidence of the mutant MDR1 gene is in the Aussie shepherd but it may be very low. Your dog will only have a problem if they carry 2 copies of the mutant gene. Have you rung your breeder and asked if they have DNA tested your pups parents for the MDR1 mutation - only one needs to have been tested if that one came back clear and if you are really worried have the test done yourself. It is done by cheek swab so you don't have a vet. Have a lok at that link I posted earlier. The only way you are going to know if your dog has a problem with ivermectin is via DNA or give it a big dose and see what happens.

You can have a DNA test done to see if your dog MDR1 affected. If they are clear or a carrier then ivermectin shouldn't be any more of a problem than to any other dog. Its only about $60 for the test. ETA You can get the test done in Aus through http://www.gtg.com.au/AnimalDNATesting/ind...?menuid=080.150

Is he on any sort of medication as some can really increase appetite.

Danois I am so very sorry. Angus was a beautiful boy and will be much missed. Run Free Angus.

There is a big difference between an accident while dogs are playing and an aggressive attack by an escaping dog. Unfortunately this kind of thing is one of the risks you take by letting dogs play and puppies can be very rough in their play. I hope the pup makes a full recovery.

It is probably due to teething. Ears do all sorts of wonderful things as pups teeth but settle down as they finish their teething.

Contacty the AVA and they shopuld be able to tell you who else scores. I sent mine to Dr Wyburn.

What breed have you got? See. Told you :rolleyes: Just curious about yor reasons. I just don't ever recalll you saying or talking about your own dogs. Other people might want that privacy too.

What breed have you got?

How many of the regulars on here never mention their own dogs, their breed or post photos? Quite a few.

What pet shows were on in WA at the weekend? Crossbred pet shows don't normally talk about groups etc so my feeling is a show or a Pet Expo with breed stands.

She has stated that For my part until proven wrong I will assume an ANKC breeder and from the first post assume she met them at a dog show she went to her statement about hound and gundogs and groups.