Reddii

Hey there, As the others have said, don't panic. We found a tick on Xena when we were away earlier in the year. I panicked and rushed her to the vet. They just pulled it off, told us to keep her quiet for a couple of days and bring her back if there were any symptoms. If you are really worried have a chat to Rowan about his herbal remedy for future. Cheers Tony

I would also recommend Rowan. Both my dogs LOVE him and can't wait to get on the table for their 3 or 4 monthly visit. (Just to check they are all OK.) He also looks after all their vet needs as well. He combines old school care and straight shooting with an open minded approach to alternative treatments. Tony, CK and Xena

It isn't cheating, it's just making sure you win...... Seriously it's like anything else you train. Start out with a high rate of reward (carry the toy everywhere) until the behaviour is as close to 100% as you can get it (realising no behaviour will ever be 100% in all conditions). Then back off the reward to say 4 times out of 5, then 3 times out of 5 etc as the behaviour improves. Eventually (or after not such a long time maybe) you will not need the toy because the behaviour will be patterned and your dog will come every time. The whole idea is that they associate coming to you with something positive (toy), then maybe a pat or a kind word as time goes by. Don't forget though there will always be backward steps in the process. Hope this helps. Tony

PaulP, I'm sure you know this, but for anyone starting out it is important to remember that you can't throw ANYTHING in a flyball ring - not even a used ball to a ball shagger. If you do throw their toy, lead or anything else you will be given a yellow card or warning. Different clubs have different rules at training so best to check with them on whether you throw your toy or not. I do, but at a comp my two ignore their toys, they are far too concerned with getting on with racing - it is serious work!

Just wanted to add that being ball focussed is not always such a good thing. I've seen a number of dogs that are ball focussed and are a handful at flyball simply because once they have the ball they have their reward. My two are ball focussed, but they are more focussed on me so getting back to me to play is better than getting the ball. I'd work to put more value on another toy than the ball so that they are quick back to you.

I agree with Tiggy - the head collar is just a tool and the ultimate goal is not to use one. What I like about the Infin8 is that it is a martindale collar with a nose piece that loops around like a figure 8. It makes it easier for you to get the dogs attention and more uncomfortable for the dog to pull or exhibit undesirable behaviour, but if you do not have some level of control it is not a silver bullet for all your problems. It still needs to be used with consistency. I've gone from having 2 dogs who constantly compete and 'pull' when we walk them together to having 2 dogs I can now walk loose lead on a flat collar. By combining gentle reminders from the collar with rewards for doing the right thing. (I would not ever recommend full on check style corrections.) Hope that helps. Tony

I haven't used a sporn head collar, but do like the infin8 from black dog. both my guys run to have them put on instead of trying to avoid me like they did with a conventional 'halti' style. The nose strap isn't padded, but if they don't pull it sits loosely over their nose. Tony

Well done - your puppies ran very well, especially in the wet!

I decide randomly. It's all fun for us at the moment really so I don't get too hung up on whether they are ready or not. We just turn up and have fun. I hadn't seen a flyball race (OK, one heat when I didn't know what I was looking at) before our first race day, nor had I been to an agility trial before Xena's first day out. (She is still to make a mistake in the flyball ring and has been racing for 12 months now and got her first quali in her second agility trial.) I just like to get out there and have fun with the puppies. That said I haven't trialled in obedience yet and feel the need to be a bit more cautious about that. I'm going to go and have a look at a trial and make sure we are at least going to be able to do all the exercises before we head out. I really admire everyone who puts so much planning into their dogs and dog sport. We have a lot of fun and do a lot of work, but I just go like a bull at a gate and hope for the best. Maybe once I know enough to know what I should be afraid of and what I don't know things will change!

Go CK!!!! So when is your first obedience trial?!!!??? Plan is for January once i've been to a couple and had a look. But then again that didn't stop me with flyball or agility.

This is only a small one in the scheme of things, but feels massive and I've been smiling all day!! I've been promising myself I'd get CK back to obedience if only to have him around other dogs on lead and continue to work on his confidence, but in the back of my mind thinking I should really get around to trialling him in obedience as well as the flyball, frisbee and agility we play. Well, Mr CK and I went off to obedience club last night to renew my membership and check out that all was OK to go back next week. I haven't been along for the best part of 18 months so I went after class had started so as not to get in the way of those who were trying to get to class. (There are always people in the shed not working.) When we got there I was 'convinced' to go and join in the class so they could see whether we had been doing any work in our absence. CK was just about perfect. He refused to weave in a line of dogs as soon as we walked onto the field - fair enough - but after that he did not miss a beat. He even did some exercises I've never done, let alone him. The best thing was the absolute joy on his face and unwavering concentration even doing the strange exercises around strange dogs. All the feedback I got from the instructor was along the lines of 'when you start to trial you are going to have to.......' picking me up on small points like using one word for a command instead of the lazy way I called him back. (He and I both know the right way to do it, it's just been a while and I have to get back into good habits.) I've picked a date for our first trial and can't wait..........now we've got 4 sports to play the hardest thing is going to be finding time to run a house hold as well!! LOL.

LOL.....I feel your pain. I have two ball obsessed Border Collies. Mr CK fortunately just switches off when told to and there is no further discussion. Xena on the other hand is a total PITA if any toy, but more particularly a ball is anywhere or might be anywhere she can get at it. When she was a young pup she would literally stand and stare at a tennis ball for 15 minutes as if she were willing it to move. Sadly she has since worked out that if you throw a ball at most people (yes, throw) they will throw it for you. I've had to implement a rule in our house that the only time a tennis ball can come out to play is at flyball - it's the only way we can remain sane. I'm just lucky that both dogs understand once the toys are put away that is it, time to switch off - took a while to get that message through the little girl's brain though.

I second your vote Laffi!! Great club and brilliant trainers.

Hi All, Our Vet has just been sold and closed up. I don't like the surgery that has taken over the client list (other friends have not spoken well of it). We have a vet who I will use for most of the things that need doing, but for the one off, 'emergency' type stuff that I don't want to drive 45 minutes for (or can't at the drop of a hat) I'd like to find a vet close by who has a bit of experience with BC's or at least medium sized dogs. Can anyone tell me any good stories about a vet in the inner eastern suburbs of Brisbane (or even a little further out south and east)? Thanks in advance. Tony

I've sent a link to one of the people who works for us on the Sunny coast. Hopefully Tash will be intouch. She's been super keen to start flyball, just not able to train at the right time. Cheers tony

LOL. My girl is 470mm and weights about 14.5kg these days - the vet nurse told me that she was getting too light at 16kg!! We now go to a different vet who loves to see your two because they are the 'right' weight.

I agree with Tassie. My two are about the same size and weight as hers and are also athletes. Best thing is not to worry about the numbers and make sure you are happy your dog is in good condition - if you can't feel their ribs with only light pressure then perhaps they are carrying a little too much. If you do decide to put them on a doggy diet make sure the weight loss is gradual, especially with a pup.

hmm I'm curious - PF - what would you do in that situation and also what do the 'purely positive' trainers recommend?! Never really asked others that one before Leo I'm not a purely positive trainer. Luke W is right .. .they would try for an incompatible behaviour like a recall. No one in their right mind is going to put stock chasing on cue in the hope that it can be prevented at other times. Luke did you see what I read about cueing barking.. same deal as cueing sitting don't you think? My view is when a dog has a history of highly rewarding stock chasing aversives are called for. The other option much loved by the purely positives is to manage the behaviour to ensure that the opportunity to chase stock never occurs - that's not addressing the issue directly and frankly not always possible. Some pragmatic positive (not purely positive) trainers consider this one of the few justifiable reasons to use an electronic collar aversively. The reason is simple - the dog's life and the safety of stock are at risk. The behaviour is so rewarding to the dog that strong aversives are needed to deter it. That sure beats a bullet. If you've tried to make yourself more interesting and offer a reward Completely agree with this. My girl doesn't chase stock, but when we were herding she was very hard on the stock and needed to be kept out using aversive (physcal) methods. We got her to the point where she was quite good and manageable on larger (in city terms -50-100) mobs, but it was still difficult on smaller numbers (<10). I didn't like how hard we had to be on her to keep her out so we don't play with sheep any more, but we don't live in the country either so it isn't really a problem. Interestingly we've been to some shows where there has been a lot of stock and she hasn't glanced sideways at them, even walking next to a field where they are being worked. (OT) That said I train for flyball with some purely positive trainers and I really don't believe that it is as effective as a balanced approach. They trust me with their dogs and will let me work them my way so as an interesting point for comparison - one of the dogs is VERY high drive, VERY arrogant and VERY tough to manage. The owner does a great job managing him within the bounds of what PP will allow her to do. That said when she plays frisbee with him the frisbee becomes a tug toy every time he brings it back. I had never played frisbee with him before and was at a big pet expo where we had a competition. By verbally correcting him and turning my back and withdrawing the game I had him dropping the frisbee at my feet within 5 minutes - he still does this to this day. I'm not saying I'm better with dogs than she is, but I think it does show that by applying even gentle corrections where appropriate it is possible to get a much better result from most dogs. I think the best advice I've ever had is 'let the volume of the correction be determined by the volume of the offence'. By starting off with a mostly positive approach and being consistent I think you should be able to avoid harsh corrections on most dogs, but know there is an exception to every rule.

UPDATE!! I CAN'T STOP SMILING!! I've been really consistent for the last couple of weeks and it is paying off. CK has been a lot calmer on our walks and is for the most part totally ignoring dogs behind fences. Last night we were walking a new track and a dog behind a fence caught him by surprise and just went nuts. He did the tense up, stand up thing and before I had a chance to do anything thought, 'hang on, I don't have to do that', and turned around totally focussed on me and we just kept walking. That was a break through moment - he actually made the decision without having to be distracted. This morning we had an even better result. I had just finished their training session and had run aroudn the oval with them on lead - hyped up dogs on lead when another big dog (also on lead) was walked onto the oval towards us. This is usually when CK is at his worst because he is in 'on' mode. The other dog stared him down and did the whole 'I'm tough' thing which would usually have CK straining on the end of his lead doing the 'I'm tough too' thing. Unchecked that would escalate to growling and dancing on the lead. This morning he looked at the other dog and simply turned and walked off as if to say 'pffffft, why bother'. No treats or distractions either! The most pleasing thing is that it wasn't a submissive, I'm not looking at you type of movement, it was a relaxed "I really don't care that you are looking at me" type of movement. In both of these instances he had enough lead to choose whether tight or loose was best and he chose loose both times! I'm a very happy boy, but know the work isn't over just yet, but is progressing.

I can't lead out with CK and he is a lot quicker than me - I just have to prey there is a contact in the first few obstacles or the course becomes one of his design! One of the big things we are working on this week is going back to the basics of 'One Jump'.

LP you are talking about my boy aren't you?! He is sooooooooo fast it is amazing for a dog of his size. Believe it or not his is considerably (3 to 4 m over 20m) quicker than my girl, yet in the trial ring he can get distracted, used to go really slowly and shuts down quite easily. For us it has come back to making sure he is having fun, even if that means running a totally random course when he feels like it, then heaps of rewards at the end of the run - I don't rewards incorrect behaviour like running under bars or launching off contacts, I do reward having fun on the course. I started with a dog that in his first trial ran under 3 bars, then went and sniffed the fence and ground and would not run to having a dog that now tows me to the start line. (Just that sometimes he won't come off his start line stay! ;) ) All the while we are working in our 'training coocoon' (to steal another DOLer's words) to proof his equipment skills and handling. Each time we get to a trial he is getting more and more excited and running better. I'm also working on toy drive - 3 months ago he was scared of his tuggy after something happened in our back yard when he was tugging (only he knows what ) Now he will go and grab it and shove it in my lap. Both these behaviours (towing me around and presenting me with toys) I have to REALLY discourage in my girl, but for CK they are really positive so I go with them. The key for CK is allowing him to run fast because he just loves it and making sure it is fun - being pulled out of weave poles 4 times is NOT fun for him, so I have to put up with being eliminated to make sure he wants to go again next time. It will take longer than with a dog I can correct and have to stay on top of, but the results as they come are actually proving a little more solid. Cheers Tony

Even better - after AAD you get SAAD, the MAAD. Thanks - she is a really good little girl and so easy to train, except when she doesn't want to be! We do a fair bit of work and it is slowly coming together for us. I think CK will be even better in time, just going to be a matter of patience though. Not many people agree with me, but at the same time not many people agreed he'd be better at flyball either! I'm so proud of my little man for his pass, I just sometimes feel it's such a small thing because I make the mistake of comparing the two.

What DC said. ANKC agility is on the list of things to do next year. Elementary is a very basic course that has no weavers, no tyre and no see saw in it and generally fairly simple turns. (not sure about the broad jump, but can include dog walk, A-frame and table) Starters is a LITTLE trickier and includes weavers and the tyre, broad jump. weave poles can be completed after any number of attempts without incurring a penalty, and you can do just 6 of them (in any order) and incur a fault, but not get Eliminated. Heights in both Elementary and Starters are slightly lower than the international standard. Intermediate is the next step up and uses all equipment at international heights. Open weave pole rules apply - get them right or get eliminated and a fault for every time you get them wrong. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK28J2R-6Qg It typically doesn't have the discriminations in it that an Open course will (next level). (See me send her into the wrong end of the first tunnel!) I can't suggest the differences between open and advanced because neither of my dogs is allowed/eligible to run an advanced course yet. I haven't competed on an ANKC course, but from the ones we have run at training they seem to be a bit tighter with more difficult discriminations and turns on them. A challenge to look forward to! ETA - Cards are awarded for clear rounds (no time faults, refusals or course faults) and when you have a certain number of cards at a certain level you can apply for a title. eg: 4 cards at elementary level (at least 2 agility) gives you your BAAD title. (Beginners Australian Agility Dog) 4 Cards at starters level (2 agility) gives you your AAD title and so on. Basically it's something for handlers to aim for - I don't think the puppies know the difference LOL. Cheers. Tony

Mr CK got his first agility card on the weekend. It was only elementary agility, but he actually looked like a. he was having fun and b. he might be an agility dog. He also managed to not get eliminated in the starters course for the first time. Contacts were all perfect, just the weave poles and some directional issues we have to sort! Xena also went really well getting her first Intermediate card. She ran beautifully all day (with one little exception) doing exactly what I told her to LOL. She got just about all her contacts (which has been an issue for us lately) and didn't miss any of her weavers! WOO HOO! All in all I think I had the biggest smile I've had since starting to run the two dogs. I have to say I am looking forward to getting them both in the same ring - 2 rings and two levels is a lot of work and stretches my brain.

Completely agree. I'd much prefer to train without either if I could. I do use Black Dog's Infin8 halti when I'm walking my 2 together (lazy and haven't proofed their loose lead walking together), but on their own they are fine on a flat collar.