Reddii

Talk about great service from our vet and Bayer!!! Have just spoken to them and they called Bayer for me. Bayer are sending me out their flea product w/o the worming product in it (sieve like memory - Advantage?) so that we can try that on him and test to see if it is a behavioural response to an unpleasant sensation (he hates the stuff) on the skin or whether it is the moxedectin that is causing problems in his tummy. Will decide a course of action from there. Thanks for the responses. Tony

About a month ago I posted about CK spewing for a couple of mornings. It went away after 2 days so I put it down to 'one of those things'. This morning he did it again. Thinking back it was 2 days after I applied advocate both this time and last that he has been sick. Do you think there is any possibility that the advocate is causing a reaction? I'm a believer that 3 times is a pattern so I think I'll give him another month to see what happens, but if it does happen again then I'll have to look for another woming/heart regime. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Tony

I'd love to hear from anyone who in their dim and distant past has conquered their demons on this one. Situation is Xena runs perfectly every time we turn up at agility, but we get about a 50% strike rate on qualies (apart from yesterday at 0/4, but that's another story) in the starters and elementary. I've only trialled 4 times so it is still very early days, but I have REAL trouble remembering courses. I can run them comfortably and know how to handle most of the combinations, then I can stand and go around the course in my mind, but once Xena is involved my brain turns to mush and I get lost/forget when the going gets a little more complex. I know it will come to me in time, but I wondered if anyone had any techniques they used when they first started. I hate letting my little girl down (I know she doesn't care and has fun no matter what), so I really need to work on this. Thanks in advance. Tony

Well done guys. We had Xena's first double header over the weekend. Saturday was really good with 2 quali cards from 4 runs, one E xcellent run where we went the wrong way and one with a contact fault. I'm off to the disaster thread now to talk about yesterday......... Left her collar on for one. Got totally lost on another, had 1 and 2 faults on both the other runs, but still managed to 'win' our classes. One refusal where I pulled her out of a jump by mistake and one contact plus weavers on the other. it was a really hot day and I think I had a bit of brain fade, but Miss X ran perfectly as per usual (given she is a very green dog, even the weavers and contact were my mistakes when I watched the video). That's my last trial with one dog - Mr CK will be making his debut at the end of June - going to have to work on a bit more fitness between now and then. I now know why so few people have two green dogs - I must be a lunatic, but you live and learn. As for Xena I think a week off might do her the world of good and get her hyped up for flyball this weekend coming.

We travelled to Canberra for the flyball nationals which was about 14 hours each way towing a trailer. It was worth every second - made it our holiday for the first half of the year. For a one day comp I'd travel up to about 2.5 hours each way, for a weekend it wouldn't really matter, would just work around it and make it a short break.

Just a bit of fun really isn't it? I think more than one, but like any person or animal it depends on the individual. My girl can have at least 2 - what I'm asking her to do and what she wants to do...... My boy has at least 3 - food, sleep, play and then what I ask him to do.

yeah they are great pics... although i particularly like the ones of the choc bc... but then i am biased Pains me to say it and I have to be quiet in case my two hear but......I agree, LOVE the chocolate dogs. We had one as a kid and I have a real soft spot for them. Circumstances conspired against us when we got CK & Xena, but when the time comes to bring a new pup into our home it just might be chocolate if all the stars align......

A lot of the traditional obedience clubs use traditional methods. Both my two were taught this way initially, but i'm finding I get better results from positive methods, albeit with a little more patience required. This is not to say it works well for all dogs or is the only way to go, it is just my experience. Most clubs will let you use these methods in their traditional classes. The trainers at RSPCA are pretty good in this respect if you haven't had a lot to do with positive methods or would like to update your skills. Have a look on their website. I know a lot of people bag the RSPCA on DOL, but the training and animal behaviour team are not part of the welfare side of the organisation. We train there for flyball and have not problems. Best of luck.

http://petographer.fotopic.net/c1504955.html Some Really cool pics of the puppies in the disc final here. I particularly like the ones of Xena (the little black and white BC that is running away from the guy with the green DM shirt on (me)), but then again I might be a little biased.

Well done to everyone, it was great to see so many well behaved, beautiful dogs. I can't wait for next year already - agility, frisbee and maybe even flyball by then, the puppies will be in heaven! BC4ME well done in the disc, I think my two were just about ready for a bit sleep on Sunday afternoon, but changed their minds! Rat bags. I can't wait to see GT in a few months time - that is one spectacular puppy!!! Well done Mrs D as well - great effort considering the problems! My two on the weekend........ I'm so proud after the hassles we have had over the last six months - Xena at one stage decided she didn't want to catch any more and CK with his broken elbow taking soooooooooo long to get right did a great job and has just come alive in the last two months. Only 12 months to go........

Thanks ML. Even better than the results was the fact the CK came through really well and didn't get freaked out by the crowd after the first throw yesterday - I thought the cheering might scare him. He's just getting more and more confident every week at the moment. The more confident he gets the more he wants to work and the easier he is to train. Can't wait for the next event now!!

I'm wrapped after the weekend's frisbee results at Dogmania. Xena won the comp on Saturday night and got her FDA title with two qualis to add to the one she had previously. CK got his first quali on Saturday night with 13 points, but was let down by his handler in his second round to fade out of contention. Sunday night was the qualifier for the nationals final on Monday (top 6 went through). CK qualified second, just .5 of a point behind first place and finished the night with his FDA title as well. Xena qualified fifth, but still with one more point than on Saturday night when the 'guns' weren't running. Yesterday's final was also great for both dogs with the two of them tying for third place on 18.5 points across the 2 rounds. The winner scored 22 points and the runner up 21 across the two rounds. All in all we surpassed all expectations and achieved more than the goals I had set before the weekend. CK's best round of the weekend is what the link is for. 16 points from one round and his first quali for his FDE title. Still smiling today, but have to put the head down and get some work done for now!

That is pretty amazing, I'm not sure, but it looked maybe slightly quicker than 'real speed' judging from the handler, but nonetheless the entry to the weavers was incredible at any speed and the dog was having an absolute ball. I can only dream....... I am pretty sure it's not faster than real speed. If you watch other vids by the same person. This dog "La" is truly amazing. On Silvia's site she says that La has won the WC 3 times, and quite a few times winning it by 5-6 seconds in her younger days...... so quite a fast dog!!!! Even better!!!! I'm still shaking my head at it. It's one of those things, unless you've seen it it is really hard to believe.

That is pretty amazing, I'm not sure, but it looked maybe slightly quicker than 'real speed' judging from the handler, but nonetheless the entry to the weavers was incredible at any speed and the dog was having an absolute ball. I can only dream.......

WOO HOO.....The world needs more flyball dogs!!! Keep up the great work. We had a great night at f/b last night too. The light on the field was fixed during the week so it was a lot easier to see and I don't know if that's what helped, but we ran clean all night with both dogs instead of CK deciding every ball on the field was his and running to either box as he saw fit! (Lanes are the minimum apart so it is pretty tempting for a green dog.) Good luck on the weekend everyone.

Exactly what my two dogs do with each other. As long as the game is on your terms I don't see a problem with it.

Just a small one, but it seems in my mind that every little thing CK achieves is MASSIVE because Xena is so much easier. We ran him in the intermediate class for the first time at agility last night, only because there were no other novice dogs. He ran REALLY well, even managed 12 weavers without an error for the first time!! (first time I had tried him on 12 too!) Only 8 weeks to go until his first trial so just as well it's all coming together.

Xena doesn't like to work at distance which was a PITA in herding, but on elementary and starters courses is not a problem because i can run. I can see it becoming an issue as we progress though. At this point I'm not in a class yet where we are working at distance, but this is the exact method I'm using with my girl at home. I didn't get it from Susan's DVD's - just trial and error and right or wrong it is working. (Last night I was sending her to the weavers with limited consistency.) A dog that doesn't drive is a challenge though. CK, my boy is the most laid back BC I have ever met and I am constantly having to work on building his drive. Not sure I've helped, but just wanted to mention that this does work!

With Xena I honestly don't remember, it was such a ridiculously unprepared and frenetic time. With CK it was his name, come and can proudly remember teaching him to sit with clicker training.

Exactly what our person has told us.

I've got a similar situation with my boy. An 18 month old BC. It's always younger dogs (not necessarily smaller), always when they upset him by getting in his face and they always come off second best - never any damage physically, but he is so strong and so quick it's frightening when it happens. I know it's not a lack of leadership/training/pack order thing - I am clearly the leader (we do a LOT of training in agility, obedience, frisbee and flyball) and I can call him out of any situation he has managed to get involved in.....but it is almost as though he has not learned to give appropriate warning signals that another dog is invading his sapce - he just goes into his 'upset' mode. We are working hard with him and he is realising that the rule is that you now come to me if something is bothering you and all will be OK. I put it down to him getting jumped all over by bigger dogs a couple of times when he was a young pup (before I knew any better). It's difficult balancing act between keeping him away from other non-working dogs (working dogs he understands and tolerates) and slowly allowing him interaction on our terms. We are working with a behaviourist who is very reassuring and feels it is part of his adolesence, but something we need to keep a check on and keep working towards solving lest it escalate. Good luck with your boy. Cheers. Tony

At this point in our career a win is nice, but realistically a pass is sooooooo much better. I'm lucky with my girl that if I manage a pass we will usually be either there or there abouts in Starters where we are running - she's pretty quick, but doesn't get silly, makes it pretty easy if I can remember the course!!!!

Thanks guys, I guess this is not one of those things I can DIY. I'm going to see if Fossil can be desexed during her eye-operation this week (if they put her under for that) at the same time, then I think I should give her some recovery time before attempting this. There are a few training places that are local to my area, so I'll book in someone to come out to our house. Fingers crossed they can do something because I don't like the idea of permanently seperating them, it's too stressful worrying if someone will accidently leave a door open. Cheers Charmaine Ditto what the others have said about a qualified behaviourist. There are a couple of training schools near you (sleep over for the dog type) to be quite wary of with this sort of problem. Their method for just about everything is to jerk harder on a check chain until you get the desired behaviour - probably not the best way to go about things. Best of luck with solving your problems!

I voted 2........But you knew that........ I keep wanting another puppy, but then I keep thinking how tired I get with just the two of them and a pretty full on job. I couldn't work 3 at a level I would be happy with so 2 is it for now.

:D Thanks for that. Makes perfect sense - poor puppies will have to spend a day at home. :D