lovemesideways

Pet shops leave the animals in the shops! They dont get leave the shop until they are sold. Isnt it against ANKC regs to sell to a pet shop? I know it used to be 15 yrs ago. Quite a few pet shops (around my area in Sydney anyway) ask for "puppysitting". So any random person can come along and take the puppy home for a night.

What I would be trying, will take a fair bit of patience! I would, get the clicker out, get a handful of treats. Let her see you do this. You said when she knows training is coming she starts getting excited and licking? Excellent thats what you want :D Then you go sit in a chair, and Wait. Just wait. Wait for her to be Not licking for at least 10 seconds. Dogs association time is roughly 10 seconds. Just sit, don't move around, don't talk to her or anything. Then when she has been not licking for that 10 second period, click and treat! Then she might go through all the excited "zOMG there is food that I am Actually getting!!!" phase, but just chill. Wait it out. All you want to look for is her not licking so you can click and treat. I would even go so far as to carrying some treats and a clicker around with you, and watching her for that non-licking behaviour, and calmly clicking and treating this calm no licking. It might take a while, which is why you need some patience. Maybe do it after having just fed her so she is at least somewhat full (though being a labrador, they don't understand this 'not hungry' phase ) Now this is just my idea, now idea if it will work, but not harm in trying . and I agree we need a video!

Exactly my thoughts everyone! Thanks for the replies!

Is there any circumstance where you would sell your puppies to be sold on in a pet store? Talking to mum and she thinks that there are ethical breeders who sell their puppies to pet stores to be sold, if the circumstance called for it. I'm guessing some sort of tragedy where they cannot look after the puppies. I told her that I didn't think there was any way in hell a breeder that I would consider responsible would sell their puppy to a pet store. There is always a better option than sticking your puppies into a little box during those key socialisation periods. Where they toilet in their food area, get taken to god know what environment nightly and sold to someone who potentially has no idea what they're doing. Feel free to list reason who you wouldn't or why you would do it.

+2 Say goodbye and give the dog away.

Anyone in Sydney interested in meeting Steve Austin should come down to the Dog's Big Day Out. This Sunday, in Frenchs Forest. http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/services/d...ig_day_out.aspx

Why shouldn't they be the standard? I see the standard as the best, and as far as level of training and control goes, they're the best. Well, it depends on what you mean by "the best". The methods used to train military, police and detection dogs are geared towards a particular type of dog. You cannot take an ordinary everyday pet dog and train them the way that police dogs are trained and just expect that to produce a dog that is as reliable as a police dog. And by "reliable" we are talking about carrying out their training when someone is trying to beat the crap out of them. Would you put your dogs through that? I wouldn't. It'd break them. It's precisely the reason why they spend so much money trying to figure out how to select dogs that will actually make it through the training. Most don't. I think it's ridiculous to look to a standard that is designed and suited to a kind of dog that most pet owners don't actually own and never will. They are not the "best". They are just the ones that can do it. I mean the best as the highest level of control a dog can be under. I'm not saying that every dog should be trained as a military working, but to the highest level of that dogs potential. There is nothing wrong with wanting your dog to be amazing. I think of a Reliable dog as one that you are sure will listen to go in any imaginable situation. For the police or military dogs, they need to be able to hold a bite even whilst someone is frantically hitting them and trying to get them off. And as far as being able to train while someone is "beating the crap out of you". Well for example, both of my Labs have fairly high tolerance that I've worked on since they where babies. I played a game with Rover thats built up to the point where I will kick him or smack him on the sides, HARD, during tug, and he thinks its fantastic. All part of one of his favorite games. My dad will scruff them and throw them to the ground in play, and they spring back up, tails wagging and loving it. They certainly aren't up to the level of military dogs, but the level of tolerance is high. Certainly didn't break them. Its not like they start out with a puppy, full on walloping them with a stick whilst getting them to sit. The level is built up over time. Again, I'm not saying every dog should be a trained police dog. But I don't see anything wrong with wanting to work towards your dogs full potential, and yours. So training a dog to their highest level of potential is cruel? Wow who knew... So I guess I shouldn't be looking at working on agility with Rover, because I know he is not uncomfortable with unstable surface, and getting him comfortable with them is going to be somewhat stressful on his part. Or I shouldn't have worked so much with Riddick getting him used to and happy to greet people. Because it sure as hell was stressful for him having to be in those situations where there where people around. The level of training you start at is supposed to be low. I certainly didn't start by taking Riddick into huge crowds of people. Yeah because obviously they're evil fiends who beat dogs to make them comply. Or maybe they just know how to use both correction and rewards effectively. I would be much happier if every dog was reliable and under effective control. The point is, they aren't just saying "Only PP methods should be used when training general pet dogs", they say "Only PP, Ever." I doubt that everyone here is only training pet dogs. Well I've seen a Husky who was previously very DA, performing a fabulous heel. I'm confident the same could be done with a Basenji.

I think that whatever works best for your dog is what you should use! If he's doing great on science diet then why change it?

That is complete crap. You shouldn't be repeating gossip because it does get around and its a nasty way to go about ruining someones reputation. I've seen Steve work his dogs (got to do bite work with his Rottie King. Biggest bruise EVER on my shoulder after that experience ) he is great with them, they adore him. Don't have a bad word to say about him. Anyone who has heard him use his 'silly voice' to praise the massive King will change their mind about him pretty quick. Why should those dogs be the standard we all look to? Not many folks need a dog that damn reliable, and I don't know anyone who needs a dog that can do even half of what a working dog needs to do. As far as Austin goes, some have an ethical issue with him because he's the president of the PIAA, which supports the sale of live animals in pet stores. He didn't strike me as the kind of person that trains with a check chain alone, and I did see him at the NDTF conference talking about using toy rewards and demonstrating what he has done with his own dog. I came back from the NDTF conference sick to death of hearing rubbish sexist banter from him, but that's my problem and has nothing to do with his dog training skills, which I understand are exceptional. The banter wasn't malicious, just misplaced IMO. My mate who knows him (and dogs) said once you get past the bluster he's quite sensible and knowledgable and takes dog welfare very seriously. Why shouldn't they be the standard? I see the standard as the best, and as far as level of training and control goes, they're the best. Saying that people don't need something of that standard is like saying, Why should regular people look at champion show or workings dogs as the example for their chosen breed? They're just pets, any mutt will do because its not like its going to be shown, its just a pet. Why shouldn't you aspire to have the highest possible level you can? I'm pretty sure a lot of folks would be very happy if their dogs where "that damn reliable". I would certainly be happy if everyone's dogs where that "damn reliable". I think the comment was based on the fact that the PP Delta trainers level of training is low when compared to the amazing training done by high level police or military dog trainers. So tramping about saying that "Check chains are cruel!" and "Purely Positive training should be the only training used!" is all well and good.. but then how the hell are we going to train the police, military, goverment dogs of the world? Could you train one with only positive methods, or know someone who could?

I got my puppy Riddick when he was 16 weeks. He is from a breeder and had spent the majority of his time around her and in his home there. When I got him, he would run for the hills if any person except me or mum tried to approach him (including my dad). I did a huge amount of training with him, and now people don't even believe me when I tell them what he used to be like ! I think the reason his training went so fantastic is because for one thing, his genetics are amazing. His family are all loving well bred dogs who adore everything and anyone. Also I have worked on it every single day since I got him. The key socialisation periods are important, but if something is missed out, it doesn't necessarily mean the end of the world. There are always factors it will depend on, but there is also always the ability to retrain. I used a method I kind of patched together, derived from the book "Click to Calm" by Emma Parsons. I highly suggest giving the book a read!

Rover does something similar. He finished his bone and then will wait for Riddick to have enough of his and walk off. He then goes and gets Riddicks remaining bone, takes it into his crate and sits there gleefully with 2 bones. Yummm

So lemme get this straight... Responsible breeders that breed say, pugs, are cruel because they're continuing those unhealthy characteristics. And Responsible breeders who breed, maybe cavaliers, are also cruel, because of the problems that breed has. But if you breed a cavalier and a pug together, you're magically healing all these issues and deserve a gold medal?

Vicki and Steve Austin are the owners of pet resorts. I know them personally and they're both really awesome trainers and nice people in general I don't know any of the other trainers that work there but I would assume they would also be good. Give them a call and have a chat. You could probably organise to go down there and check out the kennels and trainers to make sure you're comfortable with whatever methods they use.

So out at St Ives Showground. Riddick fished something out of the bucket of water and was on his way to bringing it to me when I realised what he was holding had feet and yelled for him to leave it. He spat it out, it was a bird that must have fallen into the water bucket. Unfortunately before I could get there, my friends dog Regal snatched it up and poor birdy became lunch. RIP Birdy. Though you where an Indian Myna... Should I be telling Regals owners to watch out for anything? Does he need any vaccinations or worming because of it?

If a dog is carrying on for hours, then the level you're attempting to train at is too high. Same as if you're training a stay and your dog consistently breaks the stay. You don't start yelling at her or squirting with water whenever she moves, you take it back a step to where she will understand whats going on. what do you mean by that? do you mean you should wait for a one second break, or in try in a different enviroment? I admit, that at the vets is a pretty stimulating place and there are always people and animals coming and going. Thw owner doesn't mind the barking apparently... (wonder if the neighbors do?) On a happier note, mindy's barking has basically stopped completely. yay I don't really know if its because of the "training" we did with her- leaving her in the crate and then rewarding her for 10 seconds of silence (method described by LMS) or the fact that she is a lot more mature now and trusts us enough to know that we won't leave her forever! I suspect a combination of the 2 :D The other day we had to put her in the car crate which she hates (last time she was in it she crapped herself and howled for 30 minutes and did this pretty much everytime she was in it). She was SO GOOD, she just lay down and went to sleep- no fuss at all, no barking , no pooing (thankfully). I was amazed because i haven't been doing any extra training with her in the crate because she usually goes in another position now. What a good puppy What I mean is that the level of stress on the dog may be too high. Which is why the dog doesn't take a break in the barking. So rather than having them in say, another room. You start with them closer to you, lower the level of stress. How you would change it is depending on the current environment.

If a dog is carrying on for hours, then the level you're attempting to train at is too high. Same as if you're training a stay and your dog consistently breaks the stay. You don't start yelling at her or squirting with water whenever she moves, you take it back a step to where she will understand whats going on.

Poor Mr Bee.

What factors come into your decision about what toy to buy? For me its probably, Durability: How long will it last with 2 labradors playing tug. Noise: Insane squeaky toys don't often get purchased cause they're so annoying Material: What its made of, whether or not Riddick will try and eat it. Oh and price of course. I'm not gonna spend $20 on something that will last 5 minutes. What do you guys look for?

Rather than looking at how you can punish her, start looking for what you can reward. While shes whining ect, continue to ignore. When she goes silent for at least 10 seconds (count it out in your head). Then she gets attention! "Good girl!! Yaaay!!' Go over and make a big fuss over her. Pats, cuddles, a quick play. Then put her back into the pen and walk off. Then repeat. This way she's learning that by being silent, she gets attention. People often look at punishing a dog for the bad stuff, but they don't reward for the good. She probably has no idea that silence is good, because whether she barks or shes quiet, its the same.

After a little dog tried to attack my Lab puppy today I am all for this argument. Though I never blame the dog, its always a stupid owner who thinks its "cute" or funny. "Oh he thinks hes a big dog! Ha ha" Wow you won't be laughing when a actual large breed takes offence to being told off, and his small reprimand accidentally kills your SWF. Terrier cross charged my puppy, who was sniffing the ground. Then moved in to try and bite him. Luckily I was right next to Riddick. Snarled at this little dog which bolted back to its owner. Then stood there glaring at its owner, just waiting for the opportunity to go punch him right in the face. He didn't even seem to have noticed though. If I come across this same dog again and I see any behaviour like that, there will be consequences. Nobody messes with my dogs and gets away with it, and I really do mean nobody.

Great video on youtube about stopping puppies biting!

+2 :p 10 week old labrador puppy. Drowned in the pool. Youngest child found it.

Was really nice day!! Riddick and Rover had heaps of fun. They had a go on some of the agility equipment and rover LOVED it. Hi to people I saw !!

Anyone going ? Weather is supposed to be nice and sunny (though windy and cold!) I'm looking forward to it and will be there with 2 black Labradors in tow!!

An aussie bulldog is a cross between a British Bulldog and an American Bulldog.(I believe) It's a crossbreed Ooooh Right. Thanks for telling me. I'll go check them out (Via our lovely friend Google)