The Spotted Devil

I use the steady feet game too but I always start in a sit. I've been doing lots of training with Em with people just walking up to her, walking around her, jingling keys etc. I started by shovelling food in her mouth ("easy peasy" says Em :laugh) and then progressed to steady feet. For a submissive pup who loves to wiggle for people her focus has improved out of sight. When I start with people touching I'll go back to shovelling food in her mouth again. You can also click for looking at the distraction too, if it's a confidence issue.

The girls are looking good RS A question for the confuzzled.....do you compete within your height class in WA?

Hey thanks Ptolomy! I did enjoy a drink or 2 last night. Still grinning too xena98 - they are great results You are very hard on yourself!!! AD - you sound like you're having a ball. 'Power and Speed' sounds very cool RS - you must be exhausted after all that. Congratulations on the passes and the title I'm so not looking forward to having 2 dogs to run Sue & Cindy - I just don't think that's the most flattering photo of Cindy

xena98 - I'm definitely not the guru you've been looking for, but if it's only happening in a trial situation could it be the build up by the time you get to articles? Would you consider doing the seek back in a trial (I can't remember if there's anything after that???) and then leaving the ring for a jackpot?

Is it very naughty to giggle whilst shaping? I'm doing some perch work with Em (front paws on the phone book) and she's started doing really fast 360 spins with her hind legs and sometimes falling off the phone book. It was so funny and the more I laughed the faster she spun ETA: TO, I do it anyway as Zig loves to anticipate. I always train the finish separately.

Thanks all! Sue & Cindy - it was really lovely to meet you today. At least now I won't be looking for a Golden Retriever on the end of your lead I think you should change your avatar Tassie - well done with Mr Rory....don't worry, we all have those "shame about the handler moments"! PMSL @ the RATs ;) Ooooh, congratulations to DSO and Jess also on the JD title

Well done Ella! We had the complete opposite in Melbourne today - absolutely gorgeous Autumnal day of 22C (although it did start with a pea soup fog!) Ziggy and I were entered in Croydon's trial this morning - above all else I had a really happy, confident dog in the ring which thrills me to the core As an added bonus he earned his final pass for Novice with 191 and 1st place The judge commented that my handling was really nice and that we worked as a team, which is just brilliant as I have been concentrating on that for the last month. I have a few things to work on, which I suspect are due to slightly different training vs trialling handling on my part, but for now I'm going to enjoy the rest of the day (once I've packaged up all the 4 Legs food he won!!!) and be pleased with what we've achieved. Perhaps a nice cold ale will aid me in that ;) ETA: Just have to add that I was so chuffed with the stays as the neighbouring (male) Rottie decided to get up, stand right over Zig and then play bow like a complete clown! Ziggy did not move, apart from leaning back to try and hold his sit without being squashed I also met Sue & Cindy!

Congratulations RubyStar and xena98 Great start to the weekend

My 7 month old working Springer is a mini cyclone compared to the (now) calmness of my 4 year old Dally. However she is smaller and has a really soft temperament compared to a working line Lab, for example, which is a much more popular breed for retrieving. That said I take Em out for about 4 training sessions of various intensity every day plus a walk. Ziggy gets much less frequent/shorter training sessions and more exercise because of their age differences. He's also much more keen to train now which is a great bonus! They play a lot together (nearly always started by Em) and Zig is extremely tolerant - she ignores him when he gets grumpy and just dive bombs him from the couch. At this point I just take Em training and leave Zig to relax.

I remember our first CCD trial very clearly - the judge nearly cried when we'd finished as Ziggy would have won the ring but just couldn't get that tummy on the ground. The judge kept apologising Fortunately, the sun came out and Zig came through for me in the afternoon trial

Hopefully it will dry out a bit - 22C on Sunday! If it's her "usual problem" remember that it's not something you can fix in such a short time. She finds her current position very rewarding so it can be a bit of work to undo that so I would stop worrying about that this week. For drops on damp grass I use really, really high value treats!

How wonderful!!!! Congratulations bedazzledx2 with Brookie and PAX with Prix Now off to the pub with you all

I can probably get a Perth contact if you'd really like to meet a breeder.

I just pestered my friend in NZ about her working cocker and received a reply. She and her friend both have fairly low drive cockers but that really suits their lifestyle. It sounds like the breed is in the development stage in the Southern hemisphere as some of the dogs of the same lines are considered really high drive and take quite a bit to bring them under control! There are quite a few WC in NZ, a few in Perth and a couple of others scattered around Australia. It will be interesting to see the breed develop

That's brilliant! Em uses a slightly different tack with Ziggy when he has a toy she wants. She rushes up and tries to take it off him, he growls, she rolls over, he sniffs her (boys ) and she grabs the toy and bolts

Thanks for reminding me RS! Was out of range before...dog looks very keen but it's hard watching videos and gauging a dog's potential sometimes - different training can mask/enhance genetics. Will check out some other videos when I have a chance.

Wow - so different aren't they! I'd love to meet more of them and get an idea how they work. I don't think one with low drive of my acquaintance is much to go on

Congratulations gspx3 Sorry - I didn't realise it was you!!! A very interesting lightbulb experience for Em last night. Was sending to a pile over ever increasing distance when she spied something white to my left and became fixated on it. As in 'Mum, you idiot! It's over there!!!!' I gently said no and tried to line her up straight but she wouldn't have a bar of it. I moved in closer to the pile but she was still not impressed and getting more and more miserable about why I wouldn't send her. I nearly threw in the towel for the night but decided I needed to push her gently over this learning 'hump'. I made it much easier, she lined straight for a split second and I sent her. Oh my goodness, but the look of sheer delight on her face was magnificent as she finally figured out that I did know where the dummies were after all I did another set of 4 sighted blinds and she was so pleased with herself.

Aren't they lovely RS! As far as I know they are not in Australia, at least in any numbers. I know of someone doing retrieving with one in NZ - lovely looking dog but VERY low drive according to her owner, who has had to really think laterally to get her retrieving.

Safe journey bedazzled and Ptolomy! Not too much holding up the bar at the local pub...at least until you've trialled RV - it's easy to get carried away with a training session - I have to be so strict with myself. Much easier with 2 dogs though!

I may well come along to help out! Mr TSD helped us with a couple of sets of single marks over the last week. It was really interesting to watch Em's learning process - she actually ran harder and more straight and delivered more quickly as we progressed. Not that she was slow at all but you could just see her confidence and determination grow with practice. Mr TSD thinks we were working at a distance of 150m, the length of the oval. I'm also concentrating on extending the distance to sighted blinds. Em takes great delight in taking direction now so will start combining backs and overs. Then I will pick up the walking baseball drill, which Lablover thinks we will enjoy

Norty FHRP!!!! Well done

Great work! Love the Springer of course....the dummy is nearly bigger than his head but the ears are still flying

No video but this is what I am working on at the moment... Left turn: left foot at 60 degree angle turning left with heel approx level to right toes. Bring right foot around so it is pointing in the exact direction you are turning. Small step to bring left foot in line and away you go. Right turn: bring left foot perpendicular to right foot/toes, turn right foot in the direction you want to go, small step to straighten up left foot and go. ETA: There's a video of me practicing this with Zig but it's not a great example - you can certainly see where I get it right AND wrong

Thanks for the lovely pics FHRP Did you steward at all?