The Spotted Devil

Real one lit here for Jed too. Some for the darlings found so recently and a special one for little Chi for her bravery and resiliance

Thank you Toohey indigirl - the image that brought to mind made me smile

I'll never forget hearing him on ABC local radio (Melbourne) about 2 years ago.......he said the drought was over and we could all go back to watering our gardens as we used to

Brilliant Just trying to explain to Mr TSD why I'm laughing so hard - my pronunciation of the Xolo was enough to get him started *snicker* Bwahahaha Cannot get that image out of my head Nor can I get the G&T out of my keyboard.....nearly laughed my cats off my lap

You are in my thoughts again today, Jed. Thoughts also for the medical staff who will be helping Jed heal.

Thank you Toohey for the update on Jed and goldchow for the devastating news about Magnus. There are no words. You are in our thoughts and we included you in our nightly remembrance toast and honour roll to our own companions, past and present.

Thank you for the updates - at once so heartbreaking and so uplifting. Thinking of you, Jed, your family, friends and beloved dogs in this world and the next

TSD some people have said the same thing i think because it was a fire that caused Jed's problem and lighting a candle seemed a bit ironic. most people are doing what they feel comfortable with. Yes, I did consider that originally but, as others have intimated, it is such a strong symbol of hope and remembrance. Now that I think about it, perhaps it was more that I have never met Jed and did not want to offend her close friends and family.

I thought about changing my avatar but wondered if it was inappropriate - don't ask me why Candle lit

I will be lighting plenty here, Lhok - there will be one for you

I will light a candle and raise a glass for Jed and her beloved dogs

That's a lovely thought wolfgirl I'll light a candle and raise a glass.

I know you're just passing on what you've been told but the photo that Jed posted in the Cocker thread was of a gold Cocker - can anyone confirm colouring either way please? Great work with the ponies, Hesa, and the ensuing search for Magnus

Have cross posted to the AussieDals list re Magnus. Fingers crossed he is found soon.

Shit. I'm so sorry, Jed. There are no words to express just how sorry I am. Please hurry up and get better - or else I'll start the most controversial topic I can think of just to get you out of bed to slap me down. Sending you every healing vibe I can conjure up for your physical and emotional pain. Thanks, Steve, for getting onto this. I know I'm a long way away but please yell if I can offer any practical help.

Thank you everyone for your response I am leaning towards Ptolomy's method (the 2 commands, find and fetch, not stuffing them up ) but am not absolutely committed at this stage. What about hand signals? Or do you use purely voice? I find, at the moment, my enthusiasm is spilling over into some dreadfully over exaggerated signals which not only would get me pinged but probably thrown out of the ring

We had real problems taking the whole scent thing outside so I went back to basics and by Jove I think he's got it!!! Just working on a seek back in a straight line but his body language for scenting (as opposed to trying to do what I want but not sure what that is) was sensational. He did serious bucking broncos between finding the article and bringing it back which is the best sign not to mention dreadfully funny ETA: Really need to refine signals/commands for retrieving and scenting. Anyone care to give me some ideas please? Different commands for seek back and scent discrimination? What about dumbbell and gloves? Thank you!

I had a couple of cortisone injections into the facet joint to try and fix chronic back pain a few years back. Could barely walk for weeks afterwards and had a young, very hyper Dalmatian puppy who wouldn't recall off lead for Mr TSD. For the most part I did LOTS of clicker training and shaping....once I could sit in a chair for a few minutes I practiced straight "fronts" for obedience trialling. To this day he does a beautiful formal recall based on that training. Hide and seek with toys is another great one. When I was able to get in the car, Mr TSD drove us to the beach so Ziggy could have a good gallop. He managed on-lead walks in between times. Worked a treat

I suspect they'd be a little like training a Dally - not easy to start with but once you work out out what makes them tick they're a hoot Ziggy has really taught me to think outside the square.

I was fortunate enough to spend several days staying with the breeder of my dog when the litter (of 9) was 5 weeks old. The one thing that kept drawing me to Ziggy as a puppy was his novelty seeking behaviour - always the first out of the pile of puppies to explore something new or different. But the caveat is that he adapted to the novel object or situation extremely quickly and moved on to the next thing that caught his attention. That was a very appealing trait for me as I specifically wanted to train him in obedience and agility. He is still the same - something novel or scary or unusual and he's desperate to check it out but then he's over it and ready to move on. I certainly encourage exploratory behaviour through shaping and clicker training. In terms of training it can be challenging as he becomes bored very quickly. However, I've learned to chop and change what we train in a session and vary the type and delivery of reinforcers. I've just come in from doing some quick training - a few minutes practicing a very basic seek back then straight into weaving poles (training for accuracy) then a quick seek back to reinforce what he had done so well earlier and give him a break from weaving poles and then straight into some speed training for the weaving poles to finish on an adrenaline filled high. I love working with him - it is a real balancing act between pushing him out of his comfort zone and building confidence.

A trick I use in obedience, show and agility training with a very independent, easily distracted Dalmatian is to reinforce heavily with really yummy food (cooked chicken, cheese and other such delicacies) or squeaky toys for attention and then reward by releasing to sniff - always use a word to release rather than let the dog release himself.....practice this regularly and the dog ends up giving you attention because he knows he will get to sniff afterwards anyway. It's like an on-off switch with Ziggy now and it's like having 2 different dogs especially as we walk out of the ring (whichever disciplining) and he starts to prance in anticipation of being released to sniff and pee to his heart's content. I try not to confuse him so he is never allowed to sniff in a ring - doesn't matter whether we are just training or he has finished being judged in whatever discipline - he works until I give him the release word. Makes for a dog that is happy and keen to focus :D If he's not keen on treats, practice at home with his dinner in a non-distracting environment and then add distractions. Only use the best treats when distractions are at their highest e.g. the show ring. At home I only train with dry dog food.

Have fun I recently got back from the Dalmatian Nationals in Sydney - had a great time (although very busy!), my Spotted Lad worked his heart out and we caught up with his breeders too

Funny, corvus....I noticed a similar thing with one of my cats yesterday. Was gone half the day and came home to a gentle welcome at the front door. Went to the shops later in the day for about 20 minutes. When I arrived home little Dizzy went crazy and I was head butted within an inch of my life, followed by a massive purr session and extensive lap time and smooching Ziggy goes nuts all the time but I'll watch him more closely.

We've had our timber floors polished recently - they are soft wood but look fine even with 3 indoor cats and a Dally. However, claws are clipped weekly here and no dog zoomies are allowed inside. Zig is great and adapted really well. Trots confidently on the floor boards and saves mad gallops for outside. Part of the house is slate, so we do indoor training in that area. Can't train the cats not to do zoomies For a pup, I'd probably put down a few cheap rugs.