The Spotted Devil

Agreed - I do the same. I don't initially train a stay command and I still expect that sit means sit etc I also use stay for SFE and wait for recall and COP although I do mix up COP in training as Zig is a smarty pants

Most of us who trial only train our dogs for a few minutes at a time - a whole hour gets dreadfully boring for everyone and is not the best way to foster enthusiasm! My Dally at your Lab's age could barely concentrate for 5 seconds - literally!!! You can still go to class, but word up your instructor what you are going to do. For example, you can ask for a few minutes of 110% focus and then quietly leave the class and have a fun game of tug with your lab.

Is it worth switching to a new dumbbell? If your current one is wooden buy a plastic one and vice versa perhaps. You could also go back to retrieving basics with anything and everything - different objects, textures etc. to build up her confidence. I would tend towards shaping with a clicker. Good luck!

I think so, although I stress I'm not an expert. It just makes sense to me, physiologically - I'd be inclined to only use Suprelorin on a physically mature dog if physique was important. ETA: It can last up to 12 months I think?

I've found the opposite with my boy. He was a real pain. He'd pee on anything and everything. Every fence gate, door, post, washing machine.... After i had him desexed a few months back, there has been a big improvement in this. No doubt it's not an option for BL, but it did make a big improvement in my dogs case. It is an option but one that means I can't show him in the future if I want to. At the moment I can't show him because he's still a gangly, skinny teenager (when will I ever get a dog that stays together as it grows?? ) and I'm not really fit for running just now either. I anticipate that when he's a big, muscly, beautiful adult he might be a show prospect, at least to get a beautiful solid boy seen in the ring. I want to keep that door open for now. I know if he was desexed we would still have to deal with the behaviour but I get the feeling that it makes it a bit easier when you remove some of the motivation. He's only just started so it's not too established a behaviour at this stage. Suprelorin perhaps? My first thought on this is that essentially you are temporarily sterilising him so it probably won't help that gangly, skinny teenager look - you need the testosterone to push him through to physical maturity. Kind of defeats the purpose of keeping him entire for the show ring. Took my lad 3 years (and counting) so good luck

I also do a lot of obedience/agility and I think it helps in so much as I release Zig to sniff and pee as a reward. He understands that he gets to have all the fun when and where I say he can.

I would use Urine Off to get rid of the smell. Zig is a prolific marker but I just treated him like a puppy being toilet trained when I caught him trying it inside! Back to being with me ALL the time or crated and outside every 30 min to pee on command. When we moved here I treated the large deck & furniture as an indoor room. Allowed to run around under supervision and removed to "outside" to pee every few minutes. He's not allowed to pee close to the door either or on the herb garden. Unfortunately supervision is all I can suggest. Zig is inside unsupervised a lot now and he is fantastic.

Update in The Age: http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/owner-to-p...00305-poxa.html Owner to pay $6000 after dog attacks toddler STEVE BUTCHER March 06, 2010 THE owner of a trendy South Yarra hair salon whose unregistered Siberian husky savaged a 22-month-old girl has been penalised more than $6000. Charlotte McKnight was rushed to hospital with a gash from her lip to her cheek after the dog, named Muchachos, attacked her in the premises last November. Charlotte had surgery at the Royal Children's Hospital. The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard yesterday heard that scarring to Charlotte would fade but she continued to have psychological treatment. The proprietor of Ghassan Hair Style, Ghassan Saouda, 46, was absent when Muchachos bit Charlotte after a staff member told her mother ''you don't have to worry about the dog with kids, he's used to people''. Matt Sherwell, prosecuting, told the court that the children played at the back of the salon before the dog growled and lunged at Charlotte, who had lost her balance and put her hands on the floor. Mr Sherwell said Charlotte required ongoing treatment, was concerned about dogs, was ''quite clingy'' and took time to calm when upset. Saouda pleaded guilty to three charges, including owning a dog that bit a person and possessing an unregistered dog. Defence lawyer Anthony Bucca said it was not known why the dog attacked, but if someone had acted logically the dog would have been removed. Mr Bucca said Saouda was ''shattered'' and understood the trauma suffered by Charlotte and her parents. Muchachos had been ''part of the furniture'' at the salon and since his seizure by council officers hundreds had signed a petition to save him. It was revealed yesterday that as Saouda had voluntarily declared his dog dangerous, which involved now housing it in an enclosure with warning signs and a muzzle, it would not be destroyed. Magistrate Donna Bakos accepted the attack was unexpected and unintended, but she said: ''It is not possible to live in our community and not be aware that you must at all times supervise dogs in the presence of children.'' Saouda was fined without conviction and ordered to pay compensation and costs - including pound fees - totalling $6716 and a $1000 fine for a Food Act offence.

All set :D

Copied and pasted from a post I made in another thread here I like the "steady feet" game that I picked up at Sue Hogben's seminar. It's not the easiest thing to describe - much easier to demonstrate...however... Initially trained in the sit position. Ask dog to sit but otherwise keep mouth SHUT (hardest bit ). Have one hand full of small pieces of yummy food. Slowly bring once piece of food with other hand towards dog's nose/mouth. Keep your eye on the dog's FEET. If the dog's feet remain perfectly still, move the food very rapidly into the dog's mouth (yum!) Make it harder. If the dog gets up or moves a paw, do NOT say a word (!!!!) - just fly the food rapidly away from the dog. Don't make it too hard or too easy. Gradually ask for more from the dog and bring the food in from every angle - above, below, on the side, behind. Zig knows the game now and my expectation that he doesn't lean towards anything but looks me directly in the eye - he's very funny :D The dog learns quickly that it's about cause and effect - then progress to the stand and start easy again, progressing to standing over your dog eventually and not having them flinch. Eventually have others approaching the dog and they get the food for staying still and looking at you. When Zig does a stand for exam, his whole body bends and leans and wags whilst he greets the judge but he never moves a foot ;) Also great for building confidence for sit stays and food refusal (should you choose to do that one).

Done. As far as I know Vic only at the moment It's part of a PhD study.

How do you become part of tis study? I would love to see my two. Will PM you

I'm taking Zig Saturday week - I think I know what he'll do.....will be very interesting

But of course

"Quick! Quick!"....."and the rest"

ness, at the moment, Zig is very green (actually we both are as it's been a while!) so I run with him to build his confidence and enthusiasm and work on distance handling separately. He can do a start line stay at 1000 paces but I choose to run with him at the moment. I agree about the complexity of the course for a novice dog. What I actually do at training, to avoid stuffing up my dog, is to run the entire course on my own at least 15-20 times (under the critique of an instructor) as he is more than capable but it is ME who makes the handling errors and stuffs him up in a trial. So I get told "don't crowd your imaginary dog", "connect with him NOW", "support him out wide", "hold your arm steady - give strong direction" etc etc. Then I run Zig through once or twice and if he doesn't absolutely nail it he comes darn close! I try to never turn my back on him in the training or competition ring either - that means physically but, even more importantly, psychologically. If we are in the ring we are working as a team no matter what happens. Anyway, enough rambling from me - hopefully I will get a video of Zig up here one day and you can all critique me too

Like the old Gary Larson cartoon...."Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Tara, blah, blah, blah, Tara, blah, blah, blah, blah......" Great dog! Shame about the handler

You can get the Kennel Cough vaccine separately (to make it up to the C5) - have a chat with your vet ETA: I agree with the change in vaccination protocol - 3 yearly C3 has been recommended by the AVA - we just have to educate the vets and all the dog establishments. Kennel cough is still recommended every year for dogs going into high risk environments.

There's a full page ad in this month's VicDog magazine so if you need more info/contacts please post again!

Love the steady feet game here too I think you need to make staying just incredibly rewarding. Make sure the dog TRULY understands the concept of stay. I like to reward focus on me as well as Zig initially whined and looked around at the other dogs...I suspect out of frustration that he couldn't meet and greet.

Have posted in the Dally thread

LMAO what a visual!!! It's very funny actually.... I've posted these pics before but what the heck

Good idea. Extremely unpleasant procedure and outcome for the cat. Why not make the dog wear goggles? I don't know anything much about pugs but, in general, I like my cats to rule the roost as everyone is indoors here. Cats and dog have their claws trimmed approximately once a week and everyone knows their place. One cat is Queen of the Jungle, her daughter tolerates wet Dalmatian noses but secretly doesn't mind him and the third foster failure kitten is best friends with the dog, although they do play VERY roughly....think kitten hanging off jowls of dog with teeth!

Got it! Thanks Some of the methodology for "working for food" is dodgy IMHO so it will be an interesting read. Got a million other things to read and write (just for a change!!!!) so will get back to this later.

You really do need to attend one of my cat behaviour sessions!!!!!!