The Spotted Devil

LOL - how do you think I came up with my DOL user name Zig is so excited in the ring he just about bursts! I love that energy, though, and therefore have been patient with him. He's a dog that will physically mature much later too. At our last show for '07, a handler behind me had a squeaky toy to hype her dog up. Zig needed that like a hole in the head He was trying to run forward with his head twisted about to get the squeaky toy but I just kept calmly asking and asking him to work. Eventually he got it together, won his class and RDCC - made my day You're right - it's a brilliant learning curve. My last dog (ACD) was OTT too but in a very different way - she was like a jack in the box on red cordial and speed but was simply desperate to work for me....quite easy to focus her - I just wish I had been a better trainer!!!!!!

Sas, I've been following your posts about Dante for a while.....he sounds scarily like Ziggy He was the cutest puppy and lots of fun but was a complete pain in the @r$e until he was 6 months old and then intermittently so. My show trainer actually said he had never seen a more determined puppy, which at least made me realise I just had to work through it. Corrections are wasted on Zig too - much better to calmly ask him to "steady" or "leave" or "gentle". My OH is a real softy and I've had to work very hard to train him at the same time Zig used to run to OH and act like a complete git if I had asked for a behaviour that he didn't want to produce - jumping all over him or humping a cushion. I've worked really hard to focus the "madness" and the energy and it has paid off - Zig has mellowed a little (14 months old) and is really starting to get a kick out of clicker training. About once a month (since he was 9 months) I go through another challenging phase with him (e.g. "la, la, la, I can't hear you, I'm not coming back") but each time it gets easier and easier. Now, sometimes, it's just a look that brings him back into line. The current challenge is his behaviour with visitors when I'm not in the room - he just regresses into behaviours of old so I crate him if I can't watch him. I've had a couple of experienced Dally people attempt to run him around a show ring but his behaviour is revolting (jumps head height (which he has never done with me), pulls, sniffs, looks miserable) and they swear I need a stronger collar on him. But for me, with consistency, patience and determination, he works like a charm on a loose material slip collar with heaps of pizazz! It's bloody hard work but, seeing the results I have of late, I wouldn't have him any other way ;) Keep going and doing what you're doing - sounds like you'll reap the rewards sooner or later. Zig's personality has been exhausting at times but I've just spent nearly 2 months mostly resting in bed due to minor back surgery and he has been an absolute treasure. Just reading Erny's replies as I'm typing - I go for isolation every time in the crate (very calmly and without a word)....works a treat for him because being around us and the cats is his thing. If I tried putting him outside or left him in a room, he'd probably destroy it

Huge congratulations to you and Daisy, Phillipa :D :p I just caught this news on Yahoo Dals and was about to come and start a new thread Brilliant work! Well done to Miss Rosie (Yarrowfell High Fashion) on her JIG too

I'm just guessing here....but could your neighbour be thinking of heartworm injections? These can be done yearly OR you can give a combined monthly flea, intestinal and heart worm tablet monthly. I wouldn't give the yearly injection due to associated health risks and reliability of the injection. I use Sentinel Spectrum chewable tablets on the same day each month and it's too easy As BC said, yearly vaccinations are usual but there is a lot of debate about this too.

Those damm vowels!!!!

He's adorable - have you seen Georgia the chiro yet? I was doing some reading on vaccinations the other day and it seems the mother's antibodies can interfere up to 16 weeks of age. I thought it could take up to 2 weeks for the vaccinations to kick in anyway.....?

I'll be interested in the response....is this for your pup Tess32? How old?

Emma Dee - I remember one of my nutrition lecturers saying he was surprised that soy products are fed to kids with allergies instead of dairy products as soy is actually more likely to trigger allergies....sorry, nothing more specific that I can remember

What a traumatic time :rolleyes: So glad she's home and making progress

Glad it went a little more smoothly Puppy Wuppy If it makes you feel any better, I took Zig for his vaccinations yesterday. I'm pretty calm and take no nonsense from him, nor does my vet who is fantastic. The needle was given with no problem BUT when the vet tried to examine his mouth, Zig went beserk trying to get away. This is a show dog that is very used to having his mouth handled! Then we realised that the vet had just washed his hands with a very strong disinfectant and that's what Zig couldn't cope with - amazing OTT reaction due to the dog's strong sense of smell. I ended up handling the mouth and showing the vet - much easier all 'round

I can understand why people do it when relating fasting back to a natural diet or have a dog that works/trains better on an empty stomach. My personal opinion is that my dog's lifestyle is anything but natural in that I expect him to be active every day rather than, perhaps, gorging himself on a big "kill" then sleeping it off for a day or two. Plus I have never had a dog (or cat for that matter ) that wasn't an absolute food vacuum cleaner so training with a dog that is not hungry for treats is never a problem. I'm actually trying to wean Zig off having breakfast (for health reasons specific to Dals) and it is very hard to get him to settle without giving something to eat. Do what works best for you and your dog

I also posted this in the Breeders Forum not realising this thread was going.... Contact Bea via e-mail: [email protected]

Rebanne - sympathy for your back....I'm recovering from a couple of spinal nerve root injections myself. I like the idea of giving them a free run - I have been driving Zig to the beach early in the morning, hobbling to the sand and letting him run amok....much easier :rolleyes:

Good point Nekhbet! I forgot about that. My OH is banned from the consulting room because HE is the one with the extreme needle phobia...he loves to drive us there, hold the dog/cat in the waiting room and pay the bill but at no time is he permitted in the room during treatment :rolleyes:

Sounds like your pup has become sensitised to the injections all right - unfortunately, it can get worse and worse if you don't do anything. I would start by practicing at home - first with yourself asking pup to stand or sit quietly, being rewarded with a treat. Then start to gently grab a handful of skin/fur in pretense of having an injection. Then ask others to do it - familiar and unfamiliar people in different environments if possible. If you have got the time (and a patient vet clinic) I would take your lab into the clinic as often as possible (even daily) and have the vet nurses give her some very special treats when she is standing or sitting calmly, then progress to them to gently grab a handful of skin in pretense of having an injection. It may also be very well worth while having your vet give the injection outside the vet clinic as just being in the treatment room (think of the associated smells, sights and sounds) may well stress her out. Good luck and be patient....it can take a while to undo this sort of behaviour and you getting distressed won't help her at all....be calm and firm, knowing that you are doing it for her own good :rolleyes:

Speaking of obscure, my neighbour dropped over a handful of lemons today...Zig went a little nuts with excitement at the door but sat beautifully when asked with his eyes fixated on the lemons. Of course, when he wasn't rewarded with what he perceived to be a "treat/toy" he started throwing a few other behaviours at me - not all of them very useful. Same thing happened when I crumpled up a piece of paper to throw in the bin

For me it was a bit different...once my dearly departed ACD got her CDX she sacked me as her obedience trainer and focussed my attention on agility instead Dear old girl taught me so much

Sas - I don't know much about the implant but based on physiology, I would think that waiting until the dog has finished growing would be advisable. The loss of testoserone delays growth plate closure in long bones (i.e. resulting in a slightly taller dog) and results in a slightly less muscle mass. Really interesting thread!

I know a few Dally people use Supercoat Special Care Sensitive with good results, if that's any help

It's designed so the dogs chew it. Ziggy goes mad for his - I now make him work for it and do a change of position or similar It appears to be very effective against fleas. I was a few days late with Zig's last dose and he was suddenly itching and getting red skin on the inside of his hind legs. It cleared up once I gave him the tablet. You can get it cheaper from this website.

I'm really sorry for the loss of your Diva I can certainly understand the pain you are going through and there are no "rules" about grieving. It should get easier with time to remember the wonderful (and funny) moments and less of the painful ones. If you are struggling as much as your post indicates, perhaps some grief counseling would be highly beneficial. There are people that specialise in companion animals. I just did a really quick search on Google and found this link: Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement They have a support group for people specifically who have lost their companion animals. Good luck and take care

Ziggy will work for food (from normal kibble to steamed chicken), tug game, retrieve game, verbal praise, head scratch and for a "release" command. I try and mix them up to keep the clever little devil guessing although I don't mix games and treats as food is KING

Always remembered by the DOL Dallies and, although I'm sure it's painful, photos and memories of Bingley are always welcome. Take heart phillipad - sometimes there's only so much we can do. Hugs to you

Anyone living in Sydney can opt to become part of a Sydney Uni study regarding vaccinations - I've posted the details in the Breeder's Forum. Here's the linky

Just wanted to add....don't feel bad that you have had trouble bonding with your pup. It does sound like you've been through an awful lot with her accident on top of having a toddler in the house! It wasn't until Zig was 6 months that I felt like I really began to develop a bond with him. He is a very intense young lad (which is what I wanted) and keeps me constantly on my toes. I was so busy guiding, correcting and praising that I didn't have the time or energy to really appreciate him....and I absolutely knew what I was in for, was extremely well prepared, have a good background in dog training etc and don't have kids! The hard work has really paid off now, however, and he has turned into a sensational young dog. Still has his moments but I can nip them in the bud pretty quickly. Sas is dead right in saying they're all individuals.....correcting with Zig is very difficult as he either thinks it's the best fun and just gets sillier OR finds it overwhelming. The best thing with him is to channel his energy into something constructive. I also grew up in a family with outside dogs.....I have found inside dogs soooo much easier to deal with. In the beginning I really restricted what rooms pup could go into (to protect him, our stuff and the cats) but now he has more free reign....although I still wouldn't trust him on his own for more than 30 seconds ETA: Clicker training is brilliant....and fun!