The Spotted Devil

Split, split, split. Stay with Day 1 as long as you need to!

On my wish list is a working Irish Setter. Cracking dogs. And one of THE best breeders is in NZ - had the pleasure of meeting her dogs a few years ago. Not much help fir the show ring though!

Dallies are awesome. Naturally :laugh: Need lots of exercise and mental stimulation. Shed like no tomorrow. Twice a year, 6 months in the Autumn and 6 months in the Spring. Very showy in the ring, built beautifully for agility but very few doing it because they are somewhat more difficult to train. Popularity in the show ring depends on the location - Victoria is very strong, for example. Not sure about NZ.

:laugh: Glad you enjoyed it! She's a cracker all right. Scottsmum it gets even more complicated on some runs - what these dogs are capable of comprehending and remembering is amazing. Pers I have some very old photos of a Dalmatian working as a Gundog. Mine doesn't have the mouth for it

It's like handling in retrieving I guess - we teach them to follow our "right" hand signal even if there's a retrieve item half a metre to their left. I certainly point at a treat I've dropped on the ground if the dog can't find it. One thing I find fascinating is the dogs can distinguish verbal commands "spin" and "twirl" - 2 different directions. Love that!

I think you will need to contact Dogs Victoria directly. As Willem's google search has demonstrated behavioural assessments are a dime a dozen. As far as I understand the situation where the alleged incident occurred will be recreated and the dog's behaviour reported - but how/what isn't specified. Here is the link to Rules and Regs http://www.dogsvictoria.org.au/AboutUs/ConstitutionRulesRegs.aspx Look under "Dog Incidents"

:) slightly OT - do have any videos of Em working ? Hey Pers! Videos are hard as they work at such long distances (up to 150 m) in retrieving trials so it's hard to follow. Here's some footage a friend managed to get at a trial - think it was the 2nd run (in All Age it's 3 runs and usually 3 items of game for each). To explain what's happening it shows Em delivering the blind (a blind is a retrieve that the dog HAS NOT seen fall so they have to trust you and run off the line that you give them) and then being sent on the memory mark (mark is a retrieve that the dog has seen fall - in this scenario she saw the mark go up, had to leave that, get the blind, THEN get the mark and then go back for a "double rise" which is where a 2nd retrieve is placed around 10 m behind the 1st mark. Dogs are trained NOT to go back to the fall of a bird so this is a special command to actually go back there). The dogs only saw the very top arc of the mark so you can see she dives left to check (also a lot of scent from the double rise out there) but then comes straight back to the area of the fall and picks it up.: Some of the best days we've had have been away from trialling - working paddocks for partridge and picking up on a paid shoot. Makes my heart sing to watch her work. It's all a game to her. Work = Play = Work.

I put it like this....I have no problem with dogs on beds or on my lounge. If you DON'T want that then be prepared to TRAIN it - teach your dog to DO what you would like them to do (eg lie on their bed) - and by train I mean "reward what you want and manage when you can't, not intimidate. Moving through doors, out of crates and out of cars is critical for me...I have trained them to sit when my hand touches the door...in what order my dogs are released depends on who is demonstrating the best behaviour (break early and you go to the back of the queue lol) and/or who I need for training at that point in time. 9 times out of 10 I want to release them before I move through the front door so I can make sure the cats don't "door dash" but I might want them to wait until a visitor moves through. Sometimes I let them run in the big chook yard (sans chooks!) and I expect the same manners at the gate. It's a very fun way to check whether they can demonstrate impulse control under HIGH arousal..."are you ready! Are you steady! Are you readyyyyyyyyy!?!" :laugh: Translates beautifully to agility start line stays and steady Gundogs.

Yep that's fair enough. I understand you want to agility "for fun" but, trust me, so do the rest of us! A good read to put it in perspective... http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2016/03/dog-agility-why-doing-it-just-for-fun-maybe-be-the-wrong-way/

My Spaniels climb into my lap, curl up on my feet and snuggle on my pillow uninvited. Dog forbid they don't even get "disciplined" whatever the hell that is. Yet take Em into the field and she explodes into the most incredible working dog. No lack of connection or attention. Go figure!

Oh what simplistic nonsense. There's more to a balanced household than who initiates contact, who eats first and who goes through doors first.

So do you want to show and do dog sports? I run Working ESS in agility and retrieving. So - not great if you want to show but awesome for sports. People do run Goldens, Labs etc in agility but to be honest the show lines are not built for it. Welsh Springer Spaniels don't have a show/working split and there are a few doing agility. Some drivey, others not so much. Vizsla might be another option. Another option is an Aussie Shepherd - lots of them doing agility and showing. If you haven't done agility before be aware that there is a LOT more training involved than seems apparent from outside the ring. No matter what breed you have! Any breed can DO agility but whether they do it with joy depends a lot on their training. My Dally is an Agility Champion - only one of his breed in Australia.

misunderstood you, sorry. no matter how much of a nanny state they want to make Australia, they fail to understand or don't want too. if not even children are safe from being dumped, abused or killed. its pretty stupid to think they can do better re dog and cat welfare. No dramas. With regard to your last statement - we can't fix everything nor will we change the nutters at the low end or the high achievers aka DOL dog owners. But we can improve the welfare of the average dog and cat through appropriate, targeted education. I do believe it's a much better approach than constant changes to legislation.

Not sure of your point asal? I was just pointing out how much money the government has spent changing ONE single behaviour. And how complicated this is.

...usually you can't advertise an AK-47 on eBay, gumtree or over a newspaper (not so sure about Fakebook so) - obviously there are some measures in place that makes shopping for this type of goods pretty difficult. Why not applying those measures to dogs?...Ebay already doesn't allow the sales of dogs (and other pets). Once you start controlling the sales in this environment, you will get the registration numbers up. I can't see that it would make it more difficult for people that want to do the right thing - for my own dog buying experience not much would have been different, beside that I would have had to send off application papers before we bought the dog. This strategy will only push the sale of dogs underground with sellers finding other places to sell their puppies. The people that are doing the right thing are not the problem, the problem is the people who are currently doing the wrong thing as they will continue to do the wrong thing ...underground means also higher costs (higher risks, higher fines...)...which will benefit the recognized and registered breeders. If I intend to buy a dog, why should I embark on such a risky business where I can get heavily fined and have to pay eventually even more for a dog if I can get my dog without this stress the legal way? Regulation does not stop drink driving which is high risk and has high fines. Regulation does not work. ..that's debatable ...I still believe that getting reminded of the hefty fines help some people to consider a plan B. Hefty fines are nothing else than 'positive punishment', losing the licence is 'negative punishment'...a little bit keen to state on a dog forum that those methods don't work. Actually what changes behaviour is changing attitudes through education. It's the endless campaigns that cost plenty of money. This ^^ education includes discussions, teaching, training ... and conditioning is part of training... Real change comes about from targeted education based on sound, psychological principles. Which is why the first thing 99% of the population do when they get in a car is to put their seat belt on.

Also you could try contacting the State Gundog Clubs and GSP clubs.

...usually you can't advertise an AK-47 on eBay, gumtree or over a newspaper (not so sure about Fakebook so) - obviously there are some measures in place that makes shopping for this type of goods pretty difficult. Why not applying those measures to dogs?...Ebay already doesn't allow the sales of dogs (and other pets). Once you start controlling the sales in this environment, you will get the registration numbers up. I can't see that it would make it more difficult for people that want to do the right thing - for my own dog buying experience not much would have been different, beside that I would have had to send off application papers before we bought the dog. This strategy will only push the sale of dogs underground with sellers finding other places to sell their puppies. The people that are doing the right thing are not the problem, the problem is the people who are currently doing the wrong thing as they will continue to do the wrong thing ...underground means also higher costs (higher risks, higher fines...)...which will benefit the recognized and registered breeders. If I intend to buy a dog, why should I embark on such a risky business where I can get heavily fined and have to pay eventually even more for a dog if I can get my dog without this stress the legal way? Regulation does not stop drink driving which is high risk and has high fines. Regulation does not work. ..that's debatable ...I still believe that getting reminded of the hefty fines help some people to consider a plan B. Hefty fines are nothing else than 'positive punishment', losing the licence is 'negative punishment'...a little bit keen to state on a dog forum that those methods don't work. Actually what changes behaviour is changing attitudes through education. It's the endless campaigns that cost plenty of money.

It's like my ESS pups - I had at least 5 enquiries for every pup born. But only one suitable home for each of them. Could have sold them for a packet and bred my bitch again. Right now I'm contemplating whether to breed Em again because the right homes are so damned hard to find. Thank goodness she only had 4 pups and I was keeping one!

Well forgive me for not accepting this info outright (not a fan of the RSPCA stats) but there are many variables in why dogs are dumped and why they attack......not just the breed..... No? I don't know the protocol the RSPCA adopts; I expect they asked people why they surrender the dog? ...and if a Maltese owner states that the dog shows aggression and the dog might even show this behaviour than this is what they enter in the list. I guess they just record the status quo and don't have recourses to investigate the underlying cause of unwanted behaviour. What people say and what the TRUE reason is are very different things. And yes I've seen the research. This is what I lecture on. I know you are relying on Google but honestly your data and understanding are very limited. And I bet there's not a single well bred pedigree Maltese amongst them. It's like everything being a Mastiff cross just because they're brindle... And yes Powerlegs, Dalmatians copped it too.

Thank you Scootaloo. :) I don't want to post anonymously so all my info is here and Willem, using the safety of a private forum profile is the first person ever, to drag my team and site content in for a kicking. edit; Maddy Wow. Just went back and read that exchange. Agree with Scootaloo.

This is problematic. Breeds? We can't even identify "pitbulls" - breed is a guess unless you have a pedigreed, DNA tested animal e.g I can prove who my pups' parents are who in turn are pedigreed animals. Some breeds get dumped more than others? Like some breeds bite more? You guessed it, there's nothing wrong with the breed itself, they are just more popular. I know. I've seen the data. Councils DO NOT want to spend money on dogs and cats. They just don't.

The nice thing about the protocol is that it builds layers of understanding, splitting behaviours down into their smallest parts - it's the way I love to train!

I've done this with a few clients. One thing I tell them to do is NOT over think it. Also go at your own pace - if it takes 3 days for you both to get through Day 1 that's perfectly OK. Start in a quiet room and then practice in different rooms. I really liked it as a structure to follow for some owners, particularly where the owner or dog couldn't leave the house. Good luck!

Your disclosure about her behaviour is also important. They may take into account that you are concerned she will snap at a child and not give her a chance. And yes shelters do get sued. But even so I have seen my fair share of dogs that have gone to "homes with no children and/or no dogs" and the problems abound - because there are kids that visit (friends, grandchildren) or the new owner is determined they can cure the dog of their fears/phobias. The shelter environment is very stressful - some dogs escalate their behaviour and others shut down and don't show their true colours. Temp tests aren't much chop to be honest but it's all we have and staff do the best they can. My post is not about your dog specifically but how some shelters work.

If you're interested in Back on Track contact Nikki at Aussie Agility. I'm having Em fitted on Saturday at an agility trial.