The Spotted Devil

:laugh: I'm in!

Norty Husky Puppy alright :laugh: And the paint roller This is normal in our house... We were having the deck renovated so the outdoor furniture was inside... Tired Springer... I'm not sure this would fall under "appropriate equipment use"...

*sigh* You can't fix stupid

You can do it yourself no problem. If you want to be part of their "scheme" I think you need a vet but I had a look at some of the folk on the list and didn't feel it was particularly elite so didn't bother.

Orivet are good to deal with - especially over the phone as their website can be a bit clunky. Easy to do the swab yourself as well.

Great update! Well done all!

Thanks gals! Haven't really done much with my Spotty Dog. He only "does elegant" lol so will have to get my thinking cap on. Targeting would be good for him too.

Miss Em has.... Spin both ways, from L/R heel and in front Up on back legs although it needs more independence Reverse - to in between my legs (facing the same way) and walking away from me Leg weaves Crawl - at heel, between my feet facing the same way and toward me in front Play dead albeit with madly wagging tail Usual sit/drop/stand/retrieve obviously I need to teach something new as well so will watch this space with interest!

I enjoyed watching Jim (a big lad to leg weave with lol) but Tasha's video wasn't working. Great job biker girl!

Good call Tassie - we will be in Mildura until Wed and the forecast is 25-30C plus! Lucky to get to 17C here today so it will be a shock to the system.

Thanks gals I am heading off camping for a few days so will have time to watch them - will find and link yours biker girl! Em would love DWD - she is a trick fanatic! Just not sure how she would cope with the environment - it's something I'd love to do with both of them.

Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! C'mon guys stop teasing with all these fabulous results and gimme some moves to drool over

Gorgeous Rebanne!

Whoa. Very sorry to hear this news.

Messy!!!! You can give a little psyllium husk (I mix it with a weetbix and water) or more edible bone (eg chicken frames) - helps to bulk things up a bit.

It's funny how distinctive puppies are, breed wise...like the GSP bitch I have at the moment. Love, love, love training and interacting with her but the idea of LIVING with her for much longer drives me mental :laugh: Definitely one for the aficionado! Bit like the Dally in that regard.

One more thing.... I have lost count of the number of puppies and dogs I have worked with through various classes. My own dogs do some super stuff and I'm really proud of their achievements. However, they are dogs so sometimes they do stuff I'm not expecting. Sadly, I am also human and many a time I have stuffed up their progress. Fortunately they are very forgiving of my failures and I can only try not to make the same mistakes again. It's great that you can see the other perspectives - go have fun with your dog :)

Regardless of whether people think he's rude, what do other dogs think would be my question.

Yonjuro I think a lot of folk underestimate how much work you need to put in to develop and maintain an awesome recall... Think of the environment (dogs, running, swimming, smells, prey etc) being like a pot of gold bullion. You, on the other hand, are holding a small bag of one and two cent pieces :D I suspect I know which one your dog is likely to choose and every time he chooses that super rewarding environment that's another handful of gold coins in the pot.

Hey cassie - in this situation I NEVER ask for a sit. I like to put the onus back on the dog to make some decisions and work out how to get the reward. With my adults they already understood basic crate games but I still needed to wait them out until they worked it out. Started by marking the sit with "yes" and opening the door and simultaneously releasing. Then I make them wait progressively longer before releasing. Same with putting their food down - I don't ask for a sit but I wait for them to sit and hold it until released. Always have my iPhone at hand so I can check emails and out wait them in the learning stage :D Once they start to get the idea I will walk away from the door if they don't offer a sit and do something else for a few minutes. Pups are easier as they naturally offer lots of behaviours. Makes for a much more peaceful household because the dogs are doing all the hard work.

I understand that everyone has different opinions and experiences with off leash dog parks but I am not a fan. As a trainer I tell people it's not necessary and can create issues (I deal with a lot of very novice owners). Some listen and some don't and that is their prerogative. The pup I'm looking after for a month is SUPER social but I see every interaction with another dog, person and environment as an opportunity to work on her recall. Yes, she gets to play with other dogs sometimes but that is a relatively small part of her reward structure. I want to build value for ME.

Personally I would have them come in one at a time so you can manage the crazy. No dog comes in unless they OFFER a sit AND can hold it whilst you open the door wide. So, here it is "Zig wait" "Em ok" or vice versa. Temp pup is still learning. Door shuts if dogs bolt through without being released. I have a baby gate in the house that has the same rules. At bedtime I put my hand on the gate and the dogs automatically sit. I open the gate wide and walk off. No-one moves. Then I release and they race to their beds for a biscuit. Same in and out of the car, front gate, getting out of a crate, being let off leash etc etc. Nothing wrong with excitement! They just need to learn a bit more impulse control.

This is why I don't run my dogs with unfamiliar dogs. My Springer would be horrified to be chased by a dog she doesn't know - different if she knows the dog (usually we have trained together) and all the pre-requisite play bows etc have happened. My Dally just wants to sniff and pee and be left in peace - he is very polite and likes to meet and greet first and will have a good hoon with a bitch if she wants to play. Having been chased and THUMPED by a few rude young males he doesn't take that chase behaviour particularly well. ETA: My Springer's passion for hunting is such that I cannot trust her recall 100% if she is racing around near water/heavy cover. She lives to run so I drive her to different grounds to train - she runs and swims hard but is ALWAYS under control.

My perspective is this: When I have my dogs off leash I don't allow them to approach unfamiliar dogs. When I see other off leash dogs I assume the worst and manage my dogs accordingly. That said my dogs (and temporary pup) are off leash to train. Whether that's agility, obedience, retrieving or just repeated recalls (released to run and sniff again) and whistle sits. It sounds a bit over protective but it keeps my dogs safe and happy and maintains my sanity.

I have had 1,2 and 3 at various times. Every dog of mine learns to go out and stay home alone or with others. Doing this from Day One saves a lot of stress.