Snoozie

I would just like to say a big Thank You to both AkitaOwner and K9Force for organising yet another great workshop! I know I walked a way with a ton of very very useful information This is the first I have been able to make it too but I definitely think it won't be the last

Bumping... Still hoping for a reply to an earlier question about herding on the Central Coast / Newcastle region. Would love to do this with my BC but don't really want to go to Sydney... Also bumping for Tira's question

Bumping... :rolleyes:

I'd also like to know if there's anywhere around the Central Coast region? I have a little BC girl who would love to do this!

Ok...so it's not as bad as I thought I just went and weighed the little one and she's 8.5kg. I'll ease up on the extra feeding a bit now, i'm more than happy with her weight. Now next question. Cause it won't take long before she's up around the 10kg mark and I want to get enough wormer/flea stuff to last six months, is there an issue with me getting the 10kg-25kg dose stuff and giving that to her now? Oh and here's some photos of little miss ratbag looking very pleased with herself after nabbing some bacon!

Well I don't think she's overly fat or anything and she is growing a bit longer, but she certaintly isn't a skinny little pup by any means. I think she'd be close to the 10kg mark already ( I need to go and weigh her) and to me she looks fine, but I was told that maybe I've porked her up a bit too much???? I rescued her and gave her a home as a bub and she had worms so I've been feeding her probably a bit extra than what she really needed to make up for it lol. My camera's pretty crap but I'll see if I can get some shots of her today. That's if she will stay still enough! ETA: On the other hand though I am extremely cautious with my Lab about him becoming overweight and I've been told he's not fat enough...soooo...I really don't know lol.

Morning! Are any of you kind DOLers able to tell me how much (approximately) my 4mth old Border Collie should weigh? I don't have access to scales ATM and am trying to make a well informed guestimate ETA: I'm only after an approximate weight going on the breed in general. Doesn't have to be "her" weight lol.

Thank you everyone for being honest and telling me what works for you. Dogdude...Don't apologise for your essay, I needed it! I think I am going to have to go back to basics and rediscover how to get him to "work for me". And especially, revisit what will make him WANT to work for me. My 14wk old BC girl is already proving that much easier to train as she has more drive and will work for her favourite toy and is so much more attentive. Not to say this won't change in the future, but at the moment I feel like it's easier to teach her new things than him lol.

Most of the focus training stuff has been done with triangle of temptation...Using a giant squeaky bone for fetching which he loves and incorporating commands into the fetching game eg; he has to sit and wait and look at me for release command before he's allowed to go and fetch his toy...that sort of thing. I have also done the hold food in front of him, call his name, wait for him to take eyes off food and look at me for attention then reward and treat. I play games while walking him where I'll walk really fast...then stop suddenly, walk backwards, sidewards etc to try and keep his attention on me and where I am.... I have also just started (tonight) on working on the head up command. In other words when out walking etc not allowing him to put his head down to sniff in the first place... Please don't get me wrong...I don't want to rule out rewarding with food altogether I just don't want to have to rely on food to get my dog to pay attention to me. What happens if i'm walking and he somehow gets away and I don't have food???? It's because of these sorts of scenarios that I want to be able to get him to focus on me without the use of food...all the time anyway. Edited to Add: The problem is not so much at home or out walking...it is when it comes to being at a training ground or a ground where trialling is taken place. I know it's because there are so many exciting smells...but I need to resolve this.

Hmmm he will do anything for fishfingers and they work well until I don't have anything in my hand or in my pocket, which is the case in doing a trial. The other thing is that once he has his nose on the ground he is reluctant to lift it...even if I shove the food under his nose on the ground. Maybe you are right in that I am not using the right type of food... So I wasn't quite correct. He does love food he does respond to food, but the minute I take it away I am no longer interesting, so in this, food is not really working for me. Not to mention the fact that when I use food motivation I can no longer walk around without him trying to get at my hands because he thinks I always have food. I would rather not use food if I can is what I'm trying to say I guess.

Hi all, I need some tips on focus training my lab. He's pretty good walking and at home but I took him to an obedience trial on the weekend and I just couldn't keep his nose off the ground. This boofa doesn't care much about food once he has his nose firmly planted so tips that don't rely on food reward will also be helpful. Am willing to try just about anything really to see what works best. If I can't teach him to focus (he's turning 3 this year) I'll have to retire him to the life of just being a pampered pet, which would be a shame as he loves his outings all the time! Thanks! :D

Leema, I have actually been doing this from day one. It's only during the period when she is outside playing with the big dog that she chooses to go there herself. I have been scooping it up and dousing the spots where she actually went with the white vinegar and water solution as mentioned to take away the scent. It seems like this lil lady is very determined to go there though! persephone...I hadn't really thought about that. I just assumed that everyone takes their pups to toilet on grass. You could be right there as she was given away to me by people living in an apartment in Rockdale! When she's inside I actually let her out the front of the house to toilet which is only grass so I hoped that would do it...but it's obviously still not working. I've spoken to hubby about fencing off the patio area and we might be able to do something temporarily until she stops, he needs to look at it though and figure out if he can do it. She's been absolutely fantastic and really in comparison with what she could be doing, pooing and peeing on the concrete is not that bad

Hi all... Well my new pup's been great except for one little problem. She seems to think our outdoor patio area (which adjoins the backyard) is a good place for her to toilet. It's not that she doesn't use the grass but it's really a case of she just thinks "oh I need to go" and goes. It doesn't seem to matter to her that she's on concrete. This pup is being raised indoor/outdoor and comes inside with us, sleeps in a crate at night time (doesn't like it, she hates bedtime - but is crate trained none the less and never causes a fuss or messes in her crate. We've only ever had one accident in there) , but then spends most of the daylight hours (7:30 to 4:30) outside with my other dog. She is not home alone all day, my fiance works shift work and is home by midday, then I am home at 4:30. She is also in and out the house intermittantly throughout the day. So far the indoors toilet training has been going great with only 1 accident this week, 1 or 2 last week and the majority of the accidents indoors were just in her first week here when she was 9wks old (she is now 12wks). I am wondering how I can encourage her more to use the grass rather than the patio area? Not only is she just going there but it is also causing my entire Lab male (whom I've kept entire for showing by the way before people jump to the wrong conclusion) to come and mark over the top of where she pees so you can imagine what I have to deal with! So far I've tried saying "NO" sternly and picking her up and placing her on grass if I catch her. If I don't catch her in the act I've been going around and spraying the areas she's been to the toilet with a white vinegar/water solution to take away the scent and discourage her from going. The vinegar works on discouraging her from the defecating but not from the peeing and it only works for about a day and then I have to spray again... If anyone has experienced similar issues with their pup and can offer some advice or give me the name of something I can use that's more effective it would be appreciated. Obviously this is not the first time I've toilet trained a pup, but it is the first time I've come across this little problem Thanks so much!

Hi Pax, Very good advice and if myself and the other people in question do intend to participate in trialling our dogs we will most certaintly be getting hold of a copy of the rule book! :cool: This was more of a general question as the topic came up in conversation and we were all under the impression (from what information we were given) that it would be a flat collar only... I appreciate everyone's replies...

Thank guys...I think this clears up my questions. Perhaps I'm mistaken and they do allow the martingale...I know for sure they don't allow the slip as I turned up to my first class with one and they informed me that it was not allowed to be used on the grounds (they go by DELTA). I actually do use a prong (and do so at another club I frequent) but I know that they are not allowed by ANKC affiliated clubs as you've mentioned so don't use it for the particular club I've mentioned.

Hi sorry, one more question. Is this as per ANKC rules? Reason I ask is that I belong to an obedience club which does not allow the use of slip/martingales. Only flat collar and headcollars are allowed to be used. I know that this club hosts obedience and agility trials...So would their collar rules apply or would the ANKC's?? I'm just a little confused....I would expect that it would be an across board thing, but why then would they not allow these to be used normally, yet allow it for a comp? Help??

Hi All, I don't actually have a copy of the rules and regulations for obedience trials and I was hoping someone might be able to tell me if there are collar restrictions that apply? Eg; Only flat collar allowed... If someone could enlighten me, I would appreciate it! Thanks!

I can vouch for this. Though not about the lab part, cause I have one that no amount of waving food in front of his face will alter his attention if there are more interesting things around (like dogs ). Obviously he doesn't fit the stereotype! Under Akitaowner's guidance my boy and I have come such a long way already, and it has even increased his focus and attention on me and what I am asking him to do. So it works on alot of different positive aspects..not just on controlability. IMHO it was the best thing I could have done for my dog and he and I are most certaintly happier for using one. Edited for: stupidhead mistakes

I'm sorry for your loss and feel quite humbled in that my boy too sports such a great name. RIP Zed

Looks exactly like my lab boy's nose right now And yes, he did take the skin off his nose. Black pigment only just starting to come through now...

Just out of curiosity are you using food reward as training method? Have you been teaching heeling or anything similar using food lure? I am only asking as I myself have a Lab boy who used to do this. BUT...he only did it after we started obedience training and was using positive FOOD reinforcement as training method. All I did to fix this was to discontinue using treats as rewards (went back to praise/toy reward system) and he slowly realized I no longer had anything in my hands to give him so stopped biting at them all the time. Obviously if this is not the issue my method won't work, but thought I'd mention it just in case.

Deelee...probably an obvious question but before you throw the second ball for her did you get her to drop the first one? It only works if she is focusing on the second ball and drops the first one from her mouth, then throw so she chases, while she's chasing second ball you pick up the first.... From what you said above it sounded like you threw the second ball for her before she dropped the first one? Or did she pick up again on her way through? Sorry...just trying to work it out. BTW it does take much patience and persistance. I can get my boy to retrieve and give most times, but sometimes if he's in the mood he won't give and does a "haha..catch me if you can thing". When this happens I just don't play. I turn around and go inside. Then maybe come out an hour later and he's like "oh..I better drop it or she won't play".

Wow...It took your lab 8.5months to start doing this? Mine was doing it at 4months . Zed was also notorious for stealing anything that wasn't tied down and running it out to the backyard to chew. It became really really hard to trick him into handing things over but we couldn't just chase him for it cause he thought it was a game. He used to steal the socks out of the washing basket when I was hanging out the washing and then want me to chase him...hahaha. I think what he is going through is quite normal. But you may have to step up on the leadership... Even now, Zed is 2years 2months now, and he will still push the boundaries. Zed's latest antic is he has taught himself how to open the flyscreen to our games room and is letting himself in there to sleep. He's been reprimanded over and over but he will sneakily do it when no one is around to catch him. Last night I found him alseep on the couch in there....OH boy! Did the sh#t hit the fan last night. He is well aware he is not allowed to do it, he just does it anyway. It's their mischevious nature I'm afraid. All I can do in this instance is step up on the leadership again (he is challenging our authority i believe) and prevent him from being able to open the door in the first place. This means closing the glass door when we are not around. At least until he respects the boundary enough to be trusted not to cross it unless we give him the "ok". Sorry, I am rambling, but rest assured, I do believe that he is just being a normal labrador. You just need to work out the best way to deal with it.

It's meant to be like a natural antibiotic or something like that isn't it? I don't use anything like that myself, but I know people who swear by it. When I had my Mare, the lady I agisted with used to give it to her horse everyday. Now what was the name of the guy she got it from??? Ummm... Thinking Thinking Ahhh that's his name. Robert McDowell. I found his link to his website too. Seems he has a specific range for dogs. http://www.herbal-treatments.com/index.html Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone for replying. His nose is looking better already. I left it alone to heal by itself and it seems to be doing fine. I no longer use the gentle leader on him I have gone back to the check chain. I didn't see an improvement from using in it...In fact he was worse because he spent the whole time trying to get it off (this is after following instructions and letting him get used to it...I've been using it since Sept last year) and he is much more comfortable just with the check.