Kowai

Go Northern NSW! I used to live in Murwillumbah

Awww what! Damn you Queenslanders! Thanks for the info though!

No sorry, copyright laws. Hey guys where do you do canine disc? Where can I get some more info on it - in particular Victoria?

I'm in waves. Sometimes I will go every weekend for a month, then nothing for a month. My next trial is the Royal Melbourne 20th September, so we have a break until then. Even if I'm not entered I will still go sometimes to support friends. I will PM you with a good website so you know when they're all on. Great thank you! It's cool to see that, if we're up to the level, we can gain a title fairly quickly I'm so excited about getting our CCD even though it might be awhile yet! I'm hoping to also get into agility so we can gain, I think its the jumping dog title? I'm also looking at going for a WWPD - Working weight pull dog

Hey BC how often do you go to shows?

I would never use one, couldn't use one, on my dogs. Thats a personal decision though and if others decide to use them then thats their choice.

Oh man dropping is such an issue for my dog! We're almost up to trialling level and he still hates doing it for me! I always teach drop originally from the sit position with the dog at my left hand side. Once they have that you proceed onto dropping from the standing position. Dropping is naturally easier for the dog from the sit position because they're already halfway there! Food is great for teaching them and for most dogs you can probably get them to drop without having to physically handle them - you just hold the food in front of their face, give them the command to drop, and slowly move your hand down to the ground and away from them along the ground and they should hopefully drop! Sometimes it helps to just put a hand on their rump so they keep their butt down For some dogs food is a great reward for dropping... But it wont get them their in the first place - they'll just look at it and wonder what you're going on about! Physically assisting them at first to show them what you want is the trick. I start by kneeling down next to my dog, who is sitting on my left. I put my left arm around them, lightly resting my elbow on their back and holding their left leg with my hand. My right arm holds their right leg. I give them the command to drop and I gently and slowly pull out their front legs while putting some pressure on their back with my elbow. Once they're in the drop position I praise them and give them a treat. Most dogs get the idea very quickly and you'll be able to give them the command without having to kneel right down. Once they've gotten the concept and will drop for you then proceed onto dropping from stand position

Oops sorry I wasn't meaning to take a go at you! Guess that came out wrong :D

I would but... Well.. You see... Zachariah doesn't -like- the rain! Anything heavier than a light drizzle and he instantly tries to run for cover or jump onto my lap!

Um all my training techniques are correct and you're all wrong. Unless you agree with me. Then you're slightly more right but still less right than me. I'm sorry I'm such a troll

Now now you have to give some dogs a chance.. I guess triallings different but if I get a dog next to mine which I know has trouble staying I don't resent them.. I think they deserve the chance :p Of course though if the dog is going to be aggressive thats another story! I've had dogs break a few times next to Zach and he hasn't moved thank god! The one time he broke he came straight back to me the little bugger If a dog broke and was just running around being stupid I wouldn't move back to my dog.. If it was going to attack my dog, thats a different story

If the judge does not say halt just keep walking until they tell you to Ah okay thank you! I found a copy of the rule book online too which I think will help me heaps with the funday.. Maybe if I do well I'll look at trialling sooner

Oh yeah its the worst thing during our fun days when one dog breaks and takes 3 dogs with them! I remember one time the dog next to mine broke and so did two others to its other side.. It even went up to my dog! Somehow Zach stayed glued to his spot! Though my last funday he did break during his sit stay He normally never breaks! --Edit-- Okay heres a question When you get your dog to sit stay and you walk away from them (for the recall exercise), and the judge tells you to about turn.. Do you turn and keep walking until they say halt or do you just turn and halt straight away? I was told by a judge once that we turn and keep walking until we're told to halt?

Actually I'm so thankful now that our clubs fundays at the level I'm at are run like CCD level obedience trials! Even those are terrifying!! Last time I accidently on the recall said "Come! Zach!" Oops wrong way round.. I also tend to bounce when I do my turns I think we don't do so well because -I'm- the one making mistakes!! Is the passing mark for CCD 170/200 points? Also do you just have to make three passes for the CCD title?

Great, just leave the registered number blank then. Trial style training at Werribee is great. This is where you start to get very one on one and picked on for all of the things you are doing wrong and you get many hints and advise on what to do. I will PM you. I do alot of things wrong haha! I need to practice so much! I havent had the chance to train much lately and the funday is this weekend!

Oh man!! It all sounds so hard! I have the worst habit of talking to my dog.. Or saying his name.. Or just saying stuff at the wrong time!

Thanks but I've already registered myself online So I'm now a VCA member! Whats it like transitioning from club style training to trailing style training within the Werribee obedience club? How much help do you get in learning to trial?

Well I just went and ordered Zach's weight pull harness online! I'm thinking of going to the next weight pull event at the Malamute club to see how its all done and to talk to some people Its hard not to get conflicting information on the net about particular rules! Zach is getting a red harness with his name on it - can't wait to see it! It's pretty exciting! I need to learn how to train him too.. I would -hate- to do anything wrong which could result in Zach getting injured.

Thats what I was thinking.. But I wish that they had've put next to it "For office use only" or something! I can just see it now.. Ms Laura Hall's Associate Thisis Sparta CCD.... *daydream* It's the dream to get a title one day.. Watch your dreams!. At the beginning of this year, i was out tracking with my young dog, and my old dog (13 1/2 year lab) kicked up a stink. So I thought well, you old sod, I will give you a track. He did a very complicated track very well. I had stopped tracking him some time ago due to my very poor health, and had retired him. I laughingly said to my wife "wouldn't it be funny if he gets Tch? if any dog deserves it he does, he was really awesome". Well, he got track 3 4 5 in a row, had a slight hiccup and is now going for his Tch this weekend. Along the way I had a day with three pass cards when my poodle got TD in a day after a track on, and he got track three. Judges started saying nice things about my handling instead of slagging it and I learnt to relax tracking. I was so relaxed that when we did our first Tch track, he was having a slight munch at the start, i couldn't have cared less, because I had full confidence that he woud find the track. He has never missed so why worry now? I hope it spills on to obedience. BTW he really perked up with the tracking and attention too. Nice! I'm still a novice.. I'm only just now sort of coming up to trialling level and it's my dream to atleast get the first level of titles! If I got anything more than that I'd be so happy!

Thats what I was thinking.. But I wish that they had've put next to it "For office use only" or something! I can just see it now.. Ms Laura Hall's Associate Thisis Sparta CCD.... *daydream* It's the dream to get a title one day..

Are you near Werribee? We have a good Obedience club there (I have a husky too) I would recommend getting a training partner as you can only train one dog at a time. Food is great to use while training as I've noticed especially with my husky that she gets so distracted - she's so interested in -everything- thats going on where my other dog is more focused on me. Oops just saw that you'd already signed up! A dogs never too old or too young to start learning

Hey guys, I'm trying to fill out the form to register my dog as an associate dog with the VCA, however the form asks for a registration number and I'm not sure what thats referring to. All it says is that that number is preceded by the letters "AR" which signifies Associate Register. If someone could tell me what this means I'd really appreciate it

I used to think they were cruel until I started training at my club. Yes they -can- be cruel, if used incorrectly by idiots who lose their tempers! But if used properly, I don't believe they are.

Wow.. Since moving out of home I've been feeding my dogs SuperCoat with no problems whatsoever They also get lean beef mince or kangaroo mince with their meals though..

Oh yeah there is so much that you learn as a trainer when you go through the whole training experience with your dog. Like everyone else I reccommend either joining a club or getting a private instructor I think that 99% of the time when the dog does something wrong, or misunderstands, its our fault as handlers - we have to learn as much if not more than the dog on how to work as a team. My dad keeps asking me about sending his puppy off to a training school like this, but I keep telling him its probably not a good idea.. I need to find him a trainer too, in the Northern NSW area.. So -impossible- finding anything dog related up there!