poodlefan

I'd not pen them together in a small space but your "pen" is larger than most. As I said, don't leave collars on them.

Could be aggression, could be play... you need a qualified professional to visit you and assess the situation NOW. You sound a little scared.. and your pup will know that. Dont' delay.

In two months has Mumble ever actually bitten your girl? Growling and snapping are normal warnings from dogs.. if she's heeding them, you may be worrying unnecessarily. Is he barking at her because they are separated? It might be worth leaving them without the penning for half a day and asking your neighbour to report back. Don't leave a collar on either dog btw because they can catch on that pen if they jump and choke them.

Can you not leave them to free roam together without access to food? How old is the youngster?

Wendy the Whippet and I share the same first name but she's a lot more buff then me. It's a fascinating genetic abnormality.

For ANKC obedience and agility, the dog must be registered with the ANKC. Purebred dogs with papers are already registered but all other dogs may be registered as Associates (provided they are desexed) and some working herding dogs may be registered on the Sporting Register. No one asks about council registration. Club membership is not essential. State CC membership for the handler is.

Vickie: Perhaps that's the case in Sydney Vickie but it certainly isn't down here. The first few levels are strongly geared towards the skills that companion dogs need. Walking on a loose lead is one of the first exercises taught.

I'd wait for one one instruction before trying again.. you timing might be a bit out. If all you want is a loose lead, then there's no need to try to get him to walk close by your left hand side in the heel position. Also saying "heel" if he's got no idea what "heel" is has probably ruined that cue for you. Best this be addressed in classes. Our club teaches "heel" by getting the dog into a static position (sitting close and straight by your left hand side) before attempting any forward movement. That seems to work well for many dogs.

I've seen dogs haul their owners on a harness so you can't afford to get complacent about pressure on it. I've also seen dog that pull like trains walking quietly on loose leads in 15 minutes.. Hands on instruction is definitely what you need. He needs to learn that he doesn't get to take a step forward unless the lead is loose. Clicker training can be awesome for teaching that.

That does sound quite plausible. So, am I safe assuming that he will stop "marking" (if thats what this is about) evetually? Not unless you discourage it.

Just wanted to let you know that no responsible training organisation will allow you to train your dog offlead until you've demonstrated a high degree of control on lead. That will take time. Yeah good point, I guess I mean training around other dogs in a park more so, the off lead will come when he's good and ready as you say. I really need to work on HEEL, he pulls like a steam train. I've resorted to a halter that wraps under his front legs to break the habit. Thanks for your help everyone. You probably need to work more on getting him to walk on a loose lead, than just at your side.. that's bread and butter work for most good dog trainers. If you're using a device than wraps around his legs, you're using a harness, rather than a halter. Halters are fitted to a dog's head. Personally I think harnesses are more effective and kinder for a dog.

Callee: Is he leaving a puddle of urine or something less that that? Unless you're seeing puddles, I'd say he's marking. A belly band and closer supervision would be the go if that's the case.. you need to correct the behaviour when you see it.

TP: Just wanted to let you know that no responsible training organisation will allow you to train your dog offlead until you've demonstrated a high degree of control on lead. That will take time.

Is he emptying his bladder or marking?

It takes less than 10 seconds to assemble or disassemble a Ccrate Securapen. I'll confess to being a tad confused as to how the other dog gets in and out if the pen blocks your access. Long term, I suggest you install a dog door.

Vickie: I agree. I don't see the two issues as necessarily at all related. You have a focus and control issue, not a prey drive one. Your dog would probably not be viewing the other dogs as prey. If your dog has such strong prey drive, find a way to harness it to your advantage.. use tugs and balls as your motivators.

Hemiplegia can also be a symptom of pressure on the spinal cord caused by something like a bulging disc. So yes, it can be neurological. Without tests, all you're left with is to rest the dog and administer some muscle relaxants like valium and pain relief. If a couple of weeks crate rest don't resolve the issues, without tests there is little else that can be done I'm afraid. Have any X-Rays been done?

If the timeframe to reward a desired behaviour is "within 3 seconds", you'd argue that to apply an aversive would be the same. Personally, I think provided you've regained the dog's focus and it's paying attention, then a few minutes would be more than adequate. Trials are different. The dog only gets one chance. It may not get another all day.

Wouldn't it simply be better to focus the incorrect obstacles. Dogs learn nothing in a crate, except frustration which can be used to advantage - or not. I do think sin binning or time out is more suited to us mere humans. Agility can be self rewarding for a dog Lab Lover. For a dog that doesn't obey handler direction and madly blats around the obstacles, teaching the dog that it gets to do obstacles only when told (or not at all) may involve removing the dog if it doesn't do that. It works. You don't have to crate a dog to get the message through. You remove it, wait a while and then have another go. It's the removal from the reward that's instructive, not the crating.

Dogs fed a raw diet naturally drink less and those small round poos are normal for a raw fed dog. I'd not worry about trying to get her to drink more.

What town are you in or near?

Oh, one more suggestion. Head on down to the health food shop and buy a bottle of Inner Health Plus or a similar probiotic from the fridge section.. .a few days of those should get plenty of good gut flora up and running in his tummy.

Could have fooled me. Many people focussed dogs consider handler attention to be desireable. Remove the attention (which is what you do in a time out) and its clearly an aversive for some dogs. Dogs understand aversives very well. The fact that such techniques may be used inappropriately or poorly timed does not mean that withdrawing attention doesn't work with some dogs. I've lost track of the number of people who've advised puppy owners with mouthy pups to do just that. Withdrawing attention from a dog that jumps up.. it's a time out people. You don't have to haul a dog off to a post or chuck it in crate. And I agree with Vicky.. removing some dogs from obstacles is an effective method of training for quite a few agility handlers.

Every new dog is a clean slate upon which to write. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You also have some previous experience. I say go for it but its early days.. watch those expectations.

That's true. I used to empty their glands every month or two when they were on BARF. Never the amount like this though! They have a raw egg for breakfast and tea is a couple of sardines or a lump of meat and a couple of chicken hearts. Along those lines. Their meals all came made up and I've just been feeding what was sent. No bone or real fibre at all then.. not good.