poodlefan

Why do you have to do this? having him indoors , alone for a large part of the day, seems not to be a terribly fulfilling and educational time for a growing puppy ...esp. as he is of a breed originally bred to run and work all day..... We're concerned about him getting stolen. He's considered a 'rare' breed and where we live (Goulburn) there have been a number of dog thefts, especially purebred puppies. Although most people would think he was a Cocker Spaniel, because of his colouring, he would be very attractive (he looks like a 'chocolate' spaniel). We too, are concerned about this, but once he is fully vaccinated we will be taking him for a morning and evening walk/run (once he's old enough). You could build him a secure run and padlock it.

Sorry, when I wrote professional trainers, I was thinking of all of you as you all seem to be so experienced on this site. You forget how much work puppies are until you're confronted with a new one.. and every one is different. I must be about due for a new pup to send me back to that "oh my God, what was I thinking " place. :rolleyes:

Well, as a first step, I'd be looking to put his crate in the pen.. cover it and make it nice and weatherproof and secure. Then I'd be adding a stuffed kong when you leave to give him something to do. He needs to feel safe and secure in there. 10 hours without any kind of interaction is a long time for such a young puppy. You don't have another dog do you? Personally I think you sitting next to the pen where he can't get to you is not a great idea. You need to be very matter of fact about this.. in you go, there's your kong and we'll see you later. Do you let him out when you get home.. did the whinging when you got home happen in the pen or out of it? Perhaps a word in your neighbours ear to explain what's happening may help. I can detect your anxiety about all this through your post.. my guess is that the pup may also be picking it up to some degree.

How old is he now? ETA: If this behavior is anxiety related, I'd be advising against the application of an aversive. What does the trainer say? And more: Is there a "den" for him in the pen or is it open. Just noticed you asked for opinions from "professional dog trainers".. oops, that aint' me. :rolleyes:

Oh Noooooooo!!! I'll never forget that "she beats me" look he did so well. RIP Winston.. and my sympathy to you and Soda Mel. :rolleyes:

FTPO: Sounds like you've found your culprit. Is he still breathing? :rolleyes:

Just click your tongue.. same effect and a lot less to manage. A clicker is just a marker.. Some people use a word like "yes". Clicking with your tongue would work as long as you are consistent about the sound you make and charge your marker sound just like you would a clicker.

It's almost impossible to get a dog to jump with it's lead on without inadvertently giving checks or interfering with the obstacle. IF you want to use the lead, you'll definitely have to avoid jumps with any upright higher than the jump bar. If you have an enclosed area, I'd recommend you lose the lead. Getting jerked around is one of the fastest ways I know to demotivate a dog from jumping. The fact that some dog clubs train with check chains and leads on is very disappointing. What motivates him? Food? Toys? Far better to teach him to go to a target or toy, reward with that and use that to get him over jumps than to physically steer him.. distance targetting has a lot of uses in agility. :rolleyes: For such large dogs, the dog walk is often a challenge. Get him to step through the rungs of a ladder and/or run over a plank on the ground.. both are good starts for this obstacle.

Start by checking their tummies for any obvious ones. :rolleyes:

Do you think we could have caught it from somewhere else and they might not have it??? :rolleyes: Sorry I just don't know much about this at all Given that they are both coated animals, you may have missed spotting the signs. Unless you and OH have been with an infected kiddie, my money is on your pets transferring it to you.

Vickie: Amen Vickie, Amen. :rolleyes: One other point to remember is to teach the dog to do the obstacle independent of your position.. NEVER onlead, never physically coerced over/through it and working towards you being able to have the dog on either side of you, send to the obstacle, recall over it and be in varying places and distances from it. Keep it fun, forget the idea of being able to keep up with your dog (especially an Afghan) and keep the obstacles low until your dog is jumping with confidence. An Afghan would jump 600mm in competition but you have to work your way up to that. If that club that's 100 k away is any good, I'd be making the trip. It will save you learning bad habits you'll only have to undo later.

This will be tricky. You have a dominant male coming onto your dominant male's turf. Without professional assistance, I think the best you can hope for is to manage it. Keeping them separate when they are not supervised, as you plan to do, is essential. Inside, I would install two crates and allow one or the other out at a time, not both. You can probably slowly build up to both dogs being out and being rewarded for not reacting to each other. I think the walks are a great idea as it's on neutral turf.. and I'd be keeping them up. You may find that levels of reaction decrease as they become more used to each other's company. However, I'd be pushing hard to getting V to desex their dog. You're doing them one hell of a favour by allowing them to move in.. time for them to step up and help things go smoothly. I'd be reading the riot act over not taking chances with putting the two dogs together because you can guarantee they'd have no idea what to do if there's a dust up. My guess is that the greatest danger for complacent behaviour would result in both males loose and unsupervised inside. I'd be very wary of their behaviour around resources (including you). Feeding them separately, in a routine would be a great idea. However, I'd be quietly reinforcing that V is moving their dog into YOUR dogs home.. some adjustment of their dog's behaviour and management will be called for to ensure this goes as smoothly as possible.

Excellent! Darcy's dropped across the test too. I think from memory, he started about 88 and ended up around 64. His heart rate has always been pretty low. I think they are tend to be excited at the beginning and their heart rate's reflect that. :D

Congratulations... how did Divani's heart rate go? You need a spa bath. :D

You usually get a sizeable ACT contingent and this year is no exception. I think we've pretty much got most of the Stratford Caravan Park booked out. I'll be very easy to find Whitka... look for the pink and purple gazebo. :D

According to Dr Jean Dodd's paper on thyroid issues, the following skin issues can be sympomatic of hypothyroidism. Thyroid issues are not unknown in Weims. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a baseline anyway.

Thanks Whitka.. I'll be there.

Did the vet check his thyroid levels?

More fibre (pumpkin, veggies, metamucil) and more exercise.. both will stimulate the gut and get things moving.

Yep, they take the marbles and leave the bag.

The security industry has no standards when it comes to dogs which means a lot of people use trainers which aren't very good. I'd be careful with recommendations from within the industry. Yep, no doubt there are some seriously shit security dog trainers (and their methods are highly questionable too I hear) but I reckon GSDH will have more luck seeking recommendations within the industry than ringing the local Bark Busters.

Choose your trainer carefully GSDH. Don't just go calling the local Bark Busters. In car terms, you've bought yourself a Ferrari.. this is a lot of dog and needs a trainer familiar with both your aims and her temperament. I'd be seeking references from within the security industry.

Couldn't find Zulu for puddle but lake is Ichibi

You could always name him after an African lake.

My advice? Get thee to a decent professional dog trainer and get some one on one instruction on how to deal with this. You shouldn't need to rely on the strength of your dog's collar to keep her under control. When she's full grown she'll pull you off your feet if she wants to. This is a focus and self control issue.. get those sorted and the rest will follow.