poodlefan

Myzska, All I could suggest is that an informal recall be retrained without the line starting with a fresh cue, plenty of positive reinforcement and a very slow and steady increase in levels of distance and distraction. Smart dog!!

Rachelle: How do you think a dog learns this Rachelle? My immediate reaction is that one method has be trained using mainly compulsion, whereas the other cannot. This is one of my objections to using physical corrections with a leash to teach heel work and to place a dog in a sit or down position.... what do you do when the leash comes off and when you aren't right next to the dog.

You have two choices with unwanted behaviour: Extinguish it - generally an aversive would be required. That might be no more than a 'no reward' which is why some people recommend turning away. Replace it with a more desireable behaviour - this can be positively trained. One thing that people have done very successfully is to replace the jumping with a "sit". You teach the sit in more controlled and less exciting circumstances, then build up to higher levels of distraction. Then you reward heavily for sitting, rather than jumping. This can be done by one person, using another as a distraction. Another option is to teach 'fetch' and offer the dog something to fetch when you go out. Many dogs end up grabbing a toy and presenting it to you as a greeting. One problem I see with using leash correction for over exuberant greetings, is that first you have to get a leash on the dog. Given that this is happening when you walk into the yard, it's going to take time to get a leash on. No method will be successful unless you are absolutely consistent. If you only insist on not jumping part of the time, then you won't be able to extinguish or replace it successfully.

I think rather than saying the dog was "line smart", I'd be more inclined to say the exercise wasn't consistently trained, well proofed or practiced with distractions. If the dog understands that given certain circumstances, it has a choice about whether or not to come, then the fault is in the training.

What do you mean by "collar smart" Myzska - their behaviour is fine when it's on and reverts when it's off??

I think some tools are pure "management". What does a dog learn from wearing a muzzle, other than that it cannot bite with one on? You might be working on training other behaviours but as far as I can see, there's only one reason why a dog wears a muzzle and that's to prevent biting.

Dogs have to be trained to walk on a loose lead Littlelab. I suggest you enrol in a training program so that you can walk Molly without having to resort to halti's which, in addition to be found very uncomfortable by a lot of dogs, can be pulled on just like a collar.

The greatest irony for me stems from people who wonder about their "problem" dog's performance in the ring and can't see that their overall behaviour towards the dog is the problem.

Not in the example you quote Myzska. Both work specifically to motivate the dog not to pull on a lead. To me "training" is modifying behaviour by changing the behaviour of the dog. "Management" modifies behaviour by making it more or less rewarding to the dog but doesn't attempt to change it for something else. Some management tools may decrease the frequency of behaviour but the true test of whether behaviour is being modified or simply controlled is what happens when that tool is removed. Does that make sense!

Java's Mum: The behaviour is self rewarding. That's why a purely positive approach would be difficult. Go for the next best thing.. a mild aversive and a reward for getting down. I'd be telling him "OFF" in a firm voice and calling him away, rewarding for coming to you. If he doesn't come, go to him and take him "OFF' by his collar. You need to communicate your displeasure clearly. To quote Susan Garratt, "positive is NOT permissive". All dogs need boundaries that clearly define unacceptable behaviour. With such a big smart dog, I'd be putting them in place ASAP. It goes without saying that the less rewarding he finds the behaviour (ie no food to find on bench) the less he will do it.

Bag it and bin it. Chemical septic systems don't work here - it's too cold in winter. Worm farms don't cope well with dog poo and you'll kill all the worms if you give them the dog poo from your dog after worming. A metal poo collector and gatherer (sold at most outlets like Petbarn) is a good way to collect it and cuts down on the number of plastic bags. I do poo patrol every few days - and nearly every day in summer.

Belijae I don't like to sound doomy-gloomy, but a second opinion fairly soon might not be a bad idea. Is "foot fungus" common or well known: sounds strange. One of my dogs had flaky nails, vet didn't seem concerned but problem continued and I luckily changed vets. And he did test positive to Lupoid, which is a horrendous immune disorder as Jag and PoodleFan mentioned. It is worth doing a google for Lupoid and reading some of the research or lack of it. Some vets have never heard of it which I find hard to take as it nearly killed my dog, and he will never fully recover. Melbourne Uni has the best research on it in Australia. Possom Corner have you read the research on the efficacy of flaxseed oil in treating lupoid. Apparently some dogs improved dramatically with the addition of flaxseed oil as the sole treatment for it.

Given that one of other 'prone' breeds is Bulldogs, nope, not much similarity there. I don't think people really know yet. Not all Dallies are prone to it either.

Dallies and a few other breeds metabolize purine differently to other dogs. Higher purine diets leave them prone to urinary tract and kidney stones.

J@Sandys: You need to teach him to tolerate brushing EVERYWHERE. It's all part of the responsibility of having a dog with coat. Do a little every day and reward heavily for good behaviour. Such areas are a magnet for knots, grass seeds etc. Agree with suggestions about professional grooming but don't expect a big thank you from a groomer for giving them a dog that's not tolerant of it. The more work you do with regular coat maintenance, the less stressful your dog and the groomer will find it. Most Poodle crosses shed - that's no news here.

Lily my toy poodle courses up a storm. She "gives tongue" all the way round. I suggest you take a crate if you go Mita. I've had a couple of sighthound people ask me to have Lil put away when their dogs course and I'm happy to oblige - you don't want your Tibbies confused for prey.

Malasam, the Mega Oil is for humans. Quite a few sources recommend either rotating or blending the oil you give dogs. I figured I'd get through a blend faster than rotating or blending my own. I prefer to keep it for as short a time as possible. Trouble is my housemate reckons she's just as entitled to use the blend as the flaxseed oil we normally add to shakes - and it's more expensive! She doesn't see why the dogs get "better" oil than we do. I figure once this bottle of flaxeed oil is done, I'll just buy the blend.

I feed a blend of oils called "Mega Oil" - you can buy it from the fridge section of some health food shops. It is a blend of Flaxseed, Soy, Evening Primrose, Borage, Safflower, Sunflower, Sesame and Pumpkin Seed Oils. All organic, all cold pressed. Not cheap, but I'm happy with it.

What do you mean by "residue" Spanner? Fibre??

Rachelle: But in some most, breeds have been developed specifically to enhance some drives and to decrease others. I agree with you that there is no one set of characteristics within a breed. However, the whole point of establishing breeds was to increase the predictability of characterstics. You can breed for people focus as readily as you can breed for independence and self sufficiency. These are not randomly assigned drives or temperament. I see quite a common problem in newer dog trainers, many of who have started with a 'more trainable' breed and who bring only their knowledge of that one dog or dogs like it to the table. Bring them a completely different breed and they sometimes simply don't understand what makes this 'different' dog tick and why their standard methods are failing. Eg. some breeds simply won't go for the repeated drilling that working dogs tend to tolerate. For some breeds, human beings are not the centre of the universe. To me one of the greatest benefits of positive motivational training is that it has whole new breeds into the dog sports, and in particular, the obedience rings. To see sighthounds, terriers and all kinds of breeds achieving is not something a lot of 'traditional' trainers would have believed possible 50 years ago. Yes, there are differences within breeds but understanding what is typical for one gives a trainer a place to start. In the end you train the dog in front of you but you have to start somewhere. With something like a livestock guardian, knowing what is typical is a bloody safe place to start too. You ain't going to be grabbing the lead off such a dog's handler and going "here let ME show you how to place the dog in a sit position" are you?

From memory it's called Chloropell I think Otoderm make a very similar one without the purple dye. You really don't want to use purple spray if you can avoid it.. the colour lasts a very long time and gets on everything.

Dru, I'd be stampeding in the direction of a hollistic vet before commiting to this kind of surgery. Anything that would boost the immune system would be worth a try although I would have thought a wheat free diet would be a must.

I've got another real example... Handler x says.. "help, I'm trying to get my dog to focus on me for heelwork but all he wants to do is sniff". Out come all the usual theories.. it's displacement behaviour, your dog doesn't respect you, you need a better motivator etc etc.. And then someone asks the question... what breed is your dog? It's a Beagle says Handler X. Rachelle, are you going to say that hundreds of year of selective breeding for scent hunting has no bearing on this training issue? We get these sort of things at my club. Handler Y is disappointed that her JRT's attention isn't glued to her like the Border Collies and Golden Retrievers in the class. When you explain carefully what her dog was bred to do and how it was bred to do its work independent of human direction, the lights start to come on. It doesn't mean that you don't help the handler gain focus but understanding why a dog might act a certain way plays its role in what you might to do address it.

If you don't mind phoning over the ditch Cowanbree, I'd be talking with Dr Barbara Fougere here Most importantly, she's very happy to work in conjuction with your current vet. Hopefully there's a good one in NZ.

It may not necessarily be diet related. There are some nail disorders that are immune related. I'd be starting my investigation with a vet visit.