poodlefan

I've been with my club for 8.5 years. Started with one dog in obedience, now have three in obedience and/or agility. All dogs have had breaks from formal training at some point. I also trained as an instructor in obedience and agility at my club. Now I convene the Agiliyt Sub-Committee and serve on the Main Committee. I think that makes me officially a glutton for punishment.

Rusky: Was that the Qld Dane who was at the Nationals - lovely stuff. :rolleyes: I obedience trial. People get into it for the same number of reasons they get into any other dog sports. Some like the challenge, can't or don't want to do other dog sports and do it for the outing for their dog. Others are the "victory or death" brigade for whom anything less than a 190 and first place is failure - and I'm fine with that providing they treat their dogs well. Others, like me, consider that obedience is a building block to all other dog sports and like to try for a variety of titles with their dogs. There are still others who take on the challenge of a non-traditional breed and persevere regardless of the set backs. We recently lost an absolute gem of a trainer here in the ACT. Jo Ballard took a PARSON RUSSELL TERRIER to UD and put obedience titles on other Parsons too - she always had advice and time for other terrier trainers and will be sorely missed. There are some absolutely marvellous people out there doing obedience trialling and some of them are extremely knowledgeable about dog behaviour. However the fact remains IMHO that a few of the more prominent triallers don't know half as much as they like to think they do. A case in point is people who've got lots of titles on your larger obedience breeds who then proceed to pontificate about training smaller dogs. Oh no, you shouldn't have to bend to give signals. (they ping you for this when judging). .yeah and their dogs get their signals right in front of their faces..

Meganjane: Is that correct? If so, he's now a teenager, no longer a baby. How much exercise is he getting? Do you walk him in the mornings? The more physical and mental stimulation he gets when you are around, the quieter he is likely to be when you ain't. :rolleyes: I agree with the other posters - provide a "safe area" in the house where all temptations are removed. If you put enough bones out, I reckon he'll end up with at least one.

Volunteer dog training clubs are fine for most dogs and handlers. Your average punter only wants to be able to teach Fido to sit, walk on a loose lead, not jump on the kids, and come when he's called. Most handlers don't stay 6 months. They get what they pay for and they leave. Anyone who stays around is either into dog training for itself or does dog sports. I can't believe how many clubs are still using negative training methods but many old and bold handlers (who run the show) see no reason to change what has always worked for them. Some clubs have very experienced triallers who can teach precision heeling etc but don't know much about dog behaviour. Frankly many experienced triallers have never trained a truelly challenging dog in their lives. They usually luck in with their first dogs (I've seen dogs in the ring heeling to the most vague and erratic signals/footwork) and then buy dogs for the job. They can teach an exercise but have no idea about dog behaviour. Some have even less idea about training handlers - and that's what you are paying for. You get the odd gem of a trainer in such clubs but they can be hard to find.. look for someone who has done really well with a "non-traditonal" obedience breed or who has an aggro dog and has learned to manage them well. Chances are they've had to go outside the traditional training regimes to get the results they have achieved and they are the wiser for it. For dogs with behavioural issues, your average volunteer (and many a professional) dog trainer is batting out of their league. Dog aggression in particular requires experienced professional diagnosis and intervention. I understand there are some good behaviouralists in Melbourne and I'm sure DOLers can give you some names. BTW - precision heel work is about refining how well you and your dog work as a team. It has its place in dog training and its certainly worth getting on top of early if you ever want to trial. Much easier to teach your dog the right way rather than to try to undo bad habits later on. You need to shop around for a dog club whose training philosophy aligns with yours. Never never let an instructor handle your dog for anything other than a demonstration and not then if it has behavioural issues. IF they have to take the dog from you to teach it, then they are failing to teach YOU to teach it - and that's what you are paying for. This is one of my pet peeves. And yes, I'm a volunteer dog club instructor - but I know when I'm out of my depth.

Newsflash - not all dogs are friendly. Some dogs simply aren't interested in meeting new dogs and never will be. I own one just like this. he's great with people though. The key for this dog is to teach him to tolerate strange dogs, even if he never learns to want play with them. For that to occur he needs to meet dogs that already understand dog ettiquette (ie NOT pups). They also need to be non-threatening. The number of people who make the mistake of trying to socialise an unresponsive dog with a very friendly one are legion. The unresponsive one simply learns to be aggressive to keep over the top dogs away. Big bouncy pups are not what he needs to meet. Socialise your pup with small quiet adults at first. Once he is tolerant of them, then work your way up to more larger outgoing dogs. Your best bet is to teach him focus and control - so you can keep him away from dogs that will want to jump on him. You can get what you need at any good obedience club and you can start serious training. I woudn't bother with a repeat of puppy school. My guess is your dog will develop a few friends and be happy to play with them. He'll probably never be all that interested in expanding his social circle.

Caninecoach: I do too unless they need the numbers.

This one's a bit more controversial.. Don't do the stays if you aren't passing and you aren't confident that your dog will hold them. Your dog breaking might cost another dog a pass (its happened to me more than once). Lately around here we have had two sets of stays for CCD and Novice - one for those passing and one for those who ain't. I like that system. Having dogs wandering over to your dog, nosing your dog's bum, jumping on it, running out of the ring etc ain't fun even if your dog doesn't break. Its particularly annoying when nothing in the dog's performance in the individual exercises suggests it might have any chance of a stay eg. a dog that's already run out of the ring a couple of times.

Do's and don'ts for a first timer. Do give your dog plenty of opportunity to toilet before going in. (as a showie you know that anyway) Do spend a few minutes "tuning up" doing static turns, a sit and a drop on heel and maybe a short recall with plenty of motivation and reward before going in Do SMILE - it will relax your jaw, neck and shoulders and stop your dog from wondering what's wrong with his handler. Do go in with the objective of making the trialling experience a pleasant one for your dog. Lots of praise between exercises and a good reward after you finish. Do remember to breathe during the stays... amazing how long two minutes can be. Be nice to the judge - sounds obvious but gee I've seen some snakey competitors in my time. Good luck! My Lil got her CCD in June. Warm days were her problem - to much effort to sit for a minute when one can have a nice lie down in the sun.

No, and that's the tragedy of it all. All you can do is make Ruby as comfortable as possible and never again buy a dog unless you personally visit the breeder, see the health tests and view at least the mother. Unfortunately, in the end the only thing you can do from this experience is learn from it. Don't write Ruby off yet. From what you said at the beginning, her patellas gave her grief but not necessarily her hips? Diet, exercise etc can make a huge difference to her quality and length of life. Wait for specialist advice so you know precisely what you are dealing with.

Staff n Toller Sorry S & T.. not targetting you but asking those who follow us to focus on the issue posted by the OP, and not raise the usual DD debates.

Mygirlruby, call the breeder. Your "genetic defect" guarantee should mean that you should at least be able to get your purchase price back. If they are less than cooperative, your next stop is consumer affairs and/or the media. Keep your dog as lean as possible and swim her if you can. Muscle mass can help keep a hip together and not every displastic dog actually develops hip issues or lameness. I would definitely be wanting a specialist opinion on your girl's future. I'm so sorry you are going through this. A young dog should bring only pleasure, not sorrow. Responsible breeders of larger breeds do testing of hips on their breeding stock - whether they breed purebreds or crossbreds. Read the link in my signature about what makes a good breeder if you are interested in how to find one. Its American but you'll get the drift on what to do next time. No point in anyone getting into a DD debate on this thread - it won't help Mygirlruby or her dog.

You can buy an agility tab from Blackdog. From memory they cost about $12. Option B is to buy a very cheap lead and cut it to the length you need.

panda: The blood test you refer to in your quote panda is called titre testing - that's what Tassie and I are talking about. It costs about the same as vaccinating. :D

I've always gone with annual boosters. This year I will have my dog's immunity checked via titres. That way I can put my hand on my heart and say that my dog is appropriately vaccinated against all infectious diseases. The head of the Veterinary practice I use says that he thinks we will go to three year shots with an annual booster only for KC and Parvo, which being viruses mutate regularly. The thing I have to bear in mind is that my dogs, who attend both a large dog training club and a range of dog sports events, are "high risk" for coming into contact with contagious dog diseases. :D

Nah, Mrs D your Sheltie is out there somewhere. Personally I prefer dogs to bitches but that's just me.

Mrs D Ya mean like this?

Decided to go with a Sheltie PF (gotta get away from the big dogs ) but I cant find a bitch for love nor money . Had found a litter that had just been born a couple of weeks ago & blow me down but the breeder decided that shes going to keep the 2 bitches so I either have to change my mind & get a dog or wait. . Have you asked the Sheltie breeders on DOL?? They may know of someone?? Are you sure you don't want a mini or toy poodle??

Let him nag... dog training classes at a community based club are as cheap as chips. You've done the right thing as a responsible owner by desexing him.. now you just have to add some more manners!! If he behaves like a maniac with the collar off, put him on lead for his meals.

I can give one piece of advice to help with your dog - training. Take him to classes and develop the bond of trust and respect between you. You can take off the Elizabethan collar for meals - he only really needs to wear it when you can't supervise him or stop him from licking his wound. If he isn't hungry then take the meal away and offer it next time. Don't get into the habit of hand feeding him - its very hard to break. If you want him to toilet and he isn't cooperating, get him moving. Exercise stimulates the gut and helps with elimination. Take him for a 10 minute walk and I"ll bet he'll produce. Its not unusual to be frustrated when things aren't going to plan. The good news is that while you may have felt like hitting him, you didn't. But take him to training - it makes all aspects of life so much easier.

What breed/sort of pup are you looking for Mrs D??

FHR: Yeah, OK smarty pants - the dog doesn't have to FINISH. Yep, Lil would be a cinch for a non-return in retrieving. She gives you that look.... "you CANNOT be serious... you want it, YOU get it". Sparty I've only done one Strategic Pairs (and Q'd ) so I aint no expert but basically the course is set up in sequences of obstacles that have to be done in order but that don't follow directly on from on another. For example, obstacles 7, 8 and 9 might be on the far side of the course from 4,5, and 6. The pair decide who is doing what sequence but here's the catch.. if you have a fault, the OTHER dog/handler have to come in and complete the faulted obstacle.. Lots of fun.. and mayhem. Someone told me there are 90 teams in Novice Strategic Pairs at the Nationals!

Tassie: Yep, we started on 1 Feb. Yay!! Ted got his CD under the new rules too. Mrs D you now have an optional exercise in CD - change of position from stand to drop at 4 metres away or retrieve on the flat (dog doesn't have to return).

Mrs D Yep. Princesses are too lady like to really run hard so that's as far as she got. Mind you it took about 2.5 years of trialling and my youngest got his in 5 trials (would have got it in three if his Mum could handle better) You can choose to do CCD OR Novice - don't have to do CCD first but once you have a Novice pass, you can't go back to CCD. A bit like the old informal "encouragement". I think a lot of people thought CCD would be a pushover if your dog walked on a lead. Plenty of people are now reassessing that thought - the dog still has to work.

CCD is on lead heeling, a stand for exam on lead, recall (no finish), 1 minute sit stay and two minute down stay. Can't tell you what's in UDX. I have a dog with a CCD title! ;) Lily is now Dootwa Iced Candy CCD AD JD!

ViVien: That's why you need to give a time consuming treat/activity to entertain the outside one while he or she learns to cope with being on their own. Try a nice bone or a stuffed kong.