FHRP

Goodonya WS! Although I'd love to see an Irish Setter in retrieving too :p

Interesting Working Setters. My observations is that in regards to performance dogs, it is the Retrieving trial dogs that are most likely to be rehomed if they don't 'make the grade'. I'm talking the more traditional breeds too, not the silly folk who try to get their Utility gundogs to be retrievers I agree that many "issues" can be solved by training, but I also think a top competition field dog needs certain natural drive and confidence that some dogs just don't have. I also believe that some times it's a case of the dog doesn't suit the handlers style of training.... I know of rehomes of obedience and agility dogs too, but it seems far less common than show dogs.

We got to play in the new agility events this year, so what would have been a pretty dry year in titles turned out to be very succesful! Flynn - at nearly 9, his efforts in agility this year are his biggest achievements. He gained the new Open titles, becoming ACT's first dog to gain any of the new titles when he got his JDO in 6 runs. He also gained his novice titles in all the new games and went straight through to his GDX title without a fault. For the 4th year in a row he was again selected to be a member of the ACT team at the Agility Nationals. I strongly suspect this was his last year on the team. Rogan - Rogan's results a retrieving trials would be his biggest achievements for this year, considering the novice handler/trainer he's having to contend with! We competed in Restricted stakes this year and at his first trial he managed a 2nd place!! He consistently finished trials and at our last trial in August he managed to win one!! He was the highest placing Vizsla in the Australia wide Retrieving dog of the Year comp. (only 3 V's in it from over 200 placed dogs). On the agility front I think our team work is improving, even with the lack of training and trialing. Rogan gained each of the Open and Novice games titles also in agility. Herbie continued his companion pony efforts at trials Next year!! Hoefully bringing home a new pup and starting the field work adventure!!! I'd love to get Flynn through his Masters Gamblers title and X's in the other games. Rogan I hope to get his X's in the games and continue our retrieving adventure.

My oldest probably goes 2-3 times a day, the middle 1-2 times and my youngest can easily go 4-6 times a day! They are all fed a raw diet.

There is Camp Tailwaggers on the Gold Coast which hold camps involving, obedience, agility, tracking, retrieving etc. I've never been but have heard it's a great holiday! http://www.coolangattapetmotel.com/

Interesting questions I must state first that my dogs are purchased as pets first and formost and the breeds/dogs I choose I must be able to live with as well as compete with. OK. When I purchased my second Vizsla I definitely had agility in mind. I selected from a 'proven dam', having previously produced good agility, obedience and tracking dogs. For the sport I had in mind I can not complain one bit in the result I got with the pup I got. He has exceeded my expectations in this area. However, as I have ventured into retrieving, he is certainly not a pup I would have chosen for that sport. I don't believe he has the nerves or drive for the sport, but he sure is teaching me heaps! As for structure, he has faults which point to him being unsuitable for agility, but it has not slowed him down one bit, or seemed to have caused injury. I guess I may see some effects in the future, but as I don't trial him heavily and he is regularly chiro'd etc. I hope these are minimal, if at all. Would I buy the same breed next time? Well, I have a pup of a different breed on order, so this next time, no! But, I'm still not going to a retriever breed ;) I'm sticking with the utility gundogs ;) Would I buy the same breed again?? Most definitely

This sounds like a lot of fun! Can any breed compete??

Yep, I do agility and obedience (plus more) with my two Vizslas. Our preference of the two is always agility, but I've trialed both of them in obedience succesfully. With my older guy, who was the first dog I trialed in anything, we did obedience lessons until he was old enough to start agility at the dog club and then we gave it up until he was about 3.5 years old and started trialing in obedience (he was trialing in agility from just over 2). I actually found that the agility training helped our team work and understanding of body language in obedience a great deal. With a little more knowledge with my second Vizsla I started both agility and obedience training from a young pup and he's trialed in both, obedience first because he could do that younger.

A Pointer will compete in different field trials to GSP's. They do the Pointer and Setter trials, where the GSPs, Vizslas, Weims etc do the Utility Field trials. As for the being more civilised.... there's still the remote locations in all types of weather I have a GSP pup 'on order' I am going to venture into the field trial scene with, I can't wait!! Sending details now.

I'd suggest you contact the Pointing Breeds Field Trial Club of NSW. I will PM you their contact details if you like.

What I love doing the most with my dogs is walking them in the bush. They absolutely love it and I just love seeing them enjoy themselves. As for what doggy sport I enjoy the most I would have until recently said agility. As I've become more involved in gundog work with my younger boy and even though he has some fundamental issues it is by far the most rewarding 'sport' I train in. Currently we do retrieving, but I'm looking forward to doing Field trial work with my pup that is on order and hopefully home next March!!!! Favourite trick? Probably getting my old boy to count He barks on command and stops when I close my hand, so I can make out he's counting. People love it. We train primarily with positive motivational methods, have used the clicker and use a marker word. I too used lots of luring but hope to do more shaping with my next pup.

My young boy competing a couple of years ago in open Jumping http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=84...10&ctime=180932

I certainly hope the dog has to return! With the dumbell! I think you mean that the dog doesn't have to 'finish', rather the handler returns around the dog? MrsD, Jumping classes were introdued in 2001. This year we get 5 more titling classes in Agility!! Gamblers, Snooker, Strategic Pairs, Open Agility & Open Jumping Some of the country has started the new rules, the rest start July 1st

How do you find out what is available, and what is suitable for your dog? A quick search on the internet can give you a list of the essences and what each are used for. Here's a link to one http://www.bachflower.com/38_Essences.htm Is there a homeopathic vet in Canberra?

There are far more Bach flowers to look into besides rescue remedy. I would try and find some that are specific to Nessies behaviours. I used a variety with Bella.

BittyMooPeeb I think Tim has made a great suggestion. Before trying 'drugs' consider some homeopathic treatment such as Bach Flower Remedies. I used them on a 5 year old bitch that I took on who had some issues. After basically going back to her previous carer 6 weeks after taking her on to let them know I would be returning her, on his suggestion I tried the remedies along with training and she just blossomed. I'd also suggest some rescue remedy for yourself on comp day

baileykira, I believe the term barbaric was one I used, and I in no way meant to imply it was your reaction to the method. None of my comments on FF were aimed at you, but rather a discussion that may have been better placed in a new thread, with working_setters.

What I would do? I'd think why my dog didn't obey the command, did he see the mark, has he grasped the concept (blind, double etc.) and what training I might need to do, or weather he's really 'trying it on'. Only if I thought he fully understood what was meant and was wilfully disobeying would I apply a negative. However, my guy I do retrieving with is not a confident dog and I avoid using negatives when it comes to retrieving.. if I can help it. I have done some 'force holding' with him being made to hold and heel around etc. and it's done nothing for his enthusiasm However, that doesn't answer the question. You can apply the same negatives you might choose to apply if the dog disobeys other obedience commands - a smack, a clip behind the ears etc. I admit that I clipped my older boy behind the ear when he didn't budge on a fetch command in obedience training once. Yes, he then went and fetched. Working_Setters I have far less knowledge of field work than yourself, and I have the luxury of 'working' my dog on dead game. I don't even pretend to be that good a trainer!! Our first season we finished only one trial :p As I've already said , I don't think FF is barbaric, or even necessarily 'heavy handed' when done correctly. To think it's the only way you can train a reliable retriever is the same as dimissing it without knowing what it's about IMO. I have seen top trialing dogs that have had it done, I have seen plenty top trialers that haven't. I have seen the process. I'm not going into this unknowledgable and I'll never say never.... but I just don't see it as a training method I want to go through. And they swim like they run don't they! Fast and furious Now, I think Rogan would much prefer the water temperature in the NT to trial in than Canberra and surrounds ;)

An uncomfortable dog that is trying to vomit, but can't is a sign of bloat. Ring your vet ASAP.

Is it a Utility Field trial event or a Retrieving trial? I'm not sure about Field trials, but some retrieving trials in Victoria offer a Beginners stake. Unfortauntely they are not (or very rarely) offered in NSW :cool:

How? If you have multiple dogs you can send another (jealousy), if you can reach the bird/bumper yourself you can make the dog watch as you perform the retrieve yourself. However if you don’t FF and you’re in a hunting situation with a shot bird that is in danger of being lost in river current, what negative can you apply that will "make" the dog perform that retrieve if it decides it would rather not Now you are changing what you said :D OK, perhaps qualifying it. I never said the negative consequence will "make" your dog retrieve. Just as I don't use a physical negative consequence that "makes" my dog to sit if he refuses to sit. If I choose to use a negative if my dog doesn't sit when told, he still has to 'choose' to do the sit! Does that make sense? If I were to use a heeling stick (which I don't) and at a halt he didn't sit, he may get a smack on the bum. The dog can still choose ot to sit. I have seen FFed dogs given an ear pinch in the field and still refuse to retrieve... maybe the training wasn't thorough enough. But, maybe having to FF means your proofing by other methods hasn't been thorough enough either. Don Urquart has had some great trialing and hunting V's. His partner is the breeder of my young boy and I was told the litter sister they kept was for Don to use as a hunting dog... Herbie is a whippet :cool: and a fantastic water retriever in hot weather Chloe is a foster greyhound pup.

The difference I don't like with FF as opposed to your other examples is in FF training a negative 'consequence' happens before the dogs does anything! Either correctly or incorrectly. You can apply a negatve if your dog chooses not to fetch without evergoing through the FF method. I don't train my dog to sit by first applying pressure and then removing it when they sit.. and I don't do it in retrieving.

Force fetching is still fairly uncommon in Australia, although growing somewhat in popularity in the trialing circles. It seems to be pretty much a standard part of training a retriever in the USA. My basic understanding is that it is proofing a dog to fetch under pressure. The pressure applied to the dog is usually an ear or toe pinch and the pressure is released when the dog does the right thing. The dog lears how to stop the pressure, so if ever it questons a retrieve the handler can then again apply the pressure and the dog has no confusion about what is expected!? It's not how I ever want to train my dogs, and I don't believe it is necessary in training a retriever. I have seen dogs go through the process both on video and 'in the flesh' and although I don't think it's barbaric (I have seen worse things done at m local club with choke chains and the like ), it's not what I want to do to my dog.

I use cabanossi and other sandwhich meats, sausage, hot dog etc. as training treats. I agree it's not the best thing for dogs (or people) to eat, but they are treats and not handed out by the bucket load. They make up a very small portion of my dogs diet. I've not had dogs or puppies react badly to it, however as I already said I use small amounts. Personally I don't use dried liver as training treats because I want a soft treat that is enticing to my dog that they can easily swallow and keep going. With the dried liver and smacko type stuff it isn't as easy to 'eat and go'. I also don't find that cheese does it for my dogs. If you want a healthier alternative to cabanossi then perhaps try cooked chicken meat (not bones!). Remember when training with food to reduce their meals by the amount of treats you use.