grumpette

I love the fact that I am learning that more and more Spitz breeds have a herding history, not necessarily for your traditionally "normal" domestic animals , but involving livestock that are "normal" for their region of origin like reindeer. Please continue to inform and educate.

Yep you are on the right track with Neko. Making sure that all her interactions around other dogs are positive and that perception will grow stronger for her. Another thought is that depending on her age, she could have been going through her last fear period, so her brother's reaction has stuck with her. Again, making sure that all dog interactions are positive should help to lessen her fear.

Oh having a Neo would be lots of fun. Just like having your own Bruce

Oh the joy in this house when the big box arrives from Clean Run at Christmas time

You definately have to get one Ordinary soccer balls last about 5 minutes with my Cricket, not that it stops the fun....just means we play soccer with a deflated ball He has tried hard to get into the chuck it kick it, & it doesn't even have a bite mark in it. It's even more fun because when he drops it it rolls away eratically, driving him mad :laugh: They are really great, the Chuckit stuff overall is awesome quality. The Ultra balls are super underrated, they are the best tennis ball alternative I've found anywhere, they are extremely durable and super bouncy. The ones I have for my ball launcher I have had for a year and they look exactly the same as the day I took them out of the packet We discovered on the weekend that the bunt used to tow the boats to shore in water rescue are made by Chuck It. As if I need another reason to look at their range. Zeph loves the orange with blue stripe rubber balls. They come in different sizes with a matching launcher. They last a lot longer than the Kong range. I am now going to have to look at the chuck it kick it ball. My poor bank balance

Brilliant. Never let the size of your dog stop you from doing activities. Exactly. And we don't win much, but they're always so happy to be participating- which is the main point :D Absolutely.

Video of Zeph bringing the boat to shore. They pass the test if they beach the boat. http://vid260.photobucket.com/albums/ii14/grumpette_bucket/VID-20140915-WA0001_zpsb297fbb5.mp4

Absolutely. :D If she would also like to organise a visit from the dogs we can do that as they are certified therapy dogs with Dogs Vic and do all the expos.

I'll be hearing about this! My friend is a manager of the school. She was telling me about another dog that the kids had met and I knew him too. Nice that the kids wanted to do more dog patting, not sure they really get dogs as pets. The kids were amazing. So engaging and easy going. They had a brilliant time telling us where they came from and the dogs that they had, patting Flint (the third Rotty there), getting their photos taken with the Newfies on the boats, and saying hello to the Leonberger. I am rapt that they had a great time.

Oh the joy of owning a male dog, that is a slow maturing breed, and going through teenage hood. You have my sympathies. You will survive and a wonderful dog will come out the other end. As Nek said, don't accept his teenage crap. If he does not come when called, go get him, straight back on lead and continue on. If he does not sit, make him sit, small reward. Ask again. If he sits big reward. Good luck. You and Pax will get there :D

I originally used "leave it" for Dee but after the third attack she associated "leave it" with an attack and would just escalate her behaviour. I now use "watch" to gain her attention and prevent bad behaviour escalation. There are two reasons for this. One is when we are trialling I want her to constantly watch me so that she does not have a chance to engage with any other dogs, regardless of what is happening. The other reason is that when we are out and about if she is watching me she can get calming signals from me, so that she is relaxed in crowds and around other dogs. It also makes it easier for me to control her prey drive. As far as Dee is concerned ALL good things come from me, treats and protection. With Zeph it is a lot harder as he was over socialised as a puppy and dogs have an extremely high value for him (yep lesson learnt). I am using "watch" with him as well, because balls, especially squeaky isqueaks and retrieving, are higher value than dogs, so these only come from me, and they only come out when training and when walking or out and about. Not in the yard at home. It appears to be working slowly. We were at water training on Saturday at Lilydale Lake, with other girl dogs, and he concentrated on retrieving the bunt, with the occasional glance at the other dogs. No squeaking or whining. No straining to get to the other dogs. I was extremely proud of Dee on Saturday at water training as well. There was no hyper-vigilance from her, no defensive attacks, but even better when we had a whole lot of Koorie kids come down to pat the dogs, she was calm, confident and engaging. Even though some of the kids were wary. She would look to me, get a calming sign and continue to engage. Trick training and food also helps. Everybody had a brilliant day.

LT gorgeous photos, and an achievement definitely worthy of an award.

I love the fact that you are doing a sport that is not traditional for your breed. Oh and photos are a must.

Nice photo. And true, not particularly common in some states

We need treiball photos. May I ask what bikejoring is?

Brilliant. Never let the size of your dog stop you from doing activities.

Oh God I know. We so want to try dog soccer as well, and weight pulling, and carting, and .......................... I need to marry a millionaire and retire It's a testament to the Rottweiler's versatility that we are in this dilemma of choice. :D Or is it an indication of the crazy lengths that Rottweiler owners will go to just to keep their dogs entertained and happy?

I already own one of them :laugh: Poor Stan. Defamed again :laugh:

Willow must be broken IF she is boring PS I have it on good authority that she is anything BUT boring.

Yep. Awesome but unusual, as it is not your everyday run of the mill dog activity. And I love it because all breeds of dog can take part. Even if some are better than others. Rotties run like tanks compared to sight hounds I've seen a Dobe course but not a Rottie. Two of my poodles enjoyed it :) Dee and Zeph have tried lure coursing with the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club, but Dee cheats. She knows that the lure comes out of the little tunnels, so she goes over to them and turns them over to expose the lure.

Brilliant work Aleksandr. I knew Shepherds were herding dogs, but did not know that they also had a livestock guarding role as well.

Yep. Awesome but unusual, as it is not your everyday run of the mill dog activity. And I love it because all breeds of dog can take part. Even if some are better than others. Rotties run like tanks compared to sight hounds

Oh God I know. We so want to try dog soccer as well, and weight pulling, and carting, and .......................... I need to marry a millionaire and retire

Henrietta this is from the American Newfoundland Dog Club website. The Victorian Newfoundland Club have been working very closely with the American club to develop the sport here, and they held their inaugural Water Test under a Canadian judge this year in July. "There are many instances on record of Newfies saving lives in water disasters. To encourage these lifesaving instincts, in 1971, a group of enthusiasts developed plans for a water trial consisting of 12 exercises, six each in two divisions, junior and senior. Two years later, the Newfoundland Club of America sanctioned its first official rescue test in Michigan. Over time, the rules have changed, mostly from observing the dog’s natural instincts, but the original concept remains intact. Junior division exercises are fundamental. The first one, basic control, takes place on dry land. The dog’s willingness and ability to perform its owner’s bidding are tested with heeling, a recall, and a down stay. The five remaining exercises are performed in the water and consist of retrieving a bumper, retrieving a life jacket or cushion, delivering a rope to a swimming steward, towing a boat, and swimming calmly with a handler. Accomplishing all six tasks results in a Water Dog title, issued by the NCA. In the senior division, the dog must retrieve two articles in the proper order, leap from a boat to fetch a paddle, discriminate between three swimmers and then carry a life ring to the one in distress, retrieve underwater, carry a line from shore to a steward in a boat and then tow that boat to shore, and leap from a boat to save its handler, who has “fallen” overboard. A dog that passes these six exercises adds the title of Water Rescue Dog to its name. Created over the past 3 years by the Working Dog Committee of the NCA, the newest division is Water Rescue Dog Excellent, or WRDX. This test is for the elite working dog, who shows a drive and stamina and instinctive working ability beyond most Newfoundlands. The six exercises consist of searching for an abandoned boat, and returning it to land; rescuing multiple victims from the side of a boat; rescue of an unconscious victim; a rescue of a victim under a capsized boat; delivering a line to shore from a stranded boat; and taking a line to mulitple drowning victims. Dogs who complete all 6 exercises earn the title of WRDX. "

Flint