grumpette

Thank you. We were playing ball at the park yesterday and Zeph managed to double slim himself across his nose, but just as I got the phone out to take a picture for you he came over and wiped his nose on me. The cheeky bugger. :laugh:

OMG Don is beautiful in that photo and purple really does suit him.

BlueyLove the best thing about this thread and challenge is that at the end of the year each of us with have some great memories of things that are dear to us. We will also have learnt heaps through continued experimentation and the helpful advice of others that have taken the time to offer hints and tips. So continue to give it your best shot :D

Absolutely stunning. So peaceful and tranquil. A huge congratulations Gapvic. How thrilling.

Oh Raineth I am so sorry to hear of Digby's passing. May your beautiful gentle soul Rest in Peace Digby. Enjoy hunting meat pies, eating all sorts of ice cream and make sure you change your coats/jammies as often as you want to. Huge hugs and heaps of happy memories to you Raineth.

The top photo is just stunning. Leo is so handsome

I swear happy dogs are slobber dogs VM. They put their whole being into all that they do and they show (and share) this enthusiasm freely. TB boxers would have to be a bred that excels in enthusiastic happy. Just like Staffies I have a big soft spot for them. Thanks TB and VM. I think they are pretty special as well.

Slobbered on tennis balls are a huge problem in this house, regardless of how big they are

Zeph has trouble drinking at the best of times

Love the bubble picture aliwake :D

Zeph does not swallow when playing with water

He is meant to be yours. Certain dogs come along for a reason and Don is that dog for you at this time in your life. Embrace his gorgeous eyes.

Poor Stan. It is no fun when you live with a member of Mensa. Maddie learns fast. :laugh:

If I was a feathered creature I would be terrified.

It made me LOL! Made me and OH called out "What are you cackling about?" :laugh:

This guy would have taken Maddie on... he was feral! 14-06-2014-seagulls-manly 579 by tdierikx, on Flickr T. OMG that is one evil seagull. He appears to be saying "Come on. I dare you"

I'm not sure he'll remember that move again tomorrow but hey ya never know :laugh: When it comes to food he's a Rhodes scholar but he's never been big on problem solving, much easier to just go and sit somewhere else but this morning I could see that light flickering. It was hilarious, he was on that mat quicker than a seagull on a chip :laugh: Stan is maturing. True genius takes time.

All done.

It's always the quiet ones you gotta watch. Totally agree. There is evil genius hiding in Stan. Brilliant effort Big Guy. Enjoy the sunshine.

I love his colourful wardrobe. Both the coats and jammies suit his personality.

Oh wow. Love the cloud detail. Not quite the right word, but the texture is wonderful

So it is very similar to working within critical distance. With Zeph we currently work alongside the main group. When he is paying attention, watching and working well he gets his ball. When we move closer to the dogs and he stops working and starts whining, we move away and he does not get his ball. So he only gets access to the other dogs and his ball on my terms. Is this the same situation?

You want the reinforcement to come from you and while you know where the ball comes from the actual reinforcement that the dog gets is about moving away from you. I think I got that right, TSD or Kavik feel free to correct me If Zeph loves squeaky balls I'm sure you can find one on the end of a rope. OK, so the reward/release is actually in the chase of the ball, and the rope/tug ties the reward/release back to you? So it is not the actual squeaky ball, but the chase? Even though you are the only provider of a squeaky ball? He is very particular in the type of ball that he likes

Kavik I also have a question. With the GR and the tennis balls: if the tennis ball is of such high value to the dog, why would you try to swap it for tugging which is lesser value? Would you not use the tennis ball as the reward for the dog, which only comes from you? I have a similar problem to SC in that Zeph loves other dogs (yes the next dog will be dog neutral and still well socialised, the beauty of hindsight), but he loves squeaky balls more than other dogs.

The Rotties love rabbit, but at $16 a rabbit it got way too expensive. I used to get them for $4 each