OSoSwift

I must admit I do use this to my advantage ... LDR (reading magazine, sipping wine and simultaneously hogging the remote control *and* recliner) - Honey can you grab me a top up? OH - Are you seriously that lazy? LDR - But loooooook Timmy is sooooooooooooooo comfy in my lap! I can't possibly get up! OH - grizzle grizzle off to fridge Timmy - Is that a fridge door opening ????? Runs .... OH - Here, *you* carry it back to Lady Muck then Lord Muck .... Very cute. I must admit I just can't move! Two Whippets pin you down quite convincingly! Me - could you please make me a coffee? Oh- Why can't you do it? Me - *Points to two laps warmers. OH - oh all right then,

Put them in their crates, give them their food and after a set amount of time if they haven't eat it remove it. Rinse and repeat daily! If you are mean like me, they get 20 minutes to eat their food then it is gone. All my dogs eat when it is given, do not get given the choice of grazing or picking. You MUST ALWAYS fully umpire their eating, or the piggy pants will steal food every time. I know exactly what goes into my dogs tummies because they are fed seperately with no chance of stealing. The other things is if you do not know exactly who is eating what you may have an unwell dog that is it off it's food and not know until they are very underweight.

My bitch had an open pyo at day 24 of her season (she was a dog who's season went for a good 4 weeks) She had been mated late in one season ( I think two before that one) and had only one pup, all good no infection etc. She was 4 I think, when she got her Pyo. The discharge was the nastiest stinking stuff ever. She was swabbed and started on Clavulox until the results were back. Her results came back and they were the correct ones to use so we continued with those. She was on antibiotics for 6 weeks solid. From memory she was desexed about 5 months later, it was before she had another season, and her uterus was completely normal and the lining etc was all normal. She was desexed as she had gained her Ch title and was retired from the show ring and obedience was our main focus. It was also because I didn't want to breed from her myself and I didn't want to risk another season and another potential Pyo. Good luck.

My two are both extremely smoochy and I always say that Lewis would get inside my skin if he could. Rommi is similar but can sit next to you or on another seat - not so Lewis. It does have it's down sides, Rommi has a permenantly enlarged joint in her toe from me taking a step back when I didn't know she was there and stomping on it! Going to the toilet by myself is a distant memory as is sitting on the lounge and having a whole recliner by myself. I really think that you have a puppy that is really confident and happy in her own skin. That is a good thing, My Lewis does suffer from some seperation anxiety and I couldn't not say have to take Rommi to the vet and leave him at home by himself. You have had a lot going on in the last little while and I think you need to take a deep breathe and stop being so hard on yourself. Figure out the things Luuka loves doing and doing those with her, I have never had a Spitz and probably wouldn't because I have been told they are a little more aloof and I like a dog that likes to be with me and follow me around. I am very sure she loves you and thinks you are wonderful, she just doesn't need to be surgically attached to your side to show it! If you do want a surgically attached dog, then get a Lewis She is the sweetest little bundle of fluff and I know she loves her mum.

BedazzledX2 ownes the Bobby Dazzler grooming place and her dogs are always perfectly turned out, and Deb is really nice so I would go there

It is good they rang you straight away, I am sure the girl is very embaressed, but having had a dog until 18 months that I just didn't gel with and finally ringing the breeder in desperation I can understand - although I was prepared to try a bit longer than one day! I remember getting Rommi when my youngest Baby was 5 months. He had started sleeping through the night, puppy of course, couldn't. I remember laying in bed after a very cold nocturnal toileting trip - thinking why the bloody hell did I do this! Next day I was over it and it was all good again!

What a lovely GSP. It is so hard to believe one so young could have had to endure so much hardship. Lucky for him he has landed firmly on his feet. More photos at anytime please

I second that Oh and I have one WA bred pooch and one Vic bred pooch!

Our Stafford has had season allergies as well as some food allergies that strated at around 14 months. We have had him allergy tested, tried the hyposensitisation injections and removing some things from the environment that cause him a problem. It go to a point where he now has a spinal problem where he requires life long every second day Pred. His skin and ears are the best they have ever been and to be honest I wonder if persisting with all the "other" treatments were in his best interests. We battled with many washes, natural rememdies, antihistamines, injections etc. Yes they reduced his itching, but it still drove him a bit nutty. Over spring/summer he would rip himself to pieces and he HAD to be on Pred. If I had of given him Pred on a more regular basis (and it would have been on a much lower dose than he is on now) I think he would have had better quality of life. He will be 13 in June.

I need to as well, but I ssooo don't want to! Oh and if I did I would have absolutely no idea of how to get it onto youtube - wouldn't even know how to get it from the camera to the computer to start! I have to wean me off so much eye contact with Lewis - and I think someone should be standing there clicking me with teeny tiny Cadbury solid choclate eggs!

To me this dog is too fat in the top picture and the correct weight in the second picture. People have a similar problem with Whippets. Fit to race Whippets are seen as too skinny in the show ring even though they have brilliant muscle, they just have not an ounce of fat. I also love the picture of the very fit Yellow Lab that is hunting - perfect. Henk fit for show (37 kilos - 81.5 lbs) Henk fit for field trial (28 kilos - 61.7 lbs)

If your hands start infront, you give your signal then they return to infront you will be fine. When you execute the finish you will have to give the hand signal return it to the same positiong in front and your feet will have to stay where they were for the recall. Moving your feet together will be another signal, as would be giving a hand signal and the hand returning to your side not back to the previous position infront.

Was thinking the very same thing! Having said that, click on the link in Aiden's sigi to get to see a picture

No they do need need any extra layers of fat. They need good firm strong muscle, enough cover so their bones are not poking out, but the ribs are easily felt under the skin. Most Labs are overweight/obese. I have seen few I would class as fit and lean. On the odd occasion I have seen a fit lean one I make sure I tell the owner how wonderful their dog looks.

Typically Uncle Albers/GB is not available in WA. BUt I buy their bread mix and it is yummy!

I would imagine that the dog being allowed to actually do the bite work could be seen as a positive reinforcement to the dog performing it? Therefore it would be reward enough and no other treats/toys would be necessary especially for a highly prey driven dog.

Rommi met Lewis at her breeders whne she was staying while we were on holidays. She loved him there and they were always together. Fast forward about 2 to 3 weeks and Lewis cam to live with us. Rommi though it was good for 4 days until she realised he wasn't going back. Then she had times where she was happy, times when she was jealous and time when she was a total bitch to him! Now 4 months down the track we have the dynamics sorted and they love each other. Although Rommi is still the boss and is happy to make sure Lewis knows it. The old Stafford in his wisdom, does exactly as he pleases and lets them go about their day!

I alos love the connection I have with my dogs, Rommi isn't worried about constant eye contact, Lewis loves it and he looks at me with such adoration I can't help but look back - If only my husband looked at me like that!

So sorry to hear about your loss of Gherkin. I loved the stories you shared about Gherkin, but I have to say the thing I loved most was the name - such a fantastic name for a fantatsic little dog. RIP Gherkin

Even more off topic - the whips for the horses are used as a cue, not to whip them into submission. The are tapped in certain places to elicit certain reponses that have previously been trained. I doubt you would get the level of work you do from those horses if they were whipped into submission. I use a clicker because I can mark much more precisely with a clicker than I can with a marker word. I may want to clicker the slight movement of a certain paw for example, much easier to get the timing right with a clicker. Yes you can train some dogs with praise with/or without a check chain. Yes you can train some dogs with food/toy/ clicker and I guees theere would even be the odd dog out their that would pick up what you wanted if it got a kick up the bun every time it did something wrong. NOT ALL DOGS ARE THE SAME, NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE THE SAME. Whatever works for the dog/handler combination is the right one as long as the dog is not bullied or hurt in any way. If that is using a check chain fine, if it is using a clicker and food fine. There is no right and wrong, the only success I go by is how my dog is working for me at any given time.

I am more concerned about the food trained dogs that a starved for 3 days prior to a training session to generate higher levels of food motivation I agree Angelsun that the more training established without food motivation, the greater the reliability. My dogs are food reward clicker trained and they are NEVER starved for one meal never mind three. Not only that, my dogs also get praise and a love up as a reward - these can be taken into the ring. A dog trained at the appropriate level will work for an amount of time well past the length of a trial for one reward. That is part of the training that is done. I have trained check chain and clicker/food. My Dobe was a cross over dog. She did get a pass check chain trained, but passed more convincingly once rewards based trained. She only retrieved the dumbell due to much hard work on my part and rewards based training. She would never have attained her CDX if not for a change in training styles. I train my dog with the type of training that works for the dog I have on the end of the lead. My dogs do get corrected in life, life cannot be a purely positive experience. I train my dog with the best method I have for my dog/s I am also always open to looking at how others do it and if I believe their methods will help more or be better than mine I take them on board. Open minds lead to well trained dogs, not a particular method. Oh and BedazzledX2 well done - the judge must have been hard! how could she have taken 8 whole points off your boy!

Very cool ears Puck, you never know, they could be in next season and he could be the trend setter!

No you cannot substantially change the way a dog jumps, but you can help them to maximize their jump potential to be able to jump more cleanly. You can also teach them gymnastic jumping exercises so that they are very confident and at ease with getting the correct take off point, especially if they land on the wrong angle or too close to another jump. Rommi tends to jump fairly flat for a Whippet, Lewis I haven't done much with, but I imagine from what I have seen so far he will be a dog that naturally jumps higher.

Yep it is a bit I have had three Dobes, 1 Dog , 2 bitches. I personally would never have a nother male Dobe even if I was paid, however with my male it was more due to his temperment and individual personailty which was evident from day dot! However when I have more training time available a female Dobe would be a definate possibilty. I do socialise as in get them out and about, and Puppy preschool, however my interaction around aother dogs is mixing with safe dogs and also training and focusing on me near them. At dog training my dogs are not there to play, they are there to work and listen. I also own a Sttaford who although entire for 8 years was never a problem. The only time he reacted was after a dog annoyed the hell out of him and tried to pick a fight for an hour ( I wasn't there of would have put a stop to it) And also after a dog who my inlaws baby sat, flew him and put multiple tooth holes in him when my MIL was taking the meat froma freshly killed beast into the freezer and dropped a bone on the ground. They couldn't safely be togther after that as the Kelpie would start a fight, but I was well aware my Stafford could finish it. It is the owner on the end of the lead, I have owned Rotti, Dobes, Staffors and now Whippets. None of my dogs have ever caused a fight, some have defended themselves, but the have NEVER harassed a person, their dog or any other animals because I have trained them and been in control of them. BSL would affect the breeds I love. I have been abused for owning Rotti's and Dobes and have been told my dog should be killed just because she was a Rotti. This was from a woman who's totally out of control Kelpie X was nearly ripping it's head off to get to my Rotti who was in a down stay on a lead and lifted her head to look, then layed flat again. I have had people tell me all Dobe become vicious eventually - one said it was because their heads were too narrow and they always had headaches because their brains were squashed! These people believe just because my dogs were the breeds they were they should die - and it IS NOT restricted to Bull breeds, it will spread. Why should I not be able to own the breeds I love who have never caused a problem because some moron at a park has no idea how to keep a lead on a known aggressive dog????????? Rant over!

Hmmm interesting. I did get told by a couple of people that I shouldn't be doing it and the flatter they jumped the better as it was faster. I figured that a fast dog was no good if it had rails on the ground. My idea was if they are taught the correct way to jump first, they will naturally flatten their jump as the get more confident and attain more speed. It is after all the law of physics isn't it! Maybe I might just keep doing what I am doing then Even though competitions are a bit hard to get to at this point in my life.