OSoSwift

Yes that certainly does make sense, I will try that. She does know touch on the palm of the hand! We have a few things to go with today so many thanks. Lots of things to go on with now

Initially to touch it, but also eventually to target it also. She is clicker trained and has been so since 8 weeks so as long as I get the timing correct she will get it. I think I have been waiting a smidge too long before clicking, I will practice my timing, as always it's the human that needs the training Thank you for your help

Oh yeh, that's great I will try after the kids are sleeping - too full on while they are still up! She tries so hard so that may just help her out, Thanks

I have a telescoping touch stick with a little yellow ball on the end. My problem is Rommi always tries to bite the ball, if it is very close to her nose she will dab it, but as soon as I try to move it further out she nibbles at it. It's like she can't resist! Should I teach the nose touch, or maybe more trying to get her to move towards it. I have a horse I have taught both to and he was much easier as he only picked up his dumbell in his mouth and touched the touch stick! Any helpful hints on training a target stick???? Do I just need more patiences??????

I bought two sets, except for the seek back article, doesn't matter if that is 'worn in'. Also you need to air your articles from time to time so it is handy to have two sets so you can have one airing and one in use. It is also good to 'try' and discourage mouthing as they are more likely to drop them. I used to work on a hard long bite with the clicker to try and stop any mouthing. Leather is a bit hard as they just love to chew it, alternatively go to a furniture manufacturer or someone and buy some off cut, reasonably thick leather and use that for training until they chew it less. Hope you are feeling better

Oh I have done a lttle of this so I will see if it helps you, much more expeirienced people will drop by I am sure. I was told to put the dog in a sit and I used wait. step a few steps forward and place the article while they are watching. Send them, they will see it and find it. do this until it is a reasonable distance and maybe one turn, they can still see you ploace it, walk the line you want them to follow. Next have them sitting ready to heel, place the article behind you - with the dog not watching, heel forward about 4 to 6 steps, about turn and 'send' your dog to find the article. They may find it by sight, but by this time have usually figured out find involves the nose as well. Increase the distance and add a turn then two, but make sure the dog is getting it right a majority of times before you progress to the next step. Eventually you will drop it while heeling as you would do in a trial. As a training thing I would throw bit of carrot(my Dobes favorite treat!) into some grass or weeds, with her not watching eventually) and tell her find, she picked up very quickly to use her nose. I would also place a piece of food a little way away and send her to find it, that really made her use her nose. As soon a I said find she would put her nose on the ground and start working, loved watching it. She would seek me if she couldn't find me, sometimes we set up a 'find mummy" just love to watch them work like this. Hope this makes some sense!

There is no prices in this particular catalouge??? Maybe you have to look on a website or something? Some very very nice gear though - if only I could win lotto.........................

Have no idea what shaped is, but I can see it - what prices are you after?

I have a few spare if you would like me to send you a couple of diffferent ones. I use the i-click with my dog and the normal box one (which is louder) with my horse.

Yes they are good at that! I was approached mant times and my standard answer was - No thank you Im am here to socialise and train my dog thank you. A 400km round trip is a pretty good reason not to go to often! Well in my book anyway - far enough to go for a trial The best travel I think we have ever done is leave after work friday, travel 750kms, arrive early ours of the morning, eventually collapse into bed, up around 4 hours later, trial two days in a row, then back in the car 750kms home, collapse into bed early hours of the morning. Get up and off to work. Be jealous of the dog all day because they get to sleep and you don't! Ah the fun of living a good drive from anywhere! If you come back over for a visit let me know. Oh did you ever end up getting the dog runs?

Hi, I never got to meet you inperson which is a real shame, and now you have run away east again !. They have no-one doing flyball at all at the moment except me, and I am ever so new! I wish you were still here to give me some pointers! Such is life - hope you and the boys are going well.

The Esperance dog club was affiliated but now the dogs that were running have all retired or are too old, so the affiliation has lapsed. There was a club in Perth, the K9 Flyers, but I believe it folded quite a few years ago now. Esperance has enough equipment for two "runs" side by side, everything is within regulation, equipment etc. Shoemonster - I hope I am doing the right thing, it is a bit hard to know when you are flying blind, I have done lots of reading and tried to make sure that I break it down to small enough steps. I just don't know if I am teaching things in the right order, the previous posts have helped me out heaps though, so I am establishing an amended training plan! I am hoping to train down at the grounds and by doing so get some more people interested and get a couple or more of teams running again. We have many dogs that have the drive and ability, but I guess people will want some training direction so if I have tried first then at least I might be able to help them out. Luckily I don't need to rely on others to keep me motivated! Oh and I really do have too many animals to consider moving any time soon!

Thanks for the reply's. These are quite fatty, the sheep were in a very good paddock! If I had overweight dogs or a medical problem I wouldn't, but seeing as I will feed them about once a week I don't think I will have a problem. They had some yesterday and seem fine this morning. I just won't over do it.

I went up to the in laws today and they were cutting up a sheep. Anyway they had the lamb flaps and the ribs in a box to go to the tip. I thought they were a great save, but hubby's first reaction was 'they have heaps of fat on them' which they do. Neither of my dogs has a weight problem, no history of pancreatitis or other problems. One aged, one young. There is probably half fat and half meat. Has anyone had any problems with feeding this. They get chicken carcasses and beef bones, with marrow exposed. They will get the lamb around once a week. I am now a little worried I might cause upset tummies or illness???

Oh thank you so much for the reply's I have been teaching things seperately (I clicker train anyway so I break my lessons down and back chain) I have been sending her to a piece of black rubber for a treat and just started sending her to a ball on the mat. I have been teaching her the beginnings of a swimmers turn on the rubber matt. I also have a tug toy to encourage her to return to me after getting the tennis ball instead of galivanting off around for a little counrtyside tour. I have sent her to a treat on the mat then back over one small jump, I have sent her over a small jump to a treat then back over a small jump. I am trying really hard to establish the correct turn so will keep working on that with a few more tips under my belt to help keep her turning. I have already figured out her preferd direction to turn. It is quite easy to really gear her up, so she bolts happily to the ball, but is a bit slow coming back hence the tug toy. Oh and I have removed all tennis balls so she only gets one when training as one of her favourite things is to chase a thrown tennis ball. I haven't trained as much as I would have liked lately - busy time of year for the cattle - but am aiming to get stuck back in when calving is winding up. I think with patience and making sure our foundation is good we should have fun. We only have one club down here and they don't have much experience, but are willing to help me and lend me a box when I need one. I don't think we have comps in WA, I am just doing it for fun really, but I like to do things well and have fun.

Poor Ruby, she really has been through the mill hasn't she. Lucky she is loved by you! Immune mediated things can be a bit of a bugger to isolate, and food allergies can make them very miserable! I had a dog that in her last 4 years could only eat Eukanuba Fish and Potato. Not a think extra, a small treat would have her with the worst upset tummy! A piece of chicken would have the same effect. Even tinned sardines were a no-no. I hope she doesn't have a infectious arthritis going on in her hock, ouch! Sending lots of healing and feel better vibes to Ruby.

Your other option is to ask them to order in the 3 year C3 vaccination, that way they are covered for boarding etc, but they have one vacc every 3 instead of yearly. I am considering, puppy vacc's 1st yearly booster, then titre testing or three year vacc'ing? not 100% sure which way I will go. My old dog hasn't been vaccinated for quite a few years now as he had a reaction with a huge swollen lump on his neck. He had yearly heartworm once and had a similar but smaller reaction so I don't do that either any more.

ANy vet can do a titre test, it's just a matter of them finding the correct vial to put it in and sending it of to vetpath(WA). If your vet won't or doesn't want to I would find someone else. My vet who I used to work for, said they hadn't done it, but could, and just go in earlier in the week, if you send it on a Friday it will sit in a shed somewhere over the weekend. I also asked if they were routinely offering the 3 year vacc (which I have been told is the same as the yearly one, but packaged differently) Once again, no but they are happy to get it in, could I just give them sufficient notice. I am happy to take her in for yearly check ups, but won't vaccinate yearly when I don't need to. Most vets will do things given enough notice so they can get the info they need.

I beleive from reading up on Pork many many years ago(at school) that it can potentially carry a worm - not sure if tapeworm or different- and that is why it is also recommended to cook pork well before eating and not eating rare pork! I can't remember the exact reason though. And not sure about feeding pork bones???? I have never fed them ETA - it carries -trichina (Trichinella spiralis), a nematode. Is killed by cooking, can cause problems if gets into a human, but easier to kill and potentially no worse than Salmonella which is regularly found in chicken. BAsically humans shouldn't eat any raw meats and wash hands after handling any raw meats. No raw meat is worse than the other, the just have different things that can be a problem

I had a Dobe on Metacam for nearly 3 years she had no side effects from it at all. If she didn't take it she couldn't walk, of if she did she shuffled along like an upside down banana. SHe had 3 surgeries from GDV/Bloat, could only eat Eukanuba Fish and Potato or she would have explosive poo's! Rimadyl didn't have the effect on her that Metacam did. I also got her regular acupuncture treatments which worked brilliantly - so much so I had to keep her quiet for the next day or she ran around like a pup and then would crash big time. She had a fusing spine, cervical instability in her neck(wobblers) and arthritis in all her other joints. She would of been put down if not for Metacam.

Glad she seems to be on the mend. I had a Dobe bitch with GDV twice and bloat once. It is an emotional roller coaster as you will know un twisting and getting things back where they should be are just the beginning. She will need to kept very very quiet for the next few weeks. My vet told me never to fees more than 3 cups of food at any one meal(if dry food need to consider swelling of the food once in the stomach). ALso do not let her guts water and get a belly full. My Dobe had her last surgery at 7 and a half and died from old age related problems at 12 so while stressful, they can be okay. I really feel for you all and am glad it is looking okay, my best wished to you all.

Very impressive. I would hate to person the silly person that ever though of attacking you!!! Great control and very calm dog. Loved watching it

Rommi and I have just - today- been introduced to the world of flyball. Rommi loves chasing tennis balls and knows how to put her feet on something if asked. I am after any tips and tricks to help us be the best flyballers we can be. I am also going to have to teach her to put a reasonable amount of power into her feet to get the machine to activate, but I guess in time as she goes faster that will happen naturally. Can't wait to get all the suggestions

I know Plush puppy make a sunscreen for dogs, I use Reviva Coat Foam and LOVE it, helps to stop the coat from drying out and you can use it on a damp or dry coat. Maybe some leave in sunscreen might help. The reviva coat does not change the texture of the coat either.

Your dog needs a genral health certificate with resting heart rate and temp, done by a vet, I think it was in the two weeks prior to the event and also to check for general fitness i.e no overweight obviously unfit dogs and not sore or lame dogs. My Dobe did it easily, It took only a short time to get her used to the pace then she just cruised along, I think she was asleep half the time. SHe liked to move out, but settled into the routine quite quickly Love the picture of the M.Poodle and Whippet. Maybe we can do it in a year or two, except the one 400kms from us is no longer so it would be a 1500km round trip for me