Tassie

:D

Ptolomy ... would be interesting to count up the cost to the economoy of the number of person hours spent looking at the Ginger Ninjas

Hi Kerry If they're the old 'cheque book forms' then you should be able to use them for Rally - just write the Rally calss in the space where it says something like 'obedience class'. that's what we do here in Tas - but you might be wise to give the trial sec. a buzz and see what he/she would prefer. Enjoy your rally experience! :D

Good to introduce them early - but make sure he's finished teething, or his mouth might hurt. (Not sure how old he is.) You can try just introducing them into a fetch game when he is in the high excitement phase - just throw and see what happens - often they'll just pick things up without realising they're different if the game is highly exciting. Then interchange soft and hard. Huge party when he picks up the different object. Another option is to play hide and seek with the different textured objects - again in the middle of a high excitement game of hide and seek. Again - huge party, and next one is an 'easy' object. Then there's the more formal approach (mix and match these approaches) - sitting in the chair with treats and use the Shirley Chong retrieve teaching method to shape a retrieve. (Did this the other day with an enthusiastically retrieving Mini Schnauzer who was struggling with the metal. Took quite a while, but she was starting to put her mouth on the metal, and realising that the metal was a highly rewarding object. The method can be slow or fast, depending on the dog's progress. IMO, most important of all is to keep the whole thing as a highly energising and exciting and rewarding game.

Nice pay-back there Mr Waldo. Sorry Sue - if it makes you feel any better, I still don't know where on my acre of bush Mr Rory abandoned the nearly new trainer he kidnapped in his early days.

I like Erny's suggestion about the two humans walking and going slightly separately. Reading your description of Stella's reaction when you take Sonny out, I must admit, the first thought that came to me was 'tanty' - especially as she's quite happy to go with you and leave him behind. :) As ness said, you can get this sort of behaviour in dogs which anyone would describe as completely confident. My two will each do it if they think they are left behind while the other gets to do something really rewarding. they do it when I take one out to do some tracking training (or competition) and leave the other one in the car - Kirra (10) screams blue murder, and Rory (3.5) howls and barks. It usually lasts for quite a few minutes - but by the time I get back, the one in the car is fine. Rory used to do it when I would do agility runs with Kirra - had to have a babysitter for him - now he gets that he just has to wait quietly in his trolley. Kirra screams if I leave her in the car and she thinks Rory is going to do some agiity - but she couldn't care less if he's just going to do obedience or showing - she's not into those :D And hey - certainly don't beat yourself up - we do what we think is best at the time, and what we can. And even if we make mistakes, our dogs are still loved and comfortably housed. Thinking about the markers - I use 'Yes' - but I sometime use a clicker - especially if I'm playing round with new behaviours just for fun - tricks etc. - so I wonder if Stella would benefit from you having a play with the clicker as a marker sometimes. The nice thing about it - you can't hurt the dog - and if you start using it for some free shaping, or trick training, it won't stuff up anything else. It could be a special thing that only you and Stella do, not you and Sonny. ET fix typo

for Buster from way over East (and South) - what a relief!!

Club is good - but it's also good to read the rules - and you can see all the signs there with a description. ANKC rules link - you'll find Rally O under Obedience Have fun! :D

Lots more lovely brags - well done everyone. And I wouldn't train Snazzy, caffy - you might ruin what is obviously natural talent . And Ptolomy, Beans is just making sure youre appreciative of her efforts :laugh: RS, they were interesting comments about working with the dog in Rally - you're absolutely right, and that's one of the really good things about Rally, I think. We have quite a bit of the same tight lead thing here - and I think people are forgetting that after RN, it's off lead, so the wise strategy is to work Novice as if it's offlead.

The A & B are only provided for in the Rules for Advanced and Excellent. Rally Novice For Dogs six months of age or over and of either sex which are not eligible for the title of Rally Novice (RN). Under no circumstances except where an application for a RN Title has been rejected on a technicality, shall a dog which has competed in a Rally Advanced A Class be eligible to compete in the Rally Novice Class. So it's like Novice obedience - once you've got your 3 passes, you can't compete in Novice again (except where you get the 3rd pass in the first of a douible trial - then you get 'freebies'. The B couirses in RA and RE are for dogs going for their RAE titles.

Hi I think there was a typo in one of the schedules published in which Rally O Novice A & B were offered. There is no A & B in Rally O Novice in Australia but I believe the Club in question is holding 3 Obedience & 3 Rally O Trials over the weekend so plenty of opportunities to achieve some qualifying scores. Sheena, I don't know if you noticed this post. I'm sure this is right - there is no provision in the rules for A and B at Rally Novice level. It does kick in at Advanced and Excellent. The B courses are for dogs who have already achieverd their title at that particular level.

Congrats RS - especially on Ruby's 100. And stir those others up for their brags :laugh:

Lovely start for ;Miss Em - and winning dog food - even better. And doesn't it make a trial go better when everyone pitches in to help. Kudos all round :D

Sheena, IMHO, you'd be much better off entering CCD if you're going to enter anything - much less to go wrong, and as has been said, the dog is on lead for two of the exercises. And for an inexperienced dog, there is a big gap between you talking to her, as in Rally, and not being able to talk except to give commands for heel (judge's forward) drop and stand - and stay or wait. Dog's name can only be used once at the beginning of the exercise (except for Recall, where name can be used before the command - but with a distinct pause left). Lots of intricacies, even in CCD, so I'd definitely be trying to get some club tesst experience first. Just to give yourself and the dog every chance of success.

Sheena, your options for obedience are CCD (Community Companion Dog) or CD (Companion Dog = Novice.) First thing you need to do is download and read the rules from ANKC - go to the About tab pull down the menu and right at thebottom you'll find Rule - click on that and you'll see the various disciplines - go to Obedience for that, and Rally Obedience for the Rally O. In Rally O, you'd be entering Novice (on lead) - and as your first trial, guess it would be Rally Novice A (i.e. no Qs yet) - we only do the A and B thing here for the higher Rally classes. If in doubt, check with the instructors at your club, or contact the trial secretary. Hope that helps.

Naaaw nothing like a fat little ginger ninjas puppy fix to start a work day off with a smile. :-)

What a worry for you. HAve you put him in Lost and Found here on DOL - and on FB? he turns up safe and sound.

Yay for Gibbs

Great stuff TN - and that first title is sooo exciting, isn't it. First of many :)

Thanks dragonwoman - yes, I do take a change of ends if I can (depending on what's near the end of the ring, and I do think that helps, but we don't always get offered it. I try to play a bit, and do a few quick sits between exercises - but yes - I think the boy brains are a bit slow to kick in. We have our first go at Advanced Rally official trial in a couple of weeks - looking forward to it - well - with Rory - not so sure about my feral Agility girl - off lead heeling will be quite the challenge - lots of talking, methinks.

Yay for Kaos - welcome to JDM Kavik - and if this old lady can do it (sometimes) you'll be just fine.

TO - maybe no training is the answer :laugh: TSD - gotta be happy with both your kids - they're really enjoying themselves, aren't they ... and tunnel under the DW - that's a big surprise for a baby dog

And a little brag for my kids. After an extremely windy agility trial yesterday (had to use rubber bands to hold the bars on :laugh: ) in which Kirra at 10 was totally feral but on fire - one JDM pass, and a few near misses in other runs, the kids backed up today for our club Rally O tests - Rory's first outing in Advanced - he got a nice pass on 93/100. Kirra in Novice (she hadn't done any club tests although she has her RN) was feral again, but managed to win the ring - happy with my naughty little girl who doesn't 'do' obedience. Rory did quite a nice Novice round in obedience - though stays are still a work in progress. Any tips for proofing the sit on the recall walk up - after the SFE - he's standing instead of sitting - but of couirse, only in the ring situation LOL

Now there's dogs having a heap of fun - handlers too. :D

Just tried to see the whole text, but it costs $41 - need to find someone who can see it for free :) - but yes - would be interesting - and to knwo if there are other studies.