Luke W

I'm booked in for 2 different puppy pre-schools so far...first one starts next week - at a vet clinic - then another one starts at 13 weeks (assuming they have enough numbers). Can you ever do too many puppy pre-schools? Do you have one starting in South Melbourne in 3 weeks? What day/time and where?

I guess I should buy a clicker tomorrow.

Thanks - I'm heading down to Dogs Of Vic (Albert Park, Melbourne) this weekend to check them out. I'll probably post another request for club recommendations soon. I've seen mentions of Moorrabin and Clayton South, so I'll probably check them out as well. I'm in the inner bayside area of Melbourne (St Kilda ish) ...Training philosophy? I want to be an exceptional, happy trainer with the happiest dog in the world who's also great fun and a joy to be with. Not too much to ask for is it?

Fantastic!! Made me smile! Great work! My cocker doesn't seem as food driven as that - hehe maybe I over feed him Was that session before dinner? Great video - I'm defininitely going to be having a really good study of that site. I already seem to have made some mistakes - trying to teach cues at the same time as the behaviours especially.

As a new puppy owner - I'm so impressed. Gives me something to aspire too. Good stuff!

This looks like a great series of exercises. Bookmarked!!

The one I've read is "The Perfect Puppy - Gwen Bailey" The Perfect Puppy is more comprehensive. Puppy School is a consendensed version which is more like a series of exercises to work through with your puppy with some great photos for each exercise. I must go back and read it again - it's amazing how much information overload makes you forget stuff. I've just been teaching puppy to go into his crate on command (he's happy in there anyway) I'm luring him in with food and after about 5 goes he's anticipating the hand signal... and also I just got up to a 10 second "off"..."take it"...his little legs were a'tremblin' with anticipation! Great fun!

The one I've read is "The Perfect Puppy - Gwen Bailey"

Hi All I must say I'm very impressed by the level of expertise on this board. I'm hoping for some general advice. My cocker spaniel pup came home 2 weeks ago, he's now 10 weeks old. Eventually, I'd like to work in either obedience or agility with him (probably both). I'm wondering how early I should be starting with him, what I should be doing, when, in what sequence, etc, etc. I've heard about burn out but I also want to get as good a start as possible. I want to do the best I can and I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the information available. It's not so much the specifics I have trouble grasping, it's the generalities and timelines. So... Is there a particular age I should be starting serious obedience work? Clicker training? Agility training? Phase out food rewards/lures, put him on a variable reinforcement schedule? Etc. When should he start going to obedience school (not puppy school, he starts that next week)? Is there a particular sequence he should be taught in? Any common mistakes I'm likely to make? For what it's worth, I've been reading books and watching training videos (mainly Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, Gwen Bailey). He's crate trained, settles well. He will come, sit, down and stand (sit and come on cue, the others with hand signals/lures). He retrieves pretty well, complies with 'let go' and is starting to get the hang of 'off' and 'take it' I'm socialising him as best I can. Any books to recommend (something like "The complete encyclopedic guide to training your dog in obedience and agility, from puppyhood to old age, volumes 1-10" would be perfect)... ???? General advice? Rambilng thoughts? Sorry for such general questions, any comments much appreciated. Thanks and Cheers Luke.

Naah...they just rapidly alternate between multiple singular thoughts... Sit, sniff, sit, sniff, sit, sniff or Food, sleep, chase, food, sleep, chase, food, sleep chase

I'll play (a) One Perhaps by it's very definition.

Thanks heaps for all the advice guys - it's paying dividends! I think he's actually getting better! I've used a combination of every technique...removing him from my feet and sticking something else in his mouth, turning around and ignoring him, loud 'ah ahs', holding him away from my feet by his lead. When he got really revved up - barking and growling - a very loud "aha ah' right in his face and a restraining hand until he settled, then off to timeout. His pants and shoe biting has diminished significantly. He now gets the message that 'ah ahh' mean NO! I think he's also beginning to understand that I'm the boss and what I say goes. Thanks for the comments on the photo too - my best so far I think. More here by the way: http://www.lukewilby.com/Barkly/

What sort of crate is it? I have my 9 week old pup in an airline carrier, which is also inside a pen. I started him in it as soon as he got home. He took to it like a duck to water during the day time, he climbed straight in and got stuck into his chewtoys. It helped that it had a blanket which had his littermate and mother's smells on it. Make sure that he doesn't need to go to the toilet if he's crying. I made that mistake on the first night...He cried for about 40 minutes and I thought..hmm...maybe he needs to go...so I took him outside, brought him back in. He cried for a bit so I put his carrier just outside our open bedroom door. He stopped crying and slept till morning. Ever since then he sleeps in another room, in his carrier. He cries to go to the toilet and I take him out, no play, no fuss, striaght back to bed and he settles immediately. Apart from 40 minutes on the first night and realising that crying means "I need to go to the toilet", it's been plain sailing.

Thanks all, I've tried most suggestions, it seems nothing is quite as exciting as my feet, not even his chewtoys. The spray bottle sounds like it might work...It won't make him think I'm a nasty man will it ? Biting stops at 6 months hey...oh well, only 4 months to go (arghhh!!!) Biafra...thanks - he's as cute as a button. The shot was taken on my dining room table with a couple of flashes and the assistance of my wife. I had to be quick because he madly tried to tear the white fleece background to pieces!! :-) He really likes fabric!

Hi all New member, new dog, first dog for many years. Cocker spaniel - 9 weeks old - 'Barkly' - I've had him for 7 days. I've been reading lots of books (Dunbar, Bailey, Donaldson) and I'm trying to do the best by my pup. I wondering if his behaviour is normal and how best to handle him... Whenever he's out of his crate he tends to get a bit frantic and loves to bite (feet, hands, face, hair, etc). It seems nothing I do disuades him. He barks at me if I tell him "off". It's very difficult to keep him off my feet. The behaviour has just developed over the last couple of days. I've read the advice is to simply 'walk away and stop playing' - that's a bit hard if he simply follows me and continues to bit my feet, pull on my pants, shoes, shoelaces etc. Apart from the frantic biting issue he 's seems to be going well. Toilets pretty much on command, settles easily in his pen (long term confinement) or his carrier (short term confinement). He likes his chewtoys (tennis ball/rope is his favorite, followed by his hide chew...Kongs he's not too keen on, even when stuffed with food). He sits, downs and stands (mostly when lured but sometimes without). He's walking on a lead reasonably well. He still pulls a little bit, but is starting to repond to 'heel' and me stopping. At the moment I try the loud yelp and try to discontinue the play session. I'm hesitant to put him back in his pen/carrier because I don't want him to see his pen/carrier as a punishment zone. So...is the biting behaviour normal and what's the best way to combat it? How long will it last? Thanks for any advice. Luke.