sheena

Lovely Nitro :) This is how I taught Bindi Then putting a cue on it & teaching "straight" :)

I've just done a PDF file up on this for my class. If you wanted to PM me your email address I can send it to you :) I tried all sorts of methods including the against the wall & treats between her front legs, but all that did was confuse her. Obviously works for some people. I was taught a simple way at a doggy dancing class & it took me all of 5 minutes to teach backup to my girl who I had previously been struggling with. Using a clicker & shaping.

Thanks Grumpette, I am now checking out the Rainbow Power Company that have do-it-yourself LED Solar downlight kits. Each set of four lights has their own solar panel & built in batteries. We have a little device that we use in the caravan called a "Mini Jump Start", which is about the size of a laptop battery, & it is charged on 240V. When fully charged it will run a 12 volt TV for at least four hours or jump start my Ford Territory 20 times before it need recharging. Fridge, cooking & hot water will be gas & water gravity fed. So it is doable, just have to be careful with the power usage, but will be able to have a generator on standby for rainy days. It's not just the cost of the Solar , but the enormous space it takes up. Maybe it will be more attractive if it is entirely Clean & Green & people are prepared to maybe not have a microwave & will wont be able to sit up till midnight watching TV. As my little granddaughter will tell you, there are far more interesting things to do down there, at night, than watch boring TV....that's when the fairies all come out :laugh: By the way...your in Grumpette :laugh: I am hoping it will be a bit like when we camp down in the Waldhiem Cabins at Cradle Mountain...no TV or microwave there, but plenty to do after dark.

OK....Tassie, you & Juice are in Juice...my sentiments exactly...you have to think of the next person coming to stay. It will definitely have a fenced yard & will have a nice but indestructible garden. We will hopefully make the verandah pet proof as well, like we have in the house we live in. We have livestock & native animals, so a fenced yard is a must. Thankfully we don't get cane toads here. Lots of places to run your dogs though, if they don't chase the animals, & there is a dam for dock diving & an agility course at the back of the little forest. My six year old granddaughter, loves her little enchanted forest & will tell you with all her heart, that there are definitely fairies down there :) Poppy has built the Grandchildren a tree house in the little forest..

Are you using a clicker or marker word to mark his drop, immediately he goes down?? If so, you would IMO be best to shape his drop. By shaping I mean let him figure it out for himself a little bit at a time, clicking & treating firstly for the drop, then stand him back up & wait for him to offer the drop, click/treat & party party..let him know what a good boy he is while feeding multiple treats (this is what I call a party). Then sit/stand him back up & wait till he drops (you are saying absolutely nothing...just waiting to click the right moment). Start waiting for a little more duration before you click & treat etc. etc. & vary the duration...it may be one second, then three, then back to one etc. So he never knows when the click is going to come. Maybe you have put a cue word on the drop too soon & have actually cued drop to mean go down & then back up. Only put a cue word on it after he fully understands what he is being asked to do. Does that make sense

See "outside only" doesn't scream 'pet friendly' to me. There is a hotel here that advertises as "pet friendly", which means they have some kennels out the back that your dog is allowed in. It doesn't mean pet friendly to me either. I think there would be a lot of places that would allow you to stay, if your dog was kept outside...so pet friendly to me, means that it is allowed inside, but with some rules in place, to ensure that it is kept nice for others who might not really like dogs inside.

Thanks Lisa...your welcome :D I have been doing some Googling...& there has to be a cheaper & more efficient way than spending $25,000, which is just not on. Currently looking at all the stuff the Rainbow Power Company have at Nimbin. They have things like LED downlight sets that run off their own solar panels. Interestingly, I had a look at some eco cabins that they have linked to their website, located near Nimbin, & they are Pet Friendly......but...dogs are only allowed on the verandas. Cabins look nice though...a bit pricey at $150 per night & your dog has to sleep outside.

[/url] Fish Twist Chews from Loyalty Pet Treats...I just bought another kilo. They were really long ones this time, so I cut them in half with the secators :)

Hmmmmmmmm....back to the drawing board...... ....$25,000 for the smallest Stand Alone Solar System Might have to be dinner by candlelight !!

Chicken Loaf is good for that. You can chop it into tiny pieces & it holds it's shape & can be thrown about without crumbling. I use it a lot but it isn't very healthy. Here is a link to my page where I have suggestions for treats...DIY Homemade Treats I use VIP Chunkers a lot & baked thin slices of beef liver or heart. You need to have the treats really tiny...about the size of a dried pea & if you can cut them up any finer, then do so, because you are going to be giving him heaps. :)

Thank you AD...it will be if the solar power does not cost an arm & a leg :laugh:

That's exactly what we do...we take crates & roll up mats for them. If it's too hot for the crate then they sleep on their mats. Quite often if the room is a little cramped, the dogs are quite happy to sleep in the car. Most dogs love their cars :) So you are welcome too, DiscoDobe :laugh: Thank you everybody else who has been completely honest & open about the question. Just one question...for all those who have said that Pet Friendly means that the dogs can sleep wherever they like & do whatever they like, does that mean if a place is called Child Friendly, then children are allowed to do what they like too...like eat pizza while in bed or climb into the kitchen sink or leave the tap running till we run out of water, swing on the curtains or use the beds for trampolines. I think I am going to be much more fussier about the children than the dogs :) At the moment the whole project hangs on what it is going to cost us for a small Stand Alone Solar system You're assuming that people who allow their dogs onto furniture will happily allow their dogs to actually do damage and that just isn't the case so you can't compare it to children being allowed to run amok. Crates are all very good and well but for those of us with big dogs, hauling around 48 inch crates isn't really an option. Especially not when you also have to find room for the big dog. Just because some people here are all set up to travel with dogs, doesn't mean that's normal- if anything, I'd say it'd be pretty unusual amongst the general public. I think if you have issues with dogs being allowed to do certain things, it's your property and you can make whatever rules you want. But.. I think you have to be entirely upfront about those rules in advertising so that people with different needs aren't going to waste their time getting into the booking process only to discover that it isn't going to suit them. For sure I will ...but I won't be advertising..it will simply be word of mouth. As I said earlier, it is not a money making venture, it's just simply me wanting to share with people I can trust to look after it the way I would look after someone else's property.

That's exactly what we do...we take crates & roll up mats for them. If it's too hot for the crate then they sleep on their mats. Quite often if the room is a little cramped, the dogs are quite happy to sleep in the car. Most dogs love their cars :) So you are welcome too, DiscoDobe :laugh: Thank you everybody else who has been completely honest & open about the question. Just one question...for all those who have said that Pet Friendly means that the dogs can sleep wherever they like & do whatever they like, does that mean if a place is called Child Friendly, then children are allowed to do what they like too...like eat pizza while in bed or climb into the kitchen sink or leave the tap running till we run out of water, swing on the curtains or use the beds for trampolines. I think I am going to be much more fussier about the children than the dogs :) At the moment the whole project hangs on what it is going to cost us for a small Stand Alone Solar system

Showdog....seeing that it is being built for ME to enjoy, then I am going to have some rules....I think I should be able to expect the same standards from pet owners, that I myself have when I stay in dog friendly accomodation. :) As I said, I am not in it to make money...I am way to old to start doing that. It will be for family, friends & others that I know will appreciate it. The biggest singular expense apart from the actual building will be the Solar Power. It would be nice to be able to rent it out enough to recoup that... Denali...your're welcome :D

I would have no problems with people bringing their own doonas etc. Also I would expect people to be upfront with me beforehand on what they intended to do & if it sounded reasonable, then OK. :)

I don't allow my dogs on the beds at home, so I certainly don't allow them on the furniture in places we stay. I have no problem with that. We need to make it as Eco-friendly as possible which includes not having to wash 3 doonas after each visit. We are afterall on tank water & it can be very precious. We would not be making any money out of this, just the pleasure of seeing other people enjoy themselves & it gives me a project. You are welcome Westiemum, Ososwift & Denali :laugh: There would be freshly laid eggs, bacon & freshly baked bread for all guests :) This is the view from the front of the cabin. It will be going about where the black stump is. It has a large covered veranda on the forest side & the power poles are going :)

It is finally becoming a reality We are going to build it ourselves with the help of an engineer friend who is going to do up the working plans etc.& help us with the construction. It will be entirely run on solar & gas & will have a composting toilet. Entry to the bathroom will be outside the main cabin, still attached, but at the end of the verandah. For two reasons....I am not completely convinced that there are no problems with waterless toilets, & also so that anyone else camping there will be able to use the facilities too. We have had the caravan parked down there for 3 months & spent many nights in it, getting the feel for what we want. There is a concrete pad for the caravan & a camp fire. Water will probably be gravity fed 500 meters from our house to save having a water pump. I am going to deck it out inside, real pretty, but guest will have to be prepared to conserve power...so no toaster & kettle will be stove top. All lights will be LED. It has a main bedroom with a queen & single bed & another single bed in the living area. I was going to have bunks, but I think they are pretty unsafe. It will mainly be for family, but we will probably consider short stays by people that we can trust not to let the dogs on the bed, or have wet dogs inside. There is a huge dam nearby & agility park. We also have to be guaranteed that no dogs will be allowed to chase the livestock or the native animals The cabin will have a fence around it to keep the cows out & the dogs in. To say I am getting excited, would be no exaggeration :laugh: This is where the caravan is & the cabin is going to go just outside the reach of the trees...

It could well be that she is picking up on the fear/panic of the other dog.

Is there any reason why she can't sleep inside at night in a crate Especially with the d'head neighbour....more than likely that is what has her spooked & she associates the bang with night time & being in bed.

That's what I am worried about.....I think I may be losing my sense of smell

I did a weekend with Kelly Gill a while back, & the way she taught this, was to lean your bottom on the back of a solid chair....one that is not going to slip away behind you :laugh: so that your legs are extended out front, then bring the dog up between your legs & lure him up high along your body. Click & jackpot treat when he is in position..repeat a few times gradually standing yourself more upright as you have success. Does that make sense ??

As Pers says. I would like to add that I raised my BC boy on Black Hawk Lamb & Rice Adult food from the time I got him. He is still on it. That has always been both my dogs' main meal, but they also get turkey necks & other natural chewy things, yogurt, fish & eggs.

Maybe there has been a carpet snake in there one night. I had a large one in my chook coop, which moved on to better pastures & thankfully, never took a chook. The chooks will happily go into their coop during the day to feed & lay their eggs, but at night I find them roosting everywhere but in the coup & these are chooks that have been going into their coop every night for three years. Maybe something similiar has spooked your pup, & he associates it with night time & bed.

I must be loosing my sense of smell......I can't smell the tripe My mum was about my age when she lost her sense of smell

Really? If I had a pup that was flying interstate to a new home I would much rather it was familiar with the crate as being a safe place before it travelled. Even a long car journey home can mean a few hours in a crate. Add all the other stressors of being separated from everything the pup knows. Crate training for me is not about locking dogs up for hours for my convenience. My pups sleep in their crate next to my bed from 8 weeks - they are safe, can't get up to mischief, are close to their humans, rarely cry because they have company and I can toilet them as soon as I hear them getting restless. Not to mention how I incorporate it into games that encourage drive and self control. Some of the working dogs of old spent a lot of time in very restricted spaces unless they were working. I witnessed that in the US actually and I find some of those practices more concerning. The good old days aren't all good. Are crates abused? Certainly. But socialising a puppy to a crate early on is far from it. Some of the dogs of old...back in the dark ages spent a lot of their time chained to a 44 gallon drum & most dogs were hardly ever allowed to come inside the house. My dogs feel secure in their crates. Thunderstorms????...no problems...in the crate & they go to sleep