sheena

I notice on the Black Hawk Facebook page that they are releasing a new range of Grain Free possibly next month. Reading through the comments it appears that, to start with, it will only be available in 3 kilo bags plus a new wet food in two sizes. I have no idea of the ingredients. My dogs don't have any problem with grains, but could be handy for those that are sensitive. :)

I bags first cuddle of Dart :) It seems ages since she first came on the scene.

These are the ones I have got & I would never bother buying a cheap imitation.....poor man pays twice :)

Flynn used to be my favourite of Kelly's, but now Trick has taken his place in my heart. He is so adorable. I have told Kelly that if ever he goes missing, she will most probably find him at my place & asleep on the end of my bed :laugh:

Kelly & Flynn's new commercial, this time with cats. I love the way Flynn rolls his eyes as the cat runs over the top of him. Lovely cats, Kelly trained them too for the commercial. :) I tried to embed the video but it didn't work this time

I have sent you a PM...re clicker training :)

The best thing with on-line courses is that you can push the rewind button. You can practice with your dog step by step & if something doesn't seem right, then you can go back & check if you are doing it correctly & even contact the instructor via email etc.

No more suggestions :confused: I tried the Yahoo Group but got inundated with emails every time someone made a post so I unsubscribed I will try the talc powder idea, but it might look a bit funny on him :laugh: I googled the use of dryer static cloths but they are not very dog friendly.

Kelly was at our agility trial this last weekend, & it is always a pleasure to watch her run her dogs, & there is just so much to learn from her. Of course she took out most of the major prizes :laugh: I wish I had just half her quick brain, then I wouldn't do stupid things like pulling my dog off the closing sequence in the Open, because I had forgotten the course

I live on acreage, so no need for dog parks fortunately. But they do get to go to the beach where I don't let them run up to other dogs & if I see another dog off lead, then my two go back on their leads. I don't let them run around with dogs that they don't know well at any time. I feel that they don't really need to "socialise" but need to be tolerant of other dogs around that are "on lead" as I can't stand it when others let their dogs run up to mine. But on the subject of dog parks.....I have seen the best idea ever at the very recent Agility Nationals. They had two exercise areas side by side, so you could choose to just let your own dogs run without being interfered with by other dogs, but they still got to interact with the other dogs running around & up & down the fence in the other enclosure. Pity more councils don't build these...all it would take is a little bit more fencing, so you could choose to have your dog separate & lock the others out.

I walk both my dogs in harnesses. They used to be front attached but now don't need them as neither of them pull or very rarely on a normal walk. The only time I have them in a collar is if it's just a short walk or walking between events at agility trials, where they will sometimes get pretty excited & jump & pull & spin...& that makes me shiver, because I know it must be hurting their throats. I don't let them run in their harnesses...I take them off for free running, & I also do that if they have a collar on as I worry they will get caught up on something. If it's in a public place, I have to leave the collars on. the other thing I like about harnesses, is if they meet another dog, if they are in collars, then they present more as a threat then if they have harness on....if you understand what I am saying. Lastly, one of my guys is a real escape artist from collars & so quick...even with limited slip ones.

I've tried to negotiate around the Clean Run Yahoo Group, but without any success....must be doing something wrong I have found the subject, but can't find the replys.

Thanks everyone. It could be the reason why he went shy of the weavers a while ago & it took ages to get him confident again. Very interesting DC what you have found. When I brush him his hair will often stand on end, so now I wipe him over with a baby wipe first. I can't spray him with anything when grooming...he would freak out. I was wondering about rubbing him over with one of those anti-static things you put in the clothes dryer. I will have a search on Clean Run too. I noticed that one of the competitors who runs a lot of BC's has coats on her dogs before & after a run.

At an agility trial today, my young dog who has lately been sooooooooooo good with the weaves, got bitten by static electricity on about the third last pole. He was going through at a speed & suddenly pulled out & looked back startled at his tail, then refused to go back in The weather was very dry & windy & someone said it looked like he had got a static electric shock from the poles. It wasn't an injury, as he quite happily finished the course in good time & then went on to do other courses without weaves no problem. It's something I have never thought of before but apparently it can happen with the nylon chute as well. He has a very "gossamer" coat, so it makes sense & could be an explanation why some dogs suddenly have a fear of certain obstacles. Any one else had this happen ????

What do you think of the Freedom No Pull, Sheena? Was your dog very strong at pulling on lead or only moderately annoying? :) I bought it because he grew out of his SenSible one, & also bought the double ended lead to go with it. But he doesn't need it any more because he doesn't or very rarely pulls. I think if he was still a puller (& he used to be very strong), it would be good because of the double lead. But I walk him in it anyway because he is very good at slipping his collar, even the ones that arn't supposed to slip...he just has a very good technique :laugh: & is so quick. It is a very nice comfortable harness & is very adjustable, though I think I could have gone a size smaller. It's no good to use as a car harness though, as he gets it off somehow. For the car, I have had to go to the Ruff Wear as it has a strap that goes around his waist.

I have heard that for garlic to be toxic (depending on the size of the dog) he would have to eat a whole bulb cluster. A little bit of garlic is beneficial.

I have one of these for my guy, as it is the ONLY one I could get that he couldn't slip out of in the car Webmaster by Ruff Wear but I walk him in a Freedom No Pull fully adjustable, very comfortable (padded) & you can either attach your lead at the front or the back or both for extra control. My girl has a Comfortflex, which she readily sticks her head in. It fits her well, but the chest strap isn't adjustable.

Can you take the covers off to wash It would spoil it if you had to keep it covered to keep it clean.

Mine are definately the winter jacket ...they have a fur collar... Clean Run I have just put them on them again tonight as the temperature is plumetting. They love them so much,that they willingly stick their heads in :laugh: Thanks goodness the winters here are very short

I think my ones are the winter ones as they are lined, & no way are they too hot for them at my place. But this is the first winter that I have needed to use them. they go to bed in them :)

The Hurta ones like on Jule's dog have a panel that goes from their neck, under & between their front legs, then fastens with a buckle at the top. Mine have had quite a thorough testing & stand up to all sorts of treatment & still stay in place. I do take them both off in the mornings though, before I let the dogs play together, otherwise they would turn them into tug toys :laugh:

Definately a goer.......will it cost me less than an oodle

A dog over threshold really means the dog is too over stimulated in the moment to respond to known commands and what we see from a reactive dog is that he/she has lost the plot and reverted back to the default behaviour, barking, lunging etc for which we have no verbal control over the dog to interrupt the behaviour and re-gain the dog's composure. Yes I did read all of your post and the dog did compose when using the clicker which means the clicker is being used as a lure and the message the dog is learning in the training process is that he shall respond to the click sound and not handler command. The dog ideally should associate the click with displaying the right behaviour as commanded by the handler as in "handler commands, dog obeys, click for obeying followed by a reward". In the circumstances, the dog was actually rewarded for blowing over threshold and reacting by luring with the clicker. I know these moments are difficult and you have to make a call and the bottom line was you did re-compose the dog and diffuse the reactivity, so well done as any ability to defuse a reactive dog is good and moving in the right direction. From what you explained of the situation, the clicker is working more as a lure in the way the dog sees it, like he is relating the click as meaning he gets a reward but he's not understanding what the reward is for, what he did right to hear the click. Sometimes it's hard to tell if a dog sees the clicker as a reward lure or a marker for the right behaviour. I think Justice may be seeing the clicker as a reward lure more so than realising the click was actually for displaying the right behaviour you are seeking from him? What you can also do, is train him for "work mode" where he MUST obey everything then a relaxed mode when the work is done, so you can train little sections of a walk where he must focus, no sniffing etc, then release him to relaxed mode where he can do what he likes. You can train a working mode commanding "ready" meaning for the next few minutes he must focus and obey then command "done" meaning he can relax. As painful as it is to manage a reactive dog, they are worth their weight in gold to own one just once as they make you become a great dog trainer by the time you have mastered them. They teach you in 5 years what would normally take 20+ years of knowledge gained in dog behaviour :) :) Justice wasn't over threshold. He didn't respond to my voice because I did the wrong thing. TThe clicker is normally used in the context of the Look athat game where he gets rewarded for looking at another dog without exploding. He knows what he is being rewarded for and if he looks at a dog and looks back at me because I missed it, he will keep looking at the dog and then back at me until I catch on. In this particular instance I used the clicker incorrectly and as an interrupter to stop him from going over threshold because I wasn't on the ball. We also do the Look at That game without a clicker and treats and with praise as the reward. It depends on how stressful each situation is for him and prior to him being attacked recently, we weren't using LAT or BAT at all as he no longer needed it. Yes...I was going to say that, but you beat me to it :)

What are you giving him in the way of treats. Some treats like dried liver can give pups the scoots really bad

My two BC guys have been having their Hurta coats put on lately, when the sun goes down & have them on till about 7.30 in the morning. I can't ever remember it being so cold here & have never had to use their coats before unless walking in the rain, but they sure are coming in handy now.