sheena

I have heard that Australian Shepherds may not have a high tolerance level...that's just what I have heard, that they can be a little temperamental.

Our border collies get 2 x 45 minute walks a day including some agility training & a swim. They also get mental training with the clicker & teaching them tricks etc. 5 minutes of mental stimulation could be just as good as a 30 minute walk. I agree with the others...get to know some breeders & ask them to pick out a suitable pup. Probably a show breeder would be preferred over a performance breeder unless you are considering doing dog sports like agility, but even then, if it's your first BC I would start off with a quieter one. You will need a pretty high fence as BC's can jump a 7 ft fence if they learn how. Would you maybe consider an adult dog from a show breeder who's temperament is proven??

Lovely Jules...that scarf would make a very good tug toy :laugh: Heres Bindi modelling her Hurrta. She doesn't need a scarf as it has a fur collar :)

Something I have been thinking about lately as I hope to add another BC baby to our house-hold in about four years time. I am really thinking about another girl as I seem to bond better with girls. Bindi (girl) will be about 11 years old & Cricket (boy) will be about 7. They are both desexed & the new girl would be desexed at the appropriate time also. I already have the breeder & the bitch picked out even though it is way down the track :laugh:

I got mine from Aussiehousesitters.com. I put an add in & had a few to choose from. We chose well, & now they come back every year at about the same time. But sometimes we need someone at other times....I wonder if Little Gifts would consider Northern NSW :) Our dogs much prefer their own beds, but will definately join you for a cuddle before bed if you want one :laugh:

I have these coats for my guys Hurtta Winter Coats, but I only put them on if I am walking them in the rain or I go to somewhere & it is freezing cold. But my guys are BC's so have a good coat. But it may be good for your guy, cause besides being warm, they are waterproof.

My house-sitters sit for free, but I leave the house spotless for them, a bottle of wine in the fridge with their name on & a pantry & freezer full of food. But they don't expect any of that as they reckon they are having a free holiday & they get to have their "Dog Fix" at the same time. :)

What are you after ?? I have a couple of Hurtta life jackets, never used, that I want to sell :) What size and price Sheena? + postage to 2204 I have sent you a PM :)

Obviously you have considered any disease left behind by the pig. Some things like Cocci live in the soil for 5 years Personally, I would not like to house my dogs/pup permantly in an enclosure which once housed pigs or poultry because any disease or parasites could well be still living in the soil which the pup is going to dig up & roll in.

Is the dog going to sleep out there at night or come inside??? Is is just going to be used when you are not home etc. I agree with the climbing bit or even jumping over if it were a border collie :laugh: Did you mention the breed ?? :)

Start off in drop (down) position. Hold a treat behind their head & about level with their shoulder. As soon as the dog starts to roll onto it's back, click & treat. Then repeat, clicking & treating when the dog rolls a little further, etc. etc, till he is rolling right over. Fade the lure quickly & just use the hand motion, clicking & treating for rolling right over. Wait until the dog can follow your hand without hesitation before putting a verbal cue on it.

Start by getting her to stand still while YOU move around into the various heel positions Left, right & front positions, clicking for her standing still & focusing on your eyes. If she wont stand still ( I had to give mine a "wait" command till she cottoned on) you can get her to put her two front feet on a sturdy platform (low box). This is called "heel positions while stationary". And you keep training this till she will focus on you for up to 10 seconds, but vary your click. Start out small, first click is for looking at you, then maybe click at 2 sec, then 4, then 1, then 6 etc. If you get my drift. & you can put your verbal cue on the positions while she is stationary. Don't be in a rush & start in a distraction free evironment, gradually building up distractions & practicing in different rooms, places etc. till you have a really good focus. Try to put your treat bag out of sight, like behind your back & also your clicker maybe in your pocket, so these things don't become the "cue". It doesn't matter if it takes you a couple of seconds after you click to deliver the treat. If she moves out of position before you treat, just direct her back into position for the treat. Click for precision, treat in position.

it was, Mishka has a tendancy to bow anyway (she stretches alot) so ive had a lot of people tell me thats its really good to keep her mind active, and someone on youtube ive really been following like to let his dog to a point figure out what he wants from him using the clicker, so i tried the same method with Mishka, first just clicking when she stretched while we where having a play, then treating, then i started bringing in that id tap on the ground, now shes doing it pretty consistently but theres no verbal cue yet. With the clicker, shes learning things so much faster :D im so proud of her <3 i took a video that im planning on putting on yourtube, i might post it in the videos section :D or in this thread bow can sometimes be a hard one to teach. My dog kept dropping her backside all the time, but when the light bulb went on, it was like...."look at me...I can bow" :laugh: I've been working on "reverse circle around handler" She kept getting stuck halfway around instead of completing the circle. Then I tried back chaining it & now it's her most offered behavior. But I am not clicking her for it unless I cued it now. My dogs just love their fun with the clicker just before bed...it has become a night time ritual :laugh: I am so happy for you :) I'd heard it was a hard one to teach, and i honestly didnt plan on teaching it to Mishka, but she does it randomly and tonight during her training she did it, so i decided to take the opportunity to click, and using the method where i gave her guidance, but instead of helping her get the position right, letting her figure it out on her own, she really enjoyed it and kept focused as well as actively doing behaviours, then once she got the click for it a few times, repeating it until the gesture of me tapping the floor was put in, and i think i had just as much fun watching her go through that process! haha. ive also learnt about her to break up her training session with random plays with her favourite toy and making her do what she knows for it, keeps her attention for a lot longer, she keeps her attention longer with the clicker too! im so glad she moved on from her fear of it. ooh, the circle around the handler, mishka starting learning that at puppy school, its fun! but dont you get dizzy? lol i used to always get dizzy when coaxing her around with a treat, oh i havent tried training sessions just before bed, it actually might help them settle at night, right now they think its annoy mum time and play tug-o-war with her hair :p Do you find yours settle better at night after a goodnight session? They have a nightly ritual. They are so funny especially the young one. When he gets excited he hides, usually tucked away in his kennel. He does this at night when he knows I am getting their dinner ready. Last night he heard me playing clicker with my girl inside before dinner & when I went to find him he had hidden in a different spot. He's not scared...he just does it to self control his excitement. Anyway, usually the ritual is she comes inside & gets fed & he is fed on the verandah. When they are finished, I do some clicker training with her & meanwhile he is working out how to get the door open. Once he's worked that out & lets himself in, I tie her to the leg of the lounge & do some clicker with him. Then I let her off & we go through a heap of fun stuff with them working in unison (no clicker for this). Then it's outside for a wee, then back inside & they go straight to their beds for their cookie. If I break the ritual, like if I am too tired, they make me feel so guilty. I do several sessions with her during the day if I can, cause we are learning Canine Freestyle. ATM with the agility, I am clicking her for showing enthusiasm at the end of a run...ie I click when I raise my arms in the air & she jumps into the air in joy hoping this will stop her just running off to the scribes tent at the end of a run :laugh: With the "back around handler" you start by getting them to offer good heel position, then keep heel position with you as you pivot away from them...small steps at first & they have to keep focused on your face. Once you have the heel pivot going, you can start to shape any movement around you backwards. You need to be in a tight corner so the dog turns into you & keeps contact with your legs. Some people use a round barrier to keep them in tight, but this didn't work for me, she just kept crashing into the barrier.

Where at ??? & what are you competing in ?? DWDCQ has a double at Woongoolba. Tora is doing Starters in both Freestyle and HTM, Schatzi is doing Intermediate HTM. Good luck for next weekend please remember to let us all know how you go in the ring thanks Thanks will do, not sure why I feel nervous, I think because it's been a while, Tora is new to the sport and they are new routines. It's still great to be back out there though :D super excited as well as nervous! Can someone get a video ???

it was, Mishka has a tendancy to bow anyway (she stretches alot) so ive had a lot of people tell me thats its really good to keep her mind active, and someone on youtube ive really been following like to let his dog to a point figure out what he wants from him using the clicker, so i tried the same method with Mishka, first just clicking when she stretched while we where having a play, then treating, then i started bringing in that id tap on the ground, now shes doing it pretty consistently but theres no verbal cue yet. With the clicker, shes learning things so much faster :D im so proud of her <3 i took a video that im planning on putting on yourtube, i might post it in the videos section :D or in this thread bow can sometimes be a hard one to teach. My dog kept dropping her backside all the time, but when the light bulb went on, it was like...."look at me...I can bow" :laugh: I've been working on "reverse circle around handler" She kept getting stuck halfway around instead of completing the circle. Then I tried back chaining it & now it's her most offered behavior. But I am not clicking her for it unless I cued it now. My dogs just love their fun with the clicker just before bed...it has become a night time ritual :laugh: I am so happy for you :)

What are you after ?? I have a couple of Hurtta life jackets, never used, that I want to sell :)

Where at ??? & what are you competing in ??

Fair enough, so what do you use...or do you not get ticks overseas in Florida?? Fortunately my dogs don't lick each other.

I normally run the weaves along side her, but I didn't want to get in the way of the camera haha ;) but yes, I've noticed she does tend to pop out if I stay back. Thanks for the tips! will definitely try the random rewarding and square shoulders next time :) Great news If you get her running to a target at the end of the weaves it will stop her turning to look at you & popping out. Remember in competition you will have 12 poles. Sometimes put a treat on the target & other times run in & put the treat on the target as she is running to it.

This is what I was worried about, but mine being border collies it may be different. After having a horse die from a twisted bowel many years ago, I cringe just a little when I see large animals rolling & not rolling back the other way. Dogs may be different

Sorry...I havn't been in here for a few days & havn't read all the thread....but did you read that article that I sent you on clicker training :) If so, & you followed it, then he should be getting it after one small session if you are doing it right. Some dogs don't even need that first step or "charging the clicker", but I always like to do it. Have you read the article ???

My dogs have no interest in licking it off. One dog I have to distract, straight after, with a bit of trick training otherwise he will try & rub it off on the carpet, but within a couple of minutes he has forgotten it is on him. I apply it at the end of the day when they are ready for bed. I doubt if it would taste that good that a dog would would want to lick it off :)

Thanks everybody. No worries then I'll aim for three in a row.

Just wondering what peoples thoughts are with getting the dog to roll over. Teaching it is not a problem, but what I want to know is can it be dangerous for the dog if he does several rolls in a row in the same direction. I guess I am a bit hesitant because I have known of horses getting twisted bowels from not reversing their rolls. ie. rolling one way then rolling back the other. It certainly is an impressive trick to see a dog roll, over & over & over in the same direction, but is it safe

If you are interested in doing the clicker & want to make sure you are doing it right if you click on this link Introduction to Clicker Training & go down to the PDF File you will find most of what you need to know to get started the correct way. Also if you can get hold of any of Karen Pryors books...it is a fascinating science :) My dogs & I love it