BeagleBoys2

Go Jaspy! Pretty good pic of you too.

Excessive foot movement may incur point loss. For example a nervous lifting of alternate paws one after another continual throughout the stay. In the drop stay of course you get 0 if your dog pulls a dead dog or shifts in a way that light can be seen under the body. Generally a simply flick of the hip to ge comfortable doesn't mean this but I suppose it depends on how exaggerate the movement your dog makes is. Experienced handlers may not always use the verbal stay command but their foot work tells the dog what is expected.

Huski - come to the next club meeting and put a request in that the club run a 'mock trial'. Get some idea of the numbers of people that would be interested (and their level) and put forward your case.

I would continue with the course...handler nerves play a HUGE part in a dog's behavior at a trial. The only time I don't continue is if they stop listening and start doing their own thing or making mistakes. If they aren't going to qualify I don't waste the judges time. The only except to this being the one time my dog dropped the bar of the first jump. Which looking back was my fault anyway. I had given him a beautiful lead up but when I said the release word he wasn't paying attention and misjudge the jump. However, in saying that, half way through the course the beagle nose got working and he cleared a jump that he was nearly sitting on. Go figure...he still ran the course well under time.

You could find that he's just hit another level of maturity and he is asserting himself. I always suggest that handlers do not use the recall command unless they are willing to carry it through. If the dog doesn't come you need to go get it and take it back to the spot where you called it from. Don't look at them and don't talk to them. Then have them front you and re-enforce the recall and praise them for being where you wanted them in the first place.

Yup, normal. I also new a staffy who pleasured himself while awake...now that's ewwww!

How did the topic of a dog exhibiting calming signals/submission turn into a heeling exercise? I would never associate heel work to something negative. Being at heel should be the best place in the world...a sweet spot. Having Beagles in the obedience ring yes I agree having eye contact it VERY important. But when you have reprimanded your dog and it exhibits calming signals you need to move past the behavior you just corrected. Let it go so your dog can relax. Pack animals don't hold grudges once a matter is dealt with it's business as usual.

Put a head halti on the dogs but remember a walk is also a time for your dogs to check out your neighbourhood. I never use our walks as a training session. We might walk to an area to train but then I change their equipment and give them a command so they know they are working. But with the pulling...with my first two Beagles it took me a good week or so to get out of our street. Everytime they pulled I turned around and walked in the opposite direction. Yes, it's boring but guess what...if your dog really wants to go on a walk it will find this boring too. And eventually it will connect the dots and understand that when they don't pull you walk. (BTW - as it turned out my first two Beagles didn't really enjoy walks. They preferred training, agility and lure coursing.) Plus I worked on a "look" command and eventually this decreased the sniffing too. Sometimes people suggest my Beagles are broken because they don't sniff. Finally, being at heel should be the sweetest spot in the world...reward it and reward it well.

I volunteer at the front desk of a local dog obedience club. There are a good number of pure bred dogs but I am afraid the cross bred dogs still out number them. This won't change while pet shops are allowed to sell puppies and kittens (which I am totally am against). Plus Dogs Queensland (aka CCCQ) don't advertise loudly enough the benefits of a pure bred dog.

I don't drink water on my walks as I drink before I leave the house. So why would my dog need a drink? However, I also try to make sure my dogs drink beforehand. It's always best to hydrate before exercise.

After training and competing in both Obedience and Agility I found the Show Ring difficult and most certainly am a newby. All of a sudden that amazing animal has four legs, a tail, a head and proper movement that you have to be thinking about. When before you could simply trust in your training and know that the outcome would be positive. All of a sudden it is not about the effort you put in and the relationship between handler and dog...it's about looks. Sometimes proper confirmation I have found doesn't even come into it. Plus I am a movement freak...I really appreciate great movement vs. flashy movement. So how do you deal with the judges decision on any given day...well it took me awhile. I did find it hard that my wonderful canine companions were not always the judges choice. Well, accept all of the small wins and enjoy the time spent with your dog. Once I gained a better understanding and accepted that just because my dogs don't get points for the day didn't mean they were not appreciated specimens of the breed. Plus I began thinking of the kennel...when my boy gets reserve challenge and then runner up best of breed to his brother...wow! I'm thrilled...okay no points but obviously the judge sees qualities in the breeding that can be appreciated. Of course it is always easier to be with a good group of people at a show. This allows everyone to celebrate someones successes even if they are not their own. :cool:

We just did a show at Gympie with the sunami hitting the coast this weekend. Heaps of rain and the show went on.

No way GREEN is totally my favorite color!!!

See and right there...your dog doesn't understand what stay means. To me what your dog is doing means wait in my dogs lives. Wait means wait in that spot for me to release you or return. But stay is a whole other ball game. It means stay in the spot and position I leave you in until you are told by me to do otherwise.

Quinn, our GSP is dog number four. After three Beagles she is simply easy...and such a delight. Of course there will be dog number five but not until Quinn's first litter which I am hoping for in late 2011.

Crate training! The little thing will be crated for a good number of hours so a crate should be a good place to be. If your puppy doesn't already sleep and eat in a crate...you might want to consider that. And lead work is a must. Do this is short periods and make it fun with a toy or food reward. Also get different people to handle and touch the puppy.

Metro at the moment requires annual vaccination certificate but does not stipulate level.

I remember starting out with my first dog. His stays were rock solid until my husband took him away on a camping trip. Who knows what happened in his little mind at the time... Anyway, when he started breaking his stays veteran traillers simply commented, "He doesn't understand what stay means." Okay, great and how do you fix that if it is in fact the reason. No one would tell me but with dog number four well and truly on her way I know! Proofing is easy as it turns out and there are a number of ways to do it. 1. Using a flat collar, lead and a clicker. Put your dog into the desired position, give the stay commond and then pull on the lead. When the dog automatically applies the same pressure and remains in the position click the result and reward. Eventually you should be able to do this at any angle and with any amount of pressure. 2. Put your dog in the desired position, give the stay command and then throw a treat at it. At first you might need to be rather close so you can retrieve the treat before your dog if it breaks position. However, now I can through a dozen treats in front of my dog and he will not get up until I release him and he collects all the food rewards. 3. Put your dog in the desire position, give the stay command and bounce a ball if this is what gets your dog going. Using a clicker in this option is easy. Click the result desired and reward. We have Beagles in Open and a GSP on her way to trialling.

I know a lot of breeder that care about each and every puppy that they sell. If the household is not able to keep a puppy for whatever reason they want to know before the family re-homes the animal themselves. Responsible breeders should be tracking how the animals develop so they can ensure their breeding program is improving the breed. How can you do this if you do not stay in contact with the owners?? However, as many of you have indicated it is not always possible for a breeder to take back a puppy. Only after this avenue was deemed not possible would I discuss with the breeder the availability of the Breed Club taking on the animal to re-home. A number of Breed Clubs have rescue homes that temporarily take on a dog before being re-homed.

It is a dog owners responsibility to ensure that their fencing properly confines their dog. Your fence does this. However, as your neighbours have a small puppy "their" fence does not properly confine their dog. Plus it probably doesn't help if the two have not been introduced to one another. They would both be very interested in what is on the other side of the fence. Puppies being puppies they will stick things where they shouldn't. As long as you have expressed sincere concern for the neighbours scare that's sufficient. However, I don't see anything wrong with giving them something towards the cost of the vet bill. I personally suspect the pup just got a huge scare and flipped out. I lost a friend over her dog biting my dog in my own yard when she made excuses and did not apologise. I gave her a second opportunity to apologise when I told her about the vet visit. If she was not willing to express at least concern over the injury she was not the kind of friend I was willing to keep. I certainly did not expect her to pay for any vet bill. I would suggest to the neighbours that if the fence does not properly confine their puppy that they need to take some action to prevent a repeat situation.

That's so cool...my Beagle Potter is named after Harry.

Our first Beagle had his name years before he was even born. As a Canadian I was proud of Donovan Bailey, a Canadian olympic runner (of course not so proud after it came out he used drug enhancers). Anyway our first beautiful Beagle was still proudly named Bailey. Beagle number two came along around the time of the first Harry Potter movies. At the time he was born Movie World had a ride advertised along the highway. Thinking Harry was too ridiculous for dog who is hairy...all too confusing; we went with Potter. Beagle number three came along after having to put down Bailey who had a rare cancer. He was to be my "new beginning" so his name is Nuevo Comienzo (spanish for new beginning)...generally simply Nuevo. Comienzo is reverved for his naughty moments. Then came our beautiful GSP girlie. We were heading to our breeder's home to visit the puppies and discussing names. As we had not solidly decided on the sex we were looking for names that were a bit generic. The radio was on and the Quinn the Eskimo song came on. If you have listened to the words there is a part where the birds in the trees go to him which I thought was fitting for a "bird dog". Hence...Quinn. Yes, I know Quinn is generally a boy name but we thought it was generic enough for a dog.

If stays are not 100% the dog does not understand what stay is. I used to hate it when veteran handlers would tell me this and then never follow through with how to fix it. You need to proof your dog's stays. Perhaps you may even need to change the word you use for the out of sight stay...consider it. I used to simply use the stay hand signal combined with sit or drop for one of my dogs (unfortunately he died of cancer before stand had to be introduced). Another dog I use hand positioning as a reminder...if I am not going to ask him to break the "stay" my hands will return to my sides. If I am going to ask him to break the "stay" I use the word wait and position my hands in front of my body but using the stay hand signal. He knows the position of my hands means I will ask him to front or move position. Fronting and heeling are fun games we play in the backyard. Depending on where my hands are I can have three dogs run to front or heel by me. Okay so how do you proof. A clicker or food is great for this. Some positions I am able to simply clip a lead on my dog's flat collar put him into position, tell him to stay and start firstly gently pulling on the lead. If he applies the necessary pressure to remain in a stay, he is rewarded with a click and a tasty treat. For my dog this only works for the sit and stand. He holds position now no matter how much pressure I apply or from what angle I apply it. For the down stay I put him in position and give him the command to stay. Then I throw food around him, re-enforcing that I want the stay. After a varied period of time I use his kennel prefix as a release word and he collects all of his treats.

I love www.showmanager.com.au. You can keep track of judges you like and it sends you reminders to post off entries if you have selected shows you want to enter.

I just use a whitner shampoo in the hydro bath. Then if he needs it might touch up a little with chalk but they're dogs and I'm happy they are clean and don't smell like they rolled in something. But then short haired dogs are real easy even covered in white. It's terribly amuzing when a heavily chalked dog enters the ring and shakes. The cloud of chalk they can get up is incredible!