Tapua

I had an intensive session with Steve about a month ago because I want to trail my boy and I know that having a foot in both the old style and new style of training I really needed to get a grip on the newer techniques. I have a strong relationship with my boy and always train off lead however I am under skilled in moulding his drive and behaviour into what I desire for the obedience ring. My boy responded really well and all I can say is I am glad Kupa doesn't know his owner is a numpty and it is taking time for me to learn the right techniques. It is taking a while to learn the methods and apply them appropriately so he understands what is being asked of him - despite me Kupa's obedience. focus and ability has improved significantly. Steve gives full support and is very approachable and patient with me. So I would absolutely recommend K9 Pro he addresses your issues with you & your dog.

You can see the dogs working on www.trufflehunters.com.au I will get photo and videos sent as the months go by. Scrappy is a cousin to Daffy dog and she is one of Adrian's top workers. Here is a photo of Ozzie puppy he is about to be placed in his service home the trainers say he is an old gentle soul great with kids. https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xat1/v/t1.0-9/11208669_929652970430206_1524223251724752393_n.jpg?oh=1ad8f7458318a51b2213b21af9bc7f9e&oe=55CB77AA&__gda__=1438995317_c1aeee1098e5bc5db185b0dfaa8fb7b4 If you want to see what some of our other dogs do have a look at our website and click on the 'Dogs with Jobs' section. www.tapualabs.com

Yes I have working ESP too - well one bitch actually - they are like energiser bunnies with an extra up their butts. Love my Possum Chops to bits only 10 months old and an amazing hunter. I need to find her a good husband some time :)

No that was Dimples now known as 'Sapper' much loved by his dad Andrew Mind you Sapper was a snot of a puppy the day after his 'Puppy Pre-School Graduation' he did this ... little bugger lol

Very proud of my Daffy Dog & Ozzie Dog, Daffy (Champion Tapua Celtic Charm) has been leased to Truffle Hunting Australia and is heading to WA with her cousin Scappy Doo for the winter truffle season. And Ozzie puppy is about to placed in his working home as a service dog for Smart Pups Qld :) I love when my dogs have a job to do and do it well :)

Done

Hi Oosham There are a number of really good gundog people in Victoria have you consider joining Retrieving Australia which is a working gundog specific website? You can ask very specific questions on their website and other are many highly experienced working people online. I am attending a training weekend in Maitland in March for beginner trialers which is a great opportunity to learn and watch what to do. IMO there is training and there is conditioning. To me the first 12 months is about building the language that you and your dog understand plus developing the trusting relationship. IMO the first few months are about routine rather than 'respecting my authority' during this time. I look to capture the desirable behaviours and reward it rather that demand obedience. You might want to google the Nothing in Life is Free program K9 Pro has a fantastic workable program so that your daily routines are reinforcing what you desire. You want to positively reinforce the instincts in your dog not demand compliance to commands which can crush instinct.

Over the years - , anything with Dacron, trees, pegs, remote, shoes, knickers, bras, more trees, chair legs, tyre valves ... that went down well with the OH, books, paper, Canine Journals , seat belt in a car ... while in the harness plus any food on the bench. So now everything goes up or is put away ... and our place looks like a remand center. It is well fenced and the trees have metal tree guards until they are past chewing the sticky thing in the nicely dug ground stage.

This is the same bitch as an adult not so dark in body just the ears.

My first litter very dark middle pup my dams breeder said she carried fox red lines - certainly very dark.

I have checked out the Pet friendly accommodation and cannot find anything near Branxton. I am looking for a motel or caravan park nearby that hubby and I can stay at that doesn't mind the dogs in a trailer - can anyone recommend somewhere near Branxton or Singleton. Need to find a place by March 13/14

I use Fenpral $105 for 100 tabs it is a generic form of Drontal which is available now that the patent on Drontal has expired. I alternate with Propantel to reduce resistance when the bottle runs out.

I wonder if it could be CA ( Cerebellar Abiotrophy) but certainly ask the breeder to retest the dam as has been said previously.

Could I make some suggestions to re-establish night time crate training. Can you purchase 2 crates one for you older and another one - the same size for the baby ... she will grow into it. Place the crates in your lounge room next to each other and routinely feed the dogs in the crate do the usual toileting and help puppy to see the crate as a safe positive place to be. When you are going to bed remove all water and food. Place a cotton sheet or something obscuring the view from either side so both dogs can only see straight ahead. Toilet both dog and then place both to bed... and you go to bed. No toys nor food no water. dark room no stimulation. Ignore any whinging. If she gets you up to toilet, lead on no talk walk outside - 'good dog' for doing a wee poo - straight back to bed. No talk no conversation no lights. Ignore whinging. If she starts carrying on. A firm UTT! No ( no hitting of course) go back to bed. My pups are awake at dawn so atm that is 0530. But I see no reason why she shouldn't sleep solidly from 2200 to atleast 0530/0600. Kongs, toys water food are for daytime and when you are at work. Night time minimal to no stimulation. Do you normally crate you older dog? if not then crate her too. If you prefer she isn't crated then take her into your room. An older dog moving around freely is a disturbance and a stimulation to puppy. Bedtime is not a discussion for anyone in my house bed is bed and they stay there till dawn. Give it a go.

I'm thinking along those lines, Persephone. :) Ditto!

For show or 'betterment of the breed' breeders that may be a valid argument but for breeds used as service dogs, drug, bomb, biosecurity and stock work dogs - IMO the brood bitch standard needs to be high. Ok I will put my suit on here & ask If you only breed for yourself & interpret this as for the betterment of the breed how on earth are pet people suppose to get a well bred, health tested pedigree dog ? Isn't it for the betterment of the breed to also promote your breed as pets as well as for show & breeding ? I am not talking here about breeding dogs to death, churning out 6 litters of 12 pups from a dog or over the given canine associations limits. Here in SA they are only about 6 registered toy poodle breeders so if we all had about 2 litters per dog producing 2 to 4 pups each over the dogs long life span from the small number of dogs we own as non are large kennel breeders it leaves a huge demand for puppy farming & no option but pet shop dogs, which is where many people go or they accept an "oodle" because of stupid marketing trends or because that is all they can get. Where else can people get a very popular breed ? The dog I bred 6 times produced excellent sound puppies & I kept track of the pet litters for years before letting a bitch go for breeding from the each of the last 2 litters to a trusted person. Myself & the breeder who has them has the gt grandparents from one side, well into old age, I have the sires, one age 12 now & have contact & knowledge of lifespans & health of the other lines. I wanted to be very sure about them & desexed all the other pups in the pet homes. I was not looking at what would get a title, the conformation of the dogs was good if anyone wanted to show a desexed dog,I was looking at health, temperament & longevity. So I think that I am breeding responsibly & for the betterment & promotion of the breed as are many others who do similar. No flame suit needed I applaud the ethical breeders who know that people have a right to healthy companions dogs. Isn't that all part of the picture I know many Showies who are deeply passionate about their breed and do their utmost to enhance their breeds health, temperament and conformation - I just wish more would prioritise ability as well in their breeding program though I understand why they don't. It must be so difficult with so few breeders in your state and I would suspect a limited gene pool to select from in your breed. I know many who have to look interstate and spend huge amounts bringing dogs in form overseas to keep diversification & vigour in their gene pool. Despite the many who are deeply committed and passionate about their chosen breed there will always be people who are dodgy and that unfortunately is a human being problem not the fault of the dogs.

'Many drug dogs are rescue dogs & the only bomb dog originally in Australia was a rescued pound dog ,many service dogs are also rescues' Yes Showdog they were and some are fantastic rescue dogs doing the jobs ably but due to recent policy changes in a number of rescue & RSPCA pounds are not offered tot he service currently compromising the demand for the dog in the future. Pure-bred or X bred the failure rate of any dog trained as a bomb dog is >95%. The service dogs such as diabetes alert, guide, autism etc - while there are exceptions to the rule - prefer dogs that come from lines that have proven temperament and health clearance and trained from a puppy. Finding the right dogs for the job is not as simple as people assume. It has been a steep learning curve for us to learn what is suitable and worth breeding from and what is not regarding the behavioural ability plus trying to keep in mind type and conformation. The majority of breeders (rightly so) select for low drive and the because they are breeding companion/show dogs. All the puppy pre-school set ups aim to minimise or teach people to not reinforce working drive etc - again appropriately. But when those traits are needed to meet a genuine need for say stock work or gundog retrieval or military purposes then of course the priorities are different. Do you get what I am saying - someone talk earlier for the 'demand' from the pet market well there is a demand for sound, genetically healthy, intelligent dogs for a purposeful life.... and it is very hard to find dogs for the job let alone find breeding stock to keep producing. It has taken 7 years to breed & select 4 bitches that have the traits we look for. 5 years to select a suitable dog. It is one of the reason Gundog and certain stock dog people avoid show or companion lines because not including ability in a breeding program compromises ability in the progeny. IMO the market has different needs. If a breeder chooses to focus on the companion/show market that is legitimate , it is sensible to select from lines that have a low drive, and for the breeder it is easier to manage the dogs. However if they choose the obedience/stock work/service dogs market that is also legitimate. But seeking breeders who priorities healthy equally to ability in their breeding program is a challenge to say the least. Neither is 'right or wrong' it is just different demands.

For show or 'betterment of the breed' breeders that may be a valid argument but for breeds used as service dogs, drug, bomb, biosecurity and stock work dogs - IMO the brood bitch standard needs to be high.

As Sandgrubber says quality bitches are few and far between. I think the issue of sound bitches are not just their sound conformation but their ability to whelp with minimal intrusion, bitches who can nurture and feed her brood - given that all care and nutrition is available for mum to do so. In purchaser of the brood bitch the purchaser needs to ask the breeder the right questions. They need to say they plan to breed to the breeder. They need to ask what was their pup's dams ability to fall pregnant, whelp and raise a litter. Personally I don't care if the bitch breeds beautiful pups if she cannot mate, gestate, whelp and raise her litter without extreme interference from people then she is not a good brood bitch. (For people with exotic breeds that do need assistance an any of these areas - I am not talking about these breeds) but for Labs, Kelpies, GSD's, Cocker's, Springer's and a myriad of other breeds surely there is the opportunity to ask the questions and seek the lines from breeders who consider the quality of their brood bitches important. Fortunately I had a fantastic breeder when I started who knew I was going to breed to and was fine if I asked questions about the dam's ability to mate, gestate, whelp & raise a litter. In other breeds I have experienced breeders who were mortified if I asked and defensive. As to how many litters to a bitch. Broadly speaking I like to breed the first litter between 2 & 3 years old. I like to assess the quality of the pups from that mating at 12 - 18 months then consider if I breed her again. I might consider a 5th litter from an exceptional bitch but most will stop breeding by their 4th litter. But any bitch who did not like to raise her pups or produced unsound pups would not get a second mating. They are rehomed in a loving home. And yes some of my are show titled or compete at the Royal or State Speciality Shows, have proven retrieval ability, are DNA tested, hip, elbow scored and eye tested. Non of this is worth doing IMO unless the brood bitch is a good dam.

I don't understand why they would have a dog specialize in blood. Surely, a dog is capable of learning blood detection on top of, say, ordinary tracking . . . or arson detection work. Cross training reduces the strike rate/successful of finds in a detection dogs - general purpose dogs which can attack,track and search will always be used but there is a tendency to train individual dogs for specific needs on specific drug or scents like blood.

Did anyone see this on the news last night. I am stunned the owner took no responsibility nor even attempted to apologise. Mother of a 11 day old baby attacked by dogs while walking her baby in a pram. Dreadful for the mum trying to protect the baby but how stupid was the person who owned the dogs. Like in most cases responsible pet owners will pay for this woman stupidity and locals will loses a dog beach. But worse IMO was her lack of empathy or compassion for the woman or her child. https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/25724884/mum-shields-newborn-baby-from-dog-attack-on-nsw-beach/

Speaking as a breeder people wait 12-24 months to get a pup from me, they so know I only main register 1 or 2 in a litter. They are drilled about the pro's & cons of neutering young and I make it very clear I prefer they neuter no earlier than 9 months or after a bitches first season and males preferable after 12 months because I have a large breed. I don't know if the growth.bone development issues are as relevant for the smaller breed. Most of my dogs go to service homes so neutering is guaranteed but my pet owners are tagged on my computer and sent a reminder asking what their plans are when their pup is 9 months old. Really dislike early neutering but at the end of the day I give the owners all the information and hope they have the dogs best interested at heart. So far so good.

While there are different types within the breed there are some with separate registrations so the two registrations cannot be interbred. IE ANKC/FCI Kelpies & WKC Kelpies.

Calypso Kitty may need therapy ...after he has buried you in the kitty litter.

That's me bad to the bone