Red Fox

lovely colour. I WANT! Where is she from? LOL i just scanned through your recent posts and realised you are Nekhbets OH your pup is stunning, all the best with the SAR.

Yes. Go see Steve! In the meantime email him (contact details on his website) and ask about his "handbrake" technique. It's designed to solve exactly the problem you have described. He can possibly put you on a DLP too if it suits. You need to tell this guy to back off. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself (or perhaps dont want to upset him?) have your partner approach and use the excuse of starting a new training regime to gain focus with your dog and tell him you would appreciate his support by ignoring Echo for the next few months at least. All part of the training you see People LOVE to feel important. And hell, this guy may be EXACTLY what you need for distraction trianing later down the track.

Thanks PF

Bitch in season? One of your neighbours installing one of those high pitched ultrasonic pest repellers? An odd noise which he can hear but your eats are not picking up as it is far away? - sirens, music, horns, other dogs howling?

I would need to double check but no I dont wish to give a trienniel for various reasons, including the chance of reaction. I spoke this over with my vet 13 months ago when we boosted. Choices were Parvac only, trienniel, titer, nothing or a C3 with anti hystamine. We went for the last option with plans to titer sometime this year. Excellent idea. I will do this when I titer him. It can't hurt to have regardless. Training lessons finish around 9pm on a weeknight OSS. I dont care to ask her to stand out on a cold winters night just for me The instructor herself is lovely but it's not her call.

He is a she And no, not my regular vet. But yes this club comes under their name, their business. So of course their say is final. And that's fair. ...unless I can change her mind. But doubtful given that she was not receptive to titer as it's "not their policy".

I do too and understand, and I even feel guilty that I have had them both done just to satisfy them They hadn't been done for about 5 years. Its a wonder we don't have to prove as members that we have had up to date vaccinations for ourselves etc !! Aww dont feel bad at all. If it had been 5 years for Kei I would certainly be considering it. He's only 13 months past his last booster though

Jules♥Cavs' Health comes first for me sorry. I've dabbled with the idea of just doing it but I can't. My last dog died of cancer at 6 years old, 2 years ago my cat was at the stage where we were considering PTS (vomitting, couldn't walk - considering FHR at the time too, coat was shit, no muscle tone. I stopped vaccinating him in 2008 and within 12 months the change was nothing short of amazing. He's back to scaling 6ft fences with ease.. I feel very strongly on this issue.

PF I have asked :p We will certainly catch up if time and distance permit (we are actually quite a drive away and the club is in the middle if that makes sense). Admittedly yes I can do most things outside of a club (as I have for the past 2 years), can perhaps find someone to help with footwork also. But I'm not convinced I can match the club in terms of building focus and confidence around other dogs? There are no dog parks here so that's out. I have queried whether I could train on the lawns outside of the enclosed area where the club trains (when training is in progress) and the answer was no. Reason given that the club also rent this part of the facility along with the fenced area. Fair enough. Trialling will be a whole other issue... I feel like :D

Yes I have been considering an email. Just dont want to upset the applecart so to speak. I also have the flu quite badly at the moment, so it wont be happening until I am back to being normal and not a sobbing shaking mess :p To be flatly honest, I think I'll be rejected (from training) regardless of how well I argue the point. Rules is rules, this is the way WE do things, etc. Plus I can see how allowing an 'unvaccinated' dog to attend club training could open up a big can of worms for the vet/club. I suppose what I find the most frustrating is that the 'risk' would be to MY dog (as the unprotected one) and a titer shows immunity (well as best we can determine from what we know) where a vacc card does not. The dogs also train in a public area where I have no doubt unvacc dogs visit from time to time. Am I missing something here :D I don't use this particular vet as they are in another town. Perhaps I will just make an appointment to discuss it with her, can't hurt I suppose... Though I know as soon as the door closes behind me my confidence will fly out the window and the 'vet knows best' mentality creeps back in. I have discussed titer/limited vacc with my regular vet so no probs there.

This is interesting. Does anyone know which specific organisations are accepted on the sporting register?

MM I understand where you are comming from and to be honest yes I think most pet dog owners should desex their dogs. However if the owner is reponsible and dead set against desexing I see no reason to push the point. Desexing stops puppies sure, but it wont fix training issues.

So I finally found the perfect club. No paddock bashing, working towards the owners goal, flexibility, I don't have to let my dog play with the others if I choose not too, I can wind up the session when I'm ready (even after 5 mins) and not get a fithy look. I can use whichever reward suits my dog. Hell I can even say no to my dog if I want to. The instructor is absolutely lovely, we are 100% on the same page. The catch? The club is "run" by the local vet and my dog cannot attend unless he is vaccinated annually. No triennials and they will not accept titer testing :D I'm devestated. Now I'm not sure what to do about this? I won't be re-vaccinating, I'm happy to titer (at a cost of over $250!) yet they wont accept it. As much as I'd like to have it out with the vet in question - my argument being that 1. my dog has had a prior reaction and his health comes first 2. The new AVA protocol refers to the "annual" vaccine and NOT the registered triennial (sorry, I dont care what your rep says) and 3. a titer PROVES immunity which IMO is superior to a vaccine that hasn't been proven effective - I don't feel I can. The vet is the employer of the clubs instructor, she (instructor) has gone out of her way to speak to me and offer advice which I appreciate and I simply don't want to cause any trouble for her. Yes we are on the same page but unfortunately she doesn't call the shots. I'm now feeling stuck. As I live in a rural area I don't have much choice :p

From my understanding it depends on if the vet sends the bloods direct to Vetpath in WA or if they use a third party, ie Gribbles Pathology.

Yup. Why? A female on heat is unlikely to send a male dog who happens to be walking past with his owner into a foaming frenzy - especially if the boy doesn't really know 'what' it is :D If the owner is responsible enough I see no reason why he should desex his dog. JMO.

Just a thought, perhaps you are trying too hard. Do you use NILIF with your dog? By all means you should be interacting with your dog - just not for free. Try ignoring him between training sessions, walks, feeding times and toilet trips (crating if you can). Ask for a behaviour before you give any attention in the form of pats, treats and affection. If he refuses to pay attention during a short training session (by short I'm talking 30 seconds not 30 mins!) then pop him back in his crate and try again later. Teach him that you are his "pack leader", all good things in life come from you. Yes, much harder than it sounds. We all want to lavish attention on our dogs! But dogs are not humans, their mind works differently from ours and knowing their place in the pack will result in a more secure, confident (and perhaps) affectionate dog. You may find that a shift in your attitude towards him - you please ME if you want something - may make all the difference.

Took a while. For the first 12 months or so he just wasn't interested in me. As a pup I would move close to him and he would take off to his crate. I would drop a saucepan and he would hide for hours. He would behave badly in public and I would drag him home embarrassed and upset. Training was hard as he wasn't engaged with me, worst of all I felt he didn't trust me. Like Huski I built a bond through training (and learning a better way to do it). The more we worked together the more we bonded and the more focussed and confident my has dog become. Learning to be a strong leader and most of all to be assertive has helped a great deal. He's now 2.5 yrs and it's only been the past 8 or so months that we have really connected. My cat however I have never bonded with. I dont hate him as such (well except when he eats my vaccuum cord, phone charger and clothes dryer cords all within a week ) but he's just kind of 'there'. Perhaps it's just that I'm not really a cat person? He is my sons cat though and they are very strongly bonded.

Pro-K9 ask for minimum C3 and will accept Titre tests in lieu of current vaccination certificate. Erny is that a yearly C3/titer or triennial in line with the AVA protocol?

The AVA policy also states: Individual animals will require assessment by a veterinarian to select the most appropriate vaccine and vaccination protocol. The veterinarian–client–patient relationship is important to fully understand the individual’s needs. http://www.ava.com.au/sites/default/files/...INAL-June09.pdf Unfortunately I'm yet to find a vet (in my area) who hasn't used this to their advantage - "Yes we are aware of the new protocols but due to the high incidence of Parvo in our area we have chosen to continue with yearly vaccinations". Yet they don't inform their clients that the new protocols even exist. How is an owner supposed to make an informed decision? Add to that the fact that the vast majority of the dog owning public are unaware that titer testing is even available and the high cost in certain areas (my vet charges $250+)... I also wish that clubs would catch on to this. The AVA supports triennial vaccination, yet I will need to titer or revaccinate yearly if I wish to train or compete with my dog.

Weatherbeeta: http://www.weatherbeeta.com.au/weatherbeet...e-dog-coat.html Chillydogs rain slicker: http://www.twosmallpuppies.com.au/index.ph...products_id=173 Ruffwear sunshower: http://waggle.com.au/ruff-wear-b1/sun-shower-rain-coat-p406

Everybody has one. I could fill a whole thread with stupid things people have said. My BIL has come up with some doozies over the past couple of years. Hence the reason the only people I discuss dogs with are knowledgeable dog people and children who will listen. Anyone else broaches the subject and I suddenly get the urge to pee :p

Where do you keep your treats during training? Do you have them in a pouch behind your back or in a container out of sight? Or are you holding it in your hand/pouch at the front/in plain sight? You'll need to teach him to focus on you and not the food if he is so distracted by it. You'll want to do that outside of the retrieving work though.

Have you seen any of the Michael Ellis DVDs? Training the retrieve with Michael Ellis http://leerburg.com/224.htm or download here http://leerburg.com/flix/videodesc.php?id=708 Very detailed and easy to understand if you already use marker based training. It's taught through back chaining with some low level compulsion (no ear pinch), breaking everything down into tiny segments. This is another good link. The retrieve here is taught entirely through shaping: http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/retrieve.html

Then you don't need to treat him for either. Heartworm is more serious though and does need regular prevention. What are you using for that? He's been ill and doesn't need any more chemicals right now. Let him finish his antibiotics and perhaps consider adding some probiotics to his meals to restore the balance. Do you have a flea problem in your area? Some products can be less effective than others for certain dog/certain areas, fleas can become resistant, but if you don't have a problem to start off with you're treating your dog for nothing. Would you treat yourself or your children for headlice every month 'just in case' - even if they didn't have any? Or would you just be vigilant in checking and treat as needed? Advocate covers intestinal worms, heartworm, fleas and mites. It's does not cover hydatids or ticks. Sentinal covers heartworm, intestinal worms (inc hydatids) and fleas Interceptor covers heartworm and intestinal worms (inc hydatids)

If you can turn you courtyard into what is essentially a roofed dog run if may be okay for short periods. You'd also need to make sure that the 'run' is solid from ground level to a decent height (ie taller than your dog) up as dogs can still mate through wire