Zug Zug

Thanks - I'm just starting to look around for my next puppy. Did I say that out loud? Early days yet - but if I don't do something in the next year or two I will be still trying to train with my old girl while she nurses a broken hip! (Not seriously, but she's getting on a bit and my enthusiasm isn't waning...) So I'm starting to fish around. Not really sure where to start. I might ask some people at my dog club too. There aren't many standards competing in obedience in SA (only one I can think of - and she's beautiful to watch). Perhaps there are more interstate?

Thanks - and yes I think that's probably good advice. A short spell, then I think I need to make it more FUN and move more quickly. She hates moving slow, but she likes running to a food reward located elsewhere, so I think I'll do that. Cheers!

Heeling problems - in particular my old girl loves to sniff the ground. She's always struggled with this one. Not sure - maybe I'm making it too boring? I must admit I think of heeling as a more 'serious' exercise, and I guess that probably works against us. Should I be training her on heeling every day? Or less often? How long for? Am I using food too often? I've been using the clicker and rewarding as we go along after a varying no. of steps. But she seems to be losing interest again. She got her CCD, 2 legs of novice now, and some days she is fantastic but other days... She's 11 years old and loves to train - we've been learning new tricks for the last few years! She just looks bored during heeling and then comes alive as soon as a dumbbell or jump comes out or we do a recall.

I think the list illustrates perfectly why the use of punishment is so difficult - and so hard to teach. In particular, I think the combination of point 5 (punishment should not be associated with the handler) and point 6 (it should happen every single time) really makes this a difficult thing to do properly. I've moved away from punishments. Just too hard for me to 'get' - whereas the positive/reward-based stuff is simple and easy to follow, and you can make mistakes you just fix them and you haven't unduly distressed your dog. I do use an 'ah-ah' marker when she/we get things wrong. And I will remove her from a situation (e.g. a nice-smelling tree) if need be. But I have to say I am relieved not to be expected to use check chains anymore. I have seen them used quite violently by quite a few people, and it is a slippery slope IMO. It never helped me much as a learner trainer - just made me feel mean and spoilt the fun for both of us. But I am a learner. If I knew more about the correct (non-violent!) use of punishment then I may feel more confident with it. But I would still hesitate to teach it to newbies in class. Too hard to follow the rules in some cases - especially when so many first-time trainers are dealing with their own frustration while they (and their dogs) learn the ropes.

Oh now that is really inspiring. I'm going to try something like this at home!

Are there some lines better than others for competition obedience and agility work?

We passed, with a respectable score of 179!!!! So that's 2 legs in Novice for us - getting closer to our Novice title goal for 2009 - better late than never! Only barely, mind you. Our heeling was truly awful. She kept scratching and sniffing. Seemed like there was something sniffalicious in the ring because I noticed a lot of the dogs having a good close sniff at a few places. But we passed anyway, so I'm very happy with that! And the weather ended up being absolutely perfect - was warm (but not hot) when we first got there but lots of shade and the cool change was already well on its way. By 7:30 or so it was just a lovely mild evening - perfect for trialling, and the dogs all seemed to enjoy it. I know Dova has some bragging to do...... (Got that little kelpie home safe and sound I hope? )

Brilliant - so there is! Good thing too - if we blow it tonight there's still hope... ;) Of course I did promise myself we'd finish our Novice title in 2009 and with only 1 leg so far, I guess we missed that deadline, didn't we? But who cares - we're still having fun.

My two use a crate - sleep in there together every night and love it. I have it under my desk right now while I'm writing this. The door is open - one dog is happily in there sleeping while the other one is at my feet, also sleeping. I wouldn't be without it - they love it (seem to view it as their personal sanctuary) and it does give me somewhere safe and quiet to put them if little kids come over, or if we are having a party etc and there are lots of people coming and going. I don't leave them in there during the day while we're at work. I do think that would be cruel - so like anything it's all in how you use the tool, not the tool itself that creates the problem. Sounds like you need a better pet shop too. You should not have been spoken to like that, and it was actually very bad advice. If she has the job in a pet shop of selling these things, she should know more about how they are used so she can advise customers appropriately. That's what she is paid to do.

Happy to help - I'll be there with a close friend of mine. We can watch your dogs while you're in the ring if you like - she can help while I'm in the ring if need be. She has kelpies at home - so very capable. Send me a PM if you're interested and we can go from there.

That is the funniest thing I've ever seen! I've never heard of a dog that sleeps upside down! Don't the legs wobble and wake your dog up? BTW I have one large crate that is shared by my 2 smaller dogs. We are low on storage space in our house so it sits neatly under the desk I'm currently sitting at. They love it - always trying to get in there during the day when I have other plans for them ;)

We're going - and yes BIG shame about the weather. Too hot... Zamba doesn't like working in the heat very much. I'm not expecting great things based on our training yesterday which is why we're up early - doing a bit of training while it's still cool). I am in her hands - could be embarassing but oh well. Nothing else on until March so if nothing else it gives us a bit more trialling experience.

The perfect dog - if you can cope with the grooming needs, that is. Re keeping your dog outside - my little guy spends his day times outside, but I learned the hard way when we moved to this house that you need to be super-vigilant about grass seeds. We'd never had any in our last house, but there are seeds in this garden and he always seems to pick them up. He needs a daily check to catch them before they go anywhere. One got in his ear shortly after we moved in and he got quick sick So by all means outside for part of the day is fine IMO - just be careful and do lots of grooming so you notice if something is amiss.

But if leaving altogether is the other likely alternative (when you get totally exhausted/frustrated) then perhaps a planned break is better all round? For them (because they get you back full of enthusiasm when you're ready) and for you (because you can rebuild your enthusiasm for the sport by working with your own dogs. Perhaps a chance to introduce the idea of breaks/spells in instructing in your club, so they don't end up losing their good instructors.

Do you think? Because I couldn't help thinking that the end result may be to promote responsible breeders, get people to ask questions of the breeders they buy puppies from etc. So I can't help thinking that maybe (just maybe) the end result may be very positive for the breeders that are working hard to improve their breeds. By pulling the rug out from under those who are being less vigilant. Perhaps mine is a naive view...?

Wow that's really impressive. She loves working doesn't she?

Yep - she is the darker one but that photo makes her look smaller than she is for some reason. She is the height of a small-ish kelpie. But she's quite lightly built - only 11kg of her under all that fur. So yes we're hoping she's got quite a few years left yet. And she is still quite fit. Perhaps a bit slower than she once was. Change of food seems to be helping. Vet appt Friday.

Thankyou! Now I can sleep tonight.. :nahnah:

Okay this is driving me crazy - what is LLW??? I can see from the posts above that this is something I should probably know...

Thanks - we'll be off to the vet to have her checked out. One interesting thing - we had changed dog food last week (our pet shop ran out of the good stuff) so I've just changed her back (drove to another pet shop a long way away). Hopefully having her back on the stuff she's used to might help a bit also. She seems well otherwise but needs her teeth cleaned anyway so we might do it all together.

Any ideas to help my older (desexed) girl? She has wet herself a few times in the last month. Not like her - she is not at all happy about it. I know this happens and can be a normal part of the ageing process (she is 11.5 yo) - but maybe there are things I can do to make it easier for her? Diet? Drugs? Something else? I've got in the habit of getting her up for a wee again before I turn in at night. But she still doesn't always make it until the morning. If I hear her crying I get up, but last night I didn't hear anything.

Same as last year - Zamba to get her CD title (we've got one leg so we're getting closer). Then we'll need a new goal. Not sure what that will be...

That's what Brian Fielder said to me at our first attempt at CCD. Great dog (for a poodle) - shame about the handler. He was so right!

Hmm, what did I buy...? Jump cups, that book you recommended (Shaping Success), a subscription to the magazine, some cuz toys, some spare clickers... OH then pointed out to me that we have some bills waiting and a car that needs new tyres. None of which is half so much fun now, is it?

You have my sympathy - I had one a bit like this and the sight of them casing that fenceline with such determination is deeply worrying, isn't it? Where there is a will, there always seems to be a way to get out. It's removing the will that seems to be the key. And (of course) creating a home version of Fort Knox! How my rescue dog survived all those escapes from the yard I'll never know. We lived very close to some very busy roads at the time. And then (after much effort on our part) she settled down, but each time we moved house the problem reappeared and we had to sort her out all over again. But each time it was a bit easier than the last time. She's pretty old now and we won't be moving again. She's a lovely dog, but a complicated beastie - no question. Not easy AT ALL (for your parents either by the sounds of things). I think putting both dogs in together might be a really great idea and well worth a try. And the behaviourist is a very sensible plan. I don't have any other advice except hang in there - in time and with the right help you will find a solution that can work for you, your parents and your dogs.