Zug Zug

I have learnt (gradually) to do my dogs myself over the past few years. Their first few clips from me were truly horrendous. But I got better in time. There are some great youtube clips on clipping your dog. They give a really good visual demonstration of how to do it - much better than we could describe here. So tell your friend to do some web surfing, watch some videos, and just remember that most of the videos assume that you've already done the full brush-out, then bath, then blow dry. So while they don't show that bit, it is nevertheless essential to getting a nice even clip. If you don't mind it looking a bit rough, the blow dry bit is optional (but the clippers don't work on a wet coat - the dog would still need to dry off first, but air drying would be ok). If you want it to look nice and smooth and velvety, yes you need to blow dry first and it is quite time-consuming. Spend some time thinking about an appropriate surface to groom the dog. It takes a while, and can be very hard on your back. So find a table top that is a comfortable height, get a good non-slip surface happening and excellent lighting. And make sure you are careful with sharp scissors and clippers - safety first!

Ok here goes... Zamba - nothing to achieve, but keep giving her a chance to train just because she loves it so much. At 13 years old she gets to sit on the couch and sleep in the bedroom these days. Special privileges reserved for a dog who has spent her life being loud and very busy, and can now finally enjoy some quiet years. Pasha - I would love to get him into an RN trial or two, and possibly a CCD trial or two. But it will depend how he is going. I would also love to get him enjoying the beach calmly, and able to do training at agility while keeping his head.

It seems they are looking for a research officer - see info online here: http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Resources/EmploymentOpportunities/House%20of%20Assembly/Advertisement%20-%20Research%20Officer.pdf That would be an interesting role for the right person

Thanks for your replies - yes we are lucky to have a beach to go to (we do have to drive there, but it's only 15 minutes away and well worth it - one of the joys of life) Which is why I'm so keen for him to learn to like it as well. But it is always full of dogs having fun, most of them nice dogs but some of them a bit pushy and some downright rude, so it's quite a challenging environment really. Glad to hear you've found it useful. And also that a bit of reinterpretation seems ok. It reminds me of the 'couch to 5k' running program I did this year. You just download the audio, and do what you're told, when you're told. It makes it so easy!

In some ways perhaps there is some cross-over with desensitisation, in the sense that it is giving him something else to focus on while he is near (but not too near) things that might otherwise distract him...? Could it be part of a desensitisation approach do you think? Or is this just me needing 'something to do' all the time?

I am working through some reactivity issues with my young lad at the moment, and have just picked up on the Relaxation Protocol as something to help us structure work in some increasingly distracting environments. He is not aggressive, but does get over-excited, especially by dogs that are in high drive, chasing balls etc. We have just started. We are using the recordings I found on the web through my headphones which makes it very easy. He seems to be very comfortable with it at home, at the park and now also down at the beach (started there this morning - but we're only just starting). The beach is a very distracting place for him, and we really need to work on his state of mind in that environment which is why I have started it there as well. Has anyone else used it? How did you find it? I get the impression that the idea is to do it ALL at home first, then ALL at a mild environment like a quiet park or the backyard, then start again and do it ALL in more distracting places etc. But I'm not sure if I am understanding this correctly. I've bent the rules a bit and have started (at day 1 and 2 etc.) in various environments. He finds it incredibly easy at home and in the yard and pretty easy so far at the park as well if no dogs are about. He did it fine, but I could tell he found it a lot harder at the beach with other dogs around the place (some of them off-lead, but none coming right up to us). We have only done day 1 at the beach. I don't want to push him too hard until he looks really comfortable. Is it ok to reinterpret things in this way do you think? Or should I finish the whole thing at the park before I start working with him at the beach? Just bear in mind it is absolutely GORGEOUS at Adelaide's beaches at present... :)

Yep - Zamba is Zug Zug (as am I these days on DOL) - 12 years ago my husband wanted this to be her real name but the rest of the family said "NO!", but it stuck nonetheless Pasha is Harry (because he's hairy) My daughter's dog Arya is 'Roafy Roaf' because when she was young she stole a 'Roaf' of bread and looked very silly while holding it, as if she was saying 'look at my roafy roaf' It's the really silly things that stick with you :) Of course they all get called 'little buddy' and 'sweetheart'

I think a good (experienced) trainer will adapt their methods to suit the needs of the dog in front of them. So what they need is a good trainer, who works nearby. The fact that they are SWFs shouldn't make much difference really, but the experience of the trainer is important. Any trainer who's been around for a while will have worked with plenty of little dogs and should have a good bag of tricks to use to help your friend. Good on them for giving these dogs a home and for taking them out for walks!

OK thanks. Will just keep training and keep my eyes open when we get closer to being ready

Do you just wait for the schedule itself to go in the mag? Which would tell you if they are offering Rally-O at that trial, so you know before entering? Did SAODC have Rally this year? They have a trial in March, and I'm tempted to aim for that one as a possible first attempt.

A second-hand baby gate will be a very helpful tool and something you'll need from day 1. Spend the next few weeks reading all about how to train your puppy, focusing in particular on toilet training and some simple skills like 'sit' and 'come' Get yourself a bum bag to put treats in to use as rewards. These are available from pet shops or you can use any old bum bag really (admittedly these are not a fashion item but priceless when you are rewarding your puppy EVERY SINGLE TIME they come to you, especially when you've called them) In terms of where the crate is, I would personally start with the crate in the same location you'll have it in long-term. But in the early days, when the puppy is in the crate overnight, set yourself up a bed in the same room so you can be there both as company and to hear if your puppy wakes up and needs to go outside during the night. That way, when the time comes for you to sleep in separate rooms, the puppy doesn't need to change much and they are already used to the room they will be expected to sleep in.

I have been thinking about training for Rally-O in 2013, but can't see any trials listed in the Journal Exhibition Dates for 2013. Is it that there will be Rally-O available at all (or some) of the obedience trials? Or should I be looking somewhere else for the Rally-o trial dates?

Sad but true. Some friends of mine came home one day to their house burgled and their kelpie cowering under the house having been badly beaten by the intruders. She was a friendly dog - she would not have tried to hurt them but could well have barked. Disgusting excuses for human beings

Gorgeous little puppies with cute little puppy toes :) Secret names could be really nice: Can you Keep a Secret Tell me a Secret I've got a Secret Secret service or even... Victoria's secret

Looks like Bo has had some training since he first arrived. The first few vids with the first family had young Bo pulling hard at the end of the leash, and thoroughly enjoying himself. He looks all grown up now. He is gorgeous isn't he? The clip is nice, especially the legs and feet.

Great video - I loved the papillon! I also agree - the barking is enough in most cases, and a burglar doesn't know what your dog will do and is unlikely to be suited up to feel as confident at this guy, who clearly knew what he was about. I had an interesting trial late last year, when my old dog and I were in our new home alone, getting it ready before the rest of the family moved in. We'd gone to bed for the night, then a man came to the front door around midnight. She absolutely charged the door and barked viciously and very aggressively - left the would-be intruder in no doubt as to her intentions. I was surprised but also relieved because he then ran off without a backward glance. But I would never encourage it in a dog. First and foremost, I want a safe pet.

So sorry you've lost Toby It sounds like you gave him a wonderful and very interesting life

OK I'm a bit of a novice but given you're still waiting on a response... I have taught it to my dog by initially scrunching up the tunnel so it's quite short, but still making sure it's securely held and not moving around - so safely pegged or bagged into place. Then get someone to hold your dog at the far end of the tunnel looking into it, and go to the other end and try to lure him through. At this stage he should be quite close to you. A lot of dogs are hesitant at this point - don't force them, just encourage them and reward every step towards and into the tunnel. If you're patient and have yummy rewards, pretty soon they'll usually walk through the short tunnel for the first time, and you can have a big party in their honour. This would probably be a happy, high energy kind of reward party, rather than a low key kind of treat which would be less rewarding for many dogs (but it does depend on your dog). After they've gone through the first time, things often start to progress quite quickly. So you might initially do this with the tunnel scrunched up to approx 4 feet long, but making sure the cloth isn't so scrunchy that it's blocking the tunnel too much (this is a bit of an art - you want a nice clear round opening for the dog to look into and run through). But keeping the tunnel straight, so the dog has clear line of site from one end to the opening at the other end. Then you gradually make the tunnel a bit longer, piece by piece, until the dog is running through the whole tunnel. You also need to teach them to enter the tunnel when you want them to (and not just whenever they feel like it) and from both sides of you (i.e. pointing them in there from your right side as well as your left side). Then you will gradually put a curve into the tunnel so they can see less and less daylight as they enter, but get used to running through it anyway. If you do this gradually, they should be comfortable - don't make the curve too sharp initially. Let them see some daylight for a while until they get the idea. Don't progress too much until they are running happily through each time, at a pace you are happy with, then coming back to you at the far end for their reward. Then you start sending them from distances, from different angles etc. My dog loves tunnels. My biggest task is getting him to think about other things when there are tunnels around. I gather this is a pretty common experience - dogs like him are called 'tunnel suckers' because as soon as he sees a tunnel it seems to suck him into it. So at this point the focus of his training is actually about getting him to run past tunnels without going in, focus on me around tunnels, stay calm when other dogs are running through tunnels (he can't do this yet but we're working on it), and then when he's being good he can run through a tunnel as his reward, which he considers to be incredibly awesome. I hope that helps get things started (and some others pop in soon to add their experience and suggestions, because I'm really a beginner at this)

No - for two reasons. Firstly because the saliva irritates my skin. Secondly because I just find it an unpleasant thing, and a bit too familiar in a way.

Oh hooray - it finally arrived! Big night of DVD watching ahead of me tonight

I think there are times when we put ourselves through all kinds of torture, but in the end finding another (hopefully a better suited) home for a dog is not the end of the world. If Dog A has some issues, but is not dangerous (it doesn't sound dangerous) then maybe it's really about the fact that what your life involves isn't all that well suited to that dog and its temperament. Having said that, and having rehomed this dog I had all those years ago, I still wonder about her and feel guilty at times. But I was actually quite relieved after she was gone. I just didn't enjoy having her around - and this is me - a tragic dog-lover since childhood! I have no doubt she was happier after leaving me, but I do wish I'd stayed in some kind of limited contact so I could be sure.

Is that on a wheeled trolley? It looks like there is a trolley handle at one end. Great concept! Does the hydraulic stuff get in the way of your feet at all while you're moving around the table?

I got a puppy once, many years ago, and we just did not connect for some reason. I persevered for a year or so, but in the end found her another home (a much better one and they adored her). Hard to say why. She frustrated me and I stressed her out. We just weren't suited. All my other dogs have been great and we've got along beautifully. Only other exception was a pound dog I brought home last Xmas. He attacked my older dog. After a few days and many tears (and surgery for her) he had to be returned to the pound. I don't think I'd really had time to really bond with him. I was gutted but it wasn't a true 'unbonding' experience. It was an enormous relief to have him gone and my old dog safe and recovering.

Stan's da man! I am joining the Stan fan club

I have used a halti (face halter that loops over the nose) and a sporn harness (which loops under the armpits) My comparison would be as follows: - the halti/halter gives better control with a dog that pulls - the sporn harness is also quite good (but not as good) with a pulling dog - the sporn harness positions the dog slightly in front of you rather than alongside you and that can encourage them to be walking ahead of you (this is because you are attached to them from behind the withers, so the dog is naturally further forward while you're walking along) - of the two, my dog certainly prefers wearing the sporn harness (he would be happy never to see the halti again - but once it's on he accepts it) So for a strong pulling dog I would go with the halti. If your dog is not strong, and you don't mind them walking a bit further forward, the sporn harness is also pretty good and your dog may prefer it.