ButerflyGirl

Those who have the Jafco muzzles who have cut holes in them to feed treats through, where have you cut the hole and and what have you cut out. I did find somewhere on the internet that there is now the option for the muzzles to come with a treat hole, but I have one of the normal ones. I'd like to be able to treat though it but I not all that confident in cutting the Jafco. Vanessa

Hmmm, that's a massive generalisation if I've ever heard one! Why can't you use a combination of both? I personally don't care so much about the method used but the results it gets. A good trainer can have a dog walking on a loose leash in minutes, it shouldn't be something that takes a very long time to teach if the owner has the right training program and timing. I took it to mean BG found the positive method she used was more effective than correctional methods she may have tried. Her sentiment that often the problem is the way she is training a behaviour is a hallmark of effective training in my view. All the best trainers in the world will harp on this again and again. If she finds it is clearer when she uses positive reinforcement, then it does work better. She wouldn't be the first one to find that, and she won't be the last. I took it as a general statement, not that she was just referring to her own experience. I too found using correctional methods didn't work for my dog, but that doesn't mean that "positive" ALWAYS trumps "negative", that positive is universally better and corrections have no place in dog training. Like I said - I care less about the method used and more about whether or not it gets results. It's not about positive vs negative, it's about using what works best. Ok to clarify this I probably should have said "In my experience, with my dog...." He is 40kg of intelligent, stubborn, independent dog, and I found that I was getting very frustrated with (slip collar) correction methods, for me I felt like it ended up being a battle of wills between us, him pulling one way me pulling the other way, but with the promise of food (very food orientated) he will do almost anything for me. I think another thing I prefer about positive reinforcement training (in my case with my dog) is that I am focused more on what he is doing right than what he is doing wrong. Again just a personal thing, I get the "yay, he's getting it" felling, all those baby steps seem to add up. Also I think I should clarify that for me positive reinforcement does include "corrections" to a degree, but it is more a communication that to my dog that that isn't what I want, a growly "ah" can work wonders or just even just "Ah ah" as a "no thats not what I want" Just sharing my experience, not wanting to get into a "this is the only way" type argument, sorry if it was interpreted like this

Thanks for all the input guys!!!

I have done something very similar to this. I started in the back yard, turning and going the other way when ever he started to get too far in front and pull, worked so well that if I slowed I would almost be tripped over by a turning dog. Then I found a training club that is positive based (ie no need for slip collars and corrections) and welcomed clicker training if people wanted to use it, and was told something so simple I had never even thought of it. That was go right back to basics, hold a treat at your hip and walk, dog has nose at the treat (trying to get it) and presto no pulling!!, do this in conjunction with the command ("heel"), then progress that to give the command take one step and click and treat before they get to the pulling stage, then slowly increase to a couple of steps, and the idea is that they learn that being by your side is a good thing (ie they get treats) having done the traditional obedience and now moving to clicker training and positive reinforcement I would definately say that positive works much better than corrections. Yes it may take a little longer, but I often find if the dog isnt catching on it's the way I'm teaching it, usually I havent broken the task down small enough, and he doesnt know what is expected.

Well I bought the Jafco from K9pro, and so far so good, but with my stubborn boy, who has already had issues with a muzzle, we are taking it really slowly.

Thanks, any thoughts from anyone???

Well the title pretty much says it all how do these two books differ? - Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt - Click to Clam by Emma Parsons If you could only have one which one would you have? If you have read both are they both different enough to justify buying both?? Or feel free to make suggestions of other books which are along the same lines (for a general pet dog, not so much agility and obedience competition focused) Vanessa

Yes and silly vet practice for allocating this vet when we specifically asked for someone experienced, and able to handle larger excitable dogs (explaining that he loves going to the vet and meeting new people, but does get a bit excited with the experience, so needs someone confident. The vet we had last year was also young and whilst no issues with his vet skills, was obviously intimidated by a big excited dog, hence our request this year) Now they have lost our business, we will pay a bit more and go to another one!!!

I've been looking into getting a basket type muzzle (not the restrictive cloth ones) for my boy. He is a Rotti x Koolie, almost 2 1/2 years old. Originally we had wanted to get him one to be able to take him travelling and camping and reduce the risk of him eating anything nasty (baits, "yummy" dead animals, cooked bones etc) but now there are a few other issues.... He is now full grown and weighs just over 40kg, has a very determined personality, and can get a bit excited in new situations, and is quite a strong dog, especially in the jaw (devouring turkey necks in under 5 minutes if he takes it slowly) Our most recent visit to the vet for his immunisations, we had a young female vet who insisted that he be muzzled (he had always loved going to the vets, due to going to puppy pre school and having vet nurses that adored him, and loved to say hello whenever we came in) We got him into the leather muzzle she brought in, which he was constantly trying to get off, and growling more than ever. This ended up in the vet needing to get one of the vet nurses in to hold him still just to give him the injections, she gave up on even trying to listen to his heart or check his temp. In the past as long as we are shovelling treats in to his mouth and the vet says hello nicely (ie "this is what I smell like, here's a treat, I'm a good guy) vet visits have always gone smoothly. This combined with all the recent hype about Pit Bulls, and BSL I am thinking that it may just be easier (and safer) to have him used to wearing a muzzle and find something that fits well and he accepts as a good thing, and train him my way to wear it, not just throw it on him when he is already stressed. I wouldn't be surprised if the vet just wasn't prepared to take any sort of risk being a rotti x, and I guess that attitude may become much more common place. I have also read that being muzzled puts the people at ease and the dog picks up on this, reducing the anxiety in the dog, and I know my boy picks up on our energy. So there is my rambling thoughts behind this. My needs are: - basket type to allow panting and drinking - he is a slightly slobbery dog so steering away from leather. - safe, to prevent the possible bite in a high stress situation - well fitting and comfortable for the dog to prevent him wanting to take it off, and to make it easier to train him to accept it (he can be very stubborn and determined) I have found the plastic basket muzzles at a local fodder store for about $20 like this one, and then I have found the Jafco muzzles from k9 pro for $55 plus postage I'd love to hear others thoughts on this, I've read a lot of people are happy with both the Jafco, but also people have been happy with the plastic muzzle, is the Jafco worth the extra money? Vanessa

I was recommended "Groomers Evening Primrose Oil" Shampoo (http://www.groomersproducts.com.au) and have found that to be good, nice and gentle on your own hands too. ETA: I have also noticed my pup has been scratching much less since we started using Advantage Flea spot on (we had been using Frontline prior to that)

I am looking for a new collar for my boy, I saw one of these in a shop the other day and thought it should be handy with the snap clip to take on and off (when going for walks and obedience to use check chain and at home to have his ID tags on) At the moment he has a standard leather buckle collar and it does the job (although he is on the last hole now and still growing) but getting it on and off can be a nightmare sometimes especially when he is in his excited ratbag moods. I liked the fact that it had the slide lock which stopped it from being opened but being plastic I was wondering how strong it actually was, since its purpose is to stay on him to hold his ID (council etc) tags to him so he could be easily identified if he was to ever get out of the yard. so I am sort of torn between the ease of getting it on and off and the security of it staying on, is it possible to have both in a colar? Vanessa

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for dog obedience schools in the Northern Adelaide area? I have just moved to the Two Wells area, and am wanting to get back into obedience classes, main reasons is social interaction for the boy, mental stimulation, and training him to behave in "exciting" situations, as well as a bit of exercise for the both of us. I have had a look at the Two Wells one (closest) and although I don’t have any issues with them I was wondering if there are any schools out there that are particularly well regarded? My main concern with Two Wells is there seems to only be a small number of people who attend, which is good for one on one attention but not so good for socialisation and "play", and also with a small club it is always likely that classes will be cancelled if something happens with the trainer, which is often what happened up at Port Augusta with only two trainers. I remember going to the one in Salisbury as a kid (bottom of Saints Rd) which always seemed to have a lot of people attending at all different levels. So any recommendations? If so what days/times are training and what is the approx cost? Also is there issues involved with going to more than one school, assuming that commands etc are kept constant? Vanessa

I have a Koolie x Rottie (Rottie was the mum). At the moment he is just over 8 moths old and his growth upwards seems to be slowing down, is this likely to be as tall as he gets or is it just a lull before another growth spurt? I had heard that for the larger breeds like Rotties and German Shepards they tend to stop growing upwards, around the 9 month mark and then start to fill out, is this generally true? Vanessa

Just thought I would add that I have noticed lately that his coat doesnt seem to be getting as dirty lately as it used to. Not sure if this is a food related thing or not, but I know that it is still really nice and shiny. We went down to Adelaide a couple of weekends ago and caught up with family and friends who have dogs and I was amazed as to how nice and glossy his coat looks compared to theirs, and they dont have any where near the amount of dirt and dust that we have up here, not sure what they were fed but I would assume supermarket kibble. We dont do anything special for his coat, a brush over once or twice a week (more because I hate having dog hair over me more than anything) and a bath about once a fortnight, although it has been at least a month now since he has had a bath and he is only just starting to get that really "doggy" smell. Oh and he seems to be scratching much less as well, again dont know if that is food related or something to do with biting insects or just growing/stretching skin.

Yep I'm a Great Barko convert too, almost gone through our first bag, well getting to the bottom, still probably got another couple of weeks at least before I need another bag. I was feeding Supercoat Puppy, and thought he was doing fairly well on that, but since changing to Great Barko I have noticed his coat is a lot more shiny, his poo's are possibly a bit less in quantity, but good in consistency (apart from all the "non-digestibles" he discovers to eat around the back yard, he loves the seeds from the date palm, I have watched him sniff out the freshly fallen fruit/seeds and then I knew that it was actually his poop with them in that I was finding, not giant sleepy lizards!!!) He didnt have any issues with changing apart from when I first gave it to him he took a lot longer to eat it, which for a hoover is a good thing, but now he's gone back to just inhaling it, nut he has also grown more too. I also found that I need to feed him less than what I was on the Supercoat. On Supercoat he would get 2 cups both morning and evening, now he gets 2 in the morning and 1 at night, he turned into a bit of a pudge with the same amount as the Supercoat. I'll definately be sticking to it for a while longer!!! Vanessa

Dont know that I have much to help you out, but my Boof is the same, he is almost 6 months old now and will happily play "fetch" for a few throws but after that if you dont throw it closer and closer he will look at you as if to say "well you threw it, if you want it, you go get it!!!" But appartently his mum was similar in that she would fetch for a few throws but then she would take the ball and go off somewhere with it and that was the end of the game, so I wonder if that has something to do with it. I'm also trying to work on the "give" part of it as part of the game for him is to bring it back to you, but come just close enough so that you think you can grab it but then he turns his head away. and its not a possesive thing because if you stop trying to get it he will turn back to you until you try to get it. We do get some good drops at the feet when food is involved (have to spit booring toys out to get yummy treats!!!!) but then the food becomes too intresting, he will do the "chase" part of fetch but then think that he doesnt need to bring the toy back to get the treat After he decides that fetch is not fun anymore he is happy just to have pats and cuddles (a little more calmly) so I dont mind too much. Good Luck with it Vanessa

Ok, so I have got our Boof (almost 6 month old Koolie x Rottweiler) a K9 Royale crate and he seems to approve of it, will happily go in there when toys are thrown in there or treats are in there and will sleep in there but I'm not sure how to go about "locking" him in there. I know it should be done in small doses to start with, so that he doesnt associate it with bad experiences, but I find that if I try to zip it up he is straight out of there, and at 26+kg he is not a little puppy. He has never been crate trained before. Any advice???

I was talking to someone about that the other week, and they thought that having less hormones running through their bodies would make them not as big and muscley, but this was just their thoughts not backed up by any sort of research or facts.

Ok I have heard that desexing a male dog at a young age makes them grow bigger than if they were desexed later. I have also heard that if a dog was to be desexed around 6 months old they may grow taller and more leggy than if they were left until say around 12 to 18 months old, as it affect the hormones which are used/produced during this time. Anyone have any experience to back this up or contradict this, particularly with Rottweiler type (large) dogs Vanessa

I have been feeding my puppy bones bassically since I brought him home when he was about 9 1/2 weeks old, the first bones I gave home were a beef leg bone (the ones with the knuckles at each end, looks like a cartoon type bone) which was cut into quarters, he liked that but only as long as the meat and the marrow lasted, he wasnt really that interested in it after that. The vet that we went to told us that he personally prefered brisket bones over the leg bones because they are softer and the dogs eat the whole bone not just the yummy bits, and you dont end up with half eaten bones all around your yard (because they eat the whole lot). I get my brisket bones from my butcher, sometimes I have to arrange a day to pick them up, because they are out of them and they arent boning out a beef carcase for a couple of days, but then I am also in the country where they get "county killed meat" they have the whole beast (minus the insides and head) delivered and then the butchers cut it themselves, whereas I believe in the cities, the butchers just get cuts of meat from wholesalers and then cut it into steaks/chops/etc from there, so wouldnt nesecarily get the "waste" bits, like the yummy bones for our puppies. Oh and for interest sake the Brisket is what would be the chest bones if a cow was to walk on its hind legs. If you want to keep him occupied you could try kangaroo back bones, that keeps my boy ammused for hours, once the big bits of meat are gone then he has to gnaw around all the little vertabra bits, and the bone is all one piece not like our bones which are lots of small vertabra held together. But unless you have a Kangaroo processor nearby I dont know how easy they would be to come across? Vanessa

Ok Boof really enjoys his bones, and normally gets some sort of RMB most days. In the freezer at the moment I have Kangaroo back bones and wing dings, beef brisket bones, chicken frames, and turkey necks, I like to mix things up for him so he doesnt have the same things each day. The other day DP and I were talking about finding places to go shooting (he used to go shooting quite often when he was younger, of course on private property with owners permission, and only targeting pest animals, usually rabbits and foxes) and getting some rabbits, and how his parents always liked the rabbits he would bring home compared to the rabbits his Grandfather would catch in traps (years ago before it was illegal) mostly probably due to the fact that the shot rabbits were killed instantly and the meat was not as stressed as those trapped, and also due to them being skinned and gutted almost straight away. Anyway the conversation went on and we were talking about Boof, and when he gets bigger about going out and shooting a roo for him, a) because it is likely to be fressher than what we buy and b) to cut down food costs, I had also thought about giving him rabbit, but DP was a bit iffy about that, he is worried because they apparently have really sharp bones. Who feeds whole rabbits to their dogs, particularly large dogs, and do you have any problems with them? Vanessa

Well I tried a piece of back bone on the weekend, it is really meaty!! and the bone is a great shape for nibbling on and keeping little brains working. I have to say that he seemed to really like it, kept going back to it to try to chew the last little bits off, will deffinately be getting some more

Just wondering what peoples view is on Kangaroo Back bones? Where I live we have a kangaroo processor/butcher, they sell human grade meat but also a lot of pet food. I have been feeding beef Brisket bones as a treat/bordom buster but the butcher didnt have any left I went to get some kangaroo mince and while I was there the guy was telling me about a dog food roll they make (apparently similar to Uncle toms) and the other things they have for dogs. I got a pack of what they call "wing dings" apparently it is a bit that they cut from the shoulder/armpit, and a bit of back bone. it was 1kg but looked very meaty, possible more like a rib than what I would expect a back bone too look like (ie a spine) maybe I just have my terminology a bit wrong. Are these sorts of bones similar to brisket bones? Who else feeds these sort of things? Vanessa

This is ok- but I prefer to use water sprays etc in a way that makes it appear humans did NOT apply the aversive. The ACTION of the dog set off the spray, or whatever... The reason? i don't want my dog to expect something unwelcome when I pick up a spray bottle .... You may want to get a small water pistol- and have it with you all the time. spray when he cannot see the pistol... and do not accompany it with eye contact or any overt movement....or praise if he drops. add a few drops of vinegar to the water ,too Agree with nekhbet - a lot of the way dogs behave should be in response to human body language- not a spoken command/direction every time . I was only just thinking about a water pistol this morning, for the whole association with the spray bottle thing, because I know he is a smart dog even if he is only a young puppy. If we have treats, he is ultra good, very eager to please us, but I want him to be good without having to have treats. My reason is that I dont want him to associate his bad behaviours with treats. ie he is naughty, we go get treats he then behaves to get treats, so him being naughty is a trigger for us to go and get treats and for him to be rewarded. I want to train him not him train us Thanks again for the advice

That was one thing that I was thinking about, so the more I let him wander, and pull on the lead, which is what happens at the moment just using his leather collar then the more he will learn that that is ok and the harder it will be to do "obedience" with him. I think it will be "training" walks from now on!