Agility Dogs

What sort of training do you want to do? Red Dog Agility is in the DEEP south. Brisbane Agility Dog Club also train southside. Not sure which obedience clubs use positive methods these days.

LOL. Just realised I agreed with you in my comment. How odd. ;P

Interesting topic. I've got Border Collies - 4 of them at present. 1 of them I would say could live anywhere without a lot of effort. One needs some help with his confidence around other dogs and to be looked after. (He can be reactive, but nothing difficult.) Both of these two would be quite OK in most homes IMO. My older girl is the best of the lot, but does/did need stimulation and lots of work or she'd go a little mad and be hard to live with. She was my first dog and anyone willing to take the time could have handled her. My younger boy is not for the faint of heart. He is from a strong working line, is a big dog and has very firm opinions on exactly how the world should work. Needless to say he needs black and white clarity in his world or life with him is very difficult (just ask my wife...... ;) ). He is not a 'beginners' dog as such, but at the same time the vast majority of people would not be able to/would want to manage him. Like anything I think it comes down to the breeder matching the temperament/style of dog they have bred to the home they are going to.

No sure about Hanrob, but we had a dog trained in a stay in situation when we first became dog owners. Would I ever do it again - no. I'm now confident in my ability. Did it save the dog's life at the time - absolutely. We were totally out of our depth and needed someone to help us do the ground work. We weren't in the right mental space to have someone come in and show us so it was a good solution - seems like it might have been the easy way out, but realistically it was the only way out at that point. Having said that, I went to the 'free' lessons EVERY week for 6 months following the live in session and have trained the dog almost every day for the last 11 years. If you are looking for an easy fix then live in probably isn't it, if you are looking for some support because you a little out of your depth and are prepared to make a commitment at the end of it then go for it. (And it seems this is the case.) All the best with your training journey!

I agree with what Persephone has said. A couple of other things.... Don't blame yourself or judge yourself for what has/is happening. Just deal with what is is front of you. At the same time don't feel judged when people give you 'that' knowing look. They haven't had to deal with what you are working through. That said DO NOT PUT YOUR DOG IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY FEEL THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH A POTENTIAL THREAT. Your dog has learned that growling and becoming aggressive gets them out of a situation they are not comfortable in. You need to avoid putting them in a situation where they have to deal with stress of this kind. A qualified trainer will be able to help deal with the issue and advise the best course of action.

I hope you find someone to help look after your dog and everything is OK with the family.

No, they are kept hydrated so they don't really need water over night. On the one or two occasions one has really needed a drink for whatever reason they've woken me to so they can be let out to get it.

Good point Ness and one I always raise with people wanting one of our crates for a puppy or a dog who chews... I always say if your intending on allowing unsupervised open access to the crate, then no, this product is not suitable for your dog. the dog must be locked inside or not able to access. Puppies treat soft crates as a giant chew toy from the outside and from the inside, if the door open held open they will lay down with the zipper at mouth level and chew on it :) Again, it comes down to intended application and the amount of time, supervision and commitment the owner has, less about the puppy or dog itself. Yep...... I remember a 9 month old border collie puppy parading around the flyball nationals at the Frankston show (I think) about 6 years ago. She was the most placid little dog in the world, but had torn the front out of her soft crate. It took another 3 years before I could put her in the crate unattended.

They're OK I suppose....... ;) We only have 7 of them here. Oh - and there are another 8 or so in New Caledonia. LOL.

Sad, but true. When I got my first registered boy it was a struggle to find a dog from a breeder I was happy with. Now I've got and bit of a name and I am frequently offered dogs even though I'm not ready for another. I kind of get it, but it's also hard for people trying to do the 'right' thing when they are just starting out. You just need to be persistent.

I have used them. There are positives and negatives. I would not use them again, but at the time they were an important stepping stone to where I am today. :)

We see a variety of vets for their sporting niggles, but our 'regular' vet is Greencross at Indooroopilly. They are excellent. I drive past one other Greencross and several independents to get there.

Yep, I have 4 who sleep in crates inside for this very reason. 2 bark at possums and drag the other two along with them so they all sleep inside. It's rare they ask to get out at night and it's usually because I've been slack with toileting.

I am fully committed to give the pup whatever he/she needs to be happy. Thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciate it. So, I should opt for a puppy rather than an older dog? That's a hard one for me - I've only ever started with puppies between 6 and 12 weeks old. Older dogs used to being alone might be easier, but may also come with other issues, or may not. Puppies are a bit of a blank canvas, but can also be quite hard work. I think you'd have to decide if you want the puppy phase and the good and bad that comes with it. (I hate the puppy phase FTR). Personally I like having the pups from 8 weeks, but I also want to train them from the word go. It really depends on what you want to do with your dog and whether you want the puppy 'fun'.

I totally agree with the posters who have said it can work out fine. You just need to be committed to giving the puppy plenty of stimulation when you are there. No pup is ever perfect, but 1/2 an hour or so before and the same after school, plus 'family' time just chilling with you is heaps. Although we have 4 dogs my young working border (NOT suggesting he is for everyone) lived in isolation during the day for his first few months with us at the breeder's recommendation and he's fine with the 9 or 10 hours a day on his own. He does LOVE the sound of his own voice and can be a bit noisy - but our presence probably makes that worse not better. At 20 months he's finally starting to calm a little. If you can commit to training before and after school the GO FOR IT!! There are a lot worse ways for a puppy to be brought up.

I usually just get a laugh out of the cute pic on the card and then move on. Hadn't ever though that much about it.

When I started out I was never going to trial, then I thought I'd try just one. Then I got hooked. I can't really answer why I trial, but I think it boils down to testing my training/dogs against others. I'll admit I'm very competitive and enjoy outside validation. I don't care if I win or not, in fact I probably prefer it when I'm not winning because it gives me something to aim for.

Ithink I was a bit unclear. They are herding the handler, not necessarily the obstacle.

I KNOW - maybe one day!! Would be great to see you up this way and Woo to meet her big bro. :)

Sadly no. I had thought about it, but with only 1 out of 3 actively competing dogs able to run there isn't much point for us. (One associate register, one sporting register....) Hope everyone has a blast!!

I completely agree - anyone who spends the time and energy working with a reactive dog deserves a big pat on the back. Until you've had/lived with a reactive dog and had to deal with the issues they present it's very difficult to understand what it's like and that even little things can tip them over the edge. Really pleased you've found such a positive (NOT talking about training methods, just the attitude) of the group and your boy is very lucky to have you.

TOTALLY get what you are saying......but this morning I'd be happy to give it a shot. ;)

That's exactly my point though - it's not aimed at them, why get grouchy. Give it oxygen and it will breathe. ;) One or two comments explaining that is enough. It's now at pages of backward and forward circular argument.

Just wondering - do you think that like so many things where 'general' messages are issued to the wider audience it's the wrong people take notice of it? The people on here are more sensitive to the perceived criticism when in actual fact they ARE doing what the RSPCA suggests and breeding to demand for their dogs and their breed? Is this thread going around and around in ever decreasing circles where everyone is really on the same page?

I use the cool champions coats. they are fantastic. The dogs line up to have them put on when it's a bit hot at trials. (Like 28 -35 deg type hot.) Combined with a crate fan it's a pretty good solution.