Agility Dogs

Wikki is 7 months old and is going BRILLIANTLY. She is very together for 7 months, but is still very much a puppy a times. (Like the times she encouages the other two out into the rain - they haven't played in the rain for 3 years!) The other night at training one of the newer handlers asked me 'if she ever gets to be a puppy'. She was horrified when I said, 'Not here. She is here to work and can be a puppy at home.' I don't work her for long periods - maybe only 10 or 15 minutes out of an hour class, but when she is not working she is in her crate quietly waiting. Apparently that is cruel and she should be allowed to say hello to all the other dogs and generally run amok. On her way out the lady snuck a treat to Wikki. LOL. Funny thing is my 7 month old pup works off lead and never leaves the job. Her older BC needs its lead on all the time or it runs off. Hmmmm......... Different perspectives are interesting.

GREAT point - I was too focussed on the end goal, not the intermediate steps.

We have a problem at one of the dog clubs I'm involved in. A dog attacked another dog the other week - while there was no damage it was more good luck than good management with the dog dragging the owner 3m to get to the dog and then refusing to let go of him. The dog has been aggressive towards this dog (and others) on a significant number of occasions now. Long story short - a behaviourist will be involved in the process and I'm not wanting to debate techniques or processes, but as a starting poing this person has asked for SMART goals. Specific - tick Measurable - tick Achieveable - hmmmm.......let's say tick. Relevant - tick Time specific - this is where I have an query. Do you think it is possible to set time frames on goals when dealing with escalating aggression?

Hmmmmm.........or not. (sorry) We have a neighbour who is about to move out. She is a stay at home carer and he works longish hours. I had a sick day earlier this week and you could tell the exact moment she went to pick the kids up and when she got home. When they went to the shops, when they got home. They are out, the dog barks. Poor little mite. They know it barks because our other neighbours go and get it when they are out at night. She is pretty clueless though - the other week she came and put the screaming/carrying on little dog in amongst my 3 border collies. My boy doesn't like carry on and was looking at me as if to say 'do something about this before I do'. She got quite offended when I bluntly told her to get rid of it. I wasn't rude, but was very blunt simply because I didn't want to see her dog get a telling off from my boy who is about 9 times its size! Apparently they've had advice that you just can't train some 'breeds'. I had the little guy staying at the top of his stairs in 5 minutes, it is a CLEVER little dog - go figure. Some people just don't get it or care. ETA - I think you need to go and at least do them the courtesy of letting them know they have a problem. I know I appreciated it when someone told me in a civil manner that a dog we used to have barked a lot. Makes it far easier to address the issue if you care to.

Brisbane City Council this isn't really an issue for multiple dog households any more than for any other household. I have a 'breeders' permit and have 3 dogs out of the 4 I am allowed. (Border Collies). Things I can lose my permit for are related to containment and hygeine/husbandry, not noise. In the case of noise I am treated as any other dog owner would be - the processes and penalties are the same which ultimately makes it pretty hard to have a complaint upheld. In terms of how do I cope - Vet Bills are higher (I live at the vet because we blood test every 6 months, titre test every 12 and have Chiro checkups done every 3 to 4 months.) I just wear that, but I also put away more than what it would cost me to insure the 3 of them in case we have a major issue that I have to pay for. More money in the bank and makes it less of an issue if we have a problem. Food isn't really a big problem - they are fed home made BARF which is pretty cheap. Training time is not a big issue any more either. Two of them are quite well trained and just need maintenance and the puppy is coming along nicely. We won't be adding another pup until the current 7month old reaches 4.5 or 5 years. Two of them sleep in crates (the naughtier/higher drive ones), the boy has his run of the house. They are all reasonably well mannered when we walk together so we haven't really found 3 to be much more of a challenge than 2 were. ETA - the only other thing we have done is build Kennel Runs. At the moment I only use them to put two of the dogs in while I'm training the third. We really built them just in case we have injury issues or behavioural issues start to rear their head.

Along these lines that Bully is suggesting, I feel the same, but would add that I think it would be a great idea for the councils to also offer more tiered discounts off reg if the dog has titles (perhaps a further discount for every title) either ANKC or otherwise. What a fantastic idea!!! Even if people don't understand why they need manners or like the idea a genuine financial incentive is likely to achieve that result. The only question I have is whether titles guarantee manners. I spend a lot of time around dog people and I see quite a few dogs with multiple titles that have absolutely NO manners at all. Good example is a SWF that plays both agility and flyball that lunges/snaps and snarls its way through life. (last night it nearly got itself into a lot of trouble with a BC that didn't appreciate her approach.) The owner really doesn't understand what her dog is doing and it is an up hill battle to get her to listen. That said I still think it is a great idea - most people do start to 'get it' after a while and it certainly can't hurt to have a measure of control over a dog, even if it is not well mannered.

WOO HOO. DAP spray just arrived at work. Will be able to try it tonight at our trial.

Too confusing for me :D LOL. It's not that bad once you start playing in that space. Basically what it means is that there are more options to play with your puppy so instead of only getting a couple of runs at a trial you can sometimes get 5 or 6 in a day. (Especially for the newer dogs.) ETA: There are benefits to the system. My girl has her Aust Agility Champion title with ADAA, but until recently was still running Novice and now Excellent standard events at CCCQ trials when she is regularly beating many of the Masters dogs. (We started our ANKC trialling late in life. LOL.) The Not for Competition that ADAA also has makes it easy to run greener dogs in the more challenging classes without blowing their mind - but at the same time giving them valuable time in the ring. :D

A friend of mine works in a pound/shelter situation where they have been using DAP. She is of the opinion that it doesn't result in changed behaviour as a lessening in the intensity of certain behaviours - subtle, but it is there. Not sure if that makes sense, but it is her observation.

I use the same (or an identical) crate for both crating at a trial and crate training. The difference is that when we are training there is no mat on the floor - that cue tells them they are in there to work. Not to sleep.

Kavik, do it!! I have two dogs pretty much like yours who are running well and have an association with their crates (positive). After seeing my young pup take to crate games like she has (at 7 months she is DRIVING into her crate from across a field of nutty (trusted) flyball dogs) I have gone back and started to do a lot more work with my other two. If nothing else it helps me remind myself about rewarding frequently, but I see a lot more benefits in our relationship than just that - or maybe stemming from that. My boy is driving harder from his stays and the Xena.....well, she is just Xena (angel child), but she does drive harder to her crate instead of wandering in at her own pace.

Amypie, I think colourful descriptions are warranted when dogs lives are lost from methodoligist trainer's inability to train and rehabilitate a dog purely on the basis of refusing to use particular training methods. A good trainer will determine which methods to use on each individual dog in the dog's best interests, not in the best interests of their methodology and unfortunately, Susan Garrett tops the list of methodoligist trainers and for that reason, I have little respect for her. The reason I have little respect for methodoligist trainers, is that they would prefer to have a dog PTS when it doesn't respond to their methods over applying another method of training to rehabilitate the dog's behaviour and allow the dog to live it's life. I apologise for having a problem with dogs facing death row at the hands of methodoligist trainers recommendation for euthanasia when their training methods fail with a particular dog. Susan Garrett and trainers who aspire to her methods have and do provided some wonderful training results and they have many great concepts, but they also have some poor concepts that cause the unnecessary euthanasia of dogs that are easily rehabilitated had these trainers applied methods outside of their square. It's more important for these trainer's career to spruke about their success in training without applying corrections, but what they don't tell us is what happens to their failures which are sadly PTS. Chevy, I don't think you'll find Susan Garrett is out there spruiking her ability to rehabilitate dogs - that is not her bag. She has published Ruff Luv and that did work for her and her dog, but to my knowledge she does not profess to be in teh business of fixing damaged dogs. I understand your issues with trainers who only use one method and have a blinkered approach, but until you have seen her or her staff train in the context in which they specialise I don't see how your opinions are valid or are contributing to the conversation.

Yep. Cathy who organised Susan's trip to Aust has been a Schutz competitor in the past and will be again.

Fingers crossed!! It will be a really good test tomorrow night (as long as it arrives as promised). It is a ground that he has always struggled on so it should be interesting. It's so hard to gauge what is actually working and what isn't - you can't control all the variables, but I figure that even if it only makes me feel better then it has to rub off on the boy! Will update next week.

Correct. The website is just easier than the journal. We only get them a month or so in advance any way.

http://www.ankc.org.au/Rules.aspx Hmm, yeah I found that, I guess I was more after dates etc, or do you have to be a member before you can see that? Hey GG, Best place to look at that is http://www.qldagility.com/ they don't put a full year up, but it gives you enough to get by. T

I'd be interested in hearing about people's experiences. I'm using rescue remedy and have ordered some DAP spray to use for my boy at agility comps where there are a lot of dogs close in together. He stresses at the start line and the RR seems to be helping so I figure the DAP can't hurt. Will share after the weekend.

Having seen my dogs play flyball in 30+ degree head and herd sheep in 40 degree heat I'm pretty happy that they can cope with lounging on the back deck in the heat. They have a pool to swim in (clam shell) and plenty of water (2-3 buckets in case one gets knocked over) and the option of the garden or back deck for shade. They are still young dogs. For an older dog I trusted inside the house I would probably leave them in airconditioned comfort - still a few years before I need to make that decision though.

For new skills - definitely apart, but I expect the other dogs to watch quietly from their crates or runs. Once skills are proofed it is pretty cool to race them and reward the dog that responds the quickest. They soon work out what it is all about. Even the 6 month old puppy sometimes wins at hand touches! ;)

Same. Another one here. I would not spend one cent on my dogs if the vet could not give me an indication that treatment was likely to be successful. I would spend whatever it took to keep one of my dogs happy/healthy if treatment was likely to be successful long term and not just management of an accute or rapidly deteoriating problem. eg: CK cracked his elbow at 4 months and took a LONG time, a lot of effort/inconvenience for the entire extended family and a considerable amount of money to get him right. He is now 4 and has no problems. (Inconvenience is not really the word I want, because it suggests I begrudge doing it, I don't, but I just couldn't think of a better word.) Before CK came to live with us we PTS a 7 month old pup with severe OCD. The vet told us that it would take two operations and ongoing pain management for the remainder of his life. I didn't even ask how much the operations would cost - that was not the point. I would do either again knowing for us it is the right decision. It is very personal and I don't judge anyone for the decisions they make for their animals - as long as an animal is not suffering unnecessarily.

Here we go...... I want to get Wikki to the stage where she is playing flyball and trialling by the end of the year. (When she is 18 months......) Xena - would be good to get her Excellent titles for all our ANKC agility classes and Masters for at least jumping. With ADAA I want to get her IAD title as well as make some good progress towards our snooker and gamblers titles. (for ADAA these are 7 cards, all at Open standard) CK - I just want to keep CK fit and happy and playing all the games we do. I don't really care what titles he achieves as long as he is having fun. Not that much to ask for really.

I looked over at one point and saw you guys running - amazing improvement!! you are going to to have to get your skates on to keep up with him!

Where's the evil laughter emoticon?? And so another addict is born Seriouisly, huski, that's great - think you and Daisy will really enjoy it. She is already hooked - not to mention in love with a certain Winpara puppy. :D

That's a good plan, but for me - I know that I wouldn't be able to select the best so I chose a breeder I trusted and asked her for the 'right' puppy. :D

Sue E, Neil L & Rob O. All great courses! Just noticed this. I always like their courses. Some of Neil and Rob's dogs are related to my boy.