bedazzledx2

She sure was having funnnnn!!!!! Catch that purple poodle!!! Loved it ;)

jCongratulations girls (and boys!) Go the red dogs!!!! ;) That just about sums it up - and we work out the rest of the course around those 4 peices of equipment I raised a glass last night to Moo who managed yesterday's masters gamblers gamble which had 8 weavers angling away from the distance line so the furtherest weaver would have been 8m from where I was running and he was weaving on my wrong side - I think I can no longer say my boy doesn't weave on my right :D and obviously osmosis does work since he has been watching the 2 x 2 videos with me each night - I keep saying to him I hope your watching this - Go the obedience dogs :D

Sure is lovely work. You gotta love the English tests. Whilst there was a bucket load of heeling...6 1/2 minutes, there was only 1 down, sit, stand in the positions in motion, and 2 other sits at heel. Lovely and flowing without the every position in every pace, stop start type test we have. This is Test C which is the highest level. The lower levels have much less heelwork and are better suited to longevity in competition than ours. Note also the stopping on turns and their requirement that the dog doesnt leave a gap between the handlers leg. They get pinged every time you can see daylight between the dog and the handler in heel position. We can and should learn from overseas competitions but also remember that our tests have different requirements and we need to honour that also.

I could be reading it wrong but it looks like you need to have a CDX, UD and UDX dog in order to make up a team of three dogs. The UDX will proclude some states forming a team as there are not too many and none in some states. It also leaves a very small pool of people who are also willing to travel. I'm wondering why Novice is not included? Any ideas? No idea Sounds interesting though! ;) Looks like a teams event! I know who will be in the WA team..!! and no, it's not me How fun would that be. So the WA team would be bedazzled, Ptolomy and ? I think it sounds awesome! I hope that I get to be in one of the QLD teams :D

LLW is not the easiest thing to teach with a clicker for your first go. Of its very nature its an exercise in lumping. In order to learn to be proficent with the clicker I would suggest you start with a simple trick or maybe a shaping exercise like 101 things to do with a box. Something that doesn't matter so that if you stuff it up it'l teach you something but you won't mess up your training.

Go on!!! Its a heap of fun and!!! Anything can happen at the Royal so if you don't take it too seriously you will have great day with your mates both human and canine

Try and get a reward in his face before he disengages. Start off with 2 steps...full attention...mark (I use a clicker) and reward. You can use food or toy so long as you mark it before producing the reward. Mix it up. My goal for the next puppy will be error-less learning with minimal to no NRM's. When is your next special group training lesson??? Not sure actually..... look Mason is not as bad as he was and he heels way better now than he did, I just need to work out how long I should be asking him to heel for etc..

Non Reward Marker. Your 'too bad' or 'oops' or 'bad luck' are all NRM's When is your next special group training lesson??? Not sure actually..... look Mason is not as bad as he was and he heels way better now than he did, I just need to work out how long I should be asking him to heel for etc..

Good girl Ness

Me too Tiggy

How many steps can he do with full attention before he drops out? That is your mean. Build from there and yo yo for a bit to see how he copes. Only start on duration when you know he can hold focus and understands heel position. I wouldn't even use a NRM at this early stage...just realise he's not there yet and work on attention. When is your next special group training lesson??? Not sure actually..... look Mason is not as bad as he was and he heels way better now than he did, I just need to work out how long I should be asking him to heel for etc..

OOooooh!!! I think you might guess that one!!!!! I might use that one a few times!!!! and their nicknames when they drop scent articles at your feet

A suggestion from another list I am on is to spell out your dog's name in heelwork! Makes it a bit more interesting than just circles but I guess it depends on how long is your dogs name!!!! Hmmm going for the registered name or pet name!!!!???? Could get interesting once you start adding the obedience and agility letters!!!!

Not a dog but my brothers cat had this injury to his shoulder ligament caused by a puncture wound. It took at least 6 months to resolve almost completely and he will still have slight limp if he jumps from a height and lands heavily. He is an older cat (around 11 yrs) but very fit and lean. The vet gave him an anti-inflammatory injection which relieved the immediate symptoms but he did say it would take a while to resolve completely.

I had a very vocal Kelpie and the slightest thing would set her off. I got complaints from one neighbour so had to do something about it. A bark collar would have destroyed her and this was in the days before I knew about much clicker training. I played the "you've won a prize" game which I found on the internet and it proved to be very effective. Not exactly positive training but not too aversive either. You need to ensure it is attention barking (for want of a better word) but you can usually tell by the tone, intensity etc. This will also make you more observant and less re-active which is a good thing. When he barks inappropriately you very gently and quietly take him by the collar and say nicely "Darling you've won a prize" and take him to a time out place. Be very calm. No admonishment!!!! Leave him for 15 seconds and if he's quiet open the door with no further comment. You have to be very diciplined to not allow any emotion into the scenario. Rinse and repeat but leave him a bit longer next time. It is not a place of punishment but try and find somewhere quite and not stimulating. (I used the closed off passage) I haven't had a nuisance barker since but this method really worked for us.

Still partially frozen....I bring a freezer brick in my training eski and keep the sardines on top of that until I need them. I am using the Albany sardines and they are quite big so tend to stay frozen a bit longer. I don't reckon your a real trainer until you've had something squishy and yuck in your pocket!!!! I thought that was your new perfume Hmm we need to compare sardine notes I think - mine tend to go all squishy when they defrost and are definitely not suitable for putting in my pocket. Are yours still partly frozen? Have to teach her that taking the jump on the way to the box does not score bonus points, though ..... Rubystar you must be lumping again :D

I was set the challenge (thanks Caffy ) of training my foody dog to tug in the presence of food. Big deal for him as he looooves food and will turn his nose up at any toy when treats are on offer. I took up the challenge and decided to shape it. Fairly clinical with no cheer-leading other than genuine praise when he gave me the behaviour I wanted. Sniff the tug..."yes" treat. (clicker was too awkward in this situation) mouth on the tug...."yes" treat. Then go for duration. Build it to a full on tug. The big test was to tug for breakfast. He wanted to bail but I am a bit bloody minded and insisted on the tug until I gave the release for brekky. That was a real breakthrough This started about 10 days ago and I now have a full on tug with food in view. Loooovvveee shaping!!!!!!!! I think it is primarily my nerves, partly location (and due to my nerves ). I have gotten him tugging at training a couple of times, and a trial once or twice, but not for very long. With VERY interesting tugs

I was having a play at throwing the bumper for my friend last night....I did warn her about my throwing ability (totally lacking!!!) and yes there were a few that went over my head in the opposite direction! Really interesting watching the training and the lovely straight runs of her young lab for the blind retrieve. Awesome to watch! Look forward to your retrieving brags too RubyStar! And don't dismiss getting that NRD, I thought the same when I started in the sport with my Vizsla and although it took a couple of seasons (try convincing a lean Vizlsa that it's a good idea to go into water during a Canberra Winter!) we got there and further! I hope in a year or two I can start competing and hopefully be able to brag that she was able to finish one run Looking forward to getting out there and training

I agree that is compulsion Mike. Luring would be to show the dog the toy/food and draw him in. Nothing wrong with luring so long as you fade the lure pretty quickly and start rewarding correct behaviour, or better still, small approximations of the behaviour you want.

Oh yes she will....she has to generalize it and take it on the road so we will still see her down at training wont we?!!!!

She was looking really nice last night. Some great boxes too! Currently, no But a challenge I am willing to take on! Last night I gave her a verbal encouragement coming out of a nice tight RAT (which is rare) and she took that to mean I was about to throw the ball, so dashed out in front of me Little minx I need to teach her maintain position with that ball or you get no ball! Cos right now it's causing some messy (but very enthusiastic) work!

I saw those on the weekend Mas. Very clever! How long do you bake them for and what temperature? I normally feed raw but I reckon he would love some cooked roo balls..(.Ooooh that sounded so bad ) Getover it - if Caffy can do raw brains in her pocket you can have a container with goat and mashed potato in it and give him a handful every time he gets it right I sometimes have a container with his raw roo mince, Mason loves any meat raw or cooked. Sas dont know if this would help but what I did with Masons roo mince is that I took a bit, rolled them in balls and baked it on a non stick baking tray, I have not seen the goat so I have no idea what texture it is?? but maybe you want to give it a try.

....and I have raw whole sardines in my pocket!!!! Yum!!!! Getover it - if Caffy can do raw brains in her pocket you can have a container with goat and mashed potato in it and give him a handful every time he gets it right

Here's a challenge for you RubyStar.....can you show her the i squeak in your right hand and keep it in view and she maintain heel position? Big ask but an interesting training challenge. Remember, baby steps...split don't lump! You can mark great position and release her to the thrown ball. I do it with food and tuggy and its a great reminder to him to maintain position. Yes, I know, if I put in the work I could probably make it happen, especially with Ruby. Her face lights up like a christmas tree when I ask her to heel and she has an inkling that the i-squeak is in my pocket (I swear they know the smell of them!) but she forges in anticipation of it being thrown. Millie simply cannot take any instruction when faced with i-squeak or dinner bowl. She works best for praise, play and mundane treats. Ruby tugs, but I haven't harnessed it and don't really want to, she hasn't got a soft mouth for retrieving as it is so at this present time, I don't want to encourage it. Though using an i-squeak won't help that soft mouth either Millie doesn't tug, but I'm sure with some work and the right tug toy, I could get her to. As for barking dogs, Millie is a terrible barker when she's not being worked so I can't tie her out or crate her either. I lock her in the car and close the door and she goes bananas in there :D If a dog woofs once or twice (ie. not a consistent nuisance barker), tell the triallers to get over it, they should be proofing for that too ;) Ruby has missed positions due to being distracted by a barking dog, but what can you do ;) Besides more proofing! ;)

Well done Seita on your first UD its a great class but frustrating as!!!! Huski....its out of the way now and it does get better from here!!! Lots of positives too!!! Its annoying when you are rushed in when you're not prepared but there are strategies you can employ. I always keep an eye on the previous competitor just in case they pull out unexpectedly although that usually doesn't happen until Open and UD. I also speak to the stewards and let them know I'm there as I don't like hanging around at the ring waiting. As RS said, don't let the stewards rush you....acknowledge that you heard them and you are coming but don't run into the ring...think of your dog above all, they know you are out of order due to the previous competitor so they will wait. Another thing you can do is to practice being unprepared!!! Get her straight out of the car and into the 'ring', set up at the start peg, do 4 or 5 steps of heelwork and have a party! That way when it happens (and it does to everyone more than once!) you know at least that you've practiced it and both you and Daisy can cope. Good luck for the next one!!!