bedazzledx2

Piccies of your set up please?!!!

I would be wary of adding calcium to your dogs diet. Maybe investigate feeding raw...some good threads here http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=196480

Has anyone tried composting dog poo? I can't stand the smell of dog poo in the bins that only get collected once a week. I am hoping someone knows how to set up a doggy poo disposal station that won't just turn into a bigger problem!!! We are on septic tank in a 2 story house with the loo upstairs so collecting it and flushing is out of the question.

I understand and it can be a problem in group classes. If he is crate trained then I would bring a crate to class and set it up a short distance away either in the shade or bring your own shade. If he is good and will relax on a tie out then you can do that as well. I'm sure the instructor won't mind if you run it by them before class starts. You may have to get there a bit earlier to organize it but to have a dog in class not paying attention for the better part of an hour is a recipe for boredom. I encourage people to bring their own crates or tie outs when I teach as there is a bit of downtime and I don't want them turning off. The purpose of classes is really to teach YOU how to teach your dog certain skills. You then need to take that information away with you and train your dog in the meantime. So you can put your dog away and re-join the class to get the information. I would never have a young dog in a class for a full hour and all my training is actually in 5 to 10 minute bursts of intensive training and then back in the car or crate. If you can organize it with your instructor I think you'll find classes a bit easier on both of you and he will be set up for success rather than failure. I think he could have been hot and tired, we had a long session this morning where the trainer worked with us each for a short while and then we stood around watching, stays were done at the end and by this time he was just hot and bothered ( he gets hot in the sun even if its not warm as he is black) so maybe thats it. He normally stays really well but just today he wanted to lie down. He did slip and fall at the park yesterday but I have not noticed that he is sore at all. It was impossible to put him back in the car as we each had a turn at each exercise, he would have been in the car for like 10 or 15 mins at a time and then it would have been our turn again.

Where do you get this from? Anything that can clean ointment from cockers ears has to be brilliant! I'm a groomer and I haven't found anything that can do this.

I'll order one for my Mum How do I go about payment etc?

Not many judges do it any more but some of the older judges still do and it is in the rules that they can . I know it can be taught positively but for my training methods it would become confusing and I suspect a little depressing at the end of the routine. I taught it many years ago with my kelpie as she had retrieving issues but in the end she got quite depressed so I switched to gloves and whilst she made more mistakes she was a much happier little vegemite and got her UD with gloves as the option. For some reason I can't hit reply and automatically quote you. Something about opening and closing tags not matching so am just going to bold your quote. I'm not very good at the finer points of posting on this forum! I had this happen to me at a trial recently - had never seen a judge offer it by hand before!! Didn't know they could!! Needless to say, my little girl just couldn't help herself with that one (and btw, refusing food from hand is not something you can train on your own, refusing from a container is quite easy to train though).

I can now teach you and Caffy how to put a routine together....both of you have some smooth moves!!!!

This is the main reason why I hate luring. My preferred methods of training/teaching are targetting and shaping. If you use a lure (food/toy) you must fade it as soon as possible. For the purposes of this conversation the lure will be food. The way to fade it is to lure no more than 3 times in a row and treat with the food. The next time have the treat hidden in the other hand and use your luring hand to make the same signal and when the dog does the action you mark (verbal or click) and quickly transfer the food to your luring hand and quickly treat in position. A much, much, much better way is to teach your dog to target and mark and treat. Clicker training works really well for a jaded dog and you can re-teach that they are responsible for you dishing out the treats.

My bolding. You answered your own question. Novice dogs are not up to this and it is actually very poor training. You need to keep your dog interested and in the game as much as you can so don't ever have your dog sitting or wandering around in a training session. When you have finished your bit put him away either in the car or in a crate in the shade until you are ready for him again. When you are ready to do stays get him out...have a little routine you go through...I do multiple hand touches to wake him up and be prepared to reward at random points in the stays....30 seconds....1 minute....20 seconds etc. Don't do the same time every stay....do some 2 minute stays, 4 minute and 30 second ones. Keep him guessing. I rarely do a down stay straight after a sit stay. I think he could have been hot and tired, we had a long session this morning where the trainer worked with us each for a short while and then we stood around watching, stays were done at the end and by this time he was just hot and bothered ( he gets hot in the sun even if its not warm as he is black) so maybe thats it. He normally stays really well but just today he wanted to lie down. He did slip and fall at the park yesterday but I have not noticed that he is sore at all.

Don't forget the judge can take the food out of the container and offer it by hand to the dog. This would be the undoing of my little piggy!!!!! Cute. Yes I can do that to my girls too but in the UD food refusal I am pretty sure the judge takes the food up on a platter and waves it under their nose. And they have to maintain the 3 positions each time (stand, sit, down). Someone of course correct me if I'm wrong, cos I've never really read up on it!

Many years ago I did this at our local oval to be told off by someone with their totally out of control dog. I was told if I wanted to train my dog I should do it in my own backyard!!! After I picked my jaw up off the ground I left never to return!!!! I actually travel 45 minutes to our Canine grounds to train rather than use the large number of local ovals 5 minutes away due to other peoples out of control dogs!

Good luck with that RubyStar!!!! :D

I haven't found food colouring to work at all. Coloured hair spray works really well and can be washed out....might leave a slight stain on the first bath if you use a lot but will come out by the second.

COP here too. Haven't done the broad since the option came in.

Way to go Riv!!!! :rolleyes: ;)

Slacker!!!! Pass!

Wow! Thats good. I think we pay around $20 for a breeders certificate on top of our title certificates! You have to send a copy of your registration papers but they don't get updated.

Does it say something like "the dog Ruby CCD number is awarded the title of Companion Dog"? Haven't got mine to hand but usually the last title gained is attatched to the dogs name. Reading your reply a bit more carefully this time! Quoting your last sentence, this is how I got confused and prompted my original post - I thought that, too. However, Ruby's doesn't have any of her titles on her CD title certificate. I would have thought the bare minimum would have said CCD, if not CD. But it's just her bare registered name on the certificate!

Oh yes as his titles are part of his registered name so they go on the puppy's papers.

My question too! Have you been feeding Chia seeds myboyjosh? Do you soak them? Thanks again Bisart Dobes. Just one more question do you feed the Chia Seed dry or do you soak it first?

I feed raw goat bones...nice and soft so they can eat the entire bone with all the goodies. Its also quite low in fat which is an issue with Brooklyn as poor boy is always on a diet! My BC Jasper is not great with lamb....gives him the runs. I also get a kilo of whole frozen Albany sardines from the fish supply for $10, keep them frozen and give one a day or a couple in training....make great treats you can throw. They get yogurt, fish oil, Emu oil when I get a supply (its expensive), Sasha's blend, pulped fruit and veg and goat meat or chicken mince from Leonards (whole ground carcass so lots of bone in there) Don't forget offal every so often...whatever is on special but I don't feed any beef. If you can get them, they love chicken feet! Some butchers who cater for Asian cuisine supply them. Turkey necks are huge and make for an entire meal depending on the size of your dog.

Don't sweat it RubyStar! If the only title you anticipate getting is CD then it would be worth updating your cert of registration. I know you are aiming higher (g) so leave it as is. Brooklyn's is as naked as the day he was registered!!! No titles on it at all as I am always aiming for another one so don't see the point. His titles are registered with the ANKC through Dogs West so they are valid and you will find when you apply for the next one, all the previous titles will be on the title certificate.

Eeeeewwww!!!!!!! :D The clostest I'll come to that would be a chicken wing in a sock to encourage tugging! Definately not touching dead bunnies! :D

Why do you want to teach fetch? Is it just for play or do you need a formal retrieve for obedience competition? This method is great for teaching a formal retrieve and you could then adapt it for play without the formal present and finish. http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/retrieve.html