Mrs Rusty Bucket

The sensation front attach harness - didn't rust when I had it at the beach. I don't use it any more tho - it was just for training. Would be interested if people know of dog collars that don't stretch when they get wet (like the Rogz do). They've brought out a swimmer's version http://www.softouchconcepts.com/product/swim-sense-ation

last time I was there (and it was a while ago)... Cocklebiddy was a bit down market. Beware of going off track and camping near bushes or trees on the nullarbor proper - because ... the shrubby stuff marks sink holes and caves - ie that's where they get water... and I nearly fell in one looking for enough bushes for a toilet stop. Eucla near the WA/SA border is really nice - and has varying types of accommodation (camping, cabins thru motel) and a nice restaurant/cafe/ hamburger shop. Fuel costs lots. Like double the expensive price in the cities. Plan to stop about an hour before dusk... cos you don't want to be on the road when the roos are. You might want to visit the whale watch station at "head of the bight" (look at whales from cliff top board walks $) but I think in Sept there will not be many there - it's a July thing. The whales are amazing if they're around. OK I'd be wrong... if you go in Sept they're usually around. As you drive in - you can ask the people driving out about whether there are any whales to be seen that day. http://headofbight.com.au/whale-watching I really liked staying at / near Fowlers Bay. There's a nice (basic and clean) motel there with bbqs outside - not sure if they let you have dogs. Awesome beach, jetty, fishing and dunes if you're into 4WD. But back then - I knew people connected to the owners and the local service station at Nundroo. It's an hour or so off the main road tho and you do not want to be on it in the dark (hopping critters). A bit further East from Fowlers Bay is the very famous surf and shark beach called "cactus beach"... lots of camping there but I think it's dirt roads in. Ceduna still has an awesome bakery. And I like to go visit the arid lands botanic gardens - just north of Port Augusta. I think they have a nice place for lunch there. heaps of touristy things to visit all around that coast line - just don't let anyone fall off the cliffs. And when I've been swimming in those areas (will be very cold in Sept) - I have had seals, and dolphins join me and didn't notice any sharks. But pretty sure there are always sharks around. And dolphins up close have scary big teeth.

about your daughter cuing dog... I think it works like new cue then old cue > dog does thing > reward... and eventually the new cue will work by itself. But you can make it into a training session... so that pattern would look like daughter cues dog, you cue dog same thing, dog does thing - reward comes from your daughter. Dog will figure it out - she seems pretty clever (got the kisses game worked out).

I just filled up a stick vac with my shelter dog's shedding... in ten minutes and I sweep every couple of days with a static mop...

Not with an e collar but giving them something better to do. Steve White (police dog trainer in the USA) has a whole system that involves first bite sleeve man being boring and the dog being re-directed to a different bite sleeve man over there. And gradually learning to respond to the cue and recall because he learns - he gets what he really wants when he does. http://www.proactivek9.com/an-obstinate-k9/#more-217 “I can’t believe it! I’ve never seen him stop like that, even when we nuked him with an electronic collar.” (e-collars don't work for call offs or outs).

and yet a man in SA who shot a cat with four arrows and left it still alive - got suspended sentence. Argh.

I know some of you love these things. Having been zapped by an electric blanket and my brother had his home burnt down by one he didn't even know was there... they terrify me. I do have an electric blanket on my bed in the super cold hovel - but I unplug it when i get in bed. And I only have it on when I'm home. https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recall/big-w-contempo-heated-throw

You could phone them up and ask how to find out. The club hosting the shows probably doesn't know until a couple of days before the show - ie people enter about a week or two (for agility) before the event, and then the hosts put together a catalog listing all the entries so for conformation (show dogs) that would probably include breed. Dogs SA could probably advise what shows are most likely to have the breeds you want to see but won't be sure if any are actually entered. phone 8:30am to 4:30am 8260 2412 Royal show is a great idea but only some breeds are on each day ie you need to find out what day and roughly what time the breed you want will be on. Also at Wayville from time to time are "pet expos" or "animal expos" run by kjex. Costs a few bucks to get in but last time I was there - they did have a "lagotto" stand. And border terriers and dances with dogs... and a few others but it might have been about 6 different dog breeds - not many compared to the royal show or the average SACA show. Be patient and persistent contacting breeders - some of them don't check their email all that often, some are so bombarded by tyre kickers and scammers they give up responding to all enquiries. This post is about buying a puppy from the breeder's POV - not a lagotto breeder and not australian but gives some clues about how best to approach a breeder of what you want and why. https://rufflyspeaking.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/puppy-buyer-ettiquette/

there will be a lot of farm herding type dogs at the agility but there are also schnauzers and some little dogs and medium dogs, poodles, doberman, dalmatians, boxers (sometimes), tollers, couple of whippet like dogs (italian greyhound, whippet and a grey hound usually)... lots of shelties (they're so cute)... and lots of bitsas - that you won't see at the all breeds shows. Ie dogs from rescue.

There's a list of Dogs SA events here http://www.dogssa.com.au/?page_id=881 This weekend (8th and 9th July) is the state agility titles at Munno Para dog training club on Vincent road Davoran Park or Smithfield plains (if you're using google maps). There will be heaps of different breeds of dogs and dog obsessed people there you could talk to. Also this weekend at SACA / David Roche Park on Cromwell Road Kilburn park - there is the "junior Kennel club show" both Saturday and Sunday. It will be all breeds - ie all breeds of dogs that have junior handlers ready to compete... and there will be puppies.. and breeders etc. Always ask when it's convenient to chat about the dogs - ideally you chat to the breeder after they've been in the ring not just before they're going in. And always get permission before trying to touch any dog.

I would not rely on this hope. Some behaviours are "self rewarding" ie if you're just hoping and not providing some sort of training or response cost, the behaviour will get worse if you do nothing (as far as the dog can tell). Barking, biting, digging are all self rewarding behaviours - they just feel good... My dog uses her mouth a bit like I use my hand - she does sometimes put her mouth on me to get my attention but she does not clamp down (unless she's mistaken me for the toy or treat (never play tug in the dark). There is some good info on "bite inhibition" here and how to train it. You need to be as consistent as possible, don't let things slide on the bad days - and try to pay attention to what triggers them (eg did you skip a walk - maybe a frozen stuffed kong will make up for it?) http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/teaching-bite-inhibition

Personally - I'm happy to go with what Bob Bailey says - the only time he will use aversives (eg an ecollar) is when safety is involved either for the critter or the handler. But he'd much rather set up the environment for success and use rewards because in his experience, it's faster, and more reliable. He wouldn't even recommend it for training a dog to stay away from snakes. And if you're crap with mechanics and using rewards - it's more forgiving that getting your timing wrong with aversives. I have seen professional trainers achieve good success with "escape training" using e-collars or prong collars but I don't think I could do what they do with such great timing. I'm much more a fan of Leslie Nelson's "Really reliable recall" ie pavlov (aka classical) conditioning.

You may find this website interesting - good to see you are doing some research before you choose a puppy. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training I'd also recommend going to some all breed dog shows and meeting lots of dogs and talking to the breeders about what would meet your needs. my brother had a staffordshire bull terrier when his kids were born... so the kids grew up with the staffy. He spent a lot of time teaching it what to do (ie leave) if the kids got too much and it was amazingly tolerant of all sorts of inappropriate behaviour from my brother, his kids and the kitten they got. I have a friend with a lagotto that is great with her kids but not so bright with other dogs. I've found they vary in personality a great deal so you'd have to meet them and choose one from a breeder whose lines you like. Some are much more tolerant and playful than others. This can apply to a lot of breeds. The ultimate family couch potato dog - is a greyhound... There is list at the end of this page of non-shedding dogs. http://pantonepoodles.com/doodles.htm

I don't think so. In some states - a dog must have a microchip and be at least 8 weeks old before being sold. And basic consumer law says the dog must be healthy otherwise you're not getting what you paid for (unless they told you he had something wrong, what it was, and the price reflected that). A lot of councils across Australia are just charging a lot extra to register undesexed (aka entire) dogs and expect you to get a "breeder's permit" even if you never intend to breed. Not sure if this applies in NSW. Given a husky is a big dog and there are risks of problems with bones and joints if you desex a dog before it is done growing - I would try to delay desexing until the dog is at least 18 months old - if you want to get it desexed. I would get a vet to check the microchip details - and check the owner name matches the name of the seller and then get the dog transfered into the buyer's name. If you're buying make sure you have something that says that the owner (name) is selling the dog to (new owner name). And that owner should be able to provide the microchip details and the microchip number should match what the vet finds. If the dog is "pedigree" - you should get documentation that proves that - and be able to verify it with DogsNSW. And that usually grants an exemption or discount on some of the breeding rules requirements or mandatory desex rules that some councils have. As far as I know - this is only in Victoria but I think they may have tried to introduce it in SA as well. these are the rules for dogs in NSW. If he's bitten someone and been declared dangerous - he should be desexed and contained properly and muzzled in public. http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/caa1998174/

When I was dog shopping - I don't think there were any vets that would have known enough about my lifestyle to say what kind of dog would fit. And my choice was based on a long history of sharing homes with that particular kind of dog... I think it might be a good idea for a complete newbie to dogs - the forums often get a bunch of questions - after the puppy has been obtained - that should have been asked and answered before the puppy was chosen. Eg how much does it cost to own a dog. By the way - the article - vet seems Sydney based but one of the photos - looks like Adelaide person. Weird. Like they just picked some random photos to go with that article. dog star daily has a good section for pre and post getting a dog info... http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/ch-1-you-get-your-puppy http://www.dogstardaily.com/taxonomy/term/182

He's not too old to be teething but that doesn't make it ok for him to be biting. What do you do when he bites or puts his mouth on you? Whatever it is you do - is obviously not stopping the behaviour and might well be encouraging it. Things that encourage biting... * ripping your hand away and squealling. * continuing to play with puppy or stay in the same room even tho he's bitten or is biting. * yelling when puppy bites. * doing nothing or ignoring the biting. Things that may discourage the biting * leaving the puppy on its own. leave the room, shut the door. No running or yelling just leave. * really gently and slowly pushing hand or bitten thing towards back of puppy's mouth until puppy tries to spit you out - count 1 or 2 bananas and then let puppy spit you out. repeat for any time he bites. But I'm not sure I'd want to try this on a 6 month old puppy - it's much better when they're still tiny. * freezing and avoiding direct eye contact with puppy. This is a little bit like leaving the room. But it can take the puppy a while to notice something went wrong. * redirect onto something else but this is not good if that's how the puppy gets the toy it wants. * having the give and geddit game really strong and well understood - so puppy knows when to let go and when to grab (and what to grab ie the toy). You may benefit from professional help - especially someone who can help you with your timing and movement. And hopefully one that doesn't use yelling or yanking or otherwise hurting the puppy (aversives) to try to get it to stop.

I can see her point of view - she doesn't want the fun to end.

I was going to suggest maybe a spray of lavender oil (1/4 teaspoon) in water (500ml) but I thought there is a chance that will put your dog off using the toilet. Bicarb soda is also supposed to be good for absorbing pee smells but you'd need a lot of it and if you put it on top it may also put the dog off. Personally - I can't stand the idea of having a dog toilet in my kitchen. But that may have something to do with being raised by medical people. And being very sensitive to smells. Ie dog toilet smell would be an excellent way to put me off dinner. Ps I'd consider putting it in a shower alcove... and taking it out when I showered. Would make hosing it off every day easy. But I much prefer my dog toilets outside. But I have a lawn.

this makes sense. Imagine if you didn't flush the toilet for 2 or 3 days... I think I'd be cleaning it daily but that's just me.

I've had that problem - at home - I'm happy for her to share the couch with me as long as she's not trying to steal my dinner... which she doesn't. But when I'm visiting friends - she can be appalling so she either ends up in the car or a crate - where she's quite well behaved. sigh. I think you're on the right track with what is rewarding and how to train different. I'd also be looking at some way to prevent the behaviour getting started (eg dog in (covered?) crate before you sit down to dinner). I always feed my dog before I eat - which is against Cesar Milan's rules but I don't think it's lead to anything bad on her part. The main reason I do that is because I can forget if I've fed her or not and the easiest way to be sure is always feed her first. And I can't trust what she says on whether she's been fed or not.

* cues * can be rewarding for some dogs. For some dogs when you call them - it's the same as if you just fed them a treat (or played a game of tug or gave them something else they love). This is awesome in most situations but not when you're trying to prevent a behaviour (eg barking) from increasing. For my dog - we have a good "collar grab" eg I reach out my hand to grab her, if she's barking or jumping on the fence - I'd rather go grab and hold her collar and wait for her to calm down than call her (rewarding for some dogs and worse if it's ignored). I then play "its yer choice" with "freedom" as the reward. Eg dog now calm - I let go, if she goes back to fence jumping or barking - I grab and hold again... waiting for calm. Get calm, let go - if there's more fence jumping /barking - we go inside (I put her on lead and we leave the back yard). This works for us. If you're getting a behaviour you don't want - it doesn't really matter why it's happening (development, fear periods, other dogs, don't care) - what do you want? how do you get there? You can't ignore it completely because barking and lunging is "self rewarding" and will increase if you don't interrupt it. How you interrupt it - depends on what your dog finds rewarding. Eg yelling, recall, collar grab, handful of treats and "find it game"... any of these might work or fail - it's up to you to pay attention to see if your dog is beginning to bark so she gets your attention/treats/cues or if the unwanted barking is reducing. about the cat - you can substitute "distracting thing for your dog" in for "cat" - "cats" are very distracting for my dog but not for every dog. Pay attention to what your dog finds distracting, a little bit, a bit, a lot - each of these are grades of training opportunities, ie start with the easy to ignore distraction and build up to the hard to ignore distraction to get the behaviour you want.

I would suggest you go back and read the whole thread again - with a new training task in mind. (from Bob Bailey) What have you got? (A) What do you want? (B) How do you get from A to B. Sometimes teaching a dog to bark on cue - really helps with getting it to be quiet on cue. I have some problems sometimes (I hate intermittant problems) with my dog reacting unpleasantly towards other dogs we see on walks. She's much more reactive near home or in the car towards dogs outside of it - ie spaces she regards as her territory. Which I guess is pretty normal but I'm trying to redefine the boundaries / limits of her territory eg if person (and/or dog) is on the footpath outside our property - they're none of her business. So we practice from the front door to the gate... if she reacts - we go back until she's calm - which can include going back through the front door and shutting it until the hackles are gone. Out on walks - it can be harder to avoid other dogs that we don't know. I do have a sort of "cue" for "I see someone I know and like". Which is "who dat dere?" or "where's Linda?" (aunty chicken). Which seems to completely defuse her hackles. I have to be a little bit careful because sometimes if she's disappointed it's not a dog or person she knows - she can then react unpleasantly. Sometimes it's frustration - she wants to be friendly and she can't so she does the growly thing like it's the other dog's fault she can't reach. Don't know why she does that - it's not like I've ever let her go greet if she's gone from super friendly to growly. But my tone - goes a long way towards putting her in a good mood, or a protective mood. For instance if I scold someone for not picking up after their dog - she will help. So I have to use a super friendly sing song tone "do you need a bag for that?" "oh you won't?" "don't come back then" (best crazy person voice). The other thing I sometimes do (mostly with cats) - is if I see the cat first - I feed her lots of treats to get her attention on me, and then I point out the cat - "look at that" and if she can *stay* calm and look at me (kath and kim), she gets more treats. I can sometimes do that with other dogs. But she's selective about what dogs she likes and what dogs she hates. And then I just try to limit the behaviour as best I can. Body blocking, and keeping her away from the other dog. Beware of the dog owner that does not understand the body blocking and will come up behind you with their dog who still wants to say hello to the snarling monster on my lead. FFS I do not have eyes in the back of my head - you can see my dog is upset - stay away. Fortunately that does not happen very often. What does not work for us, is she sees the cat first, lunges at it, then looks at me for treats... no way am I feeding that. I did once, but not any more because she joins the lunging with the calm and happy, with the treats and does it as a combo trick. ARGH. I can pats and praise the calm but not feed it.

I have give and geddit for toys... And I'm introducing "mine" for stuff I want her to leave alone. But that would only work when I'm there. I also use "its yer choice" a lot... and limiting opportunity to make the wrong choice. eg chasing birds and barking in the back yard - so we go to the back of the back yard on lead (after playing "its yer choice" at the back door (she sits - the door is opened and she gets permission to go out, otherwise the door stays shut or is shut if her butt lifts off without permission). If we go to the end of the yard on lead - no bird chasing or barking - and then I let her off. Otherwise - more games of IYC... This might help http://tim.blog/2016/11/14/susan-garrett/ IYC game http://dogsthatlisten.com/tim/

I'd be worried about this given a few years ago a number of dogs found something at one of our local ovals that was suspected to be pot - and they nearly died. I'd definitely want to know it was not one of the drugs that humans can survive but kills dogs.

they might be a scammer if ... you ask to see the puppy that is supposedly in the same town as you and they say it is now in some town on the other side of the country, and when you offer to send someone you know in that town to check on the puppy - suddenly it's not in the country - erm. And then you might as well give up because if you're going to import a puppy, you definitely want lots of word of mouth recommendations from people you know face to face - like local breeders of that kind of dog. There was some Australian scammer in a NSW country town fairly recently that was advertising puppies, taking money and then failing to deliver. She got in trouble for fraud... But there's lots of overseas scammers. DOL can be a great help to put pressure on the teleport puppies... cos there is at least one Doler pretty much everywhere in Oz and a few other places too.