Mrs Rusty Bucket

Gawd - I don't even have to "react" - I just have to say loudly "Get your dog" and mine goes off if I haven't said it like I'm on the cast of Play School. I lunged at one dog I thought was going to pee on my hat (that my dog had dropped on the ground) and she herded him across the park. Tho - being a whippet who likes to be pursued - I suspect that dog enjoyed it. I really really hate owners who let their dogs pee on other people's stuff including park infrastructure like the footy goal posts. And I really really wish joggers and etc would not leave their drink bottles and car keys and phone in a little pile making an ideal pee post for those dogs that like to pee on everything. Worse - in a pile next to a lamp post or footy goal.

What about a pommeranian? It's a spitz and about the same size as a chi. Just need to crutch them occasionally.

I block kids saying loudly and firmly "This is NOT A TOY". I told a bloke today to stop his dog humping another dog at the park... he said "they're just playing" and since I was not the owner it was none of my business. The equally clueless owner was in the playground - had completely ignored her dog for ages at that point... and presently it sought help from her by running back to her, and then there was a fight. Predictable - but I think they deserved each other.

Chi can bark with the best of them. It's all a matter of the right training... There's one around the corner from me that barks at everything that walks past... and it's on the corner of a fairly busy intersection so it's barking all day while the owners are out.

afterbahns I love a good update. I'm glad you're more aware of when he's training you instead of the other way about. Something in dog training (and maybe human training) that really does my head in - but it works... is the harder you make the dog work for something the more they value it, and the harder they work for it. So really really important to know what your dog finds rewarding - obviously verbal praise is enough to encourage a behaviour you want as you found with the way he eats his dinner... With the barking - you know how one dog in the neighbourhood barking - will have all the other dogs around - join in? So when you "chastise" for barking - I suspect he thinks you're joining in. With my dog I do a collar grab and hold - With yours - maybe a down stay (give him a job) would be better. My dog did not get stay at all until I made her do it in front of her dinner, and I added in distractions to that (pay attention to what your dog finds distracting eg movement, toys being thrown, better food offers etc and use these). So then you only reward the dog when it can perform a task it knows - when you present some distractions... Other ways to get distractions - is to practice in lots of different places - from rooms around the house and the yard and then out in the park etc. And practice asking the dog to stay in all these different places - while you run past - in front. or from behind to in front or from in front to behind. Make a game of it. See if you can get your dog to work when he's a bit excited and then build on that. The thing about attaching a bit of cat smell the dog collar - I don't understand that. The dog is already very familiar with the cat smell... I'm thinking along the lines of using the cat as a (distant) distraction and asking the dog to work (eg sit stay or drop stay) - while the cat is in view (but still safe). Reward calm behaviour. Reward the dog for being calm when it can see the cat. Beware of back chaining (ie dog is naughty then calm - don't reward that). Above all - pay attention to how well your dog can do a task (in that particular environment with that level of distraction) and only reward average or better performance. Don't reward stuff ups or slow performance. You can pat maybe but no treats or praise or whatever it is that he works hardest for.

this is on the agility sa facebook page... It's a closed group so I took Sharon's phone number off but it might be on her website, I'm guessing she's doing the training with the other Munno Para club instructors. MPDOC Agility Instructors are pleased to announce that we will be conducting a special fund raising event - ‘COURSE SKILLS WORKSHOP’ on Saturday 13th Dec, 7:00pm to 10:00pm. The hands on workshop will be aimed at Pre-Novice and Novice level and will be open to Agility dogs and handlers from all clubs. This workshop will be concentrating on Jumping, therefore Weaving and Contact performance won’t form a part of it. Areas covered will be - Ring Etiquette, Course Walking, Handling Techniques, Turns & Crosses and Course Practice. Cost is $30 for the whole night. Places are limited. To be held at MPDOC Grounds, Vincent Road, Smithfield Plains. (close to Peachy road) To secure your spot, please text Sharon Taylor ----- this is the true colours facebook page - it's the same phone number as there. https://www.facebook.com/TrueColoursDogTraining/info

Most of the shelties I've met are chatty in inverse proportion to their owners. If their owner is quiet - the sheltie makes up for it, and vice versa. I think - but I could be wrong - but you might have more choice and find it easier to get a puppy if you want a sheltie than if you want a Japanese spitz.

I'm pretty sure I'd want a short coat dog if I lived on rural acres - cos it makes removing grass seeds easier. And if I lived in an area with ticks - even more want short short haired dog. I don't own either breed but the shelties are extremely popular with the train-your-dog obsessed people - even more than border collies (maybe because you can pick them up and walk away from trouble if you need). There are a couple of keeshond doing obedience successfully but I've not seen any Japanese spitz. Doesn't mean they cant do that - it just might mean the shelties take to that kind of training better. Shelties will also round up your ducks or chooks for you if you want. Not sure spitz would do that. They are both adorable to look at. Which ever you do get - make sure you meet the parent dogs (or at least the mum) at their home - see how they are with strangers and with their people, that you're happy with the environment the puppies will be raised in and that you sight the relevant health check documents for both parent dogs.

Hazywal I think the snakes would be anywhere there's food and habitat. So I've seen a couple in Cranbourne and in their botanic gardens (which also had a bandicoot)... I used to "live with" snakes in Canberra - they were in the horse feed shed - or one really large brown snake was. every now and again he'd sunbake out the front of it. And we'd just chuck the feed buckets ahead of us and wear long boots to encourage him to go back down his hole under some pallets - which he did. And despite having two terrier mix and a cattle dog and several other visiting dogs who were very interested - no accidents. I think the snake was extremely well fed in there.

As best I can tell from my lastest pack - quality has already gone to hell... I've got crumbs not biscuits. Won't feel the least bit guilty going back to nutro - especially since black hawk has leap frogged it in price with a corresponding *decrease* in quality. Sad. And to be taken over by an NZ company - oh the shame...

Ness You could be right about the trialing dog situation - I was doing intermediate and there were a few in that class who carefully avoided qualifying for trialing. Mostly by not entering trials... I didn't find the situation at our regular club any different. I could be there for three hours and get two runs.

West beach is the best one... and it's the only agility specific club in SA. It's bizarre because all the top agility people (including instructors from my club) go there, but it's much better organised, there's much better structure - and you know exactly when your turn is. Some of the other clubs are ok - but you have to go visit them to see which. Para districts is pretty good but my dog doesn't get along with their equipment tho they're planning to upgrade the surfaces on the contacts. I think Noarlunga might be good too but I haven't been there when they're training.

bed to bed or mat to mat, go to your mat... fetch stand spin, twist the other way hand shake other hand "re inforcment zone" ie reward dog for being next to your left leg... can put a cue on like "heel" or "other side" for right side heel Come or here out (as in out of the kitchen before I drop water on you) but go to your mat outside the kitchen might be easier. hold hold and tug shut the door (comes after hand touch) Speak (especially for getting out the back door) ring ring find it (put treat under old facewasher) go round (the sulo bin or milk crate or other thing that won't hurt if he crashes into it) As your puppy gets good at any of your tricks - add distractions like people moving by or sit on the floor instead of standing up (you), or by adding squeaky toy or noisy children or change the location eg in the lounge, in the bedroom, in the dunny, out in the back yard, in the front yard, down the park, down the park while footy is on... beware of foraging down the park...

Hi Teela I feel your pain. My club is like that. I've gotten a better deal at West Beach (Agility Dog Club SA) Thursday nights. Haven't joined up yet cos it clashes with other things I have on thurs nights...

My dog can make a large (30cm) rawhide bone disappear inside 20 minutes (used to take her days when she was a puppy). The after effects of a 20 minute demolition - are ugly. Beef neck might be worth a try but I think for her - beef brisket (the soft end of the ribs) might be safer since neck bones still splinter.

Ghost busters? Strap a tin foil wrapped box to your back and wear plain overalls? Oh wait for the dog? I think there was a dog in Ghost busters... Or could just be one of the characters from Men in Black?

A friend who has Tenterfield terriers - gave me one for my cattle dog ... The tenterfields were happily occupied by the pig trotters for over an hour while I was there training my friend's computer into usefulness... My dog I think it was less than 3 minutes of joy and the thing was gone - completely. I was a bit surprised but she's not getting any more. There were no bad after effects this time. As far as treats like that go - the value depends a lot on what the dog does with them. Pigs ears are quite fatty - so not good if the dog has a tummy upset (my dog takes less than 3 mins to demolish these too). I prefer (my dog LOVES) roo jerky - ie dried bits of roo meat with no bones in it... we get about the same amount of joy with those and fewer risks that you get with fatty food or stuff with dried or smoked (aka cooked) bones in.

Great pix. My dog was so freaked out, I didn't get to watch much...

Hmm $40 per month for three minutes of doggy joy? Or I go to the op shop and buy ten stuffed toys for Under 3yo and get 30 minutes of doggy joy I can spread over a month? While I'm thinking about it - I need a new sun hat because we've shredded the current one. Should not use it as a reward for start line stay/release...

Before I joined the ranks of the dog obsessed, I could mistake an Aussie for a BC for a Toller (red bc). Oops. And some Koolies looked like BC. Or kelpies. I love cattle dogs. I'm not so keen on corgies (some lines of cattle dogs are becoming very like corgies), and I might consider a kelpie or a kelpie x heeler but not a BC. Need something that is a wee bit more laid back. Tho I know laid back BC exist - I've not yet met one. People (who are not part of the dog obsessed) sometimes think my dog is a dalmation, or a german short haired pointer (ok she's got ticking), or a staffy x. But she's probably some sort of farm dog bitsa or farm bred stumpy tail.

I lock the gate to my back yard when the gas meter is due to be read - because those guys tend to ignore the sign and read the notes on the property - after me and the dog have yelled at them. According to them - they are ALWAYS supposed to ring the bell and get permission before entering a yard with "beware of the dog" on the gate. But in my experience - they only do that if the gate is locked. Some have been very very lucky. Evil hound only has access to the yard when I'm home. One time she just followed the guy to the meter and back barking at him. Most other times - I've spotted the meter reader before she's noticed. And shut the back door as they go through the gate... I meet them out the front with the dog, on their way out and tell them to ring first. And they promise to put a note against my property (which they don't read). Sigh. They only get 30 seconds per house and it's quite a hike from the front gate to the meter at the back fence. I also have a "do not knock" sign for the Mormons (actually I think they're excepted along with political canvassers) but all the other door to door people like electricity sales people are trespassing if they don't leave as soon as they read the sign. Ie before they knock.

I think the place I used for long stay boarding was $25 per day, whether the dog stayed overnight or just day care. The problem with that place was the drop off and pick up times - you had a one hour window in the morning and another one hour window in the evening and it was about one hour to one and a half hours to drive there - depending on rush hour traffic - which I had to negotiate every time. Ie the drop off windows overlapped rush hour so no avoiding it. Argh. No staying a full day at work either if you worked 9 - 5 in the city. The other place - which also had rotten drop off and pick up times - tho just not early enough or late enough for doing a full day's work... or picking up if you got back to town on a late flight / drive.. was the RSPCA boarding at Lonsdale - they did day boarding - also about $25... For the long stay boarding - I provided all the treats and food my dog needed for the stay. Really didn't want her on supercoat if it could be avoided. I also provided a measuring mug with the daily measure written on it... so she was the same weight when I picked her up as when I dropped her off. Hope that helps. I think the main thing with day boarding - is to be available for early drop off and late pick up so that people can work during the day to pay for it. Or if they have a big holiday planned they can drop off the same day they leave and pick up the same day they get back. Drop off windows between 9am and 4pm don't work.

love the "modesty" tail...

What a relief. My brother's dog had a stroke - at least that was what the vet said it was. She couldn't walk properly for a while and went all lop sided on her right side, I think, Her ear and mouth went droopy on one side... But she got better, could walk and run ok, and recovered most of her training (she always had fairly selective hearing anyway). But stayed a bit lopsided. Lived a good life for another 5 or 6 years I think - this was about 15 or so years ago.

My dog likes to sit astride my shoe - does that count. It's a bit too embarrassing to photograph tho. I think she likes the way it feels :S If only people were so easily pleased with a boot to the ....