Mrs Rusty Bucket

have you tried a cool mat or gel mat? He might sleep on that if it's cool he's looking for. You could put it on top of a hammock bed to get him off the ground a bit. And also train him that the hammock bed is a good place to be. I got a super cheap hammock bed and my dog doesn't like it because if you don't get on it just right - it can tip up or move where her older hammock bed doesn't do that and she's fine sleeping on it. Also helps that the older more sturdy one - has foam over the frame of it and hession not plastic shade cloth as the hammock part. If it's a "chemical" based cool mat - they stop working after a couple of years tho they are still soft to lie on, not so cool. I also put mine in a cover made of an old flanny sheet which helped make it less slippery. Dog liked it. I liked sitting on it too.

personally - I would avoid any breeder of bull terriers in Oz that calls them "English Bull Terriers" Cos that's not their Australian breed name. It's just "Bull Terrier". In SA there is a bull terrier club - if I wanted one I'd start with asking members of that. They can be an awesome dog. But there have been a lot of genetic problems - especially heart disease leading to very short lives (around 10 years) with miserable old age.

At least he's not doing what most teenage boys do alone in their bedrooms...

If you want something a little bit better quality... Podcast Tim Ferriss (4 hour work week book) and Susan Garrett - on dog training. http://fourhourworkweek.com/2016/11/14/susan-garrett/ Susan Garrett - follows methods developed by Bob and Marion Bailey and their stuff is based on Skinner and Pavlov. Zoo training of animals is way ahead of many dog training environments... Glad you're catching up, Scrappi and Monty. The stuff is definitely new to a lot of people - especially the David Mech stuff. But I would just share his video - not some pirate version of it. Ie this. And if you want some more recent research on Wolf behaviour... Shawn Ellis is really interesting. http://www.felixho.be/en/canineSquad/wolf_1.html http://www.felixho.be/en/canineSquad/wolf_2.html and before him - Farley Mowat went out and lived with wolves and what he described - is probably more accurate than the debunked stuff that Cesar Milan follows. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Cry_Wolf Note - the book is way better and non fiction than the movie. I read it in the mid 70s, and it's taken a long time for the humans to stop trying to exterminate the wolves and give them back some habitat. This may also help with your enlightenment http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dumbed-down-dominance-part-1 http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dumbed-down-dominance-part-2-change-your-dominant-thinking

I use mostly yogurt - not much - couple of teaspoons per 600ml or so. I sometimes use a tiny bit of promite or vegemite dissolved in hot water. And she seems to love the water that gets drained off pasta. It's a tiny bit salty and quite a bit starchy so that would make a good iceblock. And she sometimes eats plain iceblocks. I could possibly also mix in grated cheese - she loves that stuff or shredded chicken or whatever sandwich protein I'm using (ham, chicken, salmon etc).

Does it add any new information apart from the words of an enthusiastic kid in his bedroom? New studies? Wolves and dingos and other dogs - do sometimes work together in packs when there are enough food resources to sustain them but they're mostly packs of family groups - not random strangers. At the park, and beach - I have noticed that my dog has her "special friends" that she greets enthusiastically and will protect when threatened. Hence you can get one "rude" dog being ganged up on by all the friends protecting each other. But that's just my observations not a scientific study.

There is an agility club called k9 agility which has quite a few Susan Garrett fans (and at least one Say Yes instructor - Katie K on their contacts page). I think there is a wait list for actually joining and participating and they've probably stopped over summer... I would put me down on the wait list (if I lived in Vic on that side of the bay), and I would show up on their training nights for over there to the side distraction training. And try to make friends and get advice on the foundation stuff (well behaved healthy and strong puppy). I would also email Katie and ask her to recommend (or be) a trainer for you. There are at least 30 Victorians I know of that are signed up with Susan Garrett's Handling 360 course and that's all about positive training (tho some of the newbies might still be adjusting). Katie should be able to help. http://k9agility.org.au/Home.html

True - ususally many reasons why dogs do things - wish we could just ask them! :) Ooh love Susan Garrett - hadnt seen that one before I should probably clarify that i'm not after training consultations or even a few weeks obedience course at this stage - she is perfectly behaved in 99% of situations :) I'm after a sort of weekly or ongoing type obedience class that i can use for distraction work with lots of dogs around on leash ideally outdoors in a park - i train with her a lot so she's got the basics down quite well (sits/downs/loose leash walking/recalls/settles on mats etc) and we do a lots of tricks and are able to work in most settings - the hardest setting so far being when we are moving around in obedience classes in parks :) Is KCC park anywhere near you? That's a bit south of Frankston if I remember right. There's often something going on there with lots of dogs on lead. But a lot of obedience and agility classes shut down over summer ie from December through Feb cos it gets too hot to train - too many days get cancelled to make it worth while trying. Ours have all finished in SA. Tho I think there's New Years at Gawler. That sometimes gets way too hot. for now - the dogs are in numbers at the beach - but mostly off lead which can be exciting - depending which beach you are at. To up your distractions where you can't find other dogs, you can try moving things at home - like tethered balloons or bowls of fave food, or you doing weird things during a stay, or playing music ... (can you get a finish when you're sitting in a chair? on the ground?...) Did the spotted dog provide you with some trainers or classes?

Some dogs will put up with anything - and some won't. Personally I don't see why dogs should have to put up with anything from a child (or adult). I've explained to a fair few children - that a dog is not a toy and if you don't back off when a dog tells you to - bad things can happen. Teach the child what the signs of an uncomfortable dog are... not the late ones (eg growling) but the early ones. Also teach the child how to be friends with a dog - ie not by chasing it... but by being fun to be with and knowing when to stop and have a break. And then it's up to me to look after my dog. To pay attention to the signs she is uncomfortable - and they come way before growling... White eye, looking away, lip licking, getting up and leaving... if the child is persisting after I say stop - then I take my dog away. It's just not worth the risk of leaving teaching good manners to the dog. I thought Autistic kids were usually pretty good about rules? They do well with rules and structure, mostly but it's up to the adults to be consistent. Crate training is a good idea. As long as it is really clear - the crate and the doorway to the crate and a space arms length from the crate - are child free zones. Protect your dog. Children can be really cruel because empathy is one of the last things their brain grows into.

Peeing and scratching to let your dog friends know you've been by - is not the same as dominance. I did observe my dog check a p-mail that was quite high up a post, and then elect not to pee there - like she wanted to keep her presence unadvertised. That was interesting. Must have been a very big scary dog. Most of the time she adds her message. dog trainers around melbourne - I agree with PM TSD. Meanwhile you might find this helpful. It's a podcast you can download and listen to - I usually load them up on an mp3 player or my phone. Tim Ferris interviews Susan Garrett on dog training... 2hours and 4 minutes jam packed with dog training for an awesome family pet includes descriptions of its yer choice, restrained recall, call once game, collar grab, how to potty train and more. Most of all it covers why you use reward based training (faster and better bond) and why you don't use punishment (fallout). http://fourhourworkweek.com/2016/11/14/susan-garrett/

Bris Aussie Have you tried Cathy Slot at AgilityClick.com (Chuwar) for ideas and recommendations. I don't know if she runs beginner classes but she often offers seminars and stuff - there's one on with Susan Garrett today. And she sometimes gets other international instructors in as well. For me I try to stick to one handling methodology or I get confused. Susan Garrett's stuff is based on Greg Derrett's stuff - There's DVDs for both. I would definitely get the first two Derrett DVDs just for how you signal the dog where you're going, and then I use Susan's H360 to modify all that. Susan's book Shaping Success, has a lot of games for agility foundation skills written in it. The DVDs and books are a wee bit cheaper than the online classes but less interactive. There's an FB page you can join for more info and just following along for the freebie stuff https://www.facebook.com/groups/H360FreeAgilityWorkshop/ If you don't like that methodology - there's another one called "one mind" which is all about using your whole body to signal your dog where to go next - personally I'm not going there because I am not that co-ordinated. My dog needs to be able to ignore my flailing flappy running and do what I say - maybe with an arm wave but not to worry about where my feet and shoulders are pointing. There's plenty of people on H360 that are not in classes every week. Tho quite a few of us gather in small groups to try stuff out. Greg Derrett also has an online class or series of them. Find his website and join the email list. Look for agility foundation, crate games, itsyerchoice, PNU and handling360 or H360 on youtube. There's lots of stuff puppies should be learning now as foundation. To do the online courses you do need good internet. At least 4 units of download. Mbps? And if you want to load videos for feedback - a lot of patience or 4Mbps up as well.

She is used to being with a whole litter of other puppies. I caved in after half a night of puppy screaming in the laundry-kitchen area (crate), and moved her to a cardboard box next to my bed, on lead, with the lead attached to me so if she got up, I could take her outside. And I set the alarm to take her out a couple of times during the night. She still sleeps next to my bed. screaming when I left her home (in a crate) and I had to go out... that took about two weeks maybe longer to stop. It did stop. If I was leaving a puppy alone now, I would leave talk back radio with calming talk back people on it. And I always play the I forgot something game - ie I get my stuff and leave but there's always about three or four things I have to come back in for, one thing then go out then come back then go out... Now when I leave her - she just sleeps. Just be very careful with your attention. Have set potty breaks - put her on lead, take her out, wait for potty break to happen, (say magic word), and then go back inside. No play, pats, praise or reward for demanding your attention... No scolding either. You might find this useful tho I would not try to listen to it all in one hit unless you have long train commute. Tim Ferris interviews Susan Garrett on dog training... 2hours and 4 minutes jam packed with dog training for an awesome family pet includes descriptions of its yer choice, restrained recall, call once game, how to potty train why you use reward based training and you don't use punishment. http://fourhourworkweek.com/2016/11/14/susan-garrett/

I think I'd find a way to have my dog declared a therapy dog for my anxiety... Otherwise I'm going to have an anxiety attack worrying about her on the spirit. There really ought to be a space where owners can be with their dogs, especially ones that are crate trained. Never occured to me that things left in cars on the car deck could be killed by carbon monoxide. My travelling car spiders would not be happy.

A lot of money to you and me - but people are being (romance or property) scammed for hundreds of thousands - I don't even know of winning greyhounds worth that much. And the fraud people also have to deal with corporate fraud which can be millions of dollars. So asking one of those guys to drop the million dollar case for something less than $10,000 - it might be hard. Tho someone in NSW did puppy scams that was getting towards six figures - I think the cops did eventually follow up on that one. If it was this person - NSW police would be interested. http://www.cootamundraherald.com.au/story/3253329/puppy-fraud-ends-in-bond/

The way I see it is premack is - you do something I want - to get something you want. the way I see NILIF is it's 100% premack ie dog gets nothing it wants unless it does something I want. And with my dog - I should probably set higher criteria ie fast sit, not slow attitude sit to get the back door opened and permission to go out. It's a bit of a toss up between getting a fast sit or a puddle on the carpet. And she back chains. Ie she asks to be let out the back - and stays out there until I call her back in (so she can get a treat). And it helps if I remember to use the right cue before I open the fridge door. I probably need Jess in my ear "Don't reward that crap"...

I'm pretty sure that Oz and NZ would have some trade agreement that prevents each country's citizens scamming the other. But it might get hard to persuade the law enforcement to follow up fraud on the amount a puppy would cost. But given the customer has the bank account details in Australia - it should be do-able. The Australian bank ought to co-operate or they run the risk of being accused of supporting international fraud. ie the press would love that right now given the banks are in trouble in front of a Senate enquiry right now.

My dog has a special gift for ruining handling spots at seminars. She either knows way too much and I get bored. Or she spends the previous three days eating herself stupid because we're staying with someone who free feeds and won't stop while we're there, and then she can barely move when we get to class. Last club training - we hadn't had a decent walk in a day or so (crap weather - I'm a wuss), so when I get her out for our turn (and we were late because I helped set up - argh), she decides to go sniffing the first time we get to a turn not a tunnel - does a sniff lap of the entire venue without me. rotten dog. The rest of our runs were fine. sigh. I still learn heaps from the online courses - but they don't have to solve the same problems I do - like my dog does not fetch and tug. Well very occasionally but mostly - she prefers to nick off with the tug and rip it to pieces. So we don't use that for rewards. And that can slow things down a bit. Mrs RB - for someone who follows as much Say Yes/SG as you do, your posts always indicate that your dog is the one running your relationship and then she gets the blame for doing what she does. Your dog would be living, breathing and dreaming premack if she was in my household. My dogs aren't robots and they aren't perfect, but they do give me a lot of pretty amazing behaviour in return for the level of privileges they get in life. You either want it or you don't - but you're making the same excuses you've been making for years on here. If you want it, fine - go work for it. If you don't, that's fine too - but don't blame your dog for your lack of "I want it" Ooh harsh. But I do take responsibility for where we're at - and there's no point me doing handling seminars with her until I lift my game. Entirely my fault for trying that really crappy transition at club last week. At the same time - I'm probably not giving her credit for how much she has improved. We're doing some really tricky stuff well at training.

That would be the ideal outcome. And that they had never wanted to rehome her in the first place. Thanks for the update. Hopefully no more flip flopping from them.

My dog has a special gift for ruining handling spots at seminars. She either knows way too much and I get bored. Or she spends the previous three days eating herself stupid because we're staying with someone who free feeds and won't stop while we're there, and then she can barely move when we get to class. Last club training - we hadn't had a decent walk in a day or so (crap weather - I'm a wuss), so when I get her out for our turn (and we were late because I helped set up - argh), she decides to go sniffing the first time we get to a turn not a tunnel - does a sniff lap of the entire venue without me. rotten dog. The rest of our runs were fine. sigh. I still learn heaps from the online courses - but they don't have to solve the same problems I do - like my dog does not fetch and tug. Well very occasionally but mostly - she prefers to nick off with the tug and rip it to pieces. So we don't use that for rewards. And that can slow things down a bit.

The thing that doesn't seem right is the flip flopping around on a very serious decision by the original owners. I'd just want to be as far away from that as I can get. I suspect they will flip flop again if they take the dog back - for the same things that are the reason for giving the dog up - have not changed. It's a bit like when you see an ex that you broke up with for good reasons - and they seem attractive again but nothing has changed and if you go back there - doomed to repeat. That's why I figure maybe OP give them two weeks to decide properly... and if they decide to keep the dog then - OP (opening poster) is well out of it.

I can't count to save myself which doesn't help the DWD but I love the training and learning new tricks and teaching them all that stuff. So we do quite a few of the moves without the music. I can't do three pirouettes without wiping out but my dog has no trouble with three spins - tho I usually ask for a drop straight after to save her dignity.

I've got mixed feelings about that one. I feed my dog as fast as I can while she gets her toe nails trimmed by someone else. The someone else - if I'm not available to do that - will just wait until the evil stare relaxes... and then start up again, but no treats until the end or if the dog stays calm. What you don't want to do (and my dog would learn this so fast) - is to teach dog that if it gives death stare/nip and then looks at you all sweetness like - it will get a treat. So in that situation - I find waiting and then a pat/praise is better than a treat - there's less incentive to be "naughty" then nice to get the treat. PS if I'm just brushing - she's not that fond of the furminator - I just wait for her to relax and then start again (gently). But mostly I use a rubber curry comb similar to the zoom groom and she doesn't mind that. Tho she thinks it is a great chew toy if I'm not careful where I leave it.

I would return the dog for full refund. Tho the people who were rehoming him - might find they're in trouble after living in the smaller place and the children forget all the promises they made about helping look after and clean up after the dog. And then they might try to rehome again. I think that's why a lot of rescues - have trial periods because people don't understand what they're doing until they do it. I would also suggest to this guy - when (if) you give the dog back that - if it's not working out in the next (two weeks / set a time limit) can he call you with first option. And when he comes to get the dog - write down his licence plate - just in case.

What about dances with dogs and "pool noodle work". Ie to get your dog working away from you, you can teach your dog to wrap around a pool noodle on a toilet roll holder (or a metal rod stuck in the ground - tho something that tips over is better - they have to learn to wrap without tipping it. And then you can start sending your dog to wrap the whatsit. I use sulo bins and the clothesline (with a milk crate stuck next to the handle so she goes around the handle instead of crashing into it. At the park I can sometimes use football goal posts if not too many dogs have peed on them. And the jetty posts (also like sniffing more than go around). this is an example using a traffic cone instead of a pool noodle (PNU) - note the reward is placed to encourage more wrapping of the cone... when you start you reward lots and be careful to reward near the cone/noodle so you encourage the wrap... and then you can gradually build distance from you to the cone... and then you can use two cones (or sulo bins)...

in England I've heard them collectively referred to as "bully breeds" which doesn't help either. And somehow the word "Bull" got left out of the Amstaff name.