Mrs Rusty Bucket

That's like most Motels. I hate that. I'd like the sign visible from the freeway but not the place. Because I like quiet when I'm sleeping. I'm not sure what my dog's excuse is. Although I'm not that keen on advertising distractions along roads especially busy high speed roads - but that comes of spending years driving around Canberra. I can check out places when I get there. And they can check out my dog. And then we will know.

Maybe you could run a couple of those hose sprinkler thingies along the fence and turn them on for the hour that school gets out? That would keep him away from the fence at least. If he tends to eat them, you'd have to pack them up each day and put them out again. The collar grab - might be safer if you trained it first... ie practice grabbing his collar and giving him a treat, gradually increase the speed that you grab the collar at... pair this with a treat and then your hand reaching for him might mean something different to the point he forgets that he was trying to get through the fence. But grabbing collar and busting your hand - yikes. I'm glad my dog isn't quite big enough and the collar isn't tight enough for her to do that. I think I'd chuck a towel over her head instead or use it to block the fence from her (like a bull fighter) maybe. It's a pity a basic temporary fence is not possible.

My dog bounces off the fence occasionally. I go grab her by the collar and just hold her until she calms down. And then I let her go. If she bounces again, I get her by the collar and take her inside. I used to say OI at her, or squirt her but the collar grab and waiting seems to work better and last longer. The cat next door is a big temptation for her but we're getting better at resisting the urge.

Hi Zeebie That looks great, just exactly what I would be looking for in Canberra and Brisbane area... Send PM please. And Skyefool - I've sent you a PM too... clip evil wriggly hound's toenails...

So when you want to treat you just lower the spoon to their level so they can have a lick and that is their reward?? Yes. You might have a "bridge" word like "yes", and maybe a permission to "geddit" release word, I usually only use "yes". Susan Garrett mixes it up a bit so sometimes it's a bit hard to tell when she's playing "its yer choice" and putting treats on the dog's nose - which is nearly impossible if you have "yes" as your bridge and permission to eat the treat combined. So sometimes she has "yes" and the release word separate... and will chuck treats all around the dog and sometimes she has "yes" and/or just shoves treats directly into the dog's mouth (eg working the heel placement ("re-inforcement zone" or "RZ") If I was using spoon and peanut reward - I would hold it on the opposite side and out of sight as much as possible to the placement I was working and when I got the action I wanted to reward, I'd say "yes" and put the spoon past my knee and then in front of the dog's nose for licking. Careful not to scare the crap out of the dog or bob it in the face in the process. But the spoon then becomes a "target stick" and the dog will eventually find bopping it with its nose rewarding by itself. It's important not to use it as a lure to get the position you want, but to reward in position when you get the position/action you want. Subtley different. And after the dog has learned the task - start only rewarding the best or at least average (average or better) performances. Note to self - I need to do this more, and deal with the doggy frustration (screaming cattle dog high pitched yips).

janarlee lodge looks good. A little close to the highway for a dog that doesn't like traffic noises much. I wouldn't know if it was a problem until I got there. But it does seem very close to where I stay when I visit Wyong area. You're right about the price tag on wags day out. But anyone who could clip my dog's nails for $20 - I'd pay that.

Kong also make something called the EZ collar http://www.kongcompany.com/products/cats/grooming-and-e-collars/grooming-and-e-collars/ez-soft-collar/ which is what you find if you google "soft Elizabethan collar". I think there are some other varieties of collar along that theme. I don't know if they work. I originally called my dog "Mrs Bucket" because she was wearing the traditional cone of shame when I first looked at her at the AWL - to stop her chewing on her desex stitches.

I'd probably be staying at various friends places, but they all work during the day, so that's when I need somewhere for the dog if I want to go to the art gallery. One friend has a not quite snake proof cat cage thing - which is about the same size as an RSPCA pen (with no exercise yard), my dog stayed in that one visit but I'd rather not have to do that. There is an Olims hotel. I will see if they do doggy day care. Ok - Olims is part of Mercure hotel chain and fairly cheap for a hotel. They have a room where your dog can be with you but as best I can tell without phoning - it's not a place to leave your dog while you go sight seeing. I vaguely remember a very debauch work Christmas party there that got way out of hand. Too much grog and not enough food.

I suggested to someone that she put peanut paste on a wooden spoon so it would be easier to get rewards to her puppy's level (close to the ground). Several other dog trainers suggest if the dog is too excited by food, to put the food in a cup or plastic clip shut box - over there... and when the dog gets something right - say Yes and run to the box and give them a treat. It slows down the rate of re-inforcement somewhat, but can balance out the excitement. I would probably start each warm up drill with "its yer choice" and doggy that bites - doesn't get the treat. It does mean sore fingers the first few times but they learn fast. Don't cue gentle - just don't let go the treat until they are gentle. If my dog gets a bit casual about separating treat from fingers - I stop and do the Its yer choice thing with her - because I like my fingers attached to me. It slows down delivery during heelwork but I reward way too much in that anyway - more average or better and that includes gentle treat taking - or running to the box of treats.

Airedaler Maybe you could edit the subject line? I think you can do that via the full editor on your first post. Or you could try reporting your own post and asking a mod to change it for you. But I think most people will figure out what you meant.

Hi all I'm planning a second epic trip to Brisbane (Chuwar and Brookfield) this year. The first time around I felt a bit pinned by the dog, like I couldn't leave her locked in the car cos it was too hot (will be again), and didn't want to leave her loose at friends homes either. Some friends it's ok but others not so much. Not where there's cane toads and ticks etc. So wondering if there are any nice doggy day care places around Sydney, maybe north side (near Frenchs forest or that side of the water), near ish Wyong or between Wyong and Sydney, and especially around Brisbane - somewhere not too far from Brookfield or reasonably easy to get to from there. And Canberra. Anywhere. But ideally north of the lake. I'd be staying somewhere northside and commuting into town - where there is no longer any suitable parking at all for my car since they lowered all the public pay car parking height limits. Grr. But I'd like to visit the Art Gallery and maybe old parliament house and etc while I'm there. And I don't think they want to mind my dog in the cloak room. she'd probably do her best ear splitting howl for the first 20 minutes anyway. Strangely she doesn't do that when she's at dog events.

e collar means electric (zap) collar. And completely polarises people about what is ok or not ok to do to a dog in the name of training. back onto the cone of shame collars... There is something called the "Cloud collar" - I've heard it works with some dogs, and other dogs eat it. I don't know how they manage to eat it but they find a way. http://www.kongcompany.com/products/for-dogs/grooming-and-e-collars/grooming-and-e-collars/cloud-collar/

There was another horrible and entirely preventable accident on the South Eastern Freeway near Bridgewater SA last week... A woman stopped her car on the side of the road in the breakdown lane because it wouldn't go, and when she opened her car door - her dog got out ran onto the freeway, she chased it and both ended up dead. Really sad and nasty. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/reflex-action8217-drew-woman-to-catch-dog-and-be-fatally-struck-by-car-on-southeastern-freeway/story-fnii5yv7-1226707904104 The idea of carrying a card to alert emergency services about pets at home is a good idea.

And the bad guys doing the targeting never make a mistake picking their targets? Or get anyone else by accident - like small children, or other drivers or people in their homes or offices? A bullet shot from some guns can travel several kilometres in a straight line. Some bullets will shoot through walls, and certainly through tin or weather board. It's just not ok to be solving problems with guns and violence. And isn't that area close to the airport?

I've seen these two recommended in here before Jane Harper http://www.dogsontrack.com.au/ Craig Murray http://www.dogschool.com.au/ They can recommend someone else if they feel that's for the best.

My guess mastiff x sbt x possum nose

It's a worry when a diplomat cannot be diplomatic with a maid, a vet or a dog. And he's representing us. Yuck.

What is it about Brisbane... I'm scared to take my dog there, and she's certainly not getting off lead... Cane toads, paralysis ticks, bat Hendra disease, and now rat lung disease from snail trails - ARRGGGHHHH..... How do you Brisbanites manage to keep your dogs healthy?

Our local government state law... has a certificate for a discount on dog rego for dogs that meet this criteria Certificate of Achievement that you can show your council as proof your dog can do these exercises on lead: * Stay exercise for 10 seconds * Walk at heel for a distance of 5 metres * recall to handler from a distance of 1 metre within 3 commands * Sit within three commands * Not aggressive when 2 metres from a dog which is sitting quietly with its handler And effective control is about keeping dog in sight (not behind you), within 20m, and under "effective voice control" - which I guess means comes to you within three commands. Personally I think the three commands is dumb. But I'm guilty of calling twice when my dog acts deaf. Her recall is quite variable. Sometimes she will recall away from bbq treats and playing with other dogs, and sometimes she won't. I need to work on the conditioning so she's not thinking, she's just recalling.

rubystar I did see somewhere that the photo you get is supposed to be random. I'm just saying if I get a photo of a breed I know and love - my answers are going to reflect that. I'm not going to try to guess how someone who isn't familiar with the breed would answer.

Here's another video about why. Canadian Agility team vet via Say Yes, Susan Garrett...

. duplicate sorry about that.

I thought the whole point was to show up any biases you might have about the breed or the particular look of a dog, whether you get them from personal experience, (eg being asked to rate a cattle dog when you own one), or from stories on tv. I know people who are terrified of cattle dogs. And some who attribute cattle dogs to the massacre of their people. So I imagine their rating would be very different to mine. Even I treat new cattle dogs with a great deal of careful respect until I know they're friendly. Same with some other big scary looking breeds of dog. And some small bitey breeds. And while I'm rabbiting on about my personal prejudices... There was a story on life matters (ABC radio national) this morning about a chinese woman and her rescue dog and her story. A bit of an eye opener for me. I think the experience with the dog was a bit of an eye opener for her. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/ying-ying-and-max/4897186 One thing she said that was that dog eating was not very common any more in China and certainly not in Hong Kong, and that owning dogs as part of the family was very popular there now. And I don't think she knew the term "heart dog" but that's how I'd describe how this dog was for her.

I put cattle dog mix in the breed of my dog, and I got a photo of a cattle dog. So my results are going to be completely biased. It was a bit hard because he? had one eye more open than the other one like he'd been photographed mid wink. And he looked vaguely uncomfortable at having his photo taken, and very "where's my treat" hungry. Maybe I'm just putting my dog's face on his. And friendly? non aggressive? With cattle dogs - that's context specific. Do you rate for "friendly with strangers" or "friendly with friends"? Mine has just picked my pockets and eaten all the Kleenex that were there. Hungry much?

Dogs' anal sacs are the same evolutionary thing as skunk anal sacs of threat repellent. Skunks can fire at will. Some dogs probably can too. I'm thinking - ten minutes in isolation after a skunking might undo the back chaining for dinner that minimax's skunk dog has learned. PS just gotta link one of Rozzie's latest immense lols in here... http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/201801-thread-of-immense-lols/page__view__findpost__p__6278687