Simply Grand

Leslie Nelson's Really Reliable Recall DVD is great for this stuff, worth the investment if you can spare the $30 or so. It basically includes all the advice everyone has given but explains the training process step by step and very clearly. It focuses on teaching an "every day" recall, which is based on that principle of it making it really worthwhile coming to you, as well as conditioning an "emergency" recall, so you get to the point where as huski says, the dog doesn't think, just automatically responds to the cue before they even think. It's really cool once the conditioning kicks in and you see that automatic response :D The training isn't difficult but does require consistency and focus on timing (and I admit I have it down pat with my oldest dog more so than the younger two) but it's actually pretty fun to do. ETA Leslie says she developed the training when she had Afghan Hounds and everyone told her that it was pointless trying to train them to recall as sighthounds just don't, and she does a section on working with "difficult" more independent breeds like sighthounds and spitzs.

My Aussie Shep girl would be fine in your situation EXCEPT for possibly the destructive thing. She was definitely a destructo puppy, she was into everything and as she grew every day when I came home would be a new discovery in what she could reach, pull down and destroy :laugh: She's three now and much better than she was but she is still super curious and into everything. I am always aware that anything she can get hold of is at risk of being destroyed. You can see her thought process too, it's curiosity, wanting to know what it is and what it does, not just destructiveness for fun. And she can open doors, cupboards, the fridge, the oven and figure out how to climb on things to reach further to so it's not just a matter of putting things up high. I actually love her intelligence and watching her figure things out but she has cost me a bomb in things she's broken, and the house has to be set up to work around her. Other than that she's pretty good, fine with other dogs but not obsessed with them, adooores people but can be very boisterous with them. Super trainable but quick to learn for herself too so I do have to be on my toes to be clear what I do and don't want from her. She plays a lot with my other dogs but would be ok on her own as long as she was with me lots of the time. She wouldn't cope being outside separated from what was going on in the house but she's fine at home by herself for normal work hours or less. Quinn is fine with an hour walk and/or off lead run around a day and would be fine missing a day here and there. As others have said with her it's more about the mental stimulation too so an hour walking through town meeting people and practicing training would satisfy her much more than an hour run. I don't think you should discount them, just as you've said talk to people, meet their dogs, be honest with yourself and them about what you really want :)

Riley took a tumble running around with Quinn this evening and seems to have sprained his wrist. He is holding it up and pulls away a bit when I handle it but he doesn't seem in a lot of pain. Should I be putting a cold pack on it like a would for a human? Or just leave it alone for now? Tks :)

My standard treat is Goodo's broken into halves or quarters (same consistency as Smacko type things but way cheaper). For high distraction, new difficult things, new dog recall, anything really challenging cheese, hot dogs, cabanossi, cooked chicken, 4 Legs, all cut into pea sized pieces. Goodo's and other dry stuff go straight in the treat pouch, the messier stuff goes into a zip lock bag first.

I think Steve has fairly clearly explained the difference between genuine Cobberdogs and random labradoodles. The Cobberdog people appear to be doing everything right in developing their new breed so what's the problem?

Yes, the Austalian Cobberdog is the breed being developed out of lab x poodles. I believe they are well down the track with development and are producing health tested dogs with consistent physical and temp characteristics, recorded pedigrees and are well past F1 lab to poodle crosses.

Well, that wasn't a short post after all! :laugh: Just thought as well, when I'm initially taking them into a new situation - whether it's a new dog or existing dogs in a new place - I keep them close whether on lead or off and call their attention back to me and reward highly at really quick intervals. So off leash for example I call their attention back to me with an excited voice before they get more than a couple of steps away from me, sometimes changing directions, and giving treats to remind them that even though this is a new, exciting place I'm still here being exciting and offering delicious rewards. As it becomes less novel and exciting to them i'll gradually give them more leeway, but still regularly call their attention back and reward, and keep up the something positive whenever they voluntarily check in with me.

I'm glad Cosmolo posted, I kept wanting to reply but only have my phone at the moment so not set up for long replies :) Also have a look at the NILIF (Nothing in life is free) approach, where basically for them to get anything valuable to them in life, including food, pats, going through door ways, being let off lead, anything really they have to do something to earn it. It can be as simple as just focus on you, doesn't have to be elaborate but just something that shows them that all the good things life come from you. Mine are very food driven but also respond well to attention and affection so I always give them something positive when they focus on or especially come to me, even just around the house but especially out and about. It can be as small as just a smile or quick pat or can be a big party with treats and "yay, what a good dog you are, hooray!" depending on the distractions around. I also sometimes around the house or at the park I'll randomly play a little game or ask for a little trick to do something fun with them when they aren't necessarily expecting it. I also touch them and talk to them a lot, which isn't an intentional training technique, just me being a crazy dog person but I think it builds the bond as well. So all those kind of things teach them that 1) I'm fun and great things come from me; and 2) it's always worth keeping an eye on me because one of these great things could come at any moment. The other thing, as Cos said, is the more structured training sessions (which don't have to be long, can be a few minutes or an hour in a class) which are noted as "ok, focus on me it's work time (with lots of fun and rewards) until I say so now" will build that reinforcement history and ability to communicate with each other as well.

The one at the park is maintained in a Teddy bear type clip, he looks great. Not naked but would be much easier to manage than a full coat.

There is a regular one at our local dog park, he's kept clipped and he's gorgeous and reminds me of a Panda :D

I thought I'd read that dog poo isn't good as compost....but I can't remember where I read that or why it isn't good, so that's not very helpful

There's been a few. She's pretty good at the moment. Our worst times are on lead on the footpaths before we get to the park(s). She's even made some new curly coat friends. And there's a few curly coat dogs that think about greeting her and change their minds (good readers and respecters of dog body language). I'm currently reading Alexandra Horowitz's book "inside of a dog" - which describes a lot of what goes on really well. http://insideofadog.com/ There's also a few curly coat dogs that she has told to back off, on previous encounters, but lately has been quite civil with. They've been a lot more respectful of her too. Note I say curly coat dogs because evil hound lumps curly coat retrievers in with the clipped poodle crosses - shame on her. That's good, I'm glad she's experiencing some well mannered ones. Hopefully the more of those ones she meets the more she realises she doesn't necessarily have to go on the offensive when she sees a curly coat.

Yes, very bad manners (by the human) and risky to let dogs crowd the gate. I've seen several fights break out when there are crowds at the gate. I don't let mine go up to the gate either, or enter when there are dogs crowded around. There have been times when I've stood outside the gate waiting and pointedly looking at people until they eventually realise and call their dogs away :laugh:

Absolutely. Off leash dogs in on leash areas are automatically a big red flag to me as they clearly don't have owners who are respectful and responsible. I absolutely believe if you have your dog on a lead in an on leash area you have every right to expect to be left alone.

Is this a bad thing? I want Ernie to enjoy other dogs company. He appears to be quite social. Now that he's learned to be polite - why would I deprive him of a spontaneous game of chasey round the oval? I'm not arguing, I'm trying to understand if I'm going about this wrong. Off leash, he stays close unless he's playing - and even then, I've trained him to regularly 'check in' with me - which he does without fail. I can call him out of a game easily so I still I rate higher value then the new dog. Just noticed, I know you didn't mean to but it looks like you were quoting me but it was actually huski that said the bit you've quoted :) I think it depends on what YOU want for your dog Stressy. I do think it's important to train your dog to value you highest, as you have, so you can get them back whenever you need to (oh those poor people who chase their dog around the park for 20 mins trying to catch them to go home!) but if they do enjoy other dogs and behave appropriately I personally think it's fine to let them enjoy a play when you decide they can. Mine have pretty low value for other dogs compared to other things, which I didn't really intentionally train but is more a side effect of focussing on building really high value for me, and maybe just how they are, but obviously I am happy for them to get whatever they get out of interacting with other dogs.

Mrs RB, has your girl met any curly coat poodle crosses who do have good, stable dog manners and who she can interact politely with? I get that some of them can be silly and inappropriate but some behave appropriately like dogs too. Saxon (6kg curly poodle x) very rarely has a problem with dogs of all shapes and sizes because he does understand dog language and interact appropriately. He does not approach all dogs, some he judges as best avoided (probably yours from the sound of it TBH) but if he and the other dog mutually approach he behaves the same as any other dog. ETA -I think part of my definition of a "stable, polite dog" is that it can deal appropriately with all types of dogs as long as they are also being appropriate regardless of clashing styles or past experiences. That is not saying that they have to play or interact for long, just be able to be near them and deal with an interaction if it happens. And it is definitely NOT saying that a dog I don't class as stable and polite is a bad dog, plenty of dogs that require a bit more management are still great dogs, just not the type who should be given the type of free reign I'm talking about to make decisions about which other dogs they greet (hence my approach to Riley).

Whether people want to let their dogs greet unknown dogs is up to them, I'm not saying everyone should, just observing that it seems to be a natural behaviour, not as some have said (not you huski), something that dogs don't want to do or that is inappropriate behaviour. Whether or not I get value from saying hello to people (which I would actually say I generally do get a positive feeling from) is different because I am constrained by the human idea of politeness whereas dogs aren't.

Yes, I think that's an important thing to understand and acknowledge about your own dogs. I step in and decide for Riley much more frequently than the other two because he is not exactly a natural with other dogs.

I certainly don't think it disadvantages dogs necessarily not to greet strange dogs but seeing as they appear to choose to do it when given the opportunity presumably it has some value to them.

Another thing I've been pondering. It's come up often in discussions about off leash area interactions that it is inappropriate to allow a dog to go up to another dog without the owner being asked if it is ok. Some people have said they would kick a dog away if it approached theirs without their permission and it has been said that dogs naturally only want to interact with their own pack members and selected known dogs, not with unknown dogs, and have no need to play with dogs outside their pack. I spend a lot of time in off leash areas and have in a range of different localities now. I tend to walk around in off leash parks and my dogs follow along generally pretty close to me. Within reason, I let them decide for themselves where they want to go, what they want to sniff, and which other dogs they want to approach (disclaimer - there are plenty of circumstances where I call them close to me and don't let them approach based on cues from other dogs, people and my own judgement. I never make them greet or interact with another dog if they don't want to and if another dog or owner seems uncomfortable I will call them away.) My observation has been that across the board in the places I've been to when the dogs are left to make their own decisions nearly all dogs will approach the other dogs they come across and engage in greeting behaviour, sniffing and checking each other out, even when they haven't met before or do not know each other well. It seems to depend on the dogs where things go from there, often they will both just move on once they've sniffed hello, some will initiate a game with some dogs, sometimes there is a bit of posturing and sometimes if one dog is being rude or over the top there will be a bit of one telling the other to calm down but generally appropriate dog interactions controlled by the dogs. I get that not all dogs will be appropriate and there are some dogs who should not be given the opportunity to decide for themselves but it seems to me from my informal study that the natural behaviour of stable domestic dogs is actually to approach other dogs and interact with them. Thoughts? Do you let your dog approach others? How do you handle unknown dogs approaching yours? * I am talking about in off leash areas, not dogs illegally off leash that approach yours on leash.

Kirty wasn't seeking advice on how to manage the dog in her home, saying she couldn't understand how it happened or asking how to prevent it happening again. I'm sure lesson is learnt and next time she would do things differently. She was asking for advice on how to tell her friend what happened and best help her moving forward. I'm not sure all the advice on what kirty "should have done" is all that necessary TBH.

Just watching Quinn going to open the oven, as she does, with food in it, and calling off with me just saying "Quinn, don't". And she is a confident and assertive Aussie. They are SO trainable, what a pity your colleague doesn't have the knowledge or confidence to do more training with hers Not that you can do anything about that, other than suggest/hope she gets some help from someone. Feel for you

OMG, if people still approach when he's wearing that then you should bite them yourself!

Oh no, how difficult I think you have to tell her the full story of happened, as you have told us. I would hate for something like that to happen with mine and not to know about it. And don't forget, if she isn't aware and you are not available next time she could leave the dog with someone less savvy and understanding than you and end up with a real problem. You are a considerate and reasonable person and I'm sure she will understand you are just trying to help her, and you can't be responsible for whether or not she can go on holiday. Just thinking actually, maybe don't tell her very first thing when she gets back, just say her girl really missed her and was anxious without her in a strange place, then the next day tell her the full story? Just so she doesn't feel like she went straight from the high of the holiday to a problem with the dog. But i do think you have to tell her quickly what happened.