Staff'n'Toller

It's 'cause he still has his bits. ;) It will subside some weeks after desexing, but he will probably forever mark on trees whilst out on walks etc. Mel.

You can send it to me if you want- I'll upload it to my photobucket and link it to this thread. Mel.

Charene you've got lots of things going on there. You need to get in touch with a Behaviourist or Dog Trainer in your area who can work with you and the dog face to face. Mel. ;)

Last time I checked Saturday wasn't a weekday ADTians! Mel.

Yup that is exactly what you should do he is telling you very efficiently that he is scared/unsure about the situation that he's in, if you take him away back to his comfort level, you'll build his trust in you. He will start to feel more confident that you will protect him from situations where he feels uncomfortable. ;) Mel.

Sorry Sidoney I'm talking purely obedience trialling. Mel.

Henrynchlo my thoughts are that if I can take my dogs anywhere and they are obedient - then it's pi** easy to teach them a trial routine. I'd like to prove it to everyone but I find trialling so boring and pointless I don't have the motivation. Woe is me. Anyways....off I trudge to the Delta CGC Intensive. Mel.

Most people have no idea how differentiate between the clubs- they join the cheapest on alot of occasions. I explain the differences in my puppy schools and encourage people to go and see a private club vs. a public one, and I explain the differences between each. That information isn't available to most people- they would not know where to look or what books are the right ones to read. If I have trouble teaching my first puppy to stop jumping on people- how do I get involved and start making changes in a club exactly???? I fell into my first club- ADT - they had good marketing and impressive dogs- lucky the instructors had a good education in training and behaviour, or my old kepie wouldn't be with me today- he was a ratbag! Mel.

Because they never stay long enough...they get bored, dog doesn't learn to walk on a loose lead soon enough, instructors can't help them with their behavioural problems at home. A dog that can't walk nicely on a lead doesn't get walked. A dog that can't settle in the house gets left outside and is ignored. A dog that can't sit still and wait to get out of the car doesn't get driven anywhere. A dog that is too bouncy around the kids gets banished outside. A dog that is ignored out in the backyard for long enough eventually ends up in the pound. If the club can't cater for what the average dog owner needs, the average dog owner doesn't return. I know of no club at the moment who databases their retention rate- I don't just mean overall figures of dogs graduating up in the levels- I mean individual membership numbers 'how often does memeber #5630 attend?'- we started doing it at my last pet dog club, it's expensive and time consuming- and we had the money and the time. Mel.

I feel this is a very interesting topic, coming from a pet dog training background. I'm training at a positive club at the moment but it still has a very 'competition' focused ideal- I stand to be corrected but that's how it appears to me. It would also appear to me that 95% of the membership have no interest in trialling and would not know what a CDX title is, they are there to train their dogs to be well behaved at home- not in the trial ring. I actually have to disagree with you YB, I feel that the trialling ring is totally fake- I can teach a pattern to my dog quite easily, but up the criteria and have the dog sit/drop/stay/heel at a shopping centre or a school fete- to me that is real obedience and shows self control on the dogs part. Other daily life skills that I feel are much more important than an out of sight stay are waiting to be invited inside the house; waiting to be asked to hop out of the car; not running out the gate or front door of the house; not barging through doors at home; recalling under distraction at the dog park; good manners with visitors, new people and children i.e. four paws on the floor; getting off couches and beds when asked; settling inside- the list goes on! None of these vital and sometimes life saving skills seem to be taught at a traditional trial club. Mel.

Maybe a second opinion would be helpful, sounds as though the Vet thinks it is Atopic allergies without actually doing the testing to confirm it? It could be a food allergy- what does she feed at the moment? Cortisone is soooo cheap, she could put him on that for a month and at least give him a break from the itchies.... She could also try the prescription diet Hills Z/D ultra- it's worth a try, he'd only be eating a cup a day or so, and she'd need to only feed that for 6weeks to see if it has any effect. Also vacuuming every day and placing a flea collar in the vacuum bag can be very helpful as you suck up the eggs if the vacuum cleaner has good suction. Hope that helps a bit....the Vet should be able to offer at least some band-aid solutions taking into account her financial situation but some Vets don't like using cortisone long term because of it's side effects- I know that I'd rather have a dog that is comfortable if that's all I could afford. Unfortunately though, some dogs have such bad allergies that it's kinder to PTS- does the dog have any Westie in it?? ETA can u post up some photos? Perhaps she should change to Advocate in case it's sarcoptic or demodectic mange???? Mel.

I bought my tunnel from here: Agilityclick it was the cheapest we could find in Oz. Quick delivery but they are made in Melb and I'm in Melb too. It's great quality though, and can be lifted by one person- something I didn't consider when shopping around- they can be really heavy. Mel.

It's not actually the sport itself that I dislike it's the way it's played/trained here in Australia. I have heard from other trainers that in America they are recognising that injuries happen because the dogs are so hyped up that the adrenalin blocks the pain receptors. Over there they are practicing a much more controlled style of flyball rather than the dogs being hyped up off their faces. And I can't stand the barking!!!! There's no need for it...we run fast in agility and there is a lot less noise!!! Mel. ETA: The Stafford in my avatar has bad elbow dysplasia and bad patella's so I don't want to go through the heartache again.

I'm not sure that I'm interested in running him in flyball- after I see the amount of flyball dogs that visit Michelle Monk for Physiotherapy on a regular basis. He will do agility later on and more possibly retrieving.... Mel.

Nuh-sorry, obedience stuff to do. Mel.

Yes Sparty but that would mean I'd actually have to drive them there to get them to go!!!!!

Oi you two get your own thread!! Mel.

Thanks Clover- let me know how much it costs you or I'm happy to exchange for dog toys, cuz balls etc. TJ: have pm'd you. Mel.

Advantix by Bayer- kills fleas, ticks and repels flies and mozzies. Working a treat down here in Melbourne! Mel.

Hi Everyone.... I run Puppy Pre-School courses, and I always plug Agility and Flyball as great dog sports to get into. Everyone gets a handout on each sport and webpage and contacts for them. Up until now I describe each sport and talk about it, but I'm not sure the people that have never seen it understand how much fun it really is. I have just secured a TV and VCR so that I can show some short video footage of each sport, I feel that will really get people motivated. So, would anyone be so kind to lend me some footage that they have of either sport? I would be sooooo appreciative. Also, if anyone has anything from the 'Great Outdoor Games' (ESPN) where they do the novelty Agility races, just jumpers or weavers that would be fantastic! I'm happy to pay postage, or send up videos/dvd's for copying, and return postage. Cheers, Mel.

Poor boy...sounds like he's in excellent hands though! Look forward to seeing some pics of him down the track. Mel.

Have you got a jacket or rug for him to wear? It's starting to get chilly in the mornings, if he's warm in his kennel he might just stay asleep. Weatherbeeta Dog Rugs I would crate train him inside, 5.30am is the time it starts to get light, and as you know the birds start...so it's only natural that pups will wake up at that time. My Toller pup wakes up at that time when sleeping on my bed, so he gets put into his crate with a dark sheet over the top and I get an extra hour or so kip. Mel.

I have Roseline, they are gorgeous to use and resharpen as good as new. Mel.

I have used Proheart SR-12 injection in the past, Interceptor (now spectrum), at the moment I'm using the regular Heartgard once a month. I wouldn't use liquid ivermectin- as Nadia states it's off label- it's also probably the cattle type put into bottles, you must be sure of the correct dosage and when you can buy it in a meaty cube I'm not sure why you'd bother. I have heard on a dog discussion list that the Naturopathic Vet's recommend 6weekly or every-second-month dosing if you're worried...but I have never had a problem with monthly dosing and to be honest I'm more concerned about monthly dosing of pesticides and their residual effect! I would much rather dose with Heartgard once a month when the alternative is to treat with arsenic should one of my dogs be infected due to missing heartworm treatments or not treating. Just my two cents worth all in....where did the peace flag go?? :rolleyes: Cheers, Mel.

Are you in a grid formation while you are listening or can you move out and find your own space, whilst still being in earshot of the trainer? Long sits and drops are boring especially to young dogs, I would take a small tuggy in with me and play a little tug in between asking her for sits, or take some treats and use those only for treating her attention on you- i.e. sitting nicely and looking up at your face. I usually release my dogs as I have a special word that means they are on their own time, and get down and give them a scratch and a pat etc. As a class participant I feel as long as I'm listening to the instructor then that should be ok, and as an Instructor I don't mind that ppl do that as long as they are listening in... :D Just my 2 cents... Mel.