Skye GSD

I am flying with Qantas from Perth to Sydney next week with my GSD - have pre-booked my crates both ends (returning to Perth 4 days later) with Dogtainers ($50 per crate) and will be lodging my dog myself as well as picking up both ends. Cost for flying Skye on the same flight as me is $168 each way. Have also pre-booked an Avis rental car and they had no restriction on me carrying my dog apart from extra charge if detailed car grooming required. As you can guess (or anyone who has/had a GSD) Skye will be wearing a body coat while in the car and extra blankets have been packed :laugh: Skye is crate trained so no worries there - I would not contemplate medicating and majority of vets are now advising against it.

:laugh: DITTO!!!

Knew that feeling well a year ago - apart from the lunging I couldn't even have a conversation with anyone because I couldn't hear what they were saying due to Skye barking so naturally people avoided us like the plague. Now people stop and comment on my well-trained dog so makes the hard work so worthwhile. I definitely hear what you're saying BC Crazy - good luck for next Friday!

Thanks Showdog - much appreciated.

Flying from Perth to Sydney next month - are there any restrictions in packing dry dog food in your luggage?

m-sass & ChristineX - we are on the same page I, too, am hoping to be able to pass my knowledge on to others at club level and will certainly look at instructing again when my wild child is a little older and wiser :D Having trained three other dogs at different times to high level obedience and also instructed in the past, nothing prepared me for my reactive girl so it has been a whole new learning curve. Just wish I could have had the knowledge I have now when she was a puppy and things could have progressed so much quicker. Still, we should never stop learning and it has certainly given me so much empathy for other reactive dog owners.

I think the problem with having a reactive dog class is getting instructors who have multiple tools in their training box and not just one method. Having participated in a reactive dog class with 10-12 other reactive dogs, with the only command being shouted by the instructor was "feed/feed/feed" and 50% of the class with dogs that were not food orientated,let me tell you, it was not my idea of "fun". The second week, only six dogs/handlers turned up - one would have thought this would have been food for thought on the training regime but no. Same ritual, same result and ridicule for those that didn't show. Needless to say, I have never returned to that club. Move forward one year, K9 Pro programs and we now belong to two All-Breeds clubs who have no problem with me working my agenda on the outskirts of a class if need be. We are still a "work in progress" with the majority of learning being done by this handler :) but unless you have owned a reactive dog you cannot begin to understand the frustration that these handlers go through. Add that to being treated like you have a contagious disease and it can be a very lonely existence with the majority of these dogs consigned to a life in the backyard only.

You will be in good hands with Steve Courtney. I use Triangle of Temptation every day - you have to feed your dog every day so it is an easy program to put in to place.

Totally agree with a vet check. This behaviour could be related to a brain tumour. In the meantime, I would be keeping both dogs separated at all times.

Try him with a flirt pole - Skye was neither toy nor food driven but LOVES the flirt pole.

Aggressive GSD with SWF - SWF thinks if you can't beat it, smother it! PS - only breed I think we should all be wary of is the loose one with no owner in sight.

All my adult daughter's have had their own GSD's and we have all had bitches. Our previous bitches all socialised together and there was never a cross word between them. On passing of the older two, we bought new bitches at different times and we cannot run any of them together, even tho' the new puppiies were introduced at an early age. Once the puppy licence ran out it was all on. We have two 7 year olds (who got on famously with 2 previous bitches but now will not tolerate one another or the new members), a 2 year old (Skye)who retaliates when challenged and a 1 year old (Abbey) who has a submissive nature but still gets picked on by all. I believe it is a fight for the alpha position as our original two bitches were the matriachs and kept the others in line with their calm and gentle natures. However, you cannot force them to be friends so we manage the situations at all times and all bitches are separated unless on lead for walks. It is a total PITA but better to manage than have a disaster.

I said "not oozing with great trainers" NOT there were none. I would have continued to search WA if I had not sent an email to Steve Courtney and been totally satisfied with our progress. Why is it that some people cannot be happy that someone else is having success with their dog - irrespective of the method used??????

No where in my postings have I ever stated that WA does not have great trainers. Del at Alert Dog Training was great and we had several one-on-one training sessions but was too far away to make it a regular thing. I just happened to contact Steve out of frustration and due to referrals from other DOL members and find that his program is working fantastically for Skye (and me) so have no need to widen my search in WA. I have even flown to Sydney for one of Steve's workshops and intend taking Skye early in the new year unless we can organise a workshop in WA. So, as you can see, I am totally committed to Steve's program and if I wasn't getting results I would not be prepared to outlay my time, money and effort for no return. I am doing positive training as in "positive" for our situation and have stated many times that we should use whatever method works on your dog - there is no one size fits all.

JoeK - thank you for your personal assessment of my dog (via this forum of course) but you are way off mark! I would also like to thank you for your personal referral to Kathy - unfortunately I cannot take up this recommendation as I already have a GREAT trainer whose EMAIL advice I value greatly and the results speak for themselves. Have a great day!!!!

Geez JoeK - for someone who professes to have experience in the handling of high-drive dogs I am extremely disappointed in your reaction on this thread. As others have noted, WA is not oozing with great trainers for "problem" dogs and if you have followed my posts you will know that I am not an inexperienced handler of GSD's. My choices of personal training were either food (Skye is not food driven in a reactive state) or to shut her down completely with a choke chain which I did not want to do. I did my homework and the results I am having with Steve's DLP far outweigh any personal training I had received. Shouldn't all training be about what what works for your dog? I have an ecstatically happy dog who loves her training and I owe that to Steve Courtney so get rid of the green-eyed monster and accept that it is the success of the clients/dogs that make GREAT trainers.

David - I am watching this thread with interest. I, too, train with a pinch/prong collar on my reactive GSD. Compared to where we were six months ago her behaviour is beyond belief and the comments we get on the street is testiment to the training we have put in. Tomorrow is D-day and back to a club environment (new club I might add) where handlers only attend the first session. I have done foundation work on the fringes of the training area with great success but believe they will only accept haltis/flat collars/martingales and check chains. Also believe that there is a varied approach to training with new-age and old-age trainers so keen to find out more.

Hi GoldenGirl85 - the program is tailored to each dog's personality/behaviour and does require you to complete a questionnaire specifically designed to give Steve this feedback so the program I have for Skye would not neccessarily fit others. It is all about learning the triggers for your dog's behaviour and practising within their comfort zone before taking it "on the road". Skye was neither food nor toy driven in a reactive state so consequently I had a dog that I could not take in to a training class let alone walk past other dogs on the street without a reaction - she had no ears and her only purpose in life was to either play (as a puppy) or aggressively react to other dogs in the near vicinity. Skye is also not fear/aggressive so consequently it has all been about embracing the drive she has and finding her passion which is a tug toy. Due to the training I have done with Steve's guidance (we live in WA so all our communication is by email) Skye is now seeing me as more valuable than other dogs and she is coming along in leaps and bounds. I honestly cannot praise this program enough - Skye is my 5th GSD and my most challenging so even with the experience I have had with my previous dogs, I was at a loss as to how and make it work for Skye and me. Thankfully we have found the answers.

Re the Loose Leash Walking program offered by Steve Courtney at K9Pro. I cannot praise it enough. I have gone from a barking,lunging,re-active GSD to one that walks beside me on a loose leash and altho' alert, she looks to me for direction. We now walk every morning with my grandson in his stroller and the comments I have from passers-by is so rewarding. We also had a few dogs that Skye would react badly to - I can now say that we can walk past these dogs with no aggressive reaction. From where we were twelve months ago (out in the training wilderness) the mentoring I have received from Steve has been invaluable. Drop him an email and outline your concerns/problems or check the K9Pro website out. PS - we also have a 5 mth old Maltese/Shitzu who will be following the same program as I believe size does not make the behaviour any "cuter" and if she was Skye's size, I reckon she would be classified as reactive/aggressive!!!!!

I have had this happen to me as well - on several occasions - and enough to make me terribly nervous when I see a bully breed running loose. As I have a reactive GSD, this would not bode well for any of us. Everyone should be able to walk their dogs on lead anywhere without the fear of running in to loose dogs. Unfortunately I cannot see any great improvement unless councils are prepared to put more manpower in to governing this area and raising the fines for non-compliance.

Totally agree LizT - RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP - irrespective of breed.

Ooooops - sorry Shell - pleased BorderBo paid you for it in advance

PS - and Bo is wearing his prong collar with pride!

Just had to add this photo Vicki as it typifies the bond you and Bo have - a partnership meant to be. HB xx

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