Pretty Miss Emma

I had both of mine by yesterday evening.

My friend did the ET and passed it last weekend! yay for her and her dog!! I'm looking trying to find schedules for the last few of the year. I've found the East Gippsland one and been able to print that out. But I can't seem to find one for the Western Port one that is at the end of June. Does anyone know where to find that? I went to the Contact Us page for the club and it won't show properly so I can't even send an email to ask them for one!!! I'm hoping that I might be able to get Kenz ready for one of these, but if not then it will have to move to next year (again!).

Have you looked at Jean's Puppy Preschool? I've been to her classes in Essendon and Niddrie. My puppies loved it and her! They still remember and love her when we run in to her!

Ok, I found out it's called Mitchel (or Mitchell) agility club and they're training in Wandong.

Bulla Agility Dogs have lessons on Monday evenings out at the bulla dog facility. But I don't know what the wait is at the moment. Still may be worth getting in touch with them to find out. I believe there is also something up near sth morang on a Sunday (could be totally mistaken about the area! I'll try to find out and let you know!!).

K9 nosetime For those interested in the nosework seminars you might be interested in looking at this page. The finer details are not yet set as I understand but work is underway and as more news is available I'll pass it on!!

And people wonder why kids get bitten - how can they learn if their parents won't let them!! That child should have been told to stay home for the day if the parent objected, it is unreasonable to do what was done. My dog gets taken to schools and if we were told those arrangements at the time of booking we would say that we would either not bring the dog or that we would not be able to accept the booking.

I needed a laugh/smile today and this gave it to me!!!

I agree with sending a formal letter to the club, and I would also send a copy of that to the council for their records. And also agree with checking the lease arrangements and how these are communicated to the public. We have a slightly different but similar issue at our dog club. A football club has started using the ground in the last year or 2, and their memebers are absolutely revolting bullies. One day when we had the ground booked for an event a whole bunch of them showed up and hung around in the carpark, were wandering around being intimidating, were harrassing the dogs as they were being taken back to cars (or waiting in cars while we packed up equipment), were deliberatly getting in people's way and were taunting people - they are just disgusting. They will often show up when we have the grounds booked for training and they will run past the dogs that are at tether posts (with a sign clearly saying to stay away from the dogs) and will come and kick footballs on the ground during our class times. The council isn't interested in the dog club even though we've been leasing the grounds for over 10 years, they always side with the football club. We also have to collect used banadages, broken bottles and cans from the grounds almost every time we have training because they just leave them there. And I won't even mention what state they leave the shared club rooms in. Another issue we have are the personal trainers that will use the ground and run their sessions through the classes and will run people through groups of dogs that are moving to class. I'd like to be more tolerant and community minded but I'm finding these people are making it very difficult for me to feel anything positive towards sporting groups. We have signs that the council has given us to put up at the perimeters of the grounds to let people know that training is on. But many people just ignore these and do what they want and the council really doesn't listen to anthing from the dog club. It's really disappointing.

PetPlan, just under $40 per dog per month. Haven't had to use them but moved to them after a great deal of researching. The way I deal with the litter tray is to clean it every time there is anything in it! When I get home I check the tray before the dogs are let in, generally if they are in the house I'll know if it has been used. I used to have a baby gate to the laundry, but one of my cats has some lower back pain and it makes it difficult for him to scale (so I ended up with scratching poles everywhere so he could get over it!) and Kenzie taught herself how to open it!! So now I've just gone back to vigilance about the litter tray and the cats food all lives on the washing machine so they can get it and usually the dogs can't (Kenz has also taught herself how use the scratching pole to give herself some more leverage to be able to pull the bowl towards her if I don't put it far enough to the oppostie edge!) - be careful about getting a clever ratbag dog!!!!

So Snook, does it just wrap around their chest and then if they pull it tightens around the chest? I sort of feel like it doesn't look to apply pressure to enough parts of the body to act in the way an anxiety wrap does. But what would I know really! Interesting concept though.

All I'll say is never say never!!! You just never know! And we put so much work in to them, one day you might just be able to have a real go, and if not it doesn't matter so long as you are having fun and enjoying your dog! I totally understand the whole burst in to tears thing. I had that happen at an agility class. I was just gutted because there was someone else in the class who was just everywhere I was, didn't monitor their dog, their dog bullied everyone, she would throw the tennis ball in front of us and I spent the whole lesson walking Kenz out to calm her down. I then got told that my dog has a problem and this other person is very experienced and knows what they're doing so they were definitely not contributing to the problem. i just sobbed and sobbed because it was all I could do. It was so unfair. Have fun playing with DWD, again you never know you might end up being a superstar and end up with a super focussed dog who just wants to work for you and doesn't care for anything else while you're doing it!!!

An update after our day at agility... Well, we survived it even though I was a bit anxious and stressed!! Kenz did a great job in her 2 runs in jumpers, didn't get a pass but she did get 3rd I think it was in one of her runs. She followed me beautifully! Regular agility, hmm, well. It didn't start out well. Just as the runs were sstarting a guy and his 2 kids (about 4 years old) sprinted over towards the ring with their off leash dog (we had signs up everywhere saying the grounds were being used for training and to keep dogs on lead, but well you know) and to top it off all three of them were kicking footies - even better, kicking them towards the ring!!! So my stress levels sky rocketed, and I pretty much had talked myself in to scratching her. Why bother doing a run with those sorts of things going on outside the ring which are going to set her off. Anyway, someone went over and asked them to do all that elsewhere (to which apparently they were very rude and reluctant to go, but they did). So we did our run! It wasn't a great run, but Kenz lost focus once or twice and I managed to get her back each time, we ended up coming 4th I think! The second regular run I thought we'd be ok, and it wasn't until I started running her that I noticed a guy and his dog (again off lead) standing right at the edge of the ring near a tunnel and the dog walk. She came off a jump and saw them and went and barked at them - so I pulled her out fromdoing the rest of the run. I didn't think I could get her attention back full and I didn't want her having any reward for running off and doing that - and doing any more equipment would have been a reward for her. It was this behaviour last time that we got a warning for (but she did it for a long time then). It was nice, the judge commended me for making the decision to pull her out at that point rather than trying to get her going again and possibly being kicked out of the trial. But it left me pretty upset. We left the ring and I spent about 5 minutes doing tricks with her so that she could refocus and so I could do some really rapid high rewards for something really good. Her last 2 runs of the day were tunnellers (a course of about 16 tunnels - aka Kenzie heaven, and a big reason I didn't want her excused from the trial this is her FAVOURITE event!!!!). She was an absolute brilliant superstar. It's like someone has given her the course map and she memorises it before we run!! She is just so accurate, so focussed and SOOOOOOO fast!! She came 2nd in her first run (I lost my way on the course!) and 1st in her second run and both were qualifying runs! :D She did me very proud today!!! Yes we had a bad moment, and I was probably a bit too emotional over it. but she was so brilliant in so many other ways, and the fact that we can wait in a line surrounded by dogs with a yappy little thing behind us with an owner that doesn't seem to understand when you say things like "she doesn't like other dogs too close" - well let's be honest that alone is jst such a mega milestone!! I was reading something on the DINOS facebook page about how we will feel when our reactive dogs leave us (knock on wood, god forbid, etc, etc) and how it is such an emotional thing because we put so much of ourselves in to them and spend so much time helping them cope with the world. It's so so true, not that my little Kenz is going anywhere but just whenever you even have a criticism of them, or they have a moment at a time when you really hoped they wouldn't it seems to be a much bigger deal than with other dogs because they are so special and individual and they just really are a very big part of us. Anyway, just wanted to mention! ETA - I just got my results for the day and in her second tunnellers run the course time was 41sec and she did it in 26sec!!!!

DWD is Dancing With Dogs!! And you start by becoming nerdishly addicted to watching people dance with their dogs on youtube!!! We're signing up to classes with the DWD club of Vic, so we will go to classes. But so far it seems some heeling and a few tricks means that you can think about getting a routine together. Then choose a song and figure out what you want to do to it! I'm thinking what we will include in our first routine will be heeling on the left and right, some spins while heeling, spins to change sides, walking leg weaves and stationary leg weaves. That may well be all we include, not sure yet. But interestingly Miss Kenzie who can lack focus at times, the moment we are doing things to music and throwing spins in to our heeling becomes such a super focussed dog who looks to be a bit of an addict to it all!!!

Is it really that common for a reactive dog to get black listed? When we were doing agility (might be going back to it now Noodle's leg is better :)) HEAPS of the dogs were aggressive/reactive! From what I've read on here, it seems almost like the majority of sports dogs have issues... what other sports could you try where she's not immersed in other dogs? Herding? Not common, and NADAC is much stricter about any sort of "innappropriate behaviour" than normal agility. The 2 times she's had a mental moment would probably have been completely ignored in "normal" agility (so I've been told by a friend who does that!). In NADAC if you're waiting in line and your dog barks/lunges at another dog that gets too close you could (would) be asked to leave the trial due to aggession, even though it is the other dog that has come in to your space. We do really well considering where we've come from - Kenz can now wait in the line (and not need a constant line of treats from me) and ignore most dogs that are near us. And like I said this has happened about 2 out of 60 runs - it's just that I'm soooo sensitive to her being called aggressive, because she's not, she's reactive. And she is such a beautiful girl who loves to work so much, it breaks my heart to think of stopping agility with her because I know how much she loves it. But yes, we are looking at other options. DWD for definites!!! And I do want to start up herding with both my 2, I think Hamish would be great at it and I think it would be a good confidence builder for Kenz. I'd also like to do the next level of Rally but it's off lead and that's the bit I find scary!!!

I'll throw something else in to the mix, my Hamish at 8 weeks old was just over 6kg. He gained close to 1kg per week until he was about 15kg. They are all different so there is no "right weight" for a BC puppy of this age. You have to go by how they look and feel. You should be able to feel the ribs, but they shouldn't be poking out and be able to be seen. If you have a small BC then they're going to weigh less and be smaller. Hamish is now 13 months old and he weighs around 23kg, and he is at perfect weight (even though lots of people think he is skinny, but they have fat dogs!). On the other hand, my girl, Kenzie, she weighed 3.5kg when I brought her home and didn't get to 6kg til she was 12 weeks. She's now 3.5yrs and just under 20kg and she is a bit fat. There are no hard and fast rules you just have to go with how they look and if you can feel their ribs. If you're concerned then take him to the vet for a weigh in and ask them. But he's probably due for another vaccination soon so you'll probably chat about that then.

This is my constant dilema! Doing agility is one of the times I actually do get brilliant focus from her (on the whole), but then there is that rare occasion. And the problem is that rare occasion can have us black listed. I've tossed up the idea of just doing something else with her, but we both love it so much. At the moment I figure it;s a risk that I'll take. But we are trying other dog sports so I think for her having some variety is a good thing. And I have to just keep reminding myself of where we've come from and how much progress she has made. Tonight when we lef work there was a dog on the lawn outside our building, which I hadn't seen (as it was almost dark); it was only about 10m away from us; she saw it, the tail went up, and then she immediately sat beside me while I was locking the door and kept looking from the dog to me but primarily trying to focus on me. 12 months ago there would have been psycho spins and a barking mad lunatic dog. Moments like this are great for me just to remind me that no matter what happens sometimes on the off chance we've both made so much progress and while she is still a work in progress she has just come so so far! Thanks for thinking of us though!!

Kenzie mostly is ready Snook. It's a difficult one in many ways for me to grapple with. I'd say we've probably done close to 60 runs, and in that time she's had 2 times where she has just had a mental run around and barked at things/dogs/people (who are always on the other side of the barrier/fence). Those 2 times it's upset me immensely, but when I try to be senisble and look at it statistically 2 out of 60 times is actually good percentages. When she is focussed on me and running she is just absolutely brilliant. So I find it to be a major catch 22 situation!! The other thing is the 2 times she's had her mental moments, when she's come back to me (generally it's a 10-20 sec mental moment) she does exactly as she's asked and is calm almost instantly. The thing I find really difficult is how to train for this, the only times she does it is the 2 times I've mentioned! At agility class she's been doing really well and reactivity has been almost non-existant most of the time (due to some good management by me and some very thoughtful classmates who are aware of her behaviour, but also she has just become so much better at self managing). And it is something that she enjoys just so so much. So yeah, catch 22. I'm going to hope we go with the odds this weekend, especially because it is the last time we can do it for a while (we're moving house so she won't have classes to attend and I can only get to so many trials as it is). We're starting DWD, which I think is going to be great for her and help her with all of this reactivity business as it is very "us" centred and there is a lot of focus work involved. Given that she is a bit hypervigilant I think that will be good for her to start refocussing to me rather than her environment constantly. Anyway we'll just see how we go and cross our fingers, toes and paws for now!

I use Biozet laundry powder/liquid - dilute and then soak the affected area, leave for a little bit and then mop up.

Hamish had Petstages Heartbeat Pillow as a baby, it was one of the cheapest around. But he loved it and every time he stepped on it and made it start beating he would doze off to sleep!

Border Collie thoughts and hugs are with you from this household.

Biozet on everything in this house!

Hmm, so, trying to calm my nerves. I've entered Kenzie in to a NADAC agility trial on Sunday - 6 runs in all. Last time during 1 run she went mental - running around barking and being stupid and took a while to come back to me. I really don't want it to happen again because it is likely we will be told to leave the trial and may have a period of time where we aren't allowed to enter. The bit I don't like about it most is that if that happens she would be eliminated due to aggression. Except that it isn't aggession, it's reactivity. But the rules don't allow for any difference. So I'm just going to do my best to keep calm and if I think she's going to go mental then I'll pull her from the run. The biggest problem is that often there is no sign and then it just happens all of a sudden. Cross your fingers for me, because I will be beyond devastated if the worst happens.

Mine were crated in my room at night til they were at least 4 months old. I have a dog door so they can take themselves out to the toilet when needed, so once I know they can reliably use this or communicate with me that they need to go outside they don't have to stay in the crate. I had my 2 in a puppy pen til around 12 weeks. During this time I'd watch the baby with the older dog yo see what was going on, and the 2 would have short periods left together. Once I was satisfied that the older dog would be nice to the baby and that the baby wouldn't totally irritate the older dog then they started to be left together, and generally this was somewhere between 12-16 weeks old.

Nipping and barking can be signs of fear/anxiety. So I wonder if some of these dogs are actually just scared of the person. I know that Kenz will sometimes bark at people and then generally runs behind my legs or back to her crate. If I then go and speak to the person and ask her to say hello 90% of the time she will and all will be ok. But she is a somewhat nervous dog anyway. There are times though that it seems to be a clear dislike. I listen when she tells me that, I think it is for good reason! There is even one person at work who she seems to have as dislike of, she will pretend say hello after a bark but I can tell she doesn't trust them at all. For that matter neither do i!!! If Hamish tells me he's unsure of someone I always pay attention, he thinks everyone is his new best friend so the moment he doesn't think that it really makes me wonder why!