Pretty Miss Emma

I'm handling a young rough collie that belongs to my friends, I want more experience as a newbie and they wanted their dog shown! Anyway, it was his 2nd ever show on Friday (at a couple of days over 6 months old) and he got reserve challenge, RUBOB and also Minor in Group!!! I was very excited, a great experience for me (and a confidence booster!); and his owners were absolutely thrilled!!! Hamish didn't do so well, but he had a nice day out!

I was pretty excited (& extremely nervous!!!!) today as I got to handle a dog to my first ever in show judging! It is only the second time he's been shown, & he's got me the dodgy novice handler!! But his owners were just so excited when he got res challenge, then RUBOB, and then we thought that would be it & he got minor in group! I've done a group line up before, but this really challenged me and my nerves!! But it was so exciting handling such a gorgeous boy to such a good result (& as a VERY new show-er/handler it gave me a bit of confidence!), maybe one day we'll even get an in show award!! Congrats to the lovely dobe who won minor!!

I only got her this evening so she hasn't been in her crate for longer than 10 minutes.. And se started biting her crate and whining badly.. I introduced the cage to her slowly with food and toys.. But she only goes in to get her toys and come out right after. I have no idea what to do for tonight. Do I just put her into her cage and let her whine until she quiets down? What is she doesn't? >< I have to say when I got Kenzie I did this - it was around 1.5 hours of awful screaming til she had exhausted herself and fell asleep. And it also happened for each of the following nights for around a week. I then also had quite a bit of difficulty in getting her to settle happily in a crate for some time. Hamish - happy in the crate from moment 1. Slept the whole first night through locked in and have never had a problem ever. Each dog is different. But if she's already not liking the crate I'd be reluctant to to do the "locking and screaming" technique again. I'd be loking at other possible overnight arrangements until you can get her used to the crate. Did the breeder give you any feedback on how the pup coped with being in crates for vet visits or anything like that? Often that may be the only time they've been confined to a crate before going to their new home. ETA Definitely agree with what others have said in terms of if you keep her in the crate have it as close to you as possible preferably so you can put your hand in! (I ended up doing that with Kenz, and it was better!)

I was thinking like megan_, is it a crate or a puppy pen? Is it big enough to include a small toilet area (I use a little patch of fake grass with a puppy pad underneath, at least then the pup can get the texture right for toileting)? I also probably would have said if it is a baby puppy, when they're awake at first I take them outside about every 30 minutes, plus after eating/sleeping/playing/exciting event and like megan_ said wait until they've gone regardless of how long that takes. Also there will have been signs - they just might have been very subtle and very quick! Watch her closely and you'll figure out her signs! What training are you doing to help her get used to the crate/puppy pen? Remember chances are she's just been torn from the family she has spent the last 8 weeks with and now you want her to happily sit on her own in a pen. Not that there is anything wrong with that as a concept, but what are you doing to make this a great place to be and to keep her mind busy rather than her pining for her new family to come back to her? And yes, it's day 1, there will be mistakes, there will be a big learning curve, but good for asking quickly!!

I tried the VIP roll I think but it tended to disintergrate to mush once it had defrosted. I always use the chicken/ham loaf from the human food section.

We are so rarely off lead for this reason Pers. Today was a different situation and it was required, just crappy that the environment didn't help me out! And your second point - that's almost becoming my mantra!!!! And certainly her improvement has been brilliant, I guess I'm just frustrated because there is so much brilliance and then this happens - then it feels like we're heading back to where we've come from (and I know that maybe that probably isn't so true, but it feels like it at the time).

Snook I think you're on the right track with her going over threshold with her arousal levels. What sort of things have you done with Justice to work on controlling arousal levels? I think that is where I'm at a bit of a loose end. i guess to some extent is about her learning a bit more self control. So if anyone has some good self control games/training ideas... Hmm was there a thread about that recently also?

I need some ideas please. The best way I can describe it is as "losing their head", that is they go off and they just can't seem to hear to you or respond to you. How do you a) stop this from happening (yes, focus work is part of it, but what else)? b) if it does happen how do you get them to hear you and come back to you? Kenz had a moment today where she just lost her head, she was being a bit of a lunatic and if she could hear me calling her there was absolutely no sign of it. She eventually did calm down and come back to me but no where near as fast I want and I don't want her to have done any of the things she did between losing focus on me and coming back to me. It was the environment that caused this - highly stimulating, a bundle of dogs started up a barking chorus (which is what took her focus off me) and then she just lost her head and anything moving grabbed her attention over me as did anything else that looked fun to her. We have been doing lots of work on staying with me, following me, focus and this hasn't happened in a looooong time - but I don't want it happening at all. Her reactive nature does not help, but that is getting much much better. Anyway, it left me very upset and I'm just wondering if anyone has some alternative ideas that I can try out with her.

Melbourne and Sydney will be the main places she is spending time.

Most of the shows we've been in have been in alphabetical order of prefixes. We are often first because the prefix starts with 'e', & I so don't want to be first because we are still learning!!! There have been times when others have gone ahead of me (we both agreed to that) and we've just let the stewards know that's what we wanted and why. I'm now getting brave enough that I cope much better going in first!!!

Kivi sounds a bit like Hamish, in that it seems to have been a fairly sudden on set. At least it's not distress barking, and interestingly when I get home he is always calm, happy, quiet. But I don't like to think he's upset, or annoying the neighbours (not that it sounds like he is, but I'm conscious of it). He is very much a mummy's boy! Will have to see if I can find a way to determine length and type of cry.

Thanks! Noted!!

He's probably not tired when I leave because I just can't do anymore than I do with him in the morning as it is. I leave for work at around 7am or just after and getting up any earlier is just not a possibility (I'm sttarting to wonder if I have sleeping issues as I can't get to sleep at night!). I'd love to be able to walk him in the morning, but as it is I struggle to function and be ready for work. At the moment I can't give him access to one room, when I move I'm hoping that this will be a possibility. But that is in the future. And yes he has his kennel, his trampoline bed (well 2 of them!), an undercover verandah, a garden. I'd like to set up a video/webcam - there could be some technical issues with that, ie. me!!! But that is an option I will investigate if I can find someone who can help me and who has a camera I can borrow. It's just a bit of a mystery to me. I do wonder if it is because he has come to work with me since being a baby and he just prefers that over being on his own. Kenz is great at home on her own not a sound (mostly), so I hope that Hamish can eventually be as good as her!

I was talking to my neighbour today and he mentioned that Hamish has been "crying" when I go out and he's home alone. So, Hamish is now about 11.5 months old. As a baby he was brilliant at home on his own, not a peep from him and happy as larry! But this has started up sometime in the last few months. Apparently the "crying" is not that annoying, he more feels sorry for Hamish. From what I gather it's a whimpery sook, not howling or barking or anything like that. Hamish is a lucky duck and gets to come to work with me a couple of days a week. His usual routine is Monday home alone, Tuesday at work with me, Wednesday at home with Kenzie, Thursday home alone, Friday at work with me. If he's home with Kenz apparently he doesn't sook at all. When he's home alone he gets - variety of toys, 2 kongs with his breakfast, treat ball/plastic bottle with dry food, something chewy. At least one of the cats is also usually out with him (and they do tend to spend a bit of time together). He does a bit of digging in the garden (don't care if he does if it keeps him happy). Ideally I'd prefer to not always leave him with access to the house, but he is quieter when he has this as I think he just sits at the front window and waits for me. I'm wondering if anyone has some other ideas for me to try??? I think if we were a three dog family it would probably be ok because he'd have another dog with, but that is not going to happen for a while - until I'm ready for another dog and he's a bit more grown up and trained. So, any ideas welcome!!!!!

You could well and truely put Hamish in his place - that's how he greets almost every new person he meets!!!! We're working on that changing!

She will likely be happy to go up to Brissy if you can get numbers but it may not be til 2014 most likely when she is back in the country for a prolonged period of time! See above post and let me know details and I will pass them on.

For all those interested in Melbourne classes can you please send me a PM or email to [email protected] and tell me which part of the city you are in. The person Trisven13 is in contact with about this is one of my best friends and she and I have been trying in the last 2 days to hatch a plan about Melbourne classes but I have been busy selling my house! So now that is done I'll try to get something in the works!!

With a dog, I'd LURVE to be living in Williamstown/Newport - beach visits every day!!!!

In my limited experience I've found if one goes through the othr will follow!!!

Have you thought about offering an extra bond? Or even offering to pay $5-10 more a week? I know it's often tight money-wise but maybe that would sway somebody?

So obviously lots of people were breaking the law down at the beach on the weekend! Oh well, they were equally as well behaved as any other dog there! It would be nice to have such laws reviewed to determine if theya re still appropriate.

I've been noticing lots of greyhounds around recently, they seem to be becoming more popular in pet homes. I think they are gorgeous dogs and while probably not great in my home I think they are probably a birlliant dog for a lot of people (certainly I've got a couple of friends I'd recommend them to!). Anyway, the questions I have are about the laws around greyhounds, and I was just wanting some clarity. Obviously I'm in Vic, and the laws may be different state to state. But... - Do all greyhounds, except those that have gone through GAP, have to wear muzzles when out and about? - Are greyhounds allowed off lead? - I know there are restrictions on the greyhounds, why aren't there the same restrictions on other sighthounds? When I ahd my 2 down at the beach the other day there were several greyhounds there, Hamish just thought they were great!!! And even Kenzie enjoyed playing chasey with them 9and she's the fussy one!). it was nice to see them somewhere where I don't normally see them! Anyway, just wondering!

I've been noticing on Facebook that there seem to be results pages for some breeds, so far I've seen Aussie Shep's and Finnish Laphunds. Is there one for Border Collie results in Australia? Maybe one day Hamish would have his name on it!!! But just wondering if there is already one in existence as I'd be interested in seeing the results seeing as though we can't make it to many shows.

I'm glad about that because I'm sure I read something different to the 8th and a friend had told me her entries were in and the due date had passed! From the sounds of it maybe both of us were right!

Depends on what you are looking for. Something like Four Paws that Alkhe mentioned will do short courses, I have heard positive things from a couple of people that have used them. If you are looking for group classes there are a variety of dog clubs around. In Niddrie (about 15min from you) there is Keilor Obedience Dog Training Centre. There is the Northcote Obedience Dog Club (probably about 15 min in the other direction!). They are probably your 2 closest and maybe Northern Obedience club which I think is the one in Moonee Ponds that Alkhe mentioned. If I were in your situation I'd head down and have a look at how they work (Keilor - Sunday mornings, Northcote and Northern - Saturdays) and see if you're happy with them. Because you're central at least you have a couple to choose from!