koalathebear

I agree. To be honest, because of the potential for misuse, I'd never actually recommend a prong to someone who hadn't gone to see a behaviourist first for training in its use. If someone didn't want to see a trainer but wanted to address pulling, I'd normally recommend a front fastening harness like the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness etc.

I think what I'm trying to point out is that apart from the Disinterested Owner or Less Committed Owner, some of us who are dog crazy and actually do spend a ridiculous amount of time on our dogs also choose to use a prong collar. I've read the posts on DOL where people say that if they had half an hour with x dog they could teach it to walk on a loose leash on a flat collar - I'd more than welcome them to try with my two :p They're smart dogs and know dozens and dozens of commands, are amazingly well-behaved and responsive, are not destructive, do not nuisance bark, are friendly with all dogs .... unfortunately they just LOVE to pull when we're out walking ... I am still working with them but they have had many, many MANY hours put into trying to teach them to walk on a loose leash with just a flat collar and we're still not there yet. I have no doubt we'll get there in the end, but until we do - I'm going to keep using the prong when I need to. ETA: I know it's garbled but I'm just trying to say that in defending the prong, it's not the case that it's just the preserve of the less committed owner. It's also used by conscientious dog owners.

I agree. But also, I think people often assume that just because you use a a prong collar it means that you are a lazy trainer. Both of my dogs have gone through beginners, bronze, silver and made it into the gold level obedience at our dog club and are generally very obedient. They also do agility. I have spent many, many hours on my dogs to try to work with them walking on a flat collar but they still love to pull when they are excited or being walked together. I have tried so many of the different techniques recommended with differing degrees of success - I've ever tried the 'farmer' style, walking beside the dog with a long cardboard tube to guide the dog back. The prong collar has worked best for both of my Kelpies - although I do alternate and switch back and forth between prong and flat collar to keep them guessing. Sometimes we go out for a walk with the prong, sometimes the flat collar. Sometimes I'll switch during the walk. I don't think my lack of success with loose leash walking is because I'm lazy. I spend a LOT of time on dogs - my own and foster. We've had two completely untrained foster Kelpies who we were able to train to loose leash walk on a flat collar in almost no time at all and then there was a third who was a serial puller like my own two. I really do think that sometimes it depends on the individual dog. One of the fosters had a lot of other issues because of a lack of training but it only took 10 minutes of training to get him to walk on a loose leash. I haven't given up and my goal is to eventually get my two to walk on a loose leash when on a flat collar but I do think that we're going to get there with continued use of the prong. I tried the prong on my own arm and wouldn't use anything on my dogs that was cruel. I also much prefer the prong to a head collar or a walking harness.

Awww, I'll be at work otherwise I'd be there, too :) We go to Casey with our two every Sundays and love it. Have fun. OH doesn't like Forde at all. My two like it well enough but as other people have pointed out, it's kind of small. Some photos of Forde here.

lavendergirl - I agree. And while there have been squillions of posts about "my puppy is biting me", those threads are often old and locked and it's still 'new' to the new puppy owner ... I usually try to search and read old threats before I post a question but I'm not going to flame anyone who doesn't do that. I hope you mean 'you' in the general sense and not 'you' as in 'me'.

Does that mean you disapprove of long-time users who have Koolies, other working line (non-ANKC) dogs etc posting on DOL? I think there might be a few of us who feel like we still make a (positive, non-whingey) contribution to the group nonetheless. I also own a crossbred mutt but I don't believe that I am denigrating ANKC dogs when I write about him on the forum.

It's ok, they probably wouldn't like the Grinch either ... :D

Choked on my coffee. Given that so many humans have an aversion to clowns and mimes, I reckon a dog could be forgiven for taking out a giant butterfly on stilts :p

Hullo - we are usually at Casey every week at 10 am with our two dogs - they are very friendly with all dogs. Well we don't go if the weather is disgusting but are always there otherwise :) Dogs at that hour always seem very nice - owners, too. Lando's Mum and Lando used to come but she has vanished ... chiggenwingz: cute! Kelpie? :) Is she a rescue? Have you heard any news on Diesel? I've messaged farmdogz but got zero response ...

Just got the RSPCA "Santa Paws" post on my facebook :) I am wondering what my two dogs would do when confronted by a scary-looking stranger in a red suit and beard.

Don't think he was that specific ... just categories like trainability/independence/affectionate etc I read it on DOL all the time, the people who love their smoochy velcro dogs who follow them to the loo and the people who hate that sort of clinginess :laugh: I'm so used to dealing with my biddable, crazily motivated and eager to please Kelpies that I don't think that I would know how to handle a dog that would give me the finger - which is why even though I'd love a shiba inu, I don't think that I can ever own one :laugh: kavik - how exciting about the search for a new dog. Alas, we won't be fostering again until next year otherwise you could have had an array of young Kelpies to scrutinise :laugh:

He was originally classified as dingo x acd but apparently some dingo experts thought that he looked like a pure Alpine dingo. No idea - I didn't think that there many pure dingos around anymore anyway ...

Queanbeyan show and Canberra Show? Will definitely go and watch those ones :) ETA: Casper's littermates who were also dumped at the pound. Very interesting-looking animals. No idea what the middle one is crossed with. Some guess bassenji. Yoicks!

I agree with you - I'd never own a dingo - too much work! But then again, someone once asked me why I own Kelpies when there are lots of other much nicer/easier to manage breeds around :laugh: It's like that Stanley Cohen book I guess - the breed you pick says a lot about the person you are. Some people sneer at me because my dogs are biddable/eager to please/have no shame - they want the aloof, elegant, independent dogs with dignity :laugh: Others want velcro dogs, others hate that!

I know! I wish we could have temp cared him because he was so lovely but he wasn't properly crate trained and we were fostering a tiny 6 week old border collie puppy so the logistics would have been nightmarish i.e. we didn't have the time to crate train him and our first priority was to our own foster dog. We did get photos of him though so that my Canadian husband (who already thinks that KELPIES are exotic - haha) could send photos back to his family in Toronto :laugh: 2 more photos of Casper the cutie

True, but my understanding is that while a wolf will always revert to type i.e. you can't really tame a wolf, some people have managed to be successful in having a pet dingo. The dingos that come into rescue only get homed with experienced owners. I'm definitely no expert though which is why I stick to Kelpies/Kelpie crosses for my fostering. Won't even foster cattle dogs because I don't understand them and am told they'd be too much dog for me :laugh: Casper was a cutie though Elbie and Hoover didn't like him much though - I think they sensed he was a bit 'different'. They looked at him very warily.

We met Casper the dingo puppy recently who was in foster care. He was a very pleasant, easy-going, quiet little puppy. I gather some people really like having dingos as pets and if they're experienced with the breed, then it seems to work out for them. We would have temp-cared him for a week if we didn't already have a foster with us.

I agree and I am super careful with our foster dogs and assessing their behaviours in different circumstances etc but the test is quite inflexible and some of the instant fails (with no discretion) are a little bit concerning. I'm intrigued that any dog passes, especially in a pound environment. I am not saying my dogs are perfect, but Hoover in particular is pretty bomb-proof and placid but even he will growl at strange dogs/strangers sometimes if they approach the house/approach him if he's on leash.

Heh she would just be marked down. That's not one of the 'instant fails'. Instant fails are "growls, snarls OR bares teeth" when approached in the pen which is so bizarre to me because growling can be such a normal response for a dog that isn't necessarily 'bad' Also, instant fail during vet check or play handling if: "GROWL, SNARL, BARE TEETH, BITE" - no caveat for "except if dog is injured and in pain" Also an instant fail if when meeting a strange dog: "SNAP, SNARL, GROWL, LUNGE OR BITE" Lots of dogs growl when meeting strange dogs - especially on leash ...

I thought that the toy one was interesting. The correct answer was: "Retrieves and returns toy - follow toy, sniff and leave toy" and the dog is marked down for: "Retrieves and runs away - will allow you to catch and take toy". My dog Hoover has zero resource guarding in him and is not possessive about toys at all but if you give him a toy, his favourite thing is to grab it and run to his crate/mat to play with it. He won't care if you take away from him, but he loves to make a pile of toys :D In , he grabs all the toys and takes them back to the kitchen crate.Also, Hoover sometimes likes to chase small dogs - he does nothing to them - just chases them - for which he would have lost 20 points. But if you see him here with our latest foster puppy (who is tiny), he is totally fine with small dogs and would not hurt them.

Hmm, both of my dogs went ok overall but Elbie would have been an instant fail because it says: "Comes to front - GROWL, SNARL OR BARE TEETH" when a stranger approaches cage. He would be fine if approached in a crate but when strangers come to our front gate, he will sometimes growl/snarl/bare teeth - although by the time stranger gets in backyard, he is wriggling for pats :p Also, my dogs frequently hackle when meeting new dogs but they don't do much more than that but the 'hackle' action is an instant 10 points.

As Miss Frida was going to her new family today, Dan gave her a bath. She was not impressed. But she's now all clean, sweet-smelling and fluffy. Her lovely new family drove a very long time (at least 9 hours) to get here. The meet and greet went very well and Frida headed off this afternoon on her long journey to her new home. It's always very hard to say goodbye to the dogs that we foster and I confess that I cry every single time - but it makes it easier when you see them going to such beautiful new families who will adore them and love them. We are definitely taking a break from fostering until the new year!

Little Miss Frida is going to be collected by her new family tomorrow. They will drive out from Victoria first thing tomorrow and be here in Canberra late afternoon. She is such a darling little dog - so soft and cuddley. I'm sure she'll do great in her new home.

:eek: :eek: :) I am in awe. We spend a lot of time running around after Frida (who is very fast) trying to get to her before she puddles :laugh: Frida and Hoover - they look like they are singing :)

Haha! Not possible 1. Her new family are driving 9 hours all the way from Victoria to pick her up in person this weekend. They have been following her progress on the blog. 2. We can't have any foster failures otherwise we can't foster anymore! :) I would have very, very happily kept Ollie but knew I couldn't. I can see why you foster the puppies. If I was able to work from home, I'd foster more but given our current circumstances - I think we'll have to stick with fostering dogs above 6 months. The littlies are adorable but so much more work!! And there is so much more poo and wee Also, I am serious - Frida is absolutely our last foster until the new year!