koalathebear

Yay for working dogs and their healthiness. Would love to but can you see either OH or me doing Dances with Dogs? We would look like dorks. I'm already doing it tough convincing him that agility sounds good even though it involves running around the field like a madman. :D Alas, we are going to have to speak to HH next Saturday about a new Bad behaviour that Elbie has developed. Sometimes, he growls if we pull him by the collar Sometimes we need to kick him out of the room/house and if we try to pull him by the collar/pick him up, he growls and snaps at our hand - never actually makes contact but it's not acceptable behaviour. I haven't posted about it anywhere else because I don't want to get the usual 'Your Dog is Bad and can never be Rehabilitated'. 'He needs to be PTS' thing ... To be honest, he used to behave very badly around collar and harness (even bit me once in the car when he was freaking out - although there was no skin broken and no pressure actually applied by his teeth and he never did it again) and we managed to successfully desensitise him to those so that he no longer snapped at us about that but the collar tugging is a bit annoying. We have been practising by pulling him around by his collar and also picking him up, but no doubt HH will have some useful suggestions. I know the easy solution is to say 'well just don't pull him around by his collar' but the fact is, he shouldn't be growling and there could be a time when there is an emergency, we don't have a leash and we need to pull him by his collar. ETA: And for any disapproving lurkers out there - we are seeking professional advice - HH is a professional dog behaviourist and trainer ... I am on the k9pro mailing list and I was reading this article called DJ the Black Lab vs Granny and it occurs to me that if that family had posted here on DOL, the PTS chorus would have been deafening. Such a difficult call to make and Granny sounds like a remarkable woman! and :D I have bought exactly one Christmas present so far. I'd better get my act together!!!

Thanks Kavik! I'm really looking forward to going and seeing some yard trials at some point. Not just for the trials, I want to see all the Kelpies. :D Just need to chase down the ones that are in Canberra or nearby ...

I am sorry I was prompted to have such sad thoughts today. It's just stupid but it makes me really try to appreciate my doggies as much as I can. When I saw them lounging around, I felt bad that I wasn't taking them out for a walk so I took Elbie out for a stroll while OH took Hoover somewhere else for a walk. I want to make their lives as happy as I can while they're with us. To be honest, if I'd had my way and been rational, I would have probably continued my insistence on never having another dog for the rest of my life, but sometimes things happen that change your mind and there's nothing you can do about it. minxy and wuffles - your stories of Pokey, Beau and Chelsea are so sad but I do love how the memories of our pets stay with us for so long and the memories are still so incredibly clear and strong. I sometimes wonder if Kitt's waiting for me somewhere and hope he's patient. * To make amends for my sorrowful post, Hoover is making progress with 'are you shy' but I have hit a wall and had to ask for help in the training thread here. Elbie has today learned how to weave, video . Not sure what the purpose of it is, but it's certainly funny to watch. lilli_star: good to hear about Roo. The sitting around during class is always a killer. For us, in beginner and bronze, mostly all the 'students' get to do stuff at the same time but in silver, there's a LOT of sitting around waiting your turn on the obstacle course (loose lead walking or recall) and a lot of dogs lose focus during that time and it's pretty frustrating because sometimes it can feel like a waste of good and valuable time. OH says that for the last few times, rather than making people wait around to be watched by the instructor, people are just going through the course on their own as the instructor works with the recalls etc and that seems to be working better. I agree that the Sporn harness is hilarious. I was tempted to get it but the whole 'devil spawn' thing seemed way too appropriate for my monsters, so we opted for the easy walk harness. Elbie is a huge puller when excited so we are working hard with trying to fix that. Hoover, thank goodness, is not a puller. Crossing my fingers that it works! We sprayed that bitter stuff that's supposed to keep dogs and cats away from stuff but Elbie used to stare at us and lick it with a defiant expression on his eyes, kind of like Lurtz the Uruk Hai at the end of FOTR licking the knife that Aragorn has just stabbed with him. Defiant little snot that he is (Elbie not Lurtz). In the end, all that worked for us was to basically scold Elbie in a very stern voice whenever we caught him in the act of gnawing on something he shouldn't Urgh. I HATE ants. OH hates ants even more because as a Canadian, he continues to be horrified by our insect and spider-infested country. We have to be careful of sprays because of the doggies - we had an infestation coming through the bathroom ceiling recently but OH sprayed the crap out of it so we've been left alone for now. It's very frustrating though. We had two infestations of European wasps at our last home (rental) but fortunately our landlord was very prompt about dealing with the problem. As a child, one of my worst nightmares was tipping the muesli into my bowl, swallowing a spoonful and then realising that the ants had got in. In other news, Hoover went well today with his 'socialisation'. As usual, he was sitting on the edges of the dog school grounds and even though before class started he had quite a few angry massive dogs barking bear him and lunging at him like crazy, he sat and stared up at me with complete focus (waiting for treats ;) Also, when he went to greet the other dogs, I was able to call him back using his name and he'd come back. He is doing very well despite his baldness.

Elbie is very good at "are you shy?" I've been teaching Hoover the trick but have hit a bit of a strange stumbling block ... Hoover does a beautiful 'are you shy' when I put tape on his face but he is clearly associating the action with the sticky tape rather than the voice prompt. As soon as he sees me bring out the sticky tape, he goes into a drop position in preparation of the trick. I have been trying to pretend to put the tape on his face so that he does the action but he's such an alert little doggy that as soon as he realises he doesn't have tape on his face, he either doesn't do the gesture or just taps the ground a little. I only get the 'full' are you shy action if he actually has tape on his face. Any ideas on how to phase out the tape? of Hoover doing 'shy' with tape.

On DOL, one click leads to another and I end up reading the most random of threads. I had a mild WTF moment though when I was reading this extremely poignant thread and then came across the poodle post. What an unlucky slip of the finger and quite possibly the worst place to accidentally post a photo of a cute little puppy ravenau1: oh so cute! How exciting that you almost have your pup!!! We'll be waiting for the photos! I don't think I've ever met a dobe puppy. ETA: In other news, the thread above made me feel a bit maudlin. ;) Apologies in advance for the maudlin trip down memory lane ... I started thinking about that "Dog's Purpose Story" again and remembering all the people who told me not to get a second puppy when Elbie was still so young because we'll have two old dogs at the same time and we'll lose the dogs around the same time and when one dog dies, the other dog will be very sad. :D I have to say, the short life span of a dog is a thing that has always bothered me. Cockatoos live up to 120 years, outliving their owners and yet dogs have an incredibly short life span. Approximately 7 years for Bernese Mountain Dogs, perhaps up to even 20 years for the longer lived working breeds, but the twilight years aren't really high in quality of life. I can't believe I even got another dog let alone now have two. When my family dog Kitt died almost 10 years ago, I swore that I would never, ever, ever get another dog because it just hurt too much. He was 11 when he died and I was working in Sydney at the time I heard he was ill. He was in so much pain, my brother wasn't able to take him to the vet because he was biting from the pain. The vet drove out and carried Kitt himself into the backseat of his fancy BMW, not caring about the upholstery ... It was the same vet who had examined Kitt when we got him as a tiny puppy at 6 weeks old (yes, yes, I know) and who had looked after him his whole life. My brother had to go interstate on travel but Papa Koala was able to visit Kitt at the vet's. Despite his pain, Kitt recognised him, raised his head and put his head in his hand and licked his hand. My boss gave me two days' leave to fly back to Canberra to see Kitt before he was put to sleep. I arrived at Canberra airport at about 9.30am or so and Papa Koala met me at the airport and his face was so sad as he told me that I had arrived too late and that the vet had phoned him to tell him that Kitt had passed away at about 8.30 am that morning but that I could still see the body if I wanted. We went to see him and he was lying on his side. If it wasn't for the bloody froth on the ground near his mouth, I would have sworn he was still sleeping, so I patted him and cried over him and apologised for not being there for him when he went away. His death was incredibly upsetting to us all. Goofily, I sent up a little website 'shrine' for him and we compiled a list of memories of him. He was named Kitt because I wanted to name him 'Kit' which is the Northern shortening of 'Christopher' because I was reading Pamela Belle novels in which Kit was used as a version of Christopher. My brother was revolted at the thought so we named him 'Kitt' as a compromise so it could be after the car from Knight Rider. Kitt was a labrador border collie, a dog school drop-out and was the typical puppy that the family gets because the kids promise the world but end up doing very little and the dog becomes an outside dog taken for the occasional walk. When we were writing down our memories, we wrote about things like ... how we brought him home in a washing basket the first night we woke up, we found lots of little wees and 'poodles' on the floor of the entrance hall sometimes when he'd look at us, his ears would do crazy 'flying nun' impersonations when he did a poo, he'd look like he was concentrating hard and I always claimed he got the same expression Andre Agassi did when he was serving my father remembered how he went through a phase of ripping down all of his t-shirts from the washing line and for a while, dad had no t-shirts whatsoever because of Kitt he'd fall asleep outside my window and I could hear him snoring loudly how he'd fall asleep leaning against the sliding doors and ended up breaking both sliding doors how when he was little he used to do a 'jail break' and run down the road whenever we opened the gate and we were always retrieving him from the neighbours' how sometimes when we let him inside the house, he'd get the zoomies and do a lap of the entrance hall, lounge, kitchen, repeat x 5 how he hated peas and no matter how mixed in the peas were with the food, he'd eat everything in his food dish and leave the peas behind how we never knew what dogs weren't supposed to eat so he basically ate all our leftovers including cooked chicken bones and goodness knows what else I still cry when I think about Kitt and even a few years ago when OH mentioned getting a dog because I was allergic to cats, I resisted strongly, maintaining that I was never, ever going to own another dog. OH grew up with a cat named Sagi, short for Sagittarius, who died when he was a kid. The cat was already around when he was born so was older than he was. Its bed was in the hallway cupboard but he always slept in OH's bed near his pillow, never in the hallway. One night, Sagi visited my OH and fell asleep near his pillow like always. Then after OH was asleep, Sagi went to the hallway cupboard and died. It was like he knew he was going to die and was saying his final farewells before going to the bed that he never used. I know OH is still sad when he thinks of Sagi so that was another reason why I was so determined never to have another pet. :D Stares at two monsters playing bitey face in one dog bed Funny how one changes one's mind ...

Wow aussielover ... the parks/dog parks around where you live sound like they are frequented by so many rude or inconsiderate dog owners! How incredibly frustrating for someone trying to get their dog exercised and socialised.

A lot of people will say start as you mean to continue but we let our puppies sleep in our lap while they were small. They grow big pretty quickly and then it's not an option anymore so we let them sleep there while they could and after that they get cuddles when they're too big for our laps. I guess the main thing is that you're supposed to initiate it and pick them up and put them in your lap rather than letting them dictate that it's lap time:D

3 sheepies Caplan the Border Collie We brought our doggies along to watch. The handlers there were a bit scornful of our treat bags, soft crate and poo bags Oh well

Some photos from yesterday. It was a gorgeous day - very hot and sunny. I didn't know much about trialling so was surprised to see mostly border collies. Apparently Kelpies aren't good at the 3-sheep work because they're a bit too pushy with the sheep and not as 'soft' as the borders. This is Cricket the border collie. This gorgeous black and tan Kelpie was the exception apparently and was extremely gentle, still and measured in its herding.

oops double post

Miss Pepper Mars would not pose for my OH at first - looking everywhere but the camera. Finally - beautiful photo of a beautiful boy Little Hoover watching the sheepies It was a good day. OH and I are a bit sunburned but we enjoyed ourselves and it was very nice catching up with Clastic and the Clastica Gang Also, the farmers and herding people were sneering a little at me for having a bag of treats in my hand. Working dogs don't get treats. It makes sense, because the dog's too far away to be treated.

Our monsters chilling in the shade Hoover encountered another red and tan Kelpie puppy named Trixie Their play looked like Cerberus the two-headed red and tan Kelpie-Monster Here's a .Hoover, looking like a working dog as he's tied to the front of a farmer's truck Elbie looking very shiny in the sun

3 sheepies! Caplan the Border Collie

We went to the Bredbo Herding Trials today. Mostly border collies, apparently Kelpies aren't good at the 3-sheep work because they're a bit too pushy and not as 'soft' as the borders. Clastic, Mr Clastic, Mars and Pepper also made an appearance This is Cricket the border collie. This gorgeous black and tan Kelpie was the exception apparently and was extremely gentle, still and measured in its herding.

Hi minxy: How old is Kyojin now and what tricks can he already do? "Dead" is actually quite a difficult trick because it involves several elements. Kyojin needs to know how to: 1. drop 2. rollover 3. stay/wait Basically, once your dog knows how to do all of the above, then instead of using a voice command, you use food and lure Kyojin into a drop, then lure him into a half rollover i.e. so that he is just on his side rather than rolling over all the way. Then you make him wait. You may find that a big dog like an akita may not want to drop let alone rollover so it's going to be a challenge! In the early days, Elbie sprang back to life too soon. See . I didn't know it but OH has been fine-tuning Elbie's acting skills and teaching him to keep the 'dead' position for longer. Last week during obedience, I was across the field with Hoover. I saw Elbie fall over and I assumed he was doing 'dead', but then didn't get up!!! Quite a while later, he still wasn't getting up and I was starting to get worried, then I saw him spring up for a treat and I realised that it was the result of the OH's training.I made a little demo for you , I've tried to break it down into the 3 parts. There's also a demonstration of Elbie 'selling' the death by staying on the ground for a while even when OH is walking around the kitchen. The alert ears and the eye movement detract from the 'death' though :D ... as did the way he 'boinged' up from death!Good luck and let us know how you go! I'd love to see an akita playing dead. ETA: I'm teaching Hoover 'are you shy' and he's doing well with the gesture and I've just started introducing the voice cue. He is such a placid and easygoing dog though that at one point, I put about six pieces of sticky tape on the side of his face and just lay there looking at me trustingly. :D

Our Dog School sent out a newsletter today with this story in it. Made me tear up at work :'( Apologies if you have read ti before. A Dog's Purpose: from a six year old Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long." Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently

Just flyby and will comment properly later.... I love all the photos (especially ears) but this photo ... I almost went: "OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" out loud at work Such a sweet face!!!!

I'd read on DOL that the Aussie Dog Home Alone Hanging Ball was an excellent way to keep a doggy entertained. Alas, it was the worst $90 that we ever spent because Elbie had zero interest in it. We tried putting peanut butter on the tug bit and he licked at it but ignored it. He has very little interest in jumping up and grabbing things unless we are the ones dangling it. I suppose I'm glad that we didn't spend $117 on it because we were able to get it from vetpet direct or somewhere like that that was selling it for far cheaper than the Aussie Dog website. Elbie also has zero interest in a little green rubber dental bone that we bought for him that was supposed to be good for his teeth. Funnily enough, Hoover likes it so it's not wasted. They also go through funny phases. For a while, Elbie had no interest in his Squeaky Steak. Suddenly, out of the blue - he loved his Squeaky Steak! We have been lucky because they pretty much love all of their other toys. We took away kongs after reading the horror stories on DOL but to be honest, Elbie never loved his kong anyway. The tucker ball and wobbler were far more popular.

This sounds a little worrying - as this is the tricks section, you might want to post it either in the 'general forum' or the 'general training / obedience' sub-forum because both get more hits than this tricks sub-forum. So sorry to hear about your beagle and good on you for taking on a beautiful pound pup. The spinning sounds like it was a behaviour he developed when he was anxious and it's still there. Some Kelpies can get a bit obsessive so if it is anxiety-related, you'll need tips from people on how to address the behaviour. Good luck!

No you can't adjust the opening but it's been fine for the various types of kibble that we have tried. Both dogs enjoy playing with it a lot. OH brought it back with him from Canada and it was very heavy for his luggage because of the weighted base.

If Kenobi is already house-trained, toilet-trained then it doesn't really matter if the crate is huge. Our doggies are now in large crates and they love them - they can roll around, get comfy, drag all their toys in there. If Kenobi's not yet house-trained then the 'swap' idea is a great one.

kumaakita: the long-haired akita is gorgeous. When it blows its coat though, it must be enough to fill two king-sized doonas!! :D wuffles: glad Ava's on the mend and keeping her dinner down. You must be starting at every weird gulp/strange sound she makes ... Yeah, he looks so sad when he was all red-eyed ... he didn't get as goopy as Hoover but his eyes were definitely red. They're both fully healed now, thank goodness! Have you tried a tuffie for Miss Roo? They seem to last even our two monsters tugging away at them like maniacs. Monkey has a little hole that I'll have to stitch up soon but tuffies are all mostly intact. I am disappointed in you! That would be very cool if you could come! There would be lots of doggies for Max to play with. Don't feel that way ... It's just obedience class and it's supposed to be fun and not a source of shame. Besides, when the Feb classes start, will you still be on Thursday nights or will you be in bronze on a Sunday morning like Hoover and me? You'll have to show me Pepper's shake at the BDOC BBQ next week. Yay for you and flyball. OH and I are still tossing up between agility and flyball for Elbie. I prefer agility, OH prefers flyball because you don't have to run around the field with the dog. :D Also, about Saturday - OH, 2 monsters and I will probably leave for Bredbo at about 7.30am or so. Details of the sheep dog trials are here. Sounds like we should be bringing food with us ... and chairs! Hope all are well ... It's been a long week and I feel like I've been tramped by a herd of elephants.

a short video of Elbie and his wobbler. You can judge the noisiness for yourself

I'm glad Ava's feeling better. I hope Satch doesn't get it! That is the stress about two doggies. Hoover had the goopy eyes last week, we 'cured' him with ointment but then Elbie got it and we managed to cure him two days ago but for a while there we were wondering if the goopy eyes was just going to keep going back and forth

Elbie doesn't greet us with a toy but he likes to be a lap dog sometimes and when he was very wee, if he didn't have a toy, he'd start gnawing on clothes and fingers - so OH always encouraged him to have a toy when he was in 'lap dog' mode. Now, whenever he's invited over to play or cuddle, he feels compelled to bring a toy - sometimes he'll search around for ages looking for a toy before finally coming over!