koalathebear

Video clip is . Naturally I'm not endorsing training your dog to do such dangerous climbs but it's pretty amazing to watch. I can't believe that such a chunky monkey of a dog can be so nimble unless it's part cat!

Let's see how he goes with Kuma ;) Hoover's quite a bit bolder than Elbie so I suspect he might be much more chilled about playing with big dogs. I can't believe I haven't met Satch yet - if it wasn't for all the photos, I'd think he was like Snuffleupagus!!! I think it's funny that in the old days people were so paranoid about internet shopping and it was such a Big Deal but these days it's so common. ;) I'm not sure why some people assume that there's only one way to do things and they have to jump in and judge. It would be different if I said: "I kick my dogs in the head every day when we're out for a walk, do you think 45 minute is too long to walk a puppy?" I'm glad you found your clicker - I'm pretty certain we have a spare one that OH never uses that I could have given you. It's about time I gave you something. Kuma's face in that first photo is a total hoot. He does look a little bit spethal there but he has puppy dog eyes in the second photo. He looks so comfortable up on that sofa that I'm sure he must have gone up there before. wuffles: That photo of Ava is beautiful. How unfair that the mud only makes her lovely fur look even whiter! primedogs: I really hope I get to meet Watson soon - he looks so lovely and wee. It's ok, I'm all right. I was a bit irritated but JUST as the not so nice posts started coming in, I got a message from wuffles saying: "Don't bite, don't bite, don't bite.... LOL" which made me give a really LOUD shout of laughter in my office. I'm sure my neighbours thought that I was bonkers. I know it's an internet forum and I'm fair game but I just wish that the advice had just been confined to the question I'd asked. I genuinely wanted advice - that's why I posted. I just had a very specific question. I actually thought I had anticipated all possible pitfalls by flagging that: (1) though we were not feeding raw, we were giving some bones: (2) revised diet was ok with the breeder. It never occurred to me that I'd left myself open to criticism about hand feeding, mistreating my dogs at mealtimes ... although there was one dig about the raw/dry thing despite my efforts. Elbie dug a lot when he was younger but poo in the holes mostly deterred him from digging in the wrong spots and he has a designated section of the garden. I'm not convinced about the clam shells because all Elbie seems to want to do with that is chew on it and spit out little plastic bits on the ground. I think the clam shells could work for you so long as Max doesn't just want to eat the shells. Ha! They're filled already. OH was so funny, he left them there so that I could take photos and then we started filling them in. Your Princess is beautiful - such a lovely lady! In other news, Elbie knows that he gets fed after us so he watches us like a hawk when we eat and as soon as we put our plates down, he's up like a shot and giving us piteous: "Feed me" looks. So funny ...

You're a darling. It's ok, I got the info that I needed and we'll have some Royal Canin and Advance for the monsters to do a Taste Test. OH and I will continue doing training over dinner - it's when they're most motivated, we can tell that they have fun ... They eat out of a bowl no problems ... they're healthy, happy, intellectually stimulated. I'm not sure we could ask for more, so as far as I'm concerned, there's no reason to stop something that's worked so well for us. I'm not saying other people should do it - it's just something that's worked for us and Elbie's focus and tricks have gone really well - in my view anyway. Hoover's are definitely not as polished as Elbie's yet but they're certainly very cute and enthusiastic. And yes, that is the evil Hills Kibble that Hoover is trying to gulp out of my hand ;)

We're thinking of renaming Hoover "Digger". He dug in the tanbark He dug in the gravel He dug in the grass and dirt Versatility of digging surfaces, anyway ..

My two work for kibble. Elbie learned all of his tricks with kibble - we use another treats now and then but just to make things more interesting for him and make him more keen to learn. An example of some of his tricks is - he didn't need anything fancy.Hoover's learned to sit, drop, shake and speak with just kibble - I just think we'd get more from him if we found a kibble he likes as much as Elbie loves his kibble.

As long as no one rubs my snout in it ...

I wasn't going to debate this issue because that's not what this thread is about, but if it's ok to do training from breakfast food as long as you have dinner largely interrupted and from a bowl - why is the reverse wrong? As mentioned, breakfast for our dogs is basically given to them so long as they wait/forage etc. It's dinner-time where we use their meal portion to teach tricks. OK, not saying anymore

I won't say anything. Clearly I am a Bad Dog Owner who deserves to be scruffed or smacked over the snout

Not me. I'm playing possum. There is nothing to be gained by discussing the issue and it's likely to end in warnings and my poor OH getting an angry earful tonight.

Re the latest post to the kibble thread - I am refraining from replying.

Also, I have some good news. I did another video for a rescue dog named Lucy. I didn't get a chance to get video footage for her so only had photos which was why I didn't share it here before. I was hoping to get video footage to make her a better music video but in the interim, she got a photo video which is .She's been found her forever home today! ;) Now I just have to cross my fingers for Blossom and I'll have a 3 out of 3 success rate.

As part of meal-time manners at dog training and obedience, all the dogs have to eat out of a bowl after waiting so it's something we have trained them to do. I guess we've always just tried to vary up the food delivery means.

That's DOL ... It happens a lot. You post asking for advice about x and you might get some advice about x, but you might also get advice/criticism about Y (which you didn't ask about). It happened when I asked about whether it's ok to get a pup at 3months - all I was asking about was age, but it expanded into a discussion of whether I should get a second dog at all and whether it should be male/female, things that weren't being discussed. It's just part of posting in a public forum. I also knew that I was going to be Judged for feeding my dog kibble instead of raw/barf ... But at the end of the day,kibble works for us and we spend so much time and money on our dogs as it is, I just don't have the time and energy to be standing there calculating nutrition values, balancing calcium against blah blah and that sort of thing. It might make me a bad dog owner but well ... I'm ok with the criticism. I think I do my best by my dogs, I really do. I know it's not perfect, but I try and they seem happy. Also, I got what I wanted from the thread which was lots of recommendations about kibble ;) I will filter the rest and whinge about it to long-suffering OH

I'm ok with floppy ears. This was reinforced after I read the very poignant Letter to a Kelpie ... The PS about the floppy ears makes me tear up ... ravenau1: Heee hee! Gorgeous ears!

*hug* Don't feel left out. I don't know why they wanted to tape Hoover's ears either ... Elbie's ear are still indecisive at 8 months and I'm fine with that. Neither are show dogs so if they have 'defective' ears that don't conform with prick ear standards, I'm unfussed. I love 'em both to bits ETA: Max why did you edit your post about using mealtimes as training sessions? I don't think it's a bad thing! I work all day so the only time I can really train them is weekends and mealtimes!

We use mealtimes for training so he'll get some of the portions in a bowl (that he waits for) and the rest as rewards for various commands/tricks. We also use a tucker ball and muffin tins and other fun ways to get food to try to make it all more interesting. Neither dog gets fed kibble for doing nothing. It's what we did with Elbie and worked well at keeping him occupied and entertained so we're doing the same with Hoover. Brekky there's often less time so it's usually food down, wait, eat but dinner we like to use for training, especially as I work during the day so I usually only have 'dog time' before I leave for work, mealtimes and on the weekends. As to raw ... well, he'll still get bones and lamb flaps, but his diet will be mostly kibble. Elbie seems fine with it so Hoover will have to adjust, I fear. We're picking up some Royal Canin and Advance to see which he likes better. The breeder was ok with him switching to kibble as long as he still got bones. ETA: Out of interest, what problems does hand-feeding cause? Nekhbet: He's only 3 months! His left ear is likely to go up first and then the right, but I admit I do love his flopsy, wonky ears. Also, my monsters have "symmetrically" wonky ears ...

OH calls it "Hoover's Comb-over". Sorry! I meant Sunday. Saturday I see Clastic and Mars, Sunday I see Clastic, Pepper, wuffles, ava, you, Kuma, CleoJ and Shandy

It's a bit baffling. Then again, we get charged LOTS more for books here than the US... thank goodness for amazon.com and the Book Depository. I say go for it! We buy heaps of stuff online from the US and I think Niques bought from cleanrun and they were fine - although from memory the parcel was left for James to receive. I've just ordered a dog tag from the US for Hoover - same as Elbie's.

Max#1: I thought of you and the bum bag dilemma as I went looking online for treat bags. I realised we'll need one per dog. Look at all these treat bags. I have my eye on the Premier Quick Access Treat Pouch—The Original which is apparently a best-seller and also the Quick Access Treat N Training Bag. There's also a cheap Kong Wobbler at only $11.95. ETA - although I guess it's a US site ... Also ... I'm sorry to hear that Max is still lunging at cars. The occasional car lunge is the reason I still maintain that Elbie is Never Ever Ever going to be off-lead near roads :D

Hoover must have realised that KumaAkita's onto his evil plan! Tonight he ate his kibble very willingly. Proof is . Perhaps it's just a matter of being hungry enough.

Here is Hoover being spethal and licking the floor Now ... Hoover likes chewing grass so photos capture him looking very spethal ... He looks kind of normal, yes? Think again. Now he goes very spethal

Lovely story. It's gorgeous to come home and to be greeted by happy doggies. I'm looking forward to Saturday when Kuma meets Hoover. Must remember to bring my camera. Some new photos of the little monster Hoover Hoover relaxing Very typical photo - Hoover relaxing and Elbie on the go Photo of Triumphant Elbie with frisbee (here you can see his Rhodesian Ridgechest quite clearly)

It's true ... despite what OH thinks, my newest little monster with his cute limpid eyes and wigglebum wombatty ways is an Evil Mastermind, determined to achieve world domination. I must be careful!!

Good luck. I'm sure Jager will be fine. As with many things, it's easier for males than females ... We removed Elbie's access to stairs and tried to stop him running around too much. We also stopped him every time he was licking his stitches excessively. We didn't need to crate him or make him wear the Elizabeth Cone Collar fortunately. You could also section of the yard to limit his ability to run around - Elbie was confined to courtyrd and deck and couldn't really run too much. All the best! I'm sure Max#1, Clastic and Marley'z Mum will be able to share their tales as all three of their doggies just got the snip last Friday.

Does Kuma know you keep offering to give away his stuff? Thank you! I will take you up on it! Will give my monsters a selection to try from :D Seriously, Elbie will eat ANYTHING. The irony is that Hoover was named Hoover because he's a guts but you can see when he eats Hills that he's thinking: "Mmmm, this is not so tasty." Probably nothing is as tasty as raw for a doggie. Hoover will eat the kibble, he's just very unenthused and he loses interest in it. He's a very obedient dog though, so will eat it - I'd just like to find something that he might enjoy eating.