charley101

has anyone had any luck agility wise with a Caine or a Border Terrier ?? anyone know if they are yappy or friendly to other dogs ? I know a couple and they seem great fun but i also know a lot of work has gone into them

We have 3 Paps & yes they are the BC of the toys :D, great social furkids, love being around other furkids & ppl, I would recomend this breed for anyone who wants to do any doggy sports :D with a small dog we will have our 3 competing next year 2 in Obedience & 1 in Agility Paps only have a signal coat, they will need a regular groom in particular around the ears, tail feathers, pants on the back legs, just to keep them nice, I groom ours a couple of times a week & it only takes me about 15min for each dog, other than that they are great Oops being a little biesd here sorry, :D Would you say Paps are naturally yappy ? and how are they generally around bigger dogs ??

Hi I have a Lhasa Apso x Shih Tzu at the moment he is a smart little cookie almost too smart lol but gets anxious around other dogs and doesnt enjoy being at classes etc

Hi Thanks for the suggestions WOW the Shiba Inu are soooooo beautiful ! but i think they maybe a bit much for me and my pup. Japenese Spitz also look lovely and the ones i have seen all have smiley faces which i love. Can someone tell me if they feel the heat having that lovely thick coat. I can definately imagine one sitting on my feet in the winter I have looked a Papillons and love the beautiful butterfly ears, they are certainly quick and smart so are on my list Keep the suggestions coming

Hi There I have been thinking for a while now about getting a second small dog but cannot decide on which breed so i thought i would put it out to the universe and see what you guys thought I would like a dog is smart that can handle small amounts of agility, dancing, obedience (no competitions just for fun) so no precious paws (my current dog is a little precious when walking on mulch and wet grass etc) I dont like yappy dogs but can handle a small amount of barking if there is a reason for it My current dog gets anxious around dogs he doesnt know so a confident breed would be good but not too over the top so what do you think ??

thanks Gretel thats just what i wanted to hear

Hi all Im just after a bit of advice from all you Cav lovers I am hoping to get a pup next year and am just starting to look around at different breeds. I already have a small fluffy x breed who is 3 so the new dog will be a companion to him but i also want the new dog to be happy to do a little bit of agility, dancing and obedience etc not to competition levels but just for fun. My current dog is really smart and can do heaps of tricks but he gets anxious around other dogs and is a little bit precious when it comes to walking on new things (mulch and stuff) so i have decided to stop pushing him and just train him at home for fun. I have always loved the look of the King Charles and all the dogs i have met have been so so friendly i am starting to think that they may be the breed for me. The only thing that worries me is that will they be up for the challenge of dog training etc and be happy around other breeds of dog and do they tend to be precious with there feet like my little man or hardier like say a Caine Terrier.

you can get Sense-ible harness on ebay now as well :0) http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sense-ible-Front-Connection-Dog-Harness-medium-large-large-sizes-FREE-POST-/270825269002?pt=AU_Pet_Supplies&hash=item3f0e71a70a

thats great news i am so pleased you decided to give it ago. Keep up the good work

Hi I know a few dogs that are currently using reconcile and the changes in them have been amazing. They have gone from unhappy stressy dogs that cannot concentrate on anything to relaxed happy pups. Dogs still need to be trained to accept the things that upsets them but they will be able to be more rational about everything instead of just flying off the handle. I would definately give it at least 6 months as it takes quite a while to take affect you may not need to use it for the rest of her life and your vet will need to do regular assessments so just take it one step at a time. I know these things are expensive but when you see your dog happy and relaxed it will be totally worth it. Just one more thing have you tried a dap collar ? they can take a bit of the edge off on some dogs Good Luck your little dog is very lucky to have you

this is a pretty good link it shows all about fitting them etc as well http://www.muckypups.com.au/harness.htm

Hey Mark Thanks for the post and the offer i might just take you up on that when i get a free Sunday. I just want to clarify - the shepherd is not my dog i had originally been employed by the owner to walk it as she works long hours and the dog was getting distructive at home. When i first arrived it was obvious the dog had serious problems and walking was out of the question. I suspect the problems are partially due to it being shut up in the yard for most of the time while it was young with a barking dog next door jumping at the fence. The dog is under the care of a behaviouralist vet now and is on a strict training programme. I visit the dog everyday and he is coming along great. The meds he is on are not a cure they just take the edge off and allow him to learn calmly rather than flying off the handle at everything. He will be weaned off them eventually. I am more than happy with his progress

I love the sense-ible front connection harness. We use them at the dog school i go to and i have seen great results on all sorts of breeds :0) http://www.muckypups.com.au/harness.htm

a game of hide and seek is great fun, it can be done in the house or garden and really helps with recalls. You hide and call your dog then reward like crazy with food, toys, praise or attention (whatever floats his boat) when he comes to you.

thats right i would get a clicker off ebay or somewhere and have a look on youtube for a quick lesson.

I'm doing the NDTF course at the moment and would recommend it. Delta only teach one method of training, whereas NDTF teach different methods of training and all the various equipment so you can use whatever method and equipment suits a particular dog and handler. Dogs vary a lot and so do people so having knowledge of different methods is an advantage. yes i agree i had thought about Delta first but it is very one sided

Hi I just wondered how you are finding the NDTF course i have been thinking about doing it as well (just got to save up first) did you look into doing the Delta one as well ? I got myself into a training club firstly with my own dog then assisted in classes for about a year and now I instruct a couple of classes a week for them. Its pet dog training so no serious behaviour stuff but i have learnt heaps from doing it and i always have someone to give me advice should i need it. Good Luck with your course

WOW just got back online after a few days and am amazed at how many replies this has had. I have taken onboard everything you all have said. Yes you are probably right i shouldnt dis what i dont know about so will try to go and visit a trainer who uses choke chains and prong collars so i can make my own mind up. You will be happy to hear the dog is coming along great on the meds he really is not your average dog and has big anxiety problems. Since being on the meds he has started wagging his tail for the first time and is playing like a puppy lol he is sleeping deeper and is able to focus for the first time - its fantastic to see. We are going to stick with the sense-ible front connection harness for now which he gets on well with. He is not ready to take on the scary outdoors yet anyway.

Where abouts are you in SA ??

Enough Enough Its amazing what a reaction i got just for just adding its for a reactive dog please put your opinions on that bit a side for a sec this dog will not be harmed in anyway and will not be put in a position it can be harmed. I only wanted some opinions about head collars. It sounds like not many people like them - does anybody have any good reviews on them ? and in what situation would you use one ? obviously not for a reactive dog lol

I actually totally agree with you about head collars thats why i have never used one before. I think the dog should have freedom to see whats going on so it has a chance to look and decide not to react rather than having its head pulled round. I have found it very interesting what you have said about putting one on a reactive dog i hadnt thought of it from that point of view. The dog (he is actually not my own dog) is currently in a sense-ible harness which i love but it was suggested we try a head collar i will bring it up with the person who suggested it next time i see them. As for not using Mark Singer - sorry i made it sound personal i dont know him at all. I use reward based training and dont like choke chains, e-collars or prong collars - please dont rant at me about the pros and cons of this you will not change my mind.

Just out of interest how is your dog getting on now ? do you still need the prong collar ?

Thank you so much for this post i was beginning to think i had asked for a behaviourist. Yes the dog will be kept under threshold the reason for getting the head collar now is so that he can get used to it just in case we need it in the future. Kynan - Thank you also for your advice but i wont be touching Mark Singer with a 20 ft pole. E-collars and prong collars are not my idea of fun.

Kynan what collar did your dog on when training with Steve ?

I can see your point about a lunging dog in a head collar hmmm