fuzzy82

I do plan on registering them both on the associate register, just haven't gotten around to it yet, as I didn't think there would be any rally-o trials until next year. I will call them and ask

I mean now, when obedience clubs include rally-o in their obedience trials, does the dog need to be registered? There is an obedience club near me that is doing obedience trials in August, and they are including rally-o, with the proposed novice rules. So it's not an official thing, I guess they just include it for fun. I could always call them and ask, just wondered if anyone knew.

Does a dog need to be registered to compete in rally-o? Just wondering as it's not officially recognised yet...

Why? Perhaps you should actually open yourself up to learning about these tools before making a statement like that. In answer to your original question, neither. I'd not use a head collar on a reactive dog. JMO. I know the tools, and I would not use them on reactive dogs either. I have a reactive dog, and he wears a normal harness. Special collars are not really needed to fix reactivity. If the dog is very strong and pulls the owner around when lunging, then I would recommend a no pull harness. And for the OP, even though you are planning to keep the dog below threshold while using a head collar, in real life that doesn't always work. Sometimes you will walk around a corner and suddenly there is a dog in your face, or you encounter a loose dog. If the dog regularly lunges, there is no way I would use anything that would jerk is head around. If you're planning to keep him below threshold anyway, why is a special collar needed? If you just need control when he does lunge when real life happens, then I would again recommend a no pull harness. A lot of dogs really HATE head collars, and you need to desensitise them to wearing the collar before they can even wear it on walks. Some dogs always hate them, some are ok with them, and some don't care at all. Certainly wouldn't be my first choice.

I have heard good things about the black dog head collar, but as above, if the dog is reactive and lunging, then a head collar isn't the right thing to use.

I don't think I could do it, but I have thought about it on occasion. I have a cat who is my baby, and I gave her a name that I really like. If I hadn't named this cat by this name, I would have used it for a different pet. So if I ever re-use the name, it will be because I really like it, and also because it is now extra special to me because it's the name of my special cat, and using the name again is not disrespecting her, but rather honouring her. Like when you name human children after their grandparents. There is no disrespect intended. I do know someone who uses the same name for every cat they own, but I don't know their reasons.

I found it easier to get my puppy started with offering behaviours than for my other dog who I adopted at 12 months. The puppy caught on quicker and because he's never learnt anything else, he was constantly throwing behaviours out there to see what worked. My other dog was already trained when I got her, I assume using the standard method of guiding, so it took her a while to realise that she didn't have to wait to be told what to do, she could just throw something out there and see what happens. I wouldn't get angry if she got it wrong, the worst thing that could happen was that she didn't get her treat, so she could just try again. It took several months before she caught on.

The Caucasian Mountain Dog comes to mind... From wikipedia: Here's a video (top one) http://www.russiandog.net/dog-video/guard-dogs

Desensitisation and counter conditioning is a good idea. Start below threshold (ie, at a distance from cars where he's noticing them, but not trying to chase). Reward profusely for not chasing. Also teach an incompatible behaviour, such as look to handler when a car is going past.

I find that all commercially made treats are too big for training small dogs/puppies. Even the 'mini' ones are huge. So I usually get cat treats or the crispy type that breaks apart, or I use human food cut into the size I want (like kabana, cheese etc)

It even says below the photo that it's a stock photo. Not the dog in question. The story is a little unclear. Did they ask to pat the dog? Did they just walk up to it? Was the owner nearby when they started patting it, or had she fallen behind? Did they get between the dog and the owner and maybe the dog thought he was protecting the owner (or the puppy)? Too many questions.

At 13 weeks, rules are not "established". He is still learning, and it's perfectly normal to have plateaus and regression in the learning process. Regression usually happens while he's processing something he has learnt or is learning. There is no way a baby of 13 weeks is challenging you.

I disagree with DA dogs needing a muzzle to protect the dogs of owners who break the law allowing their dogs to roam off leash. I have that said to me on a couple of occassions when one of mine has cranked up on an unleashed dog and asking them why their dog is off leash in relation to the laws, they have a go at me because mine cranked up suggesting I should muzzle him? Why should I muzzle him, we are on leash minding our own business then an off leash dog runs at us owned by people who can't control their dog off leash and breaking the law, and it's my dog's behaviour than needs addressing putting their dog at risk of getting bitten Not that I would allow my dog to bite another dog off leash or not, if they abided by the laws or could control their dog these incidents wouldn't happen. Mumtoshelley was in a legal off leash area. She was in an off leash area but off leash still means dogs need to be kept under effective control, meaning that you need to have voice control of your dog and be able to prevent it from approaching another dog or person. If a DA dog is secured on leash, even in an off leash area, it should not have to be muzzled because owners of off leash dogs in the area should be abiding by the law and not letting their dogs rush up to other dogs, which I think was PetSitter's point. Are you saying that if we go to dog parks we need to ask the owners of other dogs whether or not it's ok for our dogs to approach them? Huh? If it's a designated off leash area, you have to expect other dogs to come running up. This is why I don't go to dog parks, because no one ever asks, and other dogs run up to us all the time. A DA dog doesn't belong in an off leash area, because other dogs WILL run up to it. I agree that kids should not walk dogs, my dog was attacked by a big dog out on a walk. The dog was on leash and the kid was still on the other end of the leash when it reached us, but he had NO control of the dog and no chance of stopping it. I also see kids walking dogs in a nearby bush area where we walk every day. Usually they are able to restrain their dogs, but soooo many of them are dog reactive and the kids resort to leash pops and yanking and yelling in an attempt to stop them reacting. Today we encountered a teenage boy carrying a keeshond because the dog was going crazy barking and growling at me and some other people with dogs.

I agree, for pet owners you have to lay it out differently than for the people who want to get into formal obedience. But with my other dog, I did basic obedience at an agility club, and that class was actually fun. There were breaks where the instructor explained the next exercise, we were encouraged to take breaks and go for a run or have a play between exercises or whenever the dog seemed like it was getting too much, and there were lots of different exercises per session. So that's sort of what I expected when I joined a proper obedience club, but there was nothing like that. Just endless heeling.

If the obedience class is really boring, I would question how good the class is. I joined an obedience club back in March, went to 3 classes, then just stopped going, because it was soooo boring. I do a lot of obedience training at home, and the dogs find it fun, even heeling, but I only do short bursts of it. The class was about 45 minutes heeling and turns, and that was the "beginners class". I stopped going because my dog had only just started learning to heel, and there was no way we could keep the fun in it if she was forced to do it for 45 minutes. There were no breaks of any kind, other than being stopped with the dog sitting at heel. No breaks at all, for the whole hour. Maybe that's how all obedience clubs are, but they shouldn't be IMO. I would have liked to see more toys used, and training in drive for the drivey dogs, and just a general desire to make it pleasant and fun for both owner and dog, rather than just endlessly droning away about the heel and turns.

Sorry, I forgot all about this thread. My poodle x was never really into toys much. She very rarely showed any interest in playing with toys, wouldn't tug, she might chase a ball but give up as soon as it stopped etc. I think the reason I started rewarding around toys was because I wanted to teach her a trick of picking up a toy and putting it somewhere. So to begin with I clicked her for any interest in a specific toy. It wasn't long before she was mouthing it and half picking it up, but she still wasn't interested in the toy itself, she did it for the food reward. I wasn't interested in toy drive at this point, so my memory is a little vague as to how it progressed from there, but I think I would wave the toy in front of her and c/t for any mouthing, then slight tugs etc. And then suddenly she would tug with me, and she now also will go over to a toy and start messing around with it on her own. She's nowhere near as tuggy as my other dog who is naturally toy driven, but she will play a decent game of tug and seems to enjoy it. To continue building toy drive I try to stop just as she reaches her peak, at the point where if I stop she goes 'I want more!!'. If you wait until they start to get over it and if you stop they think 'well that was a good game' then the drive for it doesn't increase.

Removal depends on whether or not the dewclaw is attached to the bone. Generally they are quite useful to the dog for holding things they are chewing if they are attached. If they're not attached they are useless and prone to injuries. I wouldn't personally like to see attached dewclaws removed. They are attached on both of my dogs and cause no problems at all (poodle x and JRT x). Mine don't have dewclaws on their back legs either, and they haven't had them removed, so they never existed.

I don't see anything wrong with getting a free puppy from a byb. At least they are not supporting the breeder. As long as she is aware of the possible health issues etc, I don't see an issue. Even if you paid $50-75 for a puppy from a byb that's fine with me, because that would only cover the cost of raising the puppy, and the byb wouldn't be making any money off it.

You could just buy a good quality, comfy harness with a broad chest plate, and just use it with a seat belt attachment. It's what I ended up doing, after realising that most 'car harnesses' are not designed to prevent injury if there is an accident.

No, I don't thank my dogs, but I see nothing wrong with doing it. I have seen people do it. I also know people who ask their dogs politely to sit, including the 'please', but they have always been well trained dogs that obey anyway.

Obi has slept in his crate since day one, so he's not a problem. Pixie sleeps on her bed next to our bed, and she is usually allowed up in the mornings, after about 9 or so. But lately she has been sneaking into bed with us around 7, very careful not to wake us up. When I wake up I find her spooning me, or inbetween me and hubby.

My puppy did that too. I simply pulled my hand WITH the treat back, and he couldn't have it until he took it gently.

There is a woman at our local shops that does this too, with her chi. The dog rides on the scooter with her inside the shops, and walks alongside outside. No one has ever commented on it as far as I know.

I have taken my poodle x into the 7-11 and bottle shop occasionally. I don't make it a regular thing, but one time I combined walking her with going to the bottle shop, so we popped inside l ong enough to grab a bottle and pay, and I carried her. At the 7-11 I was driving somewhere with her in the car and needed fuel. I walked her to the door, picked her up and went in and paid. Both times she was inside for maybe 30 seconds. The staff members didn't care. I don't really have a problem with dogs being inside anywhere, as long as it's not a food place and the dog is well behaved. I wouldn't personally tie my dogs up anywhere and leave them unattended, but I have often wished I could take them into the shopping centre with me. Be nice socialisation for them. I sometimes see people carrying small dogs around in their purses/bags at the shopping centre, and it doesn't bother me at all.

Cool:) My dad has a JS, she is a lovely dog:)