fuzzy82

Just wondering if there are any earthdog classes on the northside of Brisbane? We would do it just for fun, as my dogs are mixed breeds. I have googled it and found the trials but no classes. I even emailed a few people that popped up in the google search and asked them if they knew about any classes, and they said they would forward my email to the relevant people, but I never heard back.

I have no experience with breeding, but if I was going to buy a dog I would expect it to either be shown, OR have working titled. Being shown isn't a requirement for me.

The trainer today also said to use left foot for heeling and right foot for staying. Does it matter which leg it is, as long as you are consistent? How does using the left foot only help the dog more than using the right foot only?

Got it, thanks

Never mind, I found the rules and there is no mention of which foot to start with.

Just wondering, when you do formal obedience, is there a rule that says you *have to* start with the left foot when heeling? I know it's conventional to start on the left foot, but I got in a discussion with my basic obedience trainer today and she says it's the rules, but I believe it's not, so just wondering if someone could settle that. Would also appreciate a link to the rules...

They also yawn when they are tired, like any other animal.

The dog park isn't the place to socialise a timid puppy. She should have gone to puppy classes from day one, but unfortunately she's too old for that now. Maybe try setting up playdates and playgroups with dogs that you know are calm and friendly, and also get her into basic obedience class.

Just because something works doesn't make it good. Compulsion and harsh training methods work, that's why so many people used them for so long, and a lot of people still use them. They get the job done, possibly quicker than positive methods in some cases, but that doesn't make them good methods. Unless 'good' means 'as quick as possible'. But if 'good' means 'effective but not painful or uncomfortable' then no.

Thanks! The thing was, I thought that one of the useful parts of rearend awareness training was the ability to put the dog into a very nice heel position. My problem is that every time I take a step towards the dogs, they pivot so they are never next to me. You can shape the dog to gradually move towards you while you stand still, this is how I have seen it done in training videos. You'd never be able to move towards the dog because it has been taught to move with you. So you'd need to stand still and then continue shaping until the dog is touching you and moving with you while touching you.

I don't have a cue for it, when I get the box out the dogs know what to do with it (they were shaped to go on it). It's not really a permanent thing, I only use it as a stepping stone for teaching heel and maybe something else in the future, so it doesn't need a cue. But in general, for getting up on objects or my lap, I use 'up', but that means 'get your whole body up there'

The story is inconsistent, first it says the boy went to pat the dog, and then it says the dog ran at him. So which is it, did the boy go over to a dog he didn't know so the dog felt threatened, or did the dog run up to the boy unprovoked? I never trust news stories where a dog has attacked a child, more often than not the child has done something to provoke the dog.

Have you tried covering the crate with a sheet or blanket? Made all the difference for my puppy. Also, youtube 'crate games' and expirement with that, might help in reinforcing it as a pleasant place to be.

It bothers me. I forbid smoking in my house, if we have friends over they go out the front to smoke, not allowed in the house or in the backyard. When questioned I tell them it's like smoking in the same room as a baby, and then they don't mind, they realise that it's not good for people and animals around them. If I'm somewhere else with people who smoke, I stay as far away from them as possible. Hate the smell.

I wouldn't know about competing with a low drive dog, but you can increase a dog's drive through training, can you not?

I don't restrict water for the dogs now that they both have bladder control and are housetrained. I did restrict water in the evening when I first got my puppy and he had limited bladder control and was new to the crate and not housetrained. For an adult dog I don't really see a need to restrict water. It had only happened once that my adult dog needed to pee in the middle of the night, and she then jumped up on the bed and fidgeted and was told to get off, and then went to the door and scratched at it. I don't see anything wrong with restricting water in the evening if that's what works for you, they are certainly not going to dehydrate over night in their sleep.

If 'stand' to him means square up for show, then yeah, I would re-teach the stand with a different word. Maybe use 'up'? And teach it so he knows not to move his front paws when getting up.

Now that it's very hot I wouldn't restrict access to water. I got my puppy in early spring and I would not give him water for the last hour before going to bed, just so it would be easier for him to hold it through the night (which he always has, no accidents). He never has water in his crate. I don't see anything wrong with not drinking for the last hour or two before going to bed, I do that to myself to just so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night. They are inside anyway, so they are not outside in the heat, and in the evening it would be cooler anyway, so less need to drink. Would you give your kid a drink just before they go to bed? Same thing.

I don't know why it has even made the news, most modern countries/towns/councils have a limit on how many pets you can have.

Agreed, I have been checking every brand of dog food whenever I go to a pet store for months, trying to find something I would be happy to feed my dogs (and cats), but have rejected all of them, based on grain content, lack of meat and/or protein, beet pulp and a whole bunch of ingredients you have no idea what is.

Overpriced and full of grains, IMO. Wouldn't buy it. Currently feeding Canidae and Felidae, which works out cheaper than Nutro and RC that they were on before. And no grains.

I usually wait until it has cooled down before taking the dogs out, but I will occasionally take them for a quick 10-15 minute walk during the day even when it's hot. Not on the very hottest day, but in summer pretty much every day is hot here in Brissie. I try to avoid it, but when my 7 month old JRT is bouncing off the walls and won't leave the kitten alone and keeps barking while hubby is taking business calls, what can you do?

I think they would actually be better off using a normal dog from the shelter for their ads. It might not be the most attractive dog, but those are the type of dogs that inspire sympathy, and the more pathetic they look, the more people will think 'I want to resuce that dog'. I perfectly groomed purebred dog might appeal to some people, but for the great majority I think it would be better to make them want to rescue a dog, rather than 'ooohh I want that gorgeous looking dog'

When getting off a flight with a crate of animals I've had them handed to me just because I said they were mine, no one actually checked. When I picked up my new puppy at the airport no one checked either. They just asked which one I was waiting for and handed him over no questions asked when he arrived.

I noticed in one of the early posts here you said something about 'showing dominance over the dog' to avoid small dog syndrome. I just wanted to point out that the whole alpha dominance theory is very outdated, and my dogs are very well behaved and I don't subscribe to the whole 'showing the dog who's boss' thing. And if I can get my dogs to behave well without trying to be dominant, then obviously there is no need to try to be dominant. I am a first time dog owner, and if I can TRAIN my dogs to behave well, then anyone can. Showing the dog who's boss isn't going to make good behaviour magically appear. Dogs need TRAINING, not a boss. It's ALL training. As for bowls and collars, I would wait until you have the puppy. It's so difficult to imagine how big the puppy is before you've held it. It's not going to need a collar for the first few days, as you can't walk it before it's had the last vaccination. The only reason you'd need a collar is if you're doing puppy classes. And if you don't get a bowl the first day it's not a big deal, just let puppy eat off a plate or human bowl for a day or two, it doesn't care:) Speaking from personal experience here, I remember how frustrating it was looking at all those different collars and bowls and not having any idea which size was the right one.