PAX

I would follow Lucy's advice with total confidence. Lucy is very experienced and I am sure she could help you greatly.

Are they fruit trees?, maybe if they are you could pick all the fruit off them. ;)

Maybe get rid of the tree that the bats like to hang out in. I hate fruit bats and so do my dogs, noisy rotten things.

Very cute and what a lovely dog.

The weavers made me giddy.

Well it is our job to keep them same while they are giving us such great focus.

Just wanted to add, We worry about the focus, but my dogs will stare at a ball (willing it to move) for over 30 minutes any day and all day if that is what it takes to get me to thorw it. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for ten minutes focus now and again. Ten minutes would be the absolute maximum an Obedience dog would need to focus.

My Koolie will out prance those Poodles any day, the white socks exaggerate the action. I have also had secret Sue H training.

We don't want our dogs wrapped either or we will lose marks for crowding but I want the head up and the prancing. I know what you mean I am always watching UK heeling dvds.

Your dogs do heel like that , just they are so small it is not so obvious. Heeling both sides helps to prevent problems.

Have you tried saying 'fetch' and then running out with him and clicking for speed, don't wory if stops going for the DB just click for speed, When he is good at that, click as he gets to the DB then as he picks up the dumbbell and so on and so. Just break it down more for him so he understands each part. Maybe he is slow going out because he is unsure.

I think it means 150 clicks for your dog to learn what the clicker is if it has had no experience with one before, not 150 clicks per step. Some steps the dog gets quickly and you can progress fast, other steps take longer, just depends on the dog and how many sessions you put in. Also how good your timing is. It took my dogs (that had no interest in retrieving) about a month all up. When I taught my dogs, I did several training sessions a day. Each session for a minute or so but the idea is to have them very excited to see the Dumbbell.

The dog doesn't have to heel like that according to the rule book. A lot of people now prefer that sort of heeling, myself included. When the dog has so much focus on it's handler, the dog is less likely to miss signals as they are always watching you. A dog shouldn't score higher for that type of heeling or the old style, as long as it stays in position and gets all signals it makes no difference. Some of the older judges don't like the new style of heeling and think the dog is forging, you should go to some trials and watch the dogs and the scores.

Jules, You really need to do this training one dog at a time. Tollersowned, The sit will come, I was very worried about this but it just happened on it's own, don't stress about the sit. Trust me.

I also used it on my on my non retrieving Dobermanns with sucsess. The fastest way though is not to rush any of the steps

I prefer pups (8 week olds) as I can train them my way and not have any unwanted habits that I have to retrain. In saying that, with a puppy sometimes you get things that you don't want. My pup is very timid and worries in new situations, something that I will have to work a lot on. If she was an older dog when I bought her I wouldn't of choosen a dog with her temperament. She is the first pup that I have had with a timid nature so it's a new challenge. Forgot to say I wouldn't have any problem if the dog was three, as long as it showed something that really took my eye for the dog sport I had in mind.

Ness, Food is better to teach a new behaviour but I think most dogs would prefer to do duration heeling for the chance of a big rewad like tugging or a toy than a piece of food. My dogs would anyway.

That is how it should be. The toy has no value if you do not have it. You bring it to life.

LP, Most of the good Obedience trainers that Ness and I love use drive in training obedience work. They usually don't call it 'drive' but call it 'motivational training' or building motivation but it's the same thing. This clip was posted ages ago and it shows using a tug toy as a reward with a clicker. Cheers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-c3VDkiMxM

Lablover, I would imagine your dogs are like mine ( but your's are much better trained) food is good but nothing beats the throw of the toy and you can shove the food where it well and truly fits. My favourite saying is 'control the game, control the dog' but I am struggling with the rules..... So my main problem is, Both of my dogs love to retrieve, they are obsessed. I cannot for the life of me work out how to get them to understand the toy must come to my hand. I am sure that the pups think (they are almost 12 months old) picking it up at my feet and dropping it again is rewarding as they get to watch it move. They will happily sit there for quite a while staring at the item and willing it to move. If I ignore them they will pick it up (eventually) and put it on the chair I am sitting on but they can't seem to get that I want it in my hand. I have mucked around heaps with the clicker but I believe they are in such high drive for the toy that they don't learn the concept. Any clues or help would be so greatly appreciated as it seems stupid not to utilise this high rewarding behaviour. Retrieve desperate Pax

I was totally confused also........my usual state.

Well that would be me! I am unknown on the list as I rarely post. I wont bring a dog so I can accept the mission with total confidence, I am prepared to wear a disguise and do what ever demaning tasks you need, even pick up the poop. Also I have a talent of being a good distration while we employ another unknown person to dogknap the Toller. Forgot to say I would really like to free load on Lablover for a while on our trip.

You could always trial and train in those cricketers crutch cup thingys.

LP, get in line, I am Ness's bag carrier, travelling companion and worshipper of the Border Collie.

Ness, we must be twins. I say Are you ready all the time, that is my dogs favourite words.