BlackJaq

Yes, cats certainly are a bit out there.. On one hand, they don't have to be confined to their own property or accompanied by an owner, but on another hand, if one jumps out at your dog from a bush and the dog kills fluffy then the dog is in the shit.... Also I remember them crapping all over my yard and walking by the windows to tease the dogs when we still lived in town.. I really wish cats were dealt with the same as dogs and had to stay on their own property at all times unless on leash and accompanied by an owner... :p

Oooh! Crawling might be a cool next trick! Foxy was making moves to go into the drop to begin with but I stopped asking for anything on the front end and simply rewarded her for lifting her bum instead a few times (I had to experiment a little, tied to get her to lift it up herself by touching and tapping various places and vocal encouragement, as soon as it went up,, I treated, since she doesn't really learn anything from me moving her into the positions I want *sigh*) Maybe you can try break the position up into two pieces this way as well... Foxy kind of rolls over but I was too paranoid about twisting her stomach so I never made her do a full rull.. Just kinda roll over on her back... It's a pretty half assed effort really lol I used it as a stepping stone to get to playing dead though... For standing on rear legs, do you just ask for them to stand up in place or are you going to try teach them to walk like that as well? Would be cool to see some more videos of the tricks everyone's dog have learnt!

Yea, I'd be interested in how they determine this? Ordinary dogs under poor management show chasing, rushing and even "attacking" behaviors all the time. Lots of dogs will react this way to cats. Do they count cats as pets or pest animals now? Or does it depend if the cat is owned or feral? And how is the dog meant to know the difference? Lol questions over questions.

I'd say they simply cannot be found most of the time. Also, that would be putting in an effort. It might also make a little bit too much sense. Can't have that! Especially since it';s obviously all the nasty pitbull's fault! No human error here at all! (As per Ayen Chol coroner's report )

Also, there are plenty of rural dog owners who spent equal amounts of time and effort on their dogs, regardless of breed. I am sure the same goes for city people. I am also sure that there are people in both city and country who do spent equally little time and effort on their dogs :)

They are not recommended to be outside only dogs in any case. Since our dog lives inside with us unless we are not home, she does not have any issues. She hunts in the bush with us and while she does bang herself up (no worse than other short coated hunting dogs I imagine) this does not stop her performing her work. Just as a dog might push itself and tear a pad chasing a vehicle, a dog will push itself during hunting and may continue to work despite injuries. This is a normal part of a hunting dog's life and we willingly take that risk each time we take her. However, something that they certainly can have issues with is sunburn, just like any liver nosed dog (or any dog with reduced pigmentation, i.e. pink skin etc). I know this personally (my own dog has burnt her nose so I now apply lip balm with a sun blocker if we are outside for more than a couple of hours or if we are going to be in full sun a lot) and I also personally know several other Weimaraners who tend to always have disgusting scabby burnt noses due to sunburn (those dogs, incidentally, live outside full time). Funnily enough those dogs also exhibit many of the issues I have listed previously... Apart from that I do not see why they would be less suitable to Australian bush conditions?

Only just found this thread! How is everyone going with their bowing training? I had a go under my knees as silentchild described and got my Wei to put her elbows on the ground and keep bum in the air in the first session just now. When she continued to hold the pose after a moment I just kept giving her treats and praised and she didn't quit until I told her to go play, so I'm pretty hopeful that she will pick this up quickly! Teaching her to bark on command for some reason took about 5 months (possibly because she had always been told not to bark previously) so teaching her something she is picking up quickly is a nice change! What other tricks do your dogs do?

We live in rural Australia actually :D And we have fences that the dog could scale easily as well, as I described in my post. However, I spent a huge amount of time and effort on my Weimaraner and so far we have not had any issues. However, we are aware of the dog's capabilities and did our homework, which probably contributes to our (so far) problem free Weimaraner. I certainly did not say it cannot be done. It just takes a lot of time and commitment. And some knowledge of the breed helps, too, even if it is passed on from other owners, trainers, breeders and even books and the internet :)

Yes, I own one Weimaraner, my first in fact :) I also know several other dogs personally, who fit my sweeping generalizations perfectly. I guess I know the rest through online contacts and hearsay. I am sure there are some Weimaraners who deviate from my generalizations. The OP can choose to get a Weimaraner regardless of my recommendations and descriptions and in that case my prediction of disaster stands, according to what I know of the breed. Perhaps they will let us know after the fact :) ETA: I am confused as to why my dog will run her pads bloody following a car but not a horse? As I said, my dog is used to running large distances every day. I presume she must have some kind of callous build-up because I have never seen her pads bleed. I did build up to this regime slowly. I also built her up to this level of fitness on purpose since she needs to be fit for the various dog sports and hunting activities we participate in. Conditioning a dog for a job is important. If somebody makes their dog run kilometres without prior training and makes their pads bleed that is hardly the fault of the vehicle they are travelling in....

Oh my bad, I did not check dates. How devastating

This is exactly what I would have done with this lab, because I do value all my fingers. Obviously, if you feel you can physically best the dog, then I agree with Nekh, that way does have some merit. Personally, I do not get paid to risk life and limb on TV, so I don't go on a course quite as confrontational lol Plus I generally have to live with the dog afterward. I am human and might feel some resentment toward a dog that had actively "attacked" me as the handler (I am not talking redirected aggression here, but all out attempts to physically force me into submission) ETA: With a child in the house I would probably be really reluctant to have the dog anywhere near the child until the behavior was completely resolved either way though. Hard to believe that they let it continue this long in the first place. Edit 2: Ok now that I have started watching the video, I have to ask: Why is there a lame greyhound present? Is the dog hurt? Why would you bring an injured dog in this situation?

Well, since my dog is pretty well trained and leads a full and busy life, you would not know about her downsides by simply meeting her either ;) In fact, she is known as an excellently behaved dog. Many shops let me bring her inside, even though dogs in general are not really supposed to enter. She will stay for hours in my car, quietly, without destroying anything, while I am busy, sleeping at a friend's house, shopping, shooting where she is not allowed etc etc (if it is not too hot, obviously). She is the most quiet inside dog I know. In fact, if you came to visit me at my house, you would not know there is a dog inside. She stays on her bed in my bedroom until I tell her it is time to go outside. She is extremely obedient, quick to learn, and always desperate to do as I say. She knows if she listens to me, she will get to release the urges she has (chase and grab game, retrieve it to hand etc). She can be off lead around all my poultry and sheep, and around all other animals, under my supervision. She would probably just hang around the house without causing too much trouble while I was inside, but I am not willing to find out that one for sure. However, if I am ill for a week and she does not get the exercise and stimulation she needs, she will soon let me know that she is not happy. First by asking to be let out and in a few times. Later by coming up to me and just poking or looking at me. Eventually she will start making a grab for something in the bin or chewing an empty toilet roll... It would deteriorate from there I imagine. I have also spoken to Weim owners who were giving up their dogs and the patterns are remarkably similar. I am not saying nobody can be happy with a Weim as a pet. I am. Extremely so. But most of them want to work. They want to work hard. A stroll around the firebreak just won't do it for them. And being a late maturing breed, most owners do not realize how much shit they are in until at least 18 months, but more often 2 or 3 years of age. The prey drive for example can often be weak or barely noticeable until 12 months. Eventually guarding behaviors may and often do develop. "Stubbornness" is a reported trait in the breed, though I have not yet encountered it personally. Anyway, I have to say that English speaking literature does not often mention specifics about issues with Weimaraners (other than destruction and separation anxiety), particularly those with aggression. However, searching forums for threads on problems with Weimaraners or speaking to owners who are surrendering you will soon notice that the issues are there, just not spoken about. It is a different story in Germany, where the breed is still a performance breed and papered dogs do not generally go to non hunters. The man sharpness is openly recognized there, and also the consequences of lack of firm leadership and appropriate stimulation. Many German Weim owners will go so far as calling it cruelty to not allow a Weim to live out his instinct for hunting and retrieving game by working the dog. I do not necessarily agree with all of this but since Weims are known for separation anxiety and other mental issues in other countries that are virtually unheard of in working Weims they have to be doing something right I'd think

::thumbsdown:: Now that's a pet hate of mine! I'm sure you wouldn't give it several hours alongside the ute...? I agree that a Weimaraner may not be suitable in the OP's situation. However, one of my reactive dog's best friends at the dog-park was a beautiful pure-bred Weimaraner - in fact, the Weimaraner was a friend to all, dogs and people alike. It's owners were prepared to give up a lot of time to it. Still, the unfenced yard is the main concern. Maybe that's why the OP has gone silent. I meant all up, she is running alongside me several hours a day, whether I may be on a horse, on foot, or even in the ute, not several hours beside the ute exclusively. Sometimes she rides on the ute, tied on obviously. Any time somebody enters my property on or in a vehicle, one of the dogs might get run over. So far they haven't. Obviously if I was driving a harvester, slasher or whatever, and not able to concentrate on the dog I would not leave the dog loose. See my statement on the dog being prepared to kill stuff. If I manage to run over my dog going 25 km/h then I will just have to admit to some special kind of retardation I guess. Nothing stopping the dog getting run over by the horse either, btw. That could end in serious injury to all of us. The dogs are even trained to be lead on a lead off the side of a horse so I can leash them if we encounter a public road. Sounds pretty dangerous, too, actually. And I cannot see where I said that a Weimaraner can not get along with dogs or people at a dog park.. You seem to not understand my post. They are the perfect dog in my opinion, but if they do not receive enough exercise or stimulation, they are a nightmare. This is a fact of life and anybody familiar with the breed will be able to tell you so. If the owner is not strong willed and a good leader, problems with other dogs and even people can and often do occur. Weimaraners tend to turn on their handlers when not cared for properly as well btw. They are a strong, sharp HPR breed and despite many generations of show breeding, they still possess a lot of their original traits, some individual dogs more, some individual dogs less.

So I see a collar has been made, do we get to see a photo on the gorgeous Vizsla yet or what? *tapping foot impatiently* :D :D

Sorry, I should have specified, we are only doing single obstacles in the beginners' group at this point :) But those haltis sure make me uncomfortable watching the dogs in them... The owners seem to yank on them whilst gesturing during conversation and are generally kind of oblivious to their handling of their dogs.... Fortunately both dogs seem pretty docile.. Making me wonder why they need them in the first place :p

Yes, an option where you could select how many dogs you have owned/own and how many of them had done any of this might have been good...

The place sounds like a German "Tierheim" to me. They don't call it a pound, but it is. It is where strays and surrenders are kept until somebody comes along to buy them. they do not do temp testing and evaluations as we know them from reputable rescues here. I guess I could be wrong though, since I am not familiar with the UK system. Either way, I do not think the dog looks comfortable in the photo with the girl and I bet there were previous signs of trouble that were missed.. Tragic for this little girl and her family but unfortunately the impact of this on other dogs will be hard to predict and likely not good. R.I.P. little girl and R.I.P. dog, too. Who knows if we will ever learn exactly what caused this tragedy, since once again, the breed is the focus of this investigation, and not the dog's actual behavior and circumstances.

First of all, I seem to recall reading a thread about this, but I can't seem to find it despite numerous searches.. I'm just wondering what people think about dogs wearing stuff during agility practice, including harnesses, haltis and other correction gear, and even collars (flat and otherwise).. I seem to recall that in the other thread the danger of having coats (as in, dog coat against rain or cold, not the dog's own fur)and such caught on equipment was mentioned, presumably this would go for harnesses and such as well? Do you know of any such incidents? What about collars? What does your dog wear during training? I have been using a rope slip lead that I stuff in my pocket when we are on course, because I have been hugely paranoid even about a plain flat collar, not to mention the slip lead goes on and off fast, but recently I have started my second dog in beginner's agility after doing it for just over 12 months with my other dog. In this beginner's group there are two large dogs constantly wearing haltis, and even for off lead work, the owners simply let go of the lead, which is clipped to the halti...... Both dogs tend to be hesitant when the lead is dragging, presumably because they are stepping on the lead and pulling on their own haltis... Not sure if the haltis are meant to come off when the dogs advance further? For jumps and such they are unclipping the lead, but nevertheless halti stays on... Anyway, I am curious what kind of gear others are happy to leave on their dogs and if there have actually been any incidents of stuff getting caught (mostly wondering about flat collars I guess, as they seem pretty safe but I am still paranoid since my Weimaraner likes to do about 150 miles an hour on the course lol)

Who wants to make a bet on how long they will take to scoop the Bull Mastiff up as a menacing breed... After-all, they have been grooming the public to see them as the new pitbull for a fair while now...

the property is unfenced. it was never an issue for their dogs until Max became phobic. He was offlead when he got spooked and bolted. They had managed the issue well with limited time outside and off lead and a tether or lead at other times, but it just took the one time that he got away and he got killed. on a residential, no thoroughfare street in the middle of the bush. the only traffic is from the few residents that live their. it was a terrible and improbably accident. I'd say with some luck a Weimaraner will stay there for about 10 minutes, give or take ten minutes. Seriously, the first butterfly that comes along will lead their pup on an amazing chase right under the next car (regardless of breed I'd guess). A Weimaraner (and GSP for that matter) will have a huge prey drive and not only will it kill any sheep, cat, roo, chicken and rat within about a ten km radius, but it will probably get itself killed by the surrounding roads or farmers in the process. Gun dogs seem like just about one of the worst breed choices for this scenario, other than maybe tracking hounds and sight hounds..... And these are only the problems surrounding the prey drive. A Weimaraner not only wants to be with his owners as much as possible, it will also destroy everything in its vicinity if left alone for long enough (that includes timber doors and all kinds of furnishings). They also want to work. A lot. A bored Weimaraner is like a spawn from hell. They can have issues with dog and human aggression if bored and lonely enough and unless they have several hours each day to devote to their dog I would not recommend a Weimaraner to anyone. They will get used to all sorts of things and if trained well from a young age, they can spend a fair bit of time on their own each day, but you probably wouldn't want to leave one alone inside your house until it was around three years old (or older, if ever), unless crated. Not having a safe, fenced in area for the dog to self exercise and play in means that they will probably need to allow for three or more walks a day, preferably 30 mins to an hour each time, with lots of off leash running. This may become a problem in a rural area with stock or wildlife, particularly with a dog that is not well trained. I could continue but overall, I find a hamster more suitable to their situation and if they should decide on a Weimaraner, GSP or the like, I predict disaster of spectacular proportions. Personally, I take my Wei almost everywhere. When I leave her home for more than a couple of hours, I leave her in a dog proof pen with my other dog. She is three now and reasonably reliable on her own inside for short periods of time. She gets several hours of free running and exercise alongside the ute, horse or with me on foot every day. She would cover at least 5-6 km with me, as well as whatever distance she covers running about in a fenced in area. She also gets worked every day, including obedience or agility work, retrieving/dummy work and on top of that I take her hunting several times a week on average. She does not stay outside on her own, except in the dog pen, as she can easily scale any of our farm fencing, dig under, squeeze through or "create" a hole for her convenience. She will kill roos, wallabies, foxes, cats and anything else she does not recognize as part of our horde of critters, when unsupervised and not under human guidance. If she got bored outside on her own, she would easily cover several km in a very short time, in search of something to hunt or relieve her boredom. Anyway, I hope this gives you a vague idea on the management and input of time required to keep a large active gun dog happy. I do not know how my dog would fare in a kennel but I suspect she would pine, but do ok other than that. I think leaving the dog in a kennel while they travel would be their least concern. Handling the dog while they are home might be a bigger issue unless they are very committed and have a lot of time on their hands.

I see where you are coming from but sometimes we just need to accept our dogs for what they are :) I don't know the reasons for his reactivity, as you know they can range from temperamental faults, to bad experiences or a combination of factors. If your dog is happy not interacting with other dogs (or perhaps only unknown dogs?) then you may just need to be happy with this, too. In my experience, dogs that are outright dog aggressive do not usually miss the company of other dogs. They tend to prefer their people. Dogs that react from fear are often very stressed and scared in these situations, even if they act aggressively and offensively (rather than defensively). It is a kindness to teach them how to avoid these feelings and replace them with neutral and good feelings instead (sometimes these dogs will never get as far as interacting with another dog without the fear and stress, but sometimes they can become familiar enough with another dog or dogs to overcomes the negative feelings and enjoy the other dog's company, but not usually strange dogs). Some dogs may become reactive due to owner reactivity. I'm not sure exactly how to explain this very well, but an owner can make a dog anxious about other dogs, or even purposely train the dog to reactivity (as is often done in fighting dogs who have no true dog aggressiveness). This kind of conditioning can be hard to overcome or may not be able to be overcome at all. The list goes on and I do not know what kind of reactivity your dog displays. You would probably know best so I think you will need to recognize what will actually make your dog happy and then live with that. Having a reactive dog behaving in a neutral manner around other dogs is a pretty big win in my book, so that is what I would aim towards, at least to begin with. I know that it is nice when your dog plays well with other dogs but not all dogs are made this way (or life changes them to a point where they no longer function this way) and I don't think there is anything wrong with that, as long as the dog has someone or something to interact with and be close to. They are social animals, but the emphasis on the need for a canine pack is simply overstated sometimes (in my personal opinion), and this can push owners of dogs who are different to expect the need for doggy friendships as "the norm", when really it isn't. Not for all dogs, anyway.

It sounds to me a bit like you don't actually know what you want your dog to do? When he uses his own judgement he is reactive. That is presumably why you have retrained him. He is now acting the way you trained him to react. Yet you do not seem happy with this? What exactly do you want him to do? You can't blame him for attempting to gain a reward? Any dog willing to please will do this. In your situation I would be glad that the dog now places more value in you and your treat than in the reaction he has toward other dogs. If you want him to do something else, teach him what you want. Maybe now that you can gain (and hopefully hold) his attention in such situations you might like to consider doing some kind of training when there are other dogs around. This should help teach him to simply ignore their presence and carry on with whatever it is you want him to do. Training will distract him from the other dogs but also from the reward he is trying to demand (I believe you mentioned letting him lick peanut butter or something for the duration of the other dog's presence?). I would see this as an opportunity to begin weaning him off this crutch and teach him some more normal behaviors (like ignoring, if he is unable to learn friendly interaction). Surely this would be more relaxing for you as well as the dog since another dog's presence will become a non-event, rather than a huge flurry of activity either way, each time another dog is present. A dog need not slink around or crawl on his belly to be "submissive". Yet he needs to submit to your commands, i.e. be obedient, otherwise your life with him may become rather unpleasant (and I assume his reactivity was unpleasant to you or you would not have worked to correct it, therefore you obviously want him to submit to your requests after-all)

Maybe some changes are finally about to happen... http://m.local10.com/pets/dr-ian-kupkee-weighs-in-on-pit-bull-ban/-/16717942/22949770/-/dp7myb/-/index.html

Do those people rent or own? If rental then the real estate might like to know that they have dogs staying at the property even if it is only occasionally

I would ring council anyway and explain the situation. Ask them what they would like you to do when the situation arises again. Make sure you keep a written record of when they are there and maybe ask other annoyed neighbors to do the same to corroborate your notes. Maybe they will be prepared to back you if they try to blame your dog again. Sounds like everybody is getting pissed at them so you shouldn't be the one to shoulder all the responsibility for dealing with them...