Weasels

This was my stumbling block too, after years of me wanting one OH came home one day and said someone at work said they were good, so we should get one. Maybe you could plant a covert operative amongst your OH's friends or colleagues? ;) I find mine gets stuck on things like half-tennis balls etc. so I pick up all the dog toys before I run it. It won't damage things, and they are easy to retrieve from the basket, but you have to listen to the vacuum wailing about checking its wheels or brush and playing annoying alarm tones. -- I've posted this previously, but here's the foxdog's first meeting with the vacuum. Weez was hiding behind me being a scaredy-pants :laugh:

I got the red (more expensive one) from an ebay store in NSW for $650. I think the seller was cooperwaynestore or something similar. Bluefairy my dogs freaked out for about 2 days, but now they're so unfussed it's even bumped in to them a few times while they were lying in its path :laugh:

Thank you :) I don't have any real expectations of passing on sheep (especially after Saturday's training!) but it should be fun

I've had one for a couple of weeks :D Courtesy of Trinabean, he's named Jeeves. Quiet enough to watch TV when it's in the room. Easy to empty the basket. Picks up LOTS of dog hair. I'm quite happy with it. I was particularly chuffed on Sunday morning when I was having a croissant and cup of tea in my pajamas while it vacuumed the house. Now that's how housework ought to be! Edit - Esky I have to empty it a few times as it goes around the house, but that's after a week of fur and sand build-up. If you run it more often you'd probably get away with doing a whole house with 1 or 2 empties. I don't have carpet so can't speak to the transitions.

poor puppy.

Just relying my experience too, I have certainly met my fair share of 'old school' trainers/owners who are more than happy to beat their dogs up I think being open to learning more about training is about the owners attitude more so than the method they are currently using. Yeah, I think it's a generational thing. The people I see who are wedded to a correction-heavy method are generally those who grew up when it was in fashion. I have met a few people who are very very much in the +R only camp, but since they are more active in researching science-based training literature they are generally more open to listening to rational explanations of why I am using one of the "bad" quadrants in a specific situation.

Just relating what I've come across in my travels Given the times I walk my dogs I encounter an odd mix of (lovely) people, but I don't for a moment think it's a representative cross-section of the dog owning public. YMMV.

The problem IMHO is that every time I see someone using a physical correction 'out in the world' (i.e. not at a training class) their timing is all over the place, and they don't back off as soon as the dog is doing the right thing. Dog isn't learning anything, owner is getting frustrated, messy business all around. Hard to watch It can be just as hard for owners to get timing right with rewarding their dog too. Hard to watch any time an owner is struggling with handling a dog their dog, it is awful seeing both get so frustrated IME though, owners who are using positive reinforcement training are more likely to ask for and listen to advice on training, than people who use force because "that's what I've always done and my other dogs turned out just fine".

The problem IMHO is that every time I see someone using a physical correction 'out in the world' (i.e. not at a training class) their timing is all over the place, and they don't back off as soon as the dog is doing the right thing. Dog isn't learning anything, owner is getting frustrated, messy business all around. Hard to watch

It's great fun, hope you enjoy it!

success! It's amazing how well ingrained the instinct is :)

EF no idea about the class 1 thing, but all we did was join the WA ankc club and start entering in trials. We're fortunate because WA is so small we train & trial with the same group of ppl, but anyone with a registered dog should be able to enter an ankc trial. You start with an instinct test which is just whether the dog has sustained interest in stock and can recall from them, then 2 more levels of (fairly easy) tests before you start competing :) Edit - we took about 6 months from starting to train to entering trials, but that is way more than you need. You can enter an instinct test without much training at all. We've been herding for about 12 months (but with no training over summer) and our dogs have all their tests done and have their first trial in 2 weeks.

- I also try to tell mine "you're working dogs, do some housework already!" to no avail *sigh* You need to meet some Borzoi Weasels! :D Some might not like hugging, but the vast majority do... Maybe they're anti-dogs in regard to hugging?? Oh I hug Weez - I'm just not much fussed whether he likes it or not :p I consider it a small price to pay for all the free food and board :D I think Borzoi hugs would be pretty special tho, I'd totally be up for that

I think hitting an aggressive/fearful/excited dog is pointless at best and, as Willow said, dangerous at worst. The interpretation is likely to vary from dog to dog, but if someone hit you when you were angry, scared or upset would it ever make you feel better or calmer? I can't see how it would possibly help - the dog might retreat into its shell but will probably not have a good feeling about the situation next time and might lash out even more. Personally, if my dogs are trying to greet a dog I don't want them to, I use a basic "walk-on" command. With a dog that is really in high excitement I'd just get it out of there. edit - I understand wanting to be "seen" to be doing something about it though. I have had people ask me why I wasn't yelling at my dog after he'd done something inappropriate. I have to explain to them that punishing the dog once he's recalled/calmed down/focussed on me is actually punishing the correct behaviour, not whatever happened 2 minutes ago. But people see that as the dog "getting away with it" and expect to see some yelling and hitting I just see it as a failure of management on my part, I learn and do better to prevent any issues next time.

Actually, after reading this post I realised that I see far more of people treating dogs 'like children' in a more immediatly negative way than the OP in the vet thread probably meant. Things like punishing a dog for something it did an hour ago, expecting it do obey out of "respect", calling them stubborn, and generally ascribing a higher level of abstract reasoning than dogs posess. All reasonable things for children; for dogs, not so much. Edit - just to clarify, I agree with everything you wrote Juice, it just got me thinking.

how inconsiderate, especially on a holiday weekend! Poor doggies. Bleh dugite *shudder* Glad we missed that one

It was! Beautiful weather, happy dogs, puppy cuddles :D Although Chess took in a bit too much sea water, she puked a few times when we got home She's fine now though, I'm sure she'd be up for another round :laugh:

I'll stop by to see how busy it is :) Kelpies need room for zoomies!

I personally don't have a problem with the terms 'furbaby' or the like; not one I'd use myself but people are just trying to express how much their dog means to them in a world where some people don't understand how dogs can be more than yappy furballs in the backyard that you get as something to play with the kids. The uncomfortable part is when the language of 'children' etc. goes along with a pattern of anthropomorphisation that is not in the dog's best interest. Things like thinking the dog loves to be hugged (some might, most don't), would rather be carried around than walk & sniff, or the dog 'hates being told what to do'. Actions that can lead to a bored, understimulated, unsocialised and untrained little pooch. I don't care what terms people use to talk about their dogs but I hate to see it when people either can't or won't read their dog's body language about things THEY want to do but are making the dog miserable.

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I use cargo shorts/pants - right pocket for treats, left pocket for poo bags. I'd like to say I had thought it through re. visual cues etc. but honestly I just find treat bags bounce around too much when I'm running I found some good shorts with the buttons on either side of the pocket rather than in the middle so I can grab treats without opening the pocket; I bought 4 pairs I tip the crumbs out on the floor for the dogs to hoover up when I'm done, and just turn the pocket inside out & spray a bit of preen before I put in the washing machine. Comes out perfectly clean. I also have a 'Cesar Milan' branded Doog belt for the occasions when I'm wearing jeans. Works OK but I prefer pockets.

I will swing by with my two, I'll see whether Chess (the foxdog) has her grumpy pants on or not before I'll know how long I'll stay From what I saw of the dogs last time she should be fine, she just growls if big dogs get up in her face sometimes

Hmmm depending on the day I could be tempted. We've got herding on Sat but no plans otherwise. Mim the foxdog would do the same! There weren't any humpers at the last meet (that I saw anyway!)

For my childhood dog 'speak' was one of the most important commands she knew. She'd often get herself locked in one or other of the sheds while looking for mice and the speak command let us know where she was :) FWIW I don't think teaching my Weez to bark on cue has made a difference either way to his 'recreational' barking Cavstar - agree with everything Erny said, plus if you can continue to catch and mark her regular barking in different situations it should help her generalise the behaviour more quickly :) I started by holding a treat tucked under my thumb in an open palm just in front of his face while he was barking. The sight/smell of the treat distracted him enough to shut up for a few seconds so i clicked & treated that. Then I added a cue ('hush'), faded the treat and we're still working on increasing duration before the barking starts again.

Such good news! Poor Reggie, bet he's very glad to be back with his people!!