krustie22

You've looked to the victim for the answer to how the dog accessed the house and why it became aggressive. As Clyde pointed out, even IF this were the case, it does not provide an explanation for why a child is dead and two people are injured. You can express any opinion you like. If, in my opinion, what you've said seeks to suggest that the victim is in some way a contributor to her death, I'll say so. I think its insensitive and unhelpful. Sue me. Once again...it was an example as to HOW...not WHY...the why would be the upbringing/living situation of the dog and the influences of the owner to name just a couple...i would have imagined you of all people would have understood that. sue you? what on earth for? i think i missed something there??

That is really a possibility ( that dogs will be dumped ) but they are probably dogs who are not being cared for in the first place. If it stops another death of a child or person then it is worth it. turkishdelight, i think you will find it is the ones that are cared for and owned legally that will be surrendered, and the illegally, poorly owned ones will go on to give the diminishing breed a worse name

@poodlefan, how was it laying blame? it was just an example of HOW it might have gotten into the house... @clyde, again, not an assumption...an example...maybe i should have stated that...sorry, ill edit the post...i NEVER stated it was acceptable, and do believe the dog will have to be destroyed, along with the owner dealing with the guilt and consequences. i just feel it is unfair to blame one breed without knowing all the facts about the dog in question. i did assume, however, that forum meant voice opinion...oh well...

yep...ban them...??? right because that has already worked so well... do you ever wonder if BSL is the CAUSE!? I do...how can you ignore the fact that due to BSL, only morons that think they are a status symbol own them - illegally!! Im sure the amount of poorly trained, poorly socialised APBTs totally outnumber the legally owned, well trained family pet APBTs... Banning them is just as ineffective as reducing speed limits on roads...the people that are the problem to start with are the ones that are going to ignore the rules anyway!!! EDIT: I have deleted the last paragraph due to people misunderstanding it was only an example to answer earlier questions of HOW it got INSIDE the house...

thats quite a surprise! maybe i was wrong and not everyone on here is aware of the EVIL 2psinapod posted about!!

2psinapod, while i agree with what you said, i think you said it in the wrong spot lol. i am certain most the people on this forum know about puppy mills etc...i think it is the people NOT on this forum that need to be made aware. i got a bit offended reading your post, but you did warn me . 4 years ago i bought my puppy from a pet shop. I knew what breed i wanted, had read up on the breed etc...BUT i was not aware of the "evil" of pet shops back then. It took OWNING a pet shop puppy, and someone, as you said, saying "you shouldnt have done that..." and honestly, if i had been less naive and known about the issues involved with pet shops, i would not have. I promise i never used the "rescue" excuse! lol I would not do it again, but i cannot say i regret it. I love my girl to bits, even if she is not the purebred they attached the price tag to!! Sure, now i know better, and i wont even shop at a store that sells pets now...but where was the information 4 years ago? As i said, i agree 100%...there just needs to be a way to get the information to the people who need it the most...the ones who will buy from a pet shop. I just hope people dont judge me on here...i made a mistake, but sometimes we need to make one to learn from it. I know i did.

We have a martingale one from Statik Paws that we LOVE and it is the first thing we have been able to get consistent tugs on! EDIT: oops meant to add piccy of it lol

We have only just learnt weaving. It was our final challenge lol. I thought we would never understand it. We tried a few different methods, but when we came across the 2x2 method, it clicked. we used 2 x 10 min sessions 3 times a week, and within 8 sessions (4 days - not consecutive) we were weaving 8 poles, with a mixture of metal and plastic base. I think once you have built enough value for the obstacle in enough environments, colour and material will not make a difference. If you are having trouble with entries and drive, i suggest Susan Garrett's 2x2 method!! EDIT: I should add, 2 of our 2x2 sessions were at the training fields on our normal training night, again with a different set of poles. Best of luck!

Children......... my 4yo staffy x kelpie is unpredictable around children...it is strange as i have had her since 10 weeks, and she was well socialised as i coached junior sports and she used to hang around a lot (she is a velcro dog)...but a couple of years ago one of the kids walked her out of line of sight with me, and she freaked out, snapped at the kid and bolted to find me. Since then, she has growled at a couple of others, especially at the dog park as kids seem to love to run and squeal in dog parks! I have to put her on lead and leave. Not sure how to fix it. I know how desensitization works, but don't know how to apply it to kids as it is too dangerous to "test the waters"...i have a behaviourist (one that I saw was well recommended on here) coming on Saturday so hopefully we will be able to work something out!

This is from http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2098&aid=1022 Q.How do I know what size cage is best for my dog? A.The right size cage is one in which your pet can lie down, turn around, and have three to four inches of extra head space when sitting or standing. While the right-sized cage may seem too confining or too small to you, it is not for your dog. Especially if you are using the cage or crate to housetrain your puppy, do not make the common mistake of buying a cage that is too large for your puppy. If it is too spacious, your pup will eliminate in a 'remote' corner. Buy a puppy cage you will only use for training, or buy a cage that you can use throughout your dog's life and add divider panels when the dog is smaller to reduce the area to the appropriate size. I cant really comment on what crate is best as I just went with the cheapest on ebay! lol my mum uses the first soft ones you posted for her bullmastiffs

I second the sit/stay while you run past from any angle. We have been practicing this for our contacts and it has been the trickiest but we are getting there! Also, dropping food and toys everywhere and recall to you. Start small, ie a bit of boring kibble. You want them to ignore the good stuff and come to you. Throwing toys past their line of site. Have you tried an out of site sit/stay? Also if you thought he was not challenged enough anymore, you could move onto stand/stay or down/stay? EDIT: and I agree with Piper, I reward the stay quite often. Especially in front of jumps lol!

If you need to read it, i suggest Susan Garrett's Ruff Love book - we are reading it now and i am going to implement it on my 4yo girl to create better focus and drive when working. She also has a DVD called Crate Games which we did do, and it has been great for building value for her crate. No more sooking (almost) and no more barking to get out. Loves it, and has helped our drive and start lines!! If i had a do-over i would most certainly be using crate training! My girl didnt see a crate until she was 4yo and in hind-site, it kinda bit me in the butt, especially for training. EDIT: We use wire crates outside as a kennel, and a soft one for travel and inside near the bed. If you want to just get the wire one, there are some pretty good canvas covers you can get to close it in.

I have never thought about it much, but we only started obedience and agility training in April I would love to be ready to start entering Jumpers/Agility Trials Jan 2012, and hopefully even some obedience work if we can get Kuda used to being examined! Baby steps! lol Doesn't seem like much when I write it down, but I am sure it will keep me busy!

ah ok! thanks Jess. would explain why i could only find UK reviews LOL I read about Laura and Greg being in VIC in Feb! I hope the first few days they are here they end up being in Brissy! that would be amazing! I dont think it has been decided yet! Fingers crossed!

I know this is a bit late, but from vids ive seen i believe she builds a massive amount of reinforcement for what she calls the "reinforcement zone" or heel position. the dog gets rewarded for getting into this position, and because there is a rich background of reward for that, the dog WANTS to be in that position!

Just curious if anyone has attended one of the workshops run by Bob Sharpe? I am really interested, but keen to see what others think first! Thanks in advance!