DogsAndTheMob

(I'm back from taking the dogs for a walk.) Document 2: Schedule for the annual championship show of the German Shepherd Dog League of Australia, held 25th November 1951. Interesting highlights: "Exhibitors in the Metropolitan Districts travelling by train should enquire at their local railway re Special Show Dog Ticket available on Saturdays and Sundays only. Outside the Metropolitan Area, Exhibitors should get a consignment Ticket not a Dog Ticket." "OUR CLUB is democratic and progressive and any element of discord has no place amongst us. We cordially invite all fanciers who appreciate such an atmosphere to come and join. Join our club and help us to stamp out the ridiculous antagonism against the German Shepherd Dog. We need you! Your dog needs us! See the Secretary to-day!"

I'm looking at some old documents and thought I should share... It would be great if other people could also pull out their archives. Document 1: schedule for Sydney All Breeds Dog Training Club trial of 3rd July 1960, which states, "The members of our club are proud to present the FIRST ONE-DAY TRIAL OF OBEDIENCE DOGS EVER HELD IN THIS STATE." The entry fee was six shillings per class, with child handlers at two shillings and lady handlers at four shillings. First place trophies were valued at five pounds five shillings. The club shield was valued at 35 pounds. Novice Companion Dog Test exercises were character test (examination by judge), heel on leash, run on leash, heel free, run free, come when called, sitting ( in front of handler for two minutes), lying (in front of handler for three minutes) and stand free. The Open Companion Dog Test included the above plus a retrieve, recall and down, deliver message, jump hurdle and retrieve, scent discrimination, seek back and (as a combined exercise) long down and return to place.

It sounds as if you are doing everything possible to manage an intractable problem! Take care of yourself... This must be incredibly stressful, particularly combined with your long working week. Best wishes for a good solution.

Do you think the circling is misdirected working instinct... i.e. trying to work other dogs, people or horses? One of my BCs will circle the other dogs if he doesn't get enough sheep-work. If Serenity "switched on to" dogs first, that might explain her lack of interest in livestock, particularly if she is distracted by the sight or sound of other dogs. In any case, it might be worth considering setting up a visual barrier between Serenity and the other dogs when she is separated from them... Also, be wary of having her in a run with a fence adjoining the area where your other dogs are housed, as that can precipitate fence-running. What does she do if she's housed in a quiet area with minimal stimuli?

My first BC was like that. Even at 16 yo he was hyper! He was great to train for obedience competition because he never became bored or tired... He got his UD without much trouble. I found these strategies effective... I did a lot of UD level training even before he could heel. Those exercises provide good mental stimulation and I think you could adapt to your dog's motivators and abilities.... Seek back for food rather than an article, sendaway to food, directed send to food etc. I played a lot of hide and seek games with tennis balls.... Perhaps you could confine your dog while you hide her meals then send her to find them.I placed him on long stays while I worked around the house, as I found that stopped him from "psyching" himself up.He was very responsive to touch and would almost freeze if I ran my hand slowly over his head and down his back to the base of his tail.

I had a "wake-up call" on the weekend when my dog lost his cool with a breakaway sheep - absolutely out of character! When I'd recovered from my shock, I realized that it was caused by my poor handling and management but exacerbated because I lacked confidence in my ability to control him from a distance in that situation. I also realized that I'd become sloppy and complacent about control with all my dogs. I went back out there and insisted that he stayed by my side as we walked across the paddock, rather than creeping ahead as he tends to. I did 10 minutes of walk up, back away drills in the yard, then back to the small paddock. After this, his casts were cleaner than they have been for months, and he was driving and flanking on drive in a manner that we've never achieved before. I've now drawn up a list of goals for my dogs. They will already drop on command as a group and recall as a group when running in the paddock, heel individually off-lead while the other dogs run around, and hold long down stays (up to half an hour) individually and as a group... usually in the comfort of the house. I now want them 1) recall individually "against the flow" of the other dogs during runs, 2) reliably wait to be invited (individually) through some doors and gates, 3) walk individually on a loose lead (not heeling) while the other dogs run past (specifically during their morning crazy-run) and 4) go through doors and up to bed on first command both individually and (longer term goal) "against the flow" of the other dogs. My older BC's drops are reliable off-sheep, but not 100% on sheep. So, the next time he ignores a "drop" during herding, I'm going to just let the sheep go and work on control. I'll use a method I've found effective in other situations when dogs ignored a drop command or responded slowly. I walk towards the dog (bossily) and send/take him back to exactly where he was when I said drop. If the dog tries to stop short, I insist on him going all the way back. If achievable, I prefer to send him rather than physically re-position him (or her). I believe the dog learns more when he chooses to comply. Drop him where the original command was given, wait a short time (reinforce with stay, if necessary), then walk up, give a restrained tactile reward, then release. Immediately call the dog to heel and do a series of quick, brusque "heel" (few steps), "drop" (wait a few seconds), "heel" (few steps), etc. At the end of the sequence give big (jackpot) tactile and physical rewards (I don't use food rewards at this stage, as communication is a big part of the process and the verbal/tactile reward relieves any tension.) Then we practice some random walking around and dropping at a distance and I randomly reward with verbal (from a distance) or tactile or food rewards (with the dog holding the stay while I walk up.) Now how do I train the cat not to walk on the keyboard?

Have a look at the articles here http://www.abcollie.com/index.php/articles/ and here http://www.patrickshannahan.com/articles.asp Although I don't agree with every aspect of their approaches, I've learnt so much from these articles. I particularly like their focus on communication and working with each dog as an individual. And if you want to be inspired, look at some of the internet video of Red Top Riggs competing in ISDS-style trials.

Any of the above, depending on the circumstances. I give a second command (with more command in my voice) if I think the dog is likely to obey it. If I don't think a second command will "work", I only give one in an emergency situation. Either way, I follow up ASAP by reinforcing training in a controlled situation... and repeat this just before I go back into the situation where the dog ignored me. Herding is different, because the situation is fluid (by the time it has gone from thought to words to dog's response, the sheep may be doing something entirely different), so I need "intelligent obedience" or "intelligent disobedience". If I'm not happy with my dog's response to commands, I practice general commands (eg drop) as much as I can away from the sheep then, when working the sheep, try to ensure that on-sheep-only commands (eg flanking commands) align with the dog's instincts until communication channels are open again.

So perhaps I should be playing more chasing and retrieving games with quick turns (e.g. turn and throw a ball) so that he becomes more attuned to my shoulder movements.

What natural cues do you think your dog uses to anticipate your movements and adjust its position when heeling? By natural cues, I mean cues in the way you naturally move (e.g. turning your feet left or right as you lead into a turn; slowing/shortening your step to adjust your balance as you stop). I'm particularly interested in cues that dogs pick up on when they're looking upwards. I spent some time last week teaching my youngster both stand and left about turn, and now I notice that he's switched from watching my face to watching my feet during heeling.

All of this is good stuff. But I don't see why you can't do all of this and have the dog wearing a long line at the same time. For those of you that are experienced and good at 'reading' your dog the long line will never need to be used. For those less experienced and less skilled at reading their dog, the long line offers security and insures the dog isn't given practice at ignoring commands. By all means encourage the dog to come without having to use the long line, let it drag along the ground, but if not, it is always there as extra insurance to reinforce the come command. That's a fair question. I guess that I see the long lead as a temptation to use force, and would prefer to avoid any compulsion, at least in the early stages of training (and certainly with an 11 week old pup). In addition, I trained my first dog without a lead (way back in the 1970s) because I was such a klutz that I couldn't manage a long lead effectively. It worked so well that I've never since used a lead to train the recall. I've also seen other people's pups get distracted or even distressed by trailing leads and long lines... and I think dogs trained on long leads can end up with slower recalls as a result. However, I've trained most of my own dogs as puppies. If I was teaching an adult dog with entrenched problems, I might train differently. In my original post, I should also have advised the OP never to call the half-trained pup unless he was likely to respond to the first command... except in an emergency of course.

Oops, sorry, I should have said "she"!

I'm not a fan on teaching the recall on lead. It is usually the only practical way to teach it in classes, but I find off-lead teaching more effective at home, in a controlled environment. Off-lead recall training avoids all those issues associated with force and oppositional behaviour. I teach recall in two ways: 1) I wait until the puppy is a few feet away from me, then turn and run in the opposite direction, looking over my shoulder, and calling in a high-pitched voice ("pup-pup-pup" works well.) As the pup reaches me, I either sit on the floor/ground so that the pup can climb on my lap (reward! ... and it also avoids encouraging the pup to jump up), or turn and run in a different direction. If the pup runs past, I run away in a different direction again. 2) I call the pup to me for meals and snacks. To make these methods work: Don't expect too much... he's only a puppy. Choose your moment and "read" your puppy. Don't use method 1 when the puppy is tired or distracted Don't overdo any session. A few repetitions at a time are more than enough. Start inside (hallways are great!) and only move outside once his recalls are reliable inside. As much as possible, avoid calling the puppy to you when you prepare for less positive experiences (e.g. "bedtime" or "crate-time" at the end of playtime) When the puppy gets older and you take him to off-lead parks, it is good practice to call him to you intermittently, pat him and send him off to play again. You don't want him to associate recalls with the end of his fun.

Hi, Since trading in my canopied ute for a hatchback, I've only had occasional opportunities to go to trials or training, and I've mostly made do without a crate. My wire crates are just too big to fit satisfactorily, so I was wondering about a soft crate. I would appreciate any suggestions on the best crates (or other methods of confinement) to use at trials for medium to large dogs (border collies and possibly my GSD). Something tough enough to withstand a youngster would be ideal, but comfort for the dog and portability are probably more important...if I'm taking the pup and will need to crate him, I'll just have to fit in the wire crate somehow. K

Thanks for the useful comments... I'll program the "ICE" numbers into my phone. And I think my animals should have access to even larger reserves of water.

There are evolutionary reasons why infants instinctively and loudly demand attention. Many years ago, I read a tragic report from Western health workers returning to Africa after a famine. (Conditions had been so difficult that the health workers had been evacuated.) A few of the most demanding infants had survived the famine, but the "good" babies had all died. It is our responsibility, as adults, to moderate the demanding instincts of small children and help them to develop more rational behaviour. Parents and teachers are in the front line, but we can all help by modelling civilized behaviour. Behaving rudely towards children does not help. Today's children will be the doctors, aged-care workers, shop assistants etc of our later life. (Not to mention the vets that care for our pets.) We should not regard them as nuisances. (Now I can get off my hobby-horse.)

A few years ago I experienced the trauma of being unexpectedly cut off from home (and my dogs) by flood water for 48 hours. So the current weather predictions prompted me to ensure that I have neighbours' phone numbers listed in my mobile. After that time, I always ensure that my animals have access to at least 3 days worth of drinking water. How do other people prepare for the unexpected?

Don't get a German Shepherd unless you want a very large, bouncy puppy that takes years to grow up (if ever) and may have strong protective/territorial instincts. Don't get a Border Collie unless you want a dog that needs a vocation (although that may be herding, agility, "mustering" tennis balls or even just taking care of his/her people). Don't get a Siamese or Balinese cat unless you want a velcro pet. Don't get a Siberian Husky unless you want a dog that has its own agenda. Seriously, I loved that about my husky, as well as the fascinating behavioural differences between her and other dogs I have owned. I also loved the challenge of innovative training (and yes, you can have an obedience trained husky, but you are unlikely to have a reliably obedient husky.) However, I will probably never have another husky because I like to be able to relax while my dogs run free, and you cannot do that with a husky. Also, my girl had extremely strong predatory instincts... she was trained not to chase cats or livestock in my presence, but I would never have trusted her alone with those animals.

I have a (rescue) Balinese cat with a history of severe allergic dermatitis. Her favourite synthetic fur toy triggered 5 cent coin sized sores at the corners of her mouth. When I took away the toy, the sores healed up.

I see from your other post that you are/will be a new border collie owner. Most puppies are not ready for herding training until at least 9 to 12 months old (and adult dogs are often easier to train). In the interim, you can have lots of fun teaching your puppy tricks and basic obedience, and this will build a bond between you so that (s)he is more likely to respond to you when you start herding training.

My BC has worked both sheep and ducks. The principles of poultry herding are the same as training a BC to herd sheep, but I believe that it is wise to start BCs on sheep before asking them to work poultry (both because the size and movement of poultry may initially trigger predatory instincts rather than herding instincts, and because poultry are more vulnerable to injury). I suggest looking for a herding clinic or classes near you. This book provides a useful overview of instinct and early training. http://books.google.com.au/books/about/Herding_dogs.html?id=xGcCAAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a pretty laid back breed, you will find they instictively know "how to chill" but will fire up if called to "play". :) I do know a dog trainer that kept her German Shepherd Puppy in a trolley and moved it from room to room when it was little. :laugh: Our boy was always very well behaved in the house as a puppy, we didn't even need pet barriers, he was told that he was to stay in the family room and would not step up the step there. He'd sit there with his face on the step and watch what was going on. The pet barrier only was introduced when the third Cavalier arrived. I'd crate them when I was preparing meals. I quite agree, it depends on the dog. I never needed to teach my BC pup (now 7 months) to be peaceful inside. But then, he is very biddable... by the time he was 4 months old I could leave him on a down stay with the other dogs while I fed the ducks! However, I believe imposing peace by leashing puppies inside is preferable to putting them outside. I have met too many people whose dogs are never allowed inside, because they have never been taught an "off button".

I think it is useful to teach dogs to be peaceful in the house, without being in a crate. My dogs follow me from room to room inside the house but they know that they are only allowed to play inside if I initiate the game. I do, however, spend a LOT of time outside in the garden and paddocks with my dogs and they are usually outside when I'm not home (and part of the time when I am home). I teach them to be peaceful inside once they are leash trained, by tying the leash to my chair, with just enough leash-length so that they can stand up but not move around. Once they are prepared to relax and go to sleep there, I start unclipping the leash, but leashing them again if they wander away. With a small breed dog, I think I might opt to use a cat-box that I could carry with me from room to room, and open the door once they relaxed and snoozed. For their own safety, youngsters are not allowed loose in the house unless they are supervised.

When I was at uni, one of the professors had a dachshund... the most amazing little dog. She could climb up 5 feet of book shelves to steal a raw egg, jump back down and eat the egg without spilling a drop on the carpet (and she had an undershot jaw!) The professor had a difficult time putting her on a diet... she used to go down rabbit warrens to catch her own dinner. Then, when she was prevented from doing that, she started grazing the beans in the vegetable garden. Eventually, the professor gave up and just let her find (hunt) her own food.

Where I grew up, there were casuarinas (she-oaks) in the dog yards. The dogs reverse sneezed when the casuarinas were flowering (it looked like a red dust on the casuarina needles) but never at any other time.