DogsAndTheMob

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.

Yes, Bluey's now driving... hopefully well enough for at least A course intermediate. I've had a few hiccups with his outrun, but I think (hope) I'm getting them sorted. I've now got a few ewe lambs to train on. They are sweet little things and stay together better than the goats, but they're very light and move before Bluey has completed his outrun, causing him to slice at the top of the run. I really need to work him on a variety of sheep... particularly heavier sheep. I need to work the pup on heavier sheep (and a larger mob) too... he's too intense for the lambs at this stage in his training. I've seen the Erskine Park 2012 calendar; do you have any suggestions as to which training days would provide the best opportunity for intermediate level training? Kerry PS - a belated congratulations for Coles HIT!

Hi, I'm new to this forum, although some of you may know me from Erskine Park and elsewhere. I thought I'd post some photos of Bluey and my 7 month old pup Tim, then follow up with a question or two (or three). Here's Bluey... ... and here's Tim. I look forward to going back to Erskine Park when I can, but I was also wondering about herding clinics, especially in the Hunter. I have seen references to a few (e.g. one at Crookwell) with the comment that they are finished until the weather cools down. Can anyone tell me if any have been scheduled for 2012 yet? Whom do I contact? I also saw a reference to one at Gresford (I heard about that at the time, and hoped to get to it, but I was sick.) Was that run by the same group as the Crookwell clinic? Are any more clinics at Gresford likely? And another question... What is the best place to find out about forthcoming clinics? Kerry

Does anybody have a copy of Peidje Vidler's border collie book? I can't find my copy , but I think it has a diet recipe for dogs, with meat, vegetables etc set in gelatin. It might be possible to feed the mince in small quantities by adapting this recipe. Feeding mince in a slurry with water when reducing portion sizes also helps the dog to feel satiated at the end of the meal. I must admit, however, that I tend to buy meat/chicken portions or meaty bones rather than mince, because I have found that some butchers dispose of old meat by selling it as mince, using preservatives to make it look and smell fresher. (I had a dog with preservative sensitivity, and I found it almost impossible to get preservative-free pet mince.) I believe it is illegal (at least in NSW) to put preservatives in mince for human consumption, but it does still happen, as evidenced by packages of mince that are nicely pink on the outside but brown inside. I think beef shin bones (but never lamb or mutton shin bones!) are good value for dogs... lots of chewing with relatively few calories. However, keep them on a hard surface when they are chewing these bones, as grit on the bones can wear their teeth.