ness

Ok I give up - my link works here Ptolomy's post link doesn't and they are the same URL code . Ah well.

ETA - will remove my post since I was the only one having issues .

Go Cider - very impressive Ptolomy. Kenzie needs to go to the Ptolomy training school (or wait is that me that needs a kick up the backside ).

Tis the midget dog kenzie posing with the book - thought she could learn a thing or three .

SB where was the invite for dinner it looks very yummy. Some great photos everybody . Here is my day 6 contribution - sorry really lacking inspiration tonight and it was the best I could come up with:

Not sure if Caffy teaches it the way I did but yes to start with its by sight but they do learn to track. Ness is still relatively inexperienced in UD yet was the only dog who successfully found her seekback in one ring when all the more experienced dogs messed up.

Ness was taught the same way the WA people teach and she tracks hers back from me - but no point in explaining if you already know that method. She has only ever missed 1 in her entire life and our grounds are anything but bowling greens.

Just going to bump this because there have been a few people PM me as to whether a date has been decided on or whether I have heard anything else. Steve assured me in an email that he had set time this week for working on the Adelaide seminar so when I know more I'll let you know.

Awesome I have just started a set for each of mine although I might change the photo - needed to use one I had already so I could set it up to cooperate with my photo package on my computer.

Are BCs welcome to participate .

Apparently they have to many BC people so anybody with a BC or a poodle can't play.

Pft I got a rude message saying I have a BC I am not welcome to participate.

Decisions decisions - do I play with Ness the old girl or Kenzie the midget dog .

My day 5 - nearly ran out of daylight . Kenzie and Ness

I will also add make sure you take it to different places other than your yard/usual training places. I was I guess a bit taken by surprise when I took the box to the school oval after we had played agility and tried sending Kenzie to it and she has no idea. She has a much better understanding of going to the box regardless of where it is and regardless of how many distractions might be out (including bars on the ground, upturned BJ boards etc) yet I tried a simple one with her and she had no idea. I know dogs don't generalize but she would usually generalize other behaviors a lot better then that. One good point I got from Sue H when Ness had box issues while I was over in WA last time lesson was to never have the box in the same spot. Once they have been there once the second time should be a piece of cake so when specifically training the box its better to keep moving it around so they learn the exercise as go and sit in the box rather than go and sit within x number of meters or between the tree and the other tree or on a particular patch of grass. So I'd set her up and send her - she would get rewarded for being successful and then we would move the box - even if it was only a half a meter.

What about things in the path to the box - I have used jump bars on the ground, tipped over BJ boards, toys etc.

A bit of a tangent but we did a demo at pet expo - I did some modified UD exercises - directed retrieving with teddy bears, find the $50 note as a scent discrimination type exercise but what we found was they liked to be included. So we got a couple of kids out of the audience and had them place the paper notes out etc. The best bit was that we had some relatively stable dogs who would work for anybody so we set up a simple agility course (really low height jumps and a tunnel from memory) and allowed the kids to take turns running our dogs through the equipment. Both kids and dogs had a blast. And of course it was only a straight forward line of jumps up and back so by the time the dogs had done it a few times or even once or twice the dogs were pretty much point and shoot and while the kids thought they were handling the dogs the dogs would have done it on their own . I also took my UD gear down and during one of the spare times when the floor wasn't being used just did a training session oblivious to the world and and even that drew a crowd .

oh yes the fridge door is a goodie although you should have seen my oldest while we were staying with another DOL member before Christmas. Fridge door at home isn't a trigger but you should have seen how quickly my friends fridge became a trigger .

Ok I haven't done the TID programs as such but my youngster triggers on probably a combination of word and my body language. I intentionally have tried to avoid the whole trigger on sight of toy/training bag/treat bag/food/special outfit which is one of the traps I fell into with my older girl.

Yep Tiggy Ptolomy spells all her older dogs (anything other than the babies) over Christmas after their last trial for the year (which was mid December). Ness gets the same and has been since she has been trained to do all the UD exercises which has been the past couple of summers . Ness is only on swimming and fitness work over summer and has been since our last trial on the 13th of December. Also helps give her time to get over an injuries and keep her enthusiasm fresh for when we start back . Kenzie isn't because she has way to much energy and way to much still to learn :D .

Prices are on the website luvsdogs.

9 Shoemonster but certainly doesn't look 9 and we won't be back in the ring for a few months as I won't trial her in the warmer months as I am wasting my time. She is still just as food driven now if not more then she has ever been. Actually she has a reasonable amount of prey drive too I am discovering at the moment. Bought about by competition with Kenz and no training at the moment . She doesn't approve of missing out while Kenz is getting all the attention and if that involves working for a toy then so be it. Was only some far fetched idea I had since Kenz isn't starting the TID stuff until after the Adelaide seminar well possibly a few weeks prior - Steve wanted to see and assess what was happening with her before we did too much .

Does anybody think its worth attempting with an older dog . Obviously I am not about to pull her out of the ring for 12 months as she doesn't have that sort of time on her hands but have been wondering if it might be of some even limited benefit.

Seita - I can't keep up with my dog .

yeah I know its sooo hard not to pay her but she is suppose to be on a break . At least she has given up with the whinge barking while I work Kenzie.