ness

I need her back I already have a zillion more questions to ask .

Well both my girls have had two sessions on the figure 8 cone game . Ness thinks it a blast being fed for doing nothing and in fact Kenzie took around after the postie so I continued with Ness and Ness didn't even try and go around the front to bark. Why go bark when there is so much reinforcement happening for doing not very much Kenzie was doing well at it as well. Also did some more 2x2 weaving with Miss K. Bugger of a dog has decided she can do 6 poles on the Left but only 4 on the Right. I also tried the steady feet game with both of them last night. Ness was great in a sit and Kenzie was getting the hang of it pretty quickly.

I tried duration heelwork at the park with midget dog this morning but somebody was a bit way way way too up for that. We got two paces at extra slow pace and then she was like a coiled spring that went snap .

Yep the 5 minutes is a bit of a mind blower. I remember hearing from Sue a while ago about one of the WA people who had there dog trained to do 7 minutes of duration heelwork and thought nah I couldn't do that. I have to say its very hard to put the dog back in the car if they look away but I am sure its harder on the handler as like Sue mentioned handlers like rewarding there dog. A lot of obedience training and getting good attitude in the ring is about finding rewards that the dog absolutely kills for. Food just makes it easier but as she mentioned you can pair rewards the dog finds valuable with rewards that are more convenient to you. Sometimes it takes a while to find out what the dog loves the most and the dogs do tend to pick on up the basics of an exercise very quickly. Yesterday my baby couldn't stand on anything but a shitty lured hand signal from my part. I just haven't been able to sort it out (although I will admit I haven't really given it much effort). After a 5 minute session yesterday pairing the new verbal to the old signal, today I attempted it just before and she was standing 100% reliably on the verbal and within another 2-3 repetitions I had on a new improved hand signal which was also reliable (at least within that one particular session). A lot of people have used food in training but I don't think a lot understand it correctly. It was nice to see the seminar finally happen and hopefully its the start of a trend and we can get her back in the future.

Goodonya Ptolomy , well I did safely deposit her at the airport this morning after a moment or three of considering of getting lost . But my brain was so full after the weekend not sure I could take much more for a little while .

Xena I totally agree but well done Ptolomy and Caffy (I told Sue before she flew out this morning of your results - go the red dogs). Hmmm I am going to brag cos I was soooo pleased with Kenzie on Saturday. She hasn't really done much 2x2 weaving for the last week yet nailed 4 poles in a straight row at a new location with an entry that even Ness couldn't manage . She also managed to demo it in front of an audience. Now while that might not seem much she is a bit people timid and in particular wasn't to happy with Sue (poor Sue). She did have a minor panic moment but I was able to get her to work through it and still do as I requested. We were just demoing the 2 poles but then when they started to go in to watch the dvd I put the other 2 up and had her go through the 4. Even if she does think the tunnel was for jumping on top of .

So what did everybody else think of the weekend - I now want to go out and redo all my training plans and actually train .

Maybe . Although I tried the cheese thing today using chunkers and er Ness was way to keen on the chunkers .

Night one was awesome . Can't believe Ness actually managed to offer a sit on top of a bit of cheese without trying to eat the cheese . Although naughty me gets a slap on the wrist for forgetting something Ptolomy showed me when I was in WA .

Awww your horrid LP - Kenzie just wants one that will play with her since Ness is no good for that - just send me whichever is the naughtiest will you.

The rain god has to go on holiday for the weekend unless its after 7pm or before 8am in the morning .

So which one is coming in a post pack to me LP .

7 till 10pm wasn't it (thats going from memory though ). Suppose to be 150 there tomorrow night which I think is an outstanding turnout and I am impressed with the response to attendance at all of the seminars. Just wish the weather was slightly more cooperative . Rain rain go away come again after Sunday afternoon . Hopefully the rain god is busy making sure he will be all empty come tomorrow night and especially for the weekend.

Naughty Pele . I will be doing both of the obedience trials and hopefully Miss Ness can manage a UD pass soon .

SA is also (or use to be one). My older girl is out of pedigree parents but her breeder only registers the pups she intends on keeping for showing.

Kenzie also has one up one down pending on her mood. I glued it and it did help keep it folded over and I suspect it would have pricked completely without the glue. Funny thing is that occasionally her other ear is the one that is pricked and she is over 12 months old so in theory her ears should have settled. I suspect the ear will permanently prick eventually but doesn't mean I love her any less.

Probably going to Noarlunga - I am usually at all the trials just about :p .The SFE is one reason why my youngster isn't going to be entered. She doesn't have one yet its still a work in progress - just not sitting very high on the priority list.

Ok figure I might as well have a brag about my baby for a change. Went training as I usually do on Tuesday night and Tuesday night training is Ness's night to go through the ring. Kenzie has her training on Monday evening but she tags along and I do small bits and pieces with her. A fortnight ago she was acting extremely skittish and spooked and totally shut down on me - first time its really happened when I have had her out. Tonight was the first night she has gone back since (didn't go last week). Any way I was mucking around with her doing some heelwork, recalls, COP drop, stays etc - all the time I was working Kenzie was fully attentive to me and pushing me hard with some very prancy drivey heelwork. A few bits of inattention when a dog would bark somewhere aggressively. Not bad considering we were right next to dogs in class and therefore obviously strange people which she has a bit of trouble with. All of this was off-lead I might add. A women was watching us very intently and came over to compliment her and ask her how old she was and that obviously I had trained lots of dogs before. I mentioned that she was only my second and the women was pretty gobsmacked. Actually I was particularly gobsmacked as not only was she working but giving me full focus while the women was standing within normal "spooky" distance for her and then when I had finished and was chatting to the women she actually made a positive approach towards the women . Not sure what I am more chuffed about her performance or the fact she approached her without backing off. Maybe we will get there after all. She is such a neat little worker - everything about her is fast, attentive and driven. Her fronts are just gorgeous and oh so close. She is super easy to rev up and just has enthusiasm for whatever I ask. Any way thought I would post a brag as I am pretty chuffed with my little WA bred munchkin - fingers crossed a superstar in the making.

I'll be entered in the Dover Obedience trial if thats the one your thinking of entering. Just the "old" girl - the baby isnt ready yet.

:D RubyStar I think occasionally they play with your mind. Ness was supposedly sore on Saturday at the obedience trial yet didn't drop a bar on Sunday at the agility trial which would suggest to me there was nothing the matter on the Saturday yet even the judge on Saturday commented that something was up. Its now Tue and I am undecided. She had a run with Kenzie yesterday which she wouldn't usually do but seems a bit subude. Guess I'll see what happens at training tonight.

Cos numpty me forgot what you said. Sorry things aren't staying put in my brain at the moment.

Pretty sure bony teenagers are pretty normal . I was actually surprised how quickly she recovered from the anesthetic.

Southern Districts is a traditional obedience club (and its my opinion these clubs are very much geared towards competition obedience) whereas the other two recommendations are more pet focused (and proper positive/reward based).

Try: Holdfast Bay Dog training at Brighton: http://www.holdfastdogs.org.au/aboutus.htm Or School for Dogs Aldinga Contact: Carole HUSEIN School for Dogs South Australia (Silver Sands, Aldinga) Aldinga Bay, Sellicks Beach, Mount Compass Phone: (08) 8556 3435 Email: [email protected] Offering Delta puppy socialisation and training, Delta CGC™ Level 1. Basic, Delta CGC™. Level 2, The CGC™ Award Program and one-on-one and group behavioural consultations. Canine Cafe. School for Dogs Companion Dog Award (all ages) bronze, silver and gold levels. Fun activity classes (including agility, fly-ball, heelwork to music, film and media groups), Kids n dogs (small personal groups).

I guess it depends what anesthetic is used. I wouldn't worry to much about it. My BC girl was desexed last Tuesday and she is pretty ribby and came through fine. In fact compared to when we picked up my older girl to have a grass seed out (the year before last), she came home very groggy and certainly didn't try and jump into the car whereas Kenzie just bounced out of the surgery after being spayed and proceeded to jump into the car but I got to her just in time to lift her in. I think your probably over worrying and I am sure he will be fine.