ness

Hey watch out with the foldback drop - I know a certain cheeky BC who moves backwards by a long way - never thought that would be a problem.

Hmm I think LP used it prior to the drop in the COP . LOL about going home in tears after a horrid training session - yep been there done that too haven't I Ptolomy . They are the nights when she has had a thesis chapter equivalent of email to read as a post mortom.

LP - yeah I am still wondering how I held it together to manage 3 passes in CDX I am not sure I'll ever manage 3 of those UD ones. Ooops maybe I shouldn't let Ptolomy in on that just yet.

Oh come on LP Ness screwed up a 189 at the Adelaide Royal and third place in Open all because of that bloody *******N drop stay and yes for the record I didn't nearly cry I did CRY . PS LP should know you should have got yourself a good black and white minus the tan points .

I dunno Ptolomy - it only went pearshaped when I posted off my second UD entry. I don't remember things going to pearshaped before my first one. I might clarify that it only goes pearshaped if your expections are set high whereas if your expectations are I know I am not ready lets see just how far we get it doesn't end up quite so pearshaped . Maybe I need to enter my baby in CCD or novice then I might get off my backside and train her .

Rubystar - PM me the link and I'll have a look. Kenzie does an awesome UD sendaway and I can't break it yet .

RubyStar - I'll trade you some focus for an SFE with Kenzie. Focus and attention isn't one of our problems.

In the end LP you just take a jump (or get pushed) into the ring and make the best of what happens . Just don't decide to make the jump under the watchful eye of Ptolomy or Sue H as you will never hear the end of it . Especially if you later start thinking the amount the dog actually completed in the ring at her first trial was a complete and utter fluke .

LOL should start circle work with a certain little feral :D .

I think you only reward to much when the dog won't do the desired behavior without receiving a reward. Or more to the point if you ask the dog to repeat a behavior a second time without having rewarded it the first time and the dog doesn't then do it.

Hmmm I tried shaping Ness and got duration rather than bobbing. Not tried with Kenzie yet.

Why the bobbing as a matter of curiosity and not just one sustained nose touch??? How does one teach bobbing compared with duration on the nose touch.

I would be keen on notes too if anybody has any they are willing to share .

no fear of her not returning fast - her preferred method is as fast as possible back to me complete with forgetting to apply brakes until after you have crashed into human ball thrower. Pretty leathel combination when your a midget BC and forget to apply brakes.

I know PF. I also know when I took her to the chiro recently he said that she had such a high pain threshold that she could potentially carry a fair injury and you wouldn't even notice. Suppose its not entirely unheard of for the breed but that coupled with Ptolomy's experience with Lexi who I know to be ball obsessed to the same level made me start to rethink what I was doing before anything serious occured.

I agree on the moderation front and I guess my question was where is the line between moderation and excess with a dog who won't draw the line its obviously a judgment call.

Yep I was aware about the teeth so no tennis balls in this household - only rubber ones.

Yes Lexi but Kenzie's mum is learning from your experience that ball throwing no matter now much you may want it might be a bad thing but thank you for her getting the message before I injured myself. Signed Kenzie.

SD hmmm nope neither really run around unless there is something to chase. My older girl doesn't cut it as a play toy for the youngster. Ness sniffs, Kenzie just bounces up at me waiting to play . We do sit wait chase games to but she does love playing ball. Will just as happily push her soccer ball around the yard though and she gets a lot of that. We do head to the beach on weekends when I am not trialling my older girl and my older girl swims and the younger one chases after her (although as of this past weekend) she too will head out and fetch a toy in the water. Also head to the dog pool at least once or twice a week (twice when its too hot to walk them) and as of last week was able to get the youngster swimming in there too. Winter they get lots of exercise free running up bush tracks and creek swimming as well. Its just when I am feeling lazy and its easy to fall into the trap of going to the oval and sitting down and chucking the ball . I do train her at the same time though so its not endless fetching. We are lucky in that the oval we use is still regularly watered (probably cos it belongs to an expensive private school ).

If the short answer is yes what would people consider as an allowable amount then and yes Kavik I was considering restricting it only to a reward for training however I was also wondering if you don't allow it at all or only when training do you leave the dog open for injury because they aren't use to using those particular muscles.

Not sure where to post this topic but since its one that might be of interest to dog sports people I have placed it in training rather than health or general. My thought is that dog sports people are likely to have potentially high drive, ball/retrieve crazy dogs and I am after some thoughts. My question simply is should you/do you restrict or limit the length of time you allow a healthy adult dog to play fetch so that they don't cause undue pressure on their bodies day in day out. I understand why you place limitations on a puppy while they are still growing but I guess its not entirely good for adult dogs either especially day in day out twice a day or anything like that. So do any of you with ball crazy dogs have any thoughts on the matter. I have a 10 month old BC pup who would retrieve until the cows come home and is forever dropping a ball in your lap. I just don't want to set up a situation where if she fetches every day for as long as she wanted that she is then crippled by the age of 8 or 9 where I could have limited it earlier. Guess I am after some advice on what might be reasonable to allow on a daily/weekly basis with an otherwise healthy, fit, active girl.

LOL hmm not sure thats entirely possible at least from my experience. If you manage it let me know .

Luke W sorry I can't help but chuckle about the disappearing and going off sniffing and you wanting him to play instead. Kenzie is the opposite and sometimes I just wish she would go off sniffing instead of me removing the lead and her sitting waiting for the ball to appear. We should mix the two together and might just get the perfect dog .

I think Advocate is suppose to work on demodectic mites. Maybe might be worth using that.

Go the 450D you know you wanna .