Kavik

I think some dogs deal with hands on 'guiding' into position training better than others. It doesn't bother Diesel at all - you can push, pull, place Diesel however you like and it doesn't worry him. His breeders use the guide, show, place method with all their dogs. But the Kelpies don't cope so well with being manhandled and deal much better with hands off methods. They are much more sensitive to handler pressure and distance and body language.

He is gorgeous!

Very impressive! Gaveme some ideas - I need to do lots more proofing!

Ooh I'm not ready yet! One day I'll get my Malinois.

If the dog chased and caught a rabbit - it has plenty of prey drive Unmodified prey drive is Orient -> Eye -> Stalk -> Chase -> Grab-bite -> Kill-bite. Some breeds have been developed to have a modified prey drive which doesn't include the kill-bite part of the sequence.

German Spitz or X of

I think spacing is important as weaving is muscle memory. Different spacing can throw out their footwork and rhythm and slow them down. If you are doing ADAA and ANKC which have differernt spacing I think it is earsier to train on the smaller spacing (ADAA) as I think they find it easier to adjust to bigger than they are used to rather than smaller than they are used to.

I don't think you can enter both JD and JDX (can oly enter the class you are eligible for as far as I know, which would be JDX). What about letting her run in JDO? I know lots of people who let others run their dog in JDO for experience.

Interesting. I am pretty sure NSW does not have NFC runs. ADAA does.

No. You can only enter one level of jumping. And ANKC does not have NFC runs. If you plan on running a different course than that listed (I did for a while to fix a running off issue) you can explain what you are doing to the judge. But you are not allowed to do a NFC run with rewards.

I use a treat pouch - not up to greasy grimy pockets atm. I teach a send to the treat pouch so we can do some work with it off my person and reward at the end as well as when it is on me.

550mm if you are doing ADAA.

I use cheese

Oh no, poor Tip

WOW that is an amazing JRT!

I did not say they were low shedding. I said they were low maintenance but on the down side that they do shed. The shedding process is more limited to changes between seasons not a WHOLE YEAR problem. You can only get a "whole dog's worth of hair when they are in the shedding process. I did not say that all GSDs would be suitable. If you reread what I said, I said that one should be selective about where they buy and buy from parents who fit the bill. My words "It is imperative to buy from parents that do not display high drives and thoroughly check out the parents and their environment to make sure that the parents are not over the top. Some can be. From the right breeding you should be able to find a great companion with a stable demeanour." I can get a whole lot more hair off my GSD all year round then I can ever get off my Kelpies My GSD does have skin problems, which may be part of the problem? Not sure. But all year round there are certainly tumbleweeds and at any time plenty of hair comes out when I brush him.

Irish Wolfhounds are a little bit bigger than I could cope with They would be nearly as tall as me! Whippets are my choice of sighthound - great medium size

A German Shepherd would fit the bill on most counts BUT you would need to be very selective in where you buy. It is imperative to buy from parents that do not display high drives and thoroughly check out the parents and their environment to make sure that the parents are not over the top. Some can be. From the right breeding you should be able to find a great companion with a stable demeanour. GSDs are great with kids when they are reared from puppy with kids. Provided you choose one from the right breeding and provided you thoroughly socialise a GSD Puppy amongst other dogs and society in general they are usually well adjusted. Looks are a deterrent and GSDs have a unique intelligence where even the most unlikely docile and placid GSD can leap into action to protect their owners when needed. GSDs are able to discern body language in people and can usually pick up bad intentions by instinct. Size of course they have. Low maintenance and grooming in the short coated varieties although they do shed at least twice a year. GSDs are NOT low shedding! They are one of the hairiest dogs! I can get at least a whole dog's worth of hair off my GSD every week (and he has short hair even for a normal GSD). One of the things that puts me off getting another one. And while many GSDs are good with other dogs (my GSD is very dog social, the most dog social of my dogs), they are not all like that. Whippets are lovely I have grown to really like sighthounds from meeting some lovely ones through friends and work. OH doesn't like them though - thinks they are too 'skinny'. Out of the medium sized gundogs, Brittanies get my vote. Not too hairy and have a leggy lean build (which I like).

Since Chestnut mainly reacts to dogs with already identified space issues around other dogs, it sounds like he is sensitive to their body language. Dogs can tell if other dogs aren't comfortable around them and he is playing off the information he is getting from the other dogs. It would certainly be beneficial to get someone in who can see what he is doing and who can show you what to look for in your dog's body language and in the body language of other dogs so you can be prepared and develop a strategy for dealing with the reactive behaviour.

German Pinscher? Manchester Terrier? German Shorthaired Pointer? (come in solid black and solid liver as well as ticked)

Also depends on how often they are fed

I do what Vickie does The One Jump DVD exercises are also great for focus forward exercises

It is useful in agility if your dog will tug, but not essential (mine won't tug outside of the yard). It is great to have a reward that you can throw to work on distance work and sending ahead, and toys sometimes produce more excitement than food. I use a squeaky toy that I throw as well as food (depending on the obstacle and what I am rewarding), other people use balls.

Great runs! Trim's looked amazing!

Why "must" and "bad"? Is there a reason? Or is this a personal opinion? (Ich bin schwierigkeiten verständnis dieser absatz. Vielleicht können wir diese diskussion fortsetzen mit einer ziege in Deutsch? или на русском языке, где многое lolz будет? ;) ) Vielleicht werden sie geärgert, Deutsch auf dem Ausschuss sprechend Aidan2 When handling and train the dog in my experiences with the working dog is high in social aggression which I have working on many years, is dangerous dog when he out of control because he biting people in active aggression and very strong dog to hold im back, so we cant have situation where the dog he doesnt know the ruling of what he does you see?. The reactive pet is the same in the principal, maybe not having the civil nerving to actually bite and attack as the working dog, but he respond to the same training. Some people saying to me Joe, my dog just have a lunge and bark and is not attacking to bite so we don't needing to apply the training of a dangerous dog, but is the same thing just is not as severity or danger, but the training to stop this reacting working the same because the cause of reaction is the same from the working dog and the pet dog. Becuase the pet dog probably wont bite in my opinion, he still must learn the rule that aggression is bad and he don't do this behavior is not acceptable. Joe What if the cause of the reaction is NOT the same? My girl does not have good nerves and I am fairly sure her aggression is based on fear. She has high drives but not a very stable temperament. She taught me a lot about what I DON'T want in a performance dog as well as what I do want.