Kavik

Most of the Schnauzers I have met have been pretty lively I know of several competing in obedience and a couple in agility.

I train obstacles in the backyard, and sending, circle work and other flatwork at the park. Sometimes mine can be a bit noisy when waiting their turn, but my neighbours are really good and don't have a problem with it (I have asked them about it when I see them).

I shaped it with the clicker (best to get them clicker savvy/operant first with simpler behaviours such as hand touches though)

I do not see this as an acceptable excuse to drag a dog across the floor and then lift it up on to the scales using the lead as the op had described. How hard can it be to look up the dog's file or ask the nurse to do it? If the dog was so groggy, surely this would have been a better option? Otherwise, get two people to lift him onto the scales if he is that groggy. I didn't say it was an acceptable excuse, but a possible reason. I agree that looking it up in the dog's file or have two people lift the dog would have been a better option.

There are a lot of fun things you can do at home to prepare your dog's foundation for agility training later on. * Get a solid recall and sit stay * Get your dog enthusiastic about playing with toys. Tug is ideal (best if they also bring it back ), retrieving a ball is also good. * Get your dog to happily send ahead of you to its favourite toy * Shadow handling/circle work - to run with you on both left and right sides * Clicker training - tricks are great! Fun and useful for agility - hand touches, walking backwards, 'elephant trick' - good for rear end awareness * Walking on uneven surfaces

I think the fact that he was groggy influenced the way the vet handled him to get him onto the scales - groggy dogs are not the most coordinated and do not always respond the same as they do when awake - legs tend to go all over the place. He is not likely the one who actually weighed the dog for premeds/anaesthetic - probably was a nurse, though he may have asked the weight to draw up the drugs, depending on the clinic - sometimes the vet does it, sometimes the nurse does it. It would have been on his record though. If you are unhappy with the way the vet handled your dog, I would talk to him about it.

I actually think potential 1.5 hrs of stimulation would be fine for a Vizsla They are lovely dogs, good to train as well, there are several at my agility club. One of my pick breeds if I decide to get something big that is not in the herding group. I have heard they can be a velcro dog and like to be near their family, they also have short fur and probably feel the cold a bit. I would say they are easier to train than either a Boxer or a Greyhound. ETA: Boxers are lovely dogs. The ones I've met have been good fun, they are a canine clown They have the potential to do well at training but I think they would require more patience than a Lab or a Vizsla to do really well. Labs can be VERY boisterous and rough if you are not careful. I think Boxers, Vizslas and Labs would have similar exercise and training requirements, though your approach to training might need to be different with each. Greys are lovely gentle dogs, but not the easiest to train and letting them off lead is risky. However they probably don't require the amount of training for mental stimulation to keep them happy as the other breeds.

I have done this with Kaos as well - it works well :D For restrained recalls and some send aways (though I now use collar for send aways and sending over equipment). I do send aways somewhat differently now, but here is a video of what I used to do (inspired by ob/schH type sends, the kind I do now are more inspired by agility type sends) The thing I have had more problems with is trying to get someone else to restrain him eg restrained recalls with someone other than OH. I managed to get Kaos comfortable with someone else restraining him while at the 5 day Susan Garrett seminar as had a lot of time to practice but not sure how well that generalised to other people. Interestingly Diesel has no issue with this and will happily pull on restraint from a stranger for restrained recalls. But from my experience Kelpies are more likely to have an issue with being restrained.

Me too

I've seen a brindle Cavalier X Poodle - also stumped for that one

There were so many awesome exercises at the Susan Garrett seminar - many of which required just one obstacle. One I worked on at training (due to my limited mobility at the moment ) is jumping tight using just one wing jump upright at first, and then progressing to one winged jump. Definitely something we need to practice There were heaps with just one tunnel as well, incoporating sending ahead, rear crosses, angles , going across the face of one entrance etc.

It took me a while to get Kaos comfortable with a collar grab and get him leaning into it for sending as well, but he will now do it well Have you done other sending work holding the collar with Eric? It might be easier to start with sending on the flat to a toy/reward bag then to start with something as complex as the weaves. This will help to teach him to look forwards and not to you for the reward as well.

I always planned to do 2o2o, and ended up teaching it with a paw target. But at the start I couldn't quite get the type of paw target I wanted. I started by shaping one and then both paws onto a rectangular piece of material. He would reliably give me this but generally one paw at a time. I spent time fiddling with it with contact boards and stairs and then on equipment, but realised that it is not as independent as I would like when in competition he would sometimes stop on the yellow in 4on and I had to wait him out for him to go to 2o2o, and he would often go one paw at a time rather than pounce, and did not like to go fast in front of me to get into position. So then after watching a running contact DVD with a paw target, I saw a way to teach the pounce I wanted, and could get the pounce reliably with the target, but was too quick and impatient with fading the target. Now with some time before I compete again due to pregnancy I have decided to fix the issue by only working on my contact position and not the whole obstacle, to make sure he really understands what I want him to do regardless of my position. The Susan Garrett workshop I went to was very helpful although she teaches a nose touch the ideas of the progression of the training are the same.

Yes I shaped it - first with just front paws up on the seesaw and pushing it down to get them used to the idea that it moves and makes noise. With my next dog I intend to do so much more foundation work with all my obstacle work ETA: I am currently retraining my contacts as they are not as fast, accurate or independent as I would like. I have spent the summer break using only a short contact trainer plank and getting him to do his pouncing 2o2o contact from that with and now without his target. Now that training has gone back I am moving that to the end of the dogwalk only- not trying to do the whole thing, just from the end to the pounce. May seem quite pedantic but it will pay off in the long run when he is quicker and more confident Plus I am quite pregnant and can't do much running at the moment anyway

This is how I did the Bang Game at first - not as intense as the other video Now I can hold it at about flat while he jumps on and then I drop it and he rides it down to land in 2o2o position, but it took a while to get to that stage. ETA: you are teaching the dog that it controls the tip and how to ride it down and not be scared. You start with the seesaw low with little tip and as the dog gains confidence you raise the tip til they are confident with you dropping the seesaw from full height..

I personally think that doing a few things confidently and at full speed is much more beneficial (and fun!) than trying to do everything very slowly and hesistantly. I understand that not everyone desires to compete, but even if it is just for fun it is more fun and much less frustrating to do less things at a time and get better at them. The weaves are the most complicated piece of equipment. I don't find luring the weaves fun and it does not teach the dog understanding of the obstacle or independence or speed. It is all of these things that makes watching a good weaver impressive and takes your breath away. Slanted poles are not difficult to set up and can help to teach all of these things bar entries.

Cosmolo - I'm sure I've seen a website that sells metal base weave poles in VIC - will try to find it for you - thought I had it bookmarked but doesn't appear to the case. With the seesaw - I wouldn't introduce to full height for a while - certainly not first lesson, even if you have people holding it, but that is my opinion, my first dog never got confident on the seesaw due to how it was taught and her temperament. If you can't adjust the size, you can place a table under one end so it is flat and the seesaw doesn't have as far to go. Even better, you can start with simply the Bang Game to get them used to the idea of the tip

Bundy is gorgeous There are a few Vizslas at my club. You will have a lot of fun with agility I have seen some people with long leads/lines at my club in beginners running sequences and I am terrified of something happening Not sure why it is done, I think because some have a poor recall and one dog is dog aggro, I really hope they are not promoted til they sort it out.

I had a job where I could have taken the dogs to work with me (dog daycare) but preferred to leave them home as that way I could concentrate on my work better and not stress about what they were doing (and they wouldn't have really liked it there anyway). Some other staff members did bring their dogs to work - the boss always did. From what I saw it did not make for a more peaceful day at work The only day I brought one in was when we were having the fences done and I only brought Kaos as he was only a puppy and I didn't want to leave him crated in the house all day like the others. So I crated him at work with pee breaks and strict instructions for staff not to take him out.

I use cheese. The dogs love it and work well for it and I don't like the way my hands smell after using cabanossi etc as treats.

If the dog is not already on insurance, getting it now won't cover skin problems as it is an existing condition :D

I would always call first if going to a vet in an emergency to let them know you are coming. This lets them prepare for you and be ready to see you right away, and rearrange any procedures or consults. Even more important if the emergency is after hours at an emergency clinic. This is what I have always been told to do.

I would not wish an allergy dog on anyone - stressful, expensive and the dog is uncomfortable with no real cure. I certainly would not want one as a Guide Dog - sight impaired people do not need that kind of stress for something that is supposed to enhance their quaility of life and mobility. Sorry :D

I have an allergy dog - and was told by numerous vets that it gets worse with age unfortunately

Yep this thread has reinforced it - Flyball is too noisy for me ;) Having worked in a place where there was barking all day, I know that I don't get used to it, but more sensitised and it starts to really drive me nuts.