Kavik

Have you tried fetching his squeaky toy for yourself? I race him to it - does that count?

OK that is too funny - I had no idea that was what you used as a reward I guess I have it easy with Kaos - small piece of cheese and a game of fetch with his favourite squeaky toy is his reward

I wish I could say the same thing, but I happen to like Krispy Kremes too ETA: Although I did buy some weight watchers jam drops for her for our last trial, I had no desire to taste them, no way were they as good as mine! I didn't want to taint my tastebuds with some grotty low fat biscuits OMG is that really what you use or are you having us on No way would I use Krispy Kremes - they won't appreciate that

I never said there is a big deal over giving a dog corrections. You said it is common sense to use a correction if the dog is distracted by other dogs, and I feel that is not necessarily the case - there is another way to get their attention on you instead of other dogs (even if your dog is aggressive towards other dogs and not just distracted) other than use corrections. Obviously using a prong collar (and I do own one too ) has been fantastic for Shell and Zero. Nobody is disputing that, she has done a great job!

I think a lot of people have trouble believing that the above is not necessarily true until they have seen someone do otherwise effectively. Dogs do weigh up reinforcers based on their value, but this does not always determine their behaviour if they are conditioned to emit one response over another (by someone competent). Whether we would choose to do that without corrections is another matter entirely, but what appears to be common sense is not always that simple. Agree

With that model for a start: 1) obviously the person has not been shown how to use a clicker effectively to get attention with distractions (ie look at me method or other names where the dog is taught to automatically look at handler). This is not a problem with positive training (it works very well and has improved my dog aggressive dog's manners heaps, and I now use it with all my dogs in helping to deal with distractions) but in how it has been taught/applied. I can say the same thing about check chains - that I see many people walking their dogs on one and the dogs are choking and their owners have no control over them - doesn't mean that check chains are bad or ineffective, just that they haven't been taught how to use them correctly.

I would teach my dog to send to a target/reward at a distance. Would make getting rewards off my person so much easier and keep up motivation for work. Works great for agility too but my obedience dog is not so great at the sending.

I agree with persephone - there is no need to do any sort of rough play with him if he has a tendency to use his teeth in that way. There are heaps of tricks and games you can do while standing, using food rewards, that does not promote mouthing behaviour.

Cosmolo, who is part of Underdog is a member of DOL, I am sure she would be happy to answer any questions

Not sure who is in VIC to help you Deanna - but you could try the National Dog Trainers Federation http://www.ndtf.net.au/ They might know of someone who is experienced in assistance dog training. In Sydney there is Steve Austin who has trained assistance dogs and scent dogs. I also thought they had to be an accredited assistance dog (or undertaking training with an organisation eg guide dogs) to get unlimited access to public places

yep 1 year from previous vaccination date.

If he has health issues and has limited things he can do, I doubt he could be a service dog, and don't service dogs usually live with the people they are helping? But I'm sure he would make a great pets as therapy dog

Agree with poodlefan - use food if that is what the dog likes My GSD doesn't have a lot of drive (and also has allergies, which contributes to this as he must feel pretty awful sometimes when itchy) and I've noticed a big difference in his performance since I started really jazzing up and animating my training with placement of thrown food. He is now much more interested and animated in training. The two food game is used at the start of every session and he really enjoys that (also helps with recall). He is not as good at sending to a stationary food reward, though some days he is better than others.

My dogs all have their dew claws. Poor Diesel managed to rip one of them off, but it has grown back again (a bit wonky though). But Diesel is my accident prone and allergy dog, so if there is going to be a problem with one of my dogs, it will happen to Diesel! None of the other dogs have ever had a problem with them.

Nice work!

To answer your questions: 1) It is hard to say if your dog is going to have problems arising from this situation. It depends on a lot of things such as your dog's general temperament, previous socialisation history with other dogs, how you handle future interactions with other dogs 2) No idea how to break up a dog fight effectively. The one time I needed to (my dog was severely attacked by an off lead dog while I was walking mine on lead) I tried everything I could think of and it is only because other people came to help when I screamed for help that my dog is likely still alive. It is certainly very difficult by yourself.

I don't use a verbal cue, and find it useful to wait for them to look at you before giving a treat. Allow them to look at dog/person, they look back at you, click/treat. Not sure how shoving a treat in their mouth when they are focussed on another thing will help - if they are intent on the other thing they may not even notice it. (I used to try to get attention by luring with the treat when she looked at another dog, but she didn't learn how to cope with the stimulus. Allowing her to look at the dog and giving her the CHOICE to look back at me for a treat has had much more success.)

I haven't waded into the world of games yet as I find them confusing

I am hoping to make it again this year MonElite Let me know if you decide to enter as well as man the canteen so I know in advance to cheer you on

I don't think you should have to muzzle your dog just because it reacts to an off leash dog bounding up to it while it is being walked on leash The owner was doing everything he could to keep his dog safe and others safe - walking at the edge of the park with his dog on lead not causing a problem. Sure maybe not walking at a park where other dogs are likely to be (if he knew his dog was likely to react like that) would have been safer. Or to leave when he saw the other dog at all. One of mine does not like other dogs at all. I don't go to parks at all or anywhere we are likely to come across off lead dogs, but we have the odd off lead encounter when walking along a very busy 4 lane highway (who knows why you would let your dog off along a main road ). I do not think she needs to be muzzled. We keep our distance from others - pull into a driveway or cross the road if possible, and she is kept on lead and I work on getting her attention on me.

megan The on lead dog was as under control as it could be! The off lead dog obviously wasn't under control as it was bounding over to the other dog. The on lead dog was minding its own business and would not have done anything if the off lead dog hadn't come over.

As I have said previously on this topic, I think a lot depends on the temperament of the dog. Diesel enjoys meeting other dogs and playing with them and I have to work to keep his attention on me when training around other dogs, but he is the most relaxed about strange dogs coming up to him at the park. Kaos is more interested in working with me than in other dogs. He wasn't all that interested in other dogs even when a puppy. He will have a sniff and some dogs he likes to have a run with, but not wrestle with. He gets on best with other dogs of the same breed or type, and does not like exuberant dogs getting in his face.

There is one thing you can do that is well within your control and will reduce the chances of this happening again. If someone is walking on the edge of the park with their dog on lead, they may not want to meet your dog. Maybe they are training, want some peace, or their dog may not like other dogs running up to their face or their dog may be aggressive towards other dogs. So you could avoid this happening again if you do not let your dog go bounding up to onlead dogs that are far away. It is safer to recall your dog, and ask if it is OK for your dogs to meet first.