Kavik

Do you think the tunnel would stand up to a fast, high drive 600 dog? I have a tunnel from Air Dogs and it is a bit smaller than standard size, so looking at getting one that is standard competition size.

How much are the tunnels?

My GSD got a spiral fracture in his hind leg when 6 months - choices were a cast or external fixatur. External fixatur was recommended as it was a young large dog with lots of growing to do. Cast would have to be redone regularly and dog may try to eat it (likely he would have seeing what he did to the vet wrap around external fixatur and his bedding at the time ). We went with external fixatur. MUCH more expensive but worth it - his leg is fine (he is now 6) he can run and jump no problem - only way you can tell is that there is still a screw in there you can feel and his hock does have more movement when he walks than the other side but you would have to be really looking for it to see it.

Diesel used to have a running off issue when we did recalls in obedience. I would have been upset if someone reprimanded him! The most an instructor should do is catch the dog and hold for the handler to come and get (or ignore the dog). I have found his recalls have improved immeasurably once I really made it a great game and ran the other way, lots of rewarding when he got to me. I need to be much more exciting when training Diesel than my other dogs as he is much more easily distracted and lower drive.

Hi Kaye How long have you been doing agility? Just wondering so I don't give you advice aimed at beginners if you are more advanced. One thing that might work is focus forward and obstacle focus exercises, as it sounds as if she is focussing more on you than the obstacles. Have you done much sending work - on the flat or over say a couple of jumps? You could start by sending to a toy or food reward on the flat, then send to a toy or food reward over a jump, so the dog is not looking at you as much. Also some more obstacle focus could help - there are a lot of great exercises on Susan Garett's One Jump DVD. One that may help is to set her up in front of a jump in a sit stay and reward with food when she looks at the jump instead of at you (by either coming in to reward sit stay or throwing over the jump so she does the jump). Hope that helps

You've been busy smisch! Good work!

Congrats TerraNik! We had a great result at the trial today ADAC double trial. Two quallies in Open Jumping and one quallie in Novice Agility! with the agility quallie a first place. Starting to come together!

Next dog will be a pup from a registered breeder but not ANKC registered (WKC reg Kelpie). Unfortunately my experience with Zoe means I am not comfortable going through rescue for my next performance dog. I would like to try rescue again at some point, would like to foster Kelpies, need a lot of work on OH though - he says maybe when we are rich Should have seen him when I told him about stunning West Wyalong girl ;)

I'll swap them the GSD for Diesel - he is pretty low key and I would love a GSD I could compete with

I demonstrated with a dog on the weekend - recall on long lead. The owner was having problems getting the dog's attention and really had no idea how to do it, so I showed him with his dog. I do hope that not everyone is put off letting an instructor help with their dog. I have had one bad experience with an instructor taking my dog. A very well known obedience instructor and competitor took Zoe (who is dog aggro) and said that she wouldn't be dog aggro with him - and proceeded to drag her away from me and towards another dog. She didn't want to go with him and was actively pulling to get back to me. She wasn't aggro with the other dog purely because she was so focussed on trying to get back to me. ETA: This was many years ago - the instructor has since passed away.

soap works well too

Kaos is a BIG Kelpie, you may be fine The withers is the top of the shoulder blades

Can your bro or OH weld up some jump uprights too? Then we have all heights covered! I still don't know what height my girls will need to jump at. At a guess, I'm gonna say 500. Pleeeeeease don't be 600, Ruby will struggle BIG TIME! I find it funny that some Labs are short enough to jump 500 - I never thought my Kelpie would be taller than a Lab - he jumps 600

If you are going to have a fast/strong dog - with weaves - it is a good idea to be able to peg them down, especially if doing 2x2 as that will be lighter weight than a longer line of poles. So if getting them home made something to think about. I bought my bases (3 sets of 4 poles. I may get a 2x2 set for the next dog). Kaos can push the poles out of the way and move them if not pegged, and I am finding that not pegging them has meant that while his footwork is great at home, he is not as consistent or fast at training or trials where he cannot move the poles. So I am now pegging them (difficult as my ground is hard, and I also keep hitting rocks!).

No, it is not the whole point. The point is that people want to use his methods for problem dogs on ordinary pets. The steps missing when you do that are having the experience that Cesar does to diagnose the issue and to know just how far a dog can be pushed. Most pet owners simply don't have that much savvy. As Patricia McConnell (who believe me, does not need to feel jealous) explains, Cesar's methods often take dogs up to and over their bite threshold. If you think inciting ordinary pets to bite you is an acceptable biproduct of a training method, then you have a different approach to dog training than I do. Personally, I think Cesar tends to perpetuate the myth (not directly but by inference) that most issues with dogs can be solved by dominating them. Ah, if only it was that simple. I've read Cesar devotees on other forums explaining that any disobedience can be resolved by pinning a dog to the ground. I tend to think training a dog is a better option. I think some of his messages are great - particularly on the importance of exercise. Others, are far more problematic. Completely agree

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXuj3Kss9c4 Warning: swearing but very funny

Ooh OK I see it on Clean Run - haven't seen that one yet Might have to try to get my hands on it . . . I notice there is also a 4 on the floor DVD as well that I haven't seen

Who is that by? Haven't heard of that one.

With weaves, it really depends on how you want to teach it. I like a couple of methods. Kaos has been trained on a combination of channel weaves, V-weaves and 3 pole entry. Thinking about it in retrospect I would have done V-weaves and 3 pole entry only. Dream Weaves DVD covers channel and V-weaves methods. One thing I wasn't so keen on on that DVD was placing the toy on the ground after the weaves as I think it gives the dog too much of a chance to self reward or reward if they have not done it correctly (I watched the DVD after I had trained the weaves) - I would throw the toy. 3 pole entry there are a couple of videos on Youtube which explain the basics of it. There is also 2x2 (and Susan Garrett's great DVD on it) which is how I may train my next dog. For that method you want a dog with heaps of drive that is toy driven and proficient in shaping and a handler with equal proficiency in shaping Contacts, again depends on whether you want a stopped or running contact. I don't know of any DVDs on stopped contacts (anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong ). I am doing 2o2o using a pouncing foot target. For running contacts there are a couple of DVDs - Reliable Running A-Frames (on Clean Run's Video on Demand) which uses a PVC box target over the contact zone, and Sylvia Trkman's method which promotes striding over the whole contact (but that one requires you to have equipment I think) and Ali Roukas's method with a pouncing foot target (she has a DVD as well).

I think they are Kelpies Casima I taught bringing the toy back with food. You could also try bouncing the ball and sometimes you running with it helps too.

Dog toys are safer than sticks for games of fetch - sticks can get lodged in their throat. If they won't chase, try to get them interested in the movement. you can tie a string or a lead to the toy and pull it around, fast erratic movements to mimic prey. Also have fun yourself! They can tell if you are faking it! You can also play with two people and throw the toy between yourselves to make it interesting. You can also try tug toys, some dogs enjoy a good game of tug I would work on interest before trying to teach them to catch.

What are you feeding at the moment? I know you probably are doing this but what are you using for flea control? especially if it is a flea allergy. I also think Calendula is very helpful I would do the course of antibiotics, I have found a course often assists in clearing things up (Diesel has allergies that flare up all the time!) I also use Malaseb if it is getting bad and smelly and use the Aloveen conditioner weekly in between (I mix with water and apply with a rag, get him really wet with it and then dry with towel).

Kersti Seksel is the only veterinary behaviourist, but also the most $$$ by a long shot. I would second MonElite's recommendations.

corvus Just to clarify what you think (because otherwise I get lost in the length and wordiness of your post) - you think it is play drive unless there is a live animal involved? So no dogs are using prey drive apart from hunting dogs? Like sighthounds rabbit coursing? What about scenthounds? Or you don't really care about drive as you are more interested in the anticipation of the reward being what revves them up anyway?