Kavik

I finally got around to videoing my dogs! This is my first attempt as well as my first time on YouTube, so please let me know if I can do anything better. I did one of Kaos doing contact training, Kaos doing open weaves, and Zoe weaving. Zoe can weave faster than in the video, but considering she is camera shy I thought it was good to get anything at all :D . For weaving, I usually do a restrained recall with two people but as my 'assistant' was filming, we had to improvise. Tell me what you think Kaos contact training Kaos open channel weaves Zoe weaving

Looking good

I wish I was in VIC . . .

6.5 months is not too old to crate train :D I crate trained Zoe at 5 months. My parents crate trained Belle the family dog at 16 years as they took her to the USA and wanted her to be comfortable in a crate on the plane. My other I have crate trained as soon as I got them home.

Something that may be contributing to your problem - which is mainly in the area he sleeps? Since you have been putting paper down since he was little and it was OK for him to go on the paper - you have shown him that it is OK to go to the toilet inside. (in your case - in the kitchen overnight). Like Sas I think going back to step 1 would certainly help, and removing water before bedtime. A crate will give the dog less space overnight and he is not likely to want to toilet where he sleeps if he can help it. At the least, I would remove the paper and not give the dog a reason to think that it is OK to toilet anywhere inside.

Yeah I think I see where you're going with that - might give it a try

Can you expand on that, sounds worth a try

I love seminars regardless of topic as I am interested in all forms of training! Working dogs, all dog sports, behaviour problems, even if it is not my chosen sport or field. I don't have time to sample them all but I like to learn about them Seminars and dealing with dogs that work for a living really opned my eyes to different methods and why they might be used. Something that is nice but not really important to a pet/sports dog may be essential for a working dog, they have to have a higher level of reliability. And some sports like herding have the welfare of the sheep to consider as well as the dog. I agree wheres my rock with the retrieve - I am still working on a reliable retrieve with Diesel, but will not do a forced retrieve. He likes to hold it and carry it around and return, but is slow to get it when thrown.

I think I am pretty open minded about different techniques and equipment. Doing the NDTF course really opened my eyes to a whole lot of stuff I didn't know existed, and continual exposure to different types of training also expanded my knowledge. Like most people I have a preferred method and equipment which I feel most comfortable with, but I enjoy going to seminars which deal with aspects I know little about. Even if I feel uncomfortable about the use of particular equipment or method, I can see where it would come in very handy, and I like knowing about them just in case I have the need for it one day. I feel that I have a handy 'toolbox' now. The most difficult thing for me about equipment is that I worry about the public's perception of some equipment, and this is one reason I am hesitant about using these types. The club I currently attend for obedience is fairly open minded - there is a mix of equipment and methods from check chains through martingales and flat collars, and the odd headcollar, food and toy motivators, as well as clickers. At agility they tend to be a bit more uptight about equipment and method. Headcollars and martingales seem to be allowed, and food and toy motivators and clickers. All has to be positive. Although a few years ago now the thing that I couldn't understand is when I got in trouble for standing on Zoe's lead when she was in a drop. She is dog aggressive, so I had taken her a bit away from the group, put her in a drop (she went into a drop herself) and stood on the lead so I could watch the instructor show us something and know Zoe wasn't going anywhere.

That would be great!

Have you ever encouraged her to chase light reflections/torches? Zoe will chase light reflections off watches or torches if you let her, and sometimes this will transfer to chasing shadows. I don't encourage it, but family members did it when I was living at home and didn't know how serious it could be.

Kaos is going well. We are doing well in our foundation agility training, and we are going to agility classes (not in the classes just yet but go and watch and do our own thing). He was getting a bit overexcited by being in a class in agility as it is a very busy club so we are working on getting him used to the environment (and me too). He is certainly very keen! When in May is the workshop? It would be great to go if I could fit it in. It is good to know that Jim was impressed - after watching all these videos of lovely calm Border Collies working I was starting to think maybe Kaos was a bit crazy

Sure, will let you know when I know. :D

I have heard that too (you would hope so since I work there :D ) but I don't know of any difinitive plans such as location or timeframe. I am not that high in the pecking order

Kaos was flown from Melbourne and we had no problems He was happy to see us when he got out of the crate, I took him for a toilet walk before the ride home (from memory he didn't go), and was certainly curious in the car ride home :D I brought a collar and lead with me to the airport as I knew he would be naked.

I don't think there are any dog daycare facilities in that area. I know there are about 3 in the city, almost within walking distance of each other :D

At 5 months Jedda should be able to hold on during the night. Mine are crated at night, the worst I get is Kaos digging in his crate to be let out in the morning, but he doesn't bark (and he is one of my noisier dogs generally), so it can be ignored more easily.

I am teaching 2on 2off with Kaos. We are stil only at the beginning - using a board flat on the ground. He has got the hang of it on the flat now but we haven't done it on proper obstacles yet so I'm not sure what problems we'll encounter (though slowing down as Vickie mentioned is quite possibly going to be a problem). This is the first time I have taught a contact behaviour - with Zoe I did the verbal 'slow' command as that is what everyone else was doing and I didn't know about contact behaviours. With weaving I teach it as a single exercise for independent running like Tassie.

I have the opposite problem I train primarily with food as I find it easier and my dogs are food motivated, but I would like to use a toy more often. I have a feeling with my dogs this is only going to happen with Kaos, who has good prey drive and I have done work developing it. He likes a tug and a squeaky toy. Zoe has good prey drive but I have not worked it properly, and she is older, and Diesel does not have good prey drive (will tug sometimes) - he is also the least motivated generally. If using a toy is working, I would use it

Are you the only one in the car? What is she like if there is another person in the car as well? Will she play up if there is someone else in the car but you leave?

After seeing everybody's dog's first time on sheep I am :rolleyes: at how calm they are! Kaos was NUTS and I wish I'd videod it to show everyone! Then I could be and at what he did. Can't wait to give it another go - I have more control now in general so that should help.

What I find interesting about this discussion is that I have seen and been a part of both groups. The obedience clubs I have gone to that trial, do tend to use stay/wait. Hand signals are also very big as later on people drop verbal cues. The Schutzhund club I visited (and would like to go to again when I have time), along with the obedience/protection club and NDTF course did not use stay/wait commands. As stated before, it is because sit, drop or stand should mean the dog stays there until told to do something else. The Schutzhund club and obedience/protection club also had a bigger emphasis on verbal commands rather than hand signals (in Schutzhund I think you use only verbal commands?). So I found the difference very interesting. I found it difficult starting up at an obedience club after some time away as I had not been using a stay command, and was told I pretty much had to use one for trialling. So I use 'stay' now but also do some work without the 'stay' command - I can do either one.

Sounds very interesting but too far away for me

Staffies can be full on! I would separate them when you are not around so that things do not get out of hand. Some Staffies have high prey drive, which is triggered by moving objects (in this case your cat!), and as you know Staffies are very powerful! Also if when playing with your other dogs things get too excited I would separate them until they calm down. You don't want the pup to annoy the older dogs to the point where they are being harrassed. This is where crates come in very handy When I lived with my parents with my dogs, there were up to 4 cats in the household. Belle the older family dog was great with cats. Zoe my Kelpie cross who is now 7 (was pup to 4 with parents) was more interested in the cats, loved to chase them. One cat was her target more than the others, as it was skittish and would run, the others didn't run for her. But even though she would chase the cat, and sometimes try to get the cat to run by nudging the cat with her nose or paw, the second the cat stopped running, she would stop chasing. She might drop and watch the cat waiting for it to move. She NEVER grabbed the cat.

I was told that you shouldn't start proper weaving until the dog is at least 12 months - the weaving action is tough on them. With Kaos who is 11 months I have only run him through open channel weaves.