Kavik

Tracking is where the dog gets to use its nose! The dog follows the scent of a person and gets a reward at the end (generally food or toys). Eventually you add articles. There are a few threads on it on here too. There are some tracking clubs around - where are you? There are a few different methods. I have only sort of dabbled in it so far - stamping a square and putting food in the footsteps and the dog has to find the food. Theoretically this then pairs food and the scent for the dog.

Maybe tracking? This is what I am tempted to try with Diesel when he gets bored of obedience. Does Champa like food treats?

OK so high reactivity = poor nerves But for say Schutzhund you want some reactivity right? For courage test etc? And fo say protection - you want them to react to the bad guy and suspicious people/circumstances? and for watch dogs? So how much etc and have good nerves?

And the relationship between nerves and reactivity? Does high reactivity = poor nerves all the time? And how much of this has to do with socialisation and how much they were exposed to as pups?

How far along are you in drive training? I haven't started the out yet with mine - still in the drive building stage. With Diesel before I did drive training I taught 'give' with food. Maybe two toys? Hopefully K9 Force will come and answer so we don't all get it wrong

I do food spitting with Diesel so needless to say I get a lot of weird looks! I also get comments on how well behaved the dogs are too. One time I was training Diesel outside the dog park (heeling and attention) and when we went into the park, someone said thank goodness you came in, it would have been mean of you to do that and not come in for a play after

Anything to keep them awake LOL! I have to lock my pup up to get it to sleep But that's Kelpies for you Crate training might be an idea too. May be a bit rough the first few nights, but then it is very handy, and they learn it is sleep time in the crate.

My club does something interesting for figure 8s - it seems counter intuitive Do fast pace when your dog is on the inside leg and then slow pace when the dog is on the outside. I know it sounds completely opposite to what you should do, but what should happen is that the dog will start to push the turn and come in closer in anticipation of the fast pace leg ahead. It does work, I've tried it with Diesel.

It's trickier than I thought it would be! At least she doesn't still think the ball bites Kaos just wants to go for a walk instead Did our first tie out session today in backyard where I haven't done much drive training - went really well Just need to get him to stop associating lead etc with just walk and explore . . . I guess when I get the tie out really well, move it to the front?

We had a little fluffy try to take fingers off earlier this week and the muzzle didn't fit properly because the dog was small! Must talk to work about getting some for the real littlies . . .

When I do drive building with Kaos, the others are away, either out back or crated. At the moment I am doing a bit of training in the house (it is cold at 5 am ;) ). They are all walked and trained separately. While I have crated the dogs for long periods, it is only if there is no other choice, like when fences are being done or workmen are over. Otherwise I feel bad crating them all day while I am at work. Zoe and Diesel run together but Kaos is separate. They do settle nicely in the house if they have had a good walk - all 3 will sleep on the couch Kaos will often sleep on top of Diesel ;) or curl up with him.

It looks like things are going pretty similarly for you and me myszka! Kaos is separate from the others when I am at work but they are together when I am home. Kaos loves to play with Diesel (I know . . . ;) ) but the same as yours will prefer to play tug than hang off Diesel's neck LOL. I guess the difficult part is that I like to get them out for walks etc and see other dogs and people. Kaos is pretty good in that he will meet another dog pretty much properly by now (nose and bum) and then come and sit near me. I also have the problem - what do you do if the dog is causing mayhem? In the evening they are inside after dinner - how else do I stop him from eating the paper and the table ?

I haven't been doing it tied up - have yet to really get the hang of that. Although a different dog, I'm not sure whether doing it tied with Diesel caused one of the problems I had - that he would wait until it is close and then lunge for it. So I do it close to my body in a circle, the times outside when he is not interested I try to make it hop around like it was alive :D In the hope that it will help build more drive (I may be doing it all wrong ) when he drops the toy or is not holding it well I take it and make more drive with it, and one time don't give it back. It is a tug with a rope on it.

I didn't mean to offend you Natashja. I was not commenting on how you take care of your dog. I was just amazed at the resemblence, same colour and everything!

*hides* We had a Labradoodle at the daycare that looked identical to your dog Natashja! They also liked to keep him scruffy, but they NEVER brushed him and he was always such a mess. My feelings every time I saw him was the same as poodlefan :D That and give him a good brush! The owners actually got mad if we brushed him because they didn't like him fluffy (sometimes I did it anyway)! Which made it interesting when they booked him in for a bath or a clip . . . EFS

OK after our morning walk I have discovered: 1) I think Jeff is right! He knows the lead means he is going on a walk, and is more excited about that than anything else. I guess put the lead on when I drive build at home to fix that? I know it is supposed to be on anyway . . . 2) He REALLY likes squeaky toys I bought one the other day and tried it out today. I managed to get his attention with it even when he wasn't interested in the tugs on the walk :D

Good point about the lead Jeff! When I drive build in the house I haven't been using a lead . . . maybe he sees a difference there? Although the interesting thing is I can take him to obedience class and he will drive build fine there - at a park with heaps of other dogs around? But not in a different park with no dogs :D I guess it is off to work in the front yard for a bit, see if that helps - baby steps it is

When I went to the pet component of my club (there are pet and trialling classes) the instructor was Delta trained. He got his definitions of classical and operant conditioning mixed up. He was trying to explain to the class that Pavlov's Dogs uses the same methods as obedience training - and was calling them both operant conditioning. I had already done the NDTF course at that stage but was good and held my tongue :D but did not go back to the pet classes and only go to the trialling classes now.

His drive building at home is great! He will come to play tug even from playing with my other dogs. He is also great at the training ground (familiar? )

Kaos is now 4 months old, full of energy and mischief. His drive building is going really well at home, he is really keen, and he is going well when we are at training. But when we are on a walk, I am lucky to get more than a few seconds in drive before he gets distracted. There doesn't have to be anything around, just sniffing and wandering. And it is hard to get his attention back, sometimes it works if I wait a bit and try again. So I am here with this toy trying to make it look exciting and feeling like an idiot! And it is making me so frustrated! What am I doing wrong? I must be doing something wrong! He has plenty of drive, and tries to grab all manner of things at home, and is really keen for the toy there. Even if food doesn't get the same level of excitement, I still find it more reliable!

I have obviously done the NDTF course as it shows under my avatar. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, although it will be different now than I went through as I did it a while ago now. The psychology section was excellent, and I got to meet a great bunch of people some of whom I have remained in contact with and continue to train or discuss training with. Through them I met Diesel's breeder and discovered security and Schutzhund training and the world of working GSDs and some great Rotties as well, as I got to meet a lot of security guards. Coming from a pet obedience with a goal to compete in obedience and agility, this opened my eyes to a whole world of dog training I had not even knew existed. It is through them that I first learned anything about prey drive, although I am still learning how to use it correctly. I liked the fact that we were shown all the different equipment including trying it on ourselves. Although this is not entirely a debate on equipment I was one of the ones who was at first horrified by pinch collars, but changed my mind when I tried it on myself. Being a very small person, I could see how they could be useful. I also like that NDTF have other courses available such as scent detection etc. Edit to make sense.

There are so many different clips you can have with a poodle. Surely there will be some type of clip that they like. Even if they don't like the more 'manicured' styles. Having worked with groomers, there are many people who want their poodle to 'not look like a poodle' Why get a Poodle in the first place? Most of these people choose to have a hairy face instead of a shaved face, and less clear lines, ie no shaving around foot or tail pompom. Personally, I love the way you can puff up poodle hair and get it to look so perfect!

I know all about naughty Labs We have several at work You may also want to check out the threads on Triangle of Temptation and Training in Drive on this forum.

So they don't take many points off for mouthing? With Diesel I have a different problem, but Zoe mouths the dumbell. But at least she is enthusiastic about it and is super fast . . . Diesel's problem is motivation (isn't it always ). He will go out after it but then lose interest and go a different direction, will come back to it but slowly. Once he picks it up, not a problem. I have done retrieving with a clicker, and spent a lot of time on holding well. The problem mainly starts once I start to add some distance as he is fine picking it up off the ground if it is right in front of him.

My club is also flexible with equipment and rewards. They encourage the use of all types of rewards - praise, food and toy. A lot of emphasis is put on food I guess because most people find it easier. You are allowed to train on a flat collar, martingale, check chain or headcollar. Most people at this club train on a check chain. I am using a martingale. There is generally one class, which is split in two if there are a lot of people, and then the people training for open and utility go off one at a time to a separate area where all the equipment is laid out - jumps, box etc.