squeak

Not sure if this would do the same thing??? http://www.sportstek.net/phm.htm

I am soooooo jealous!!!

** bump **

I guess that answers my question!

What happens if it rains? Is the event cancelled? Is there a phone number that I can call Sunday morning to check?

This question is prompted by another thread on the stay command, so I don't clog up that thread... I am a long way from trialling at this level (if ever!) but it is something that has me curious. In NSW, for UDX, there is an exercise called "Positions in Motion". In this exercise, you heel with your dog and the judge asks you to sit, down or stand your dog, and you keep walking. My understanding of the rules is that you are NOT allowed to give a stay command to the dog. My question is, for those people who use a stay command, how to you teach this exercise - how do you get your dog to understand it is required to hold position whilst you keep walking when your "normal" stay command is missing?

Yeah, I think that the judge gave them the benefit of the doubt. The rules were fairly new at the time (I think it may have been among one of the first trials with the new rules) and the judge actually checked the rule book before making a decision. It is not obvious from the CCD rules section itself, but if you read the intro stuff, it becames more clear. Judge that day was excellent - said if they didn't know something & checked. I am sure they would have gone home and double-checked for next time. I am hoping to trial next year and am currently trying to familiarise myself with the rules. Giving a stay signal or not is something which I was curious about, since I do not use one, although I used to with our first dog. My reason is the... I want my dog not to move until I release it. With higher obedience levels you have "positions in motion" where you give your dog a signal (sit, drop, stand) and keep walking - NO stay signal is allowed. I figure if my dog is used to remaining in the commanded position, then they should be able to learn this fairly easily. I would be very, very interested in hearing how people who do use a stay signal teach this exercise. Sorry, I've taken the thread slight OT I've now started a new thread so I don't clog this one up any further.

From the rule book for CCD for group sit stay... "... On order from the Judge 'Leave (Leave your Dog)', the Handlers may give their dogs a command to day...." (bold is mine for emphasis) OT - saw someone doing CCD who almost lost points (and personally I think they should have) on the Stand for Examination, when they gave an additional stay signal to the dog before returning to the dog. Rules on this basically say return to the dog, but not whether or not an additional signal is allowed. Here is link to ANKC rules (including Obedience) if you are interested. http://www.ankc.org.au/home/inner.asp?pageID=70&mainID=2

Not squeaky, but I think they're kinda cool... https://waggle.com.au/product.php?product=128&backtosub=

I honestly believe that the two dogs that we own, particularly our first, Stormy, have made me a much better trainer than I would ever have been if I had owned "easy" dogs. They have both taught me soooo much about training - consistency, short training sessions, and working out how to teach and motivate them - that I am grateful for them... though they do frustrate me sometimes "My" first dog. Stormy, is a deerhound cross (think large scruffy greyhound) - being a sighthound, she is fairly independent. I was very fortunate with the first obedience instructor that I had. I ended up in a class with german shepherds, labs and golden retrievers who had been training for some time. I felt totally useless when I couldn't even get Stormy to walk beside me, let alone heel - she would forge ahead and pull me, or otherwise put the brakes on dead, 6 ft behind me, and I couldn't mover her or she decided that jumping all over me and mouthing was the best fun. I was almost in tears, feeling like I was absolutely useless and all these other dogs were behaving perfectly. He quietly pulled me aside and explained that she would always be a challenge (she is a sighthound and we got her when she was 12 mths old), but he assured me that if I was consistent and committed, that she could be trained - it just meant that I had to work hard. It took me six months to teach her to sit (sighthounds are not designed to sit!). We have owned her for 2 years now and she is a brilliant dog - slow to learn things, but that's okay, that's how she is. We have made it to Class 3 at dog school, and won a 1st and 2nd ribbon at gradings, so I think that is pretty cool She can heel, sit, drop, wave, speak, hi five and am now teaching her the beginnings of crawl and tugging a cupboard door open. This is from a dog who an instructor has since told me that when we first started at training, he didn't hold any hope for either one of us!!! Thankfully he kept his thoughts to himself and only revealed this 18 mths after we'd been there and just passed a gradinig. Interestingly, he was probably one of the instructors who tried hardest to find a way to teach us. I guess what I am trying to say is, you are not alone. Instructors are used to "easy" breeds and it means they don't have to work very hard. They get a more difficult breed, and some of them don't know where to start, and their usual training methods don't work, or they fail to realise that some dogs take longer to learn. Your dog is NOT stupid, stubborn or dumb. I WILL take hard work and consistency and probably a heap load more time to train than a border collie - who cares?! YOU will be a better trainer for it, if you can get past the frustration of trying to compare your dog with others (I know how hard that is!). Best piece of advice that I have received about training is "to be so consistent that you are boring" - we cannot get away with a much as owners with "easy" dogs - but that's okay.

You could also try "Wags" at Gymea/Gymea Bay, but you might have to wait a little while for a booking.

What they call their "half check" is what I call a martingale with a chain. They do not seem to do an "all fabric" martingale. They do a "web half check", which is similar to the limited slip collar from the kelpie website, if that makes sense. I'll try to explain where to find this stuff on their website... Go to www.rogz.com\home.htm Click on the top right image (hover over them until you find the one that says "beltz") On the next page you should see a box (towards the top right) that says "beltz home page) - click on this. On the bottom right of the next page you should see a magnifying glass which says "Dogs Product Range" next to it - click on this. This should take you to a table will all their different collars, with the styles across the top.

Not sure if the link will take you where I want it too - weird website. However, the styles that come in the martingale (they call them half-check and have a chain) are (with the product code next to them: Nitelife HC11 Snake HC06 Fanbelt HC05 http://www.rogz.com/home.htm

I'm afraid that I don't know as I have never purchased these collars from them. Just happen to remember seeing them on the website when I was ordering something else.

I'm not sure if Canine Freestyle (aka doggie dancing aka heelwork to music) is your "thing" but here is a fantastic beardie collie doing his thing - at Crufts (in 2007) and other places...

You could try Callicoma Kelpies Plain martingales in black, blue, green, red and purple ($9) and "fancy" martingales in pawprints or patterns ($13) http://www.callicoma.com.au/collars1.htm Email them if you need anything - a great bunch to deal with.

Well done to both of them.

I'd suggest that you PM dogmad - she apparently has had a lot of success house training dogs of all ages.

Steve Austin at Pet Resorts Australia (Dural) www.petresortsaustralia.com.au

I know that it is not an African name, but he looks like a "Cooper" to me.

They mean "Association of Pet Dog Trainers" - basically a collection of articles from there magazines/newsletters. I have the first one printed (your second link, I think) - it's so-so. Some interesting reading, but nothing really earth shattering. And, as Erny has pointed out, definitely biased toward the postive training (and very "anti" correction and ecollars, etc). Whilst I don't necessarily agree with the use of an ecollar (personally, I don't believe I have the skill to use one effectively), I will acknowledge that there are applications that they may be effective for (eg stock chasing).

:D Congratulations! Care to share what the "right way" is, as I am hoping to start trialling a deerhound x next year :p You also can't have any kind of ego about having the best and most obedient dog in the class/trial. A very well developed tolerance for public embarrassment is useful :p I was thinking about this yesterday when I was considering setting my "goals" if I trialled next year. This is what I came up with: - keep my sense of humour, no matter what happens - remember that I am doing this for FUN!!! The last comment prompted by a fellow trainer who commented that obedience triallers are way too serious and don't ever seem to have any fun. Me, being me, am determined to prove them wrong.

Congratulations! Care to share what the "right way" is, as I am hoping to start trialling a deerhound x next year

Just phone the kennels first - lovely people who I am sure will be happy to answer your questions. Remember that the NDTF people are in VIC and probably won't have seen the NSW set up (no offence).

Do you mean obedience trials or just club training?