haven

I never said it was an alpha "issue" I said that as the alpha it was up to Kitty to teach Minx what is and isn't acceptable.

There is training for action and there is training for abstenance. No Kitty is not the dam of this pup, even more importantly IMO she is supposed to be the alpha. This means it is up to her to teach Minx what is and is not appropriate behaviour and to dispence reinforcement or punishment as waranted. I personally don't agree with the use of harsh punishment on puppies, nor any other dog and that is also the philosophy of ADT. Kitty was NOT advised to pick the dog up by the scruff and see how many times she could swing her around the room, she was advised how best to use her body language to communicate to communicate that her pup was behaving in an undesirable way. In the red book that is given free to all of ADT members, this and many other behavioural issues are discussed at length with many solutions given including puppy proofing your home, sin bining, providing appropriate chew items and a combination of many is advised. Obviously it depends on the dog as to which is most appropriate.

Kitty, was there a rotti pup in your novice class? A friend of mine from work was going to attend.

Sorry I didn't get there thismorning, I had to go to a stupid open for inspection Are you training at Scoresby tommorrow, or will it be next week?

Jen, would you mind posting or pming me the detals of that course, I'd like to look into it NinaandTed, obviously the best thing to do if you know what is causing the stress is remove it, if you can. Unfortunately this can be difficult or even impossible in many cases, perhaps like your own. I would suggest you give it a go, it definately can't hurt. I would use it in conjunction with as many other anti-stress remedies, so you can give your dog the best chance of success. So I'd use diet, vitamin and mineral supplements, DAP, Bach flower remedy, counter-conditioning etc. I know of some people who use things like crystal and colour therapy also. I'm a skeptic, but I was about the Bach flower remedy also and that worked wonders. Whatever works ;) I have a friend with a dog that suffers with extreme anxiety. When i suggested the possibility of medication they were shocked and adamant they wouldn't medicate their dog. While i agree that it wouldn't be my first choice, if medication is the only way to ensure that the dogs quality of life is good, why withold it? It can't be very nice for the dog, living in a constant state of fear and anxiety

Yep one of my dogs is a farter and I have had great success adding a half tsp of ground peppermint leaves in her nightly feed. I have also heard that slippery elm bark is great too, but now I no longer need to try it :D

That's great Kitty, that means that if I don't see you at Berwick this weekend i should definately see you at Chesterfield Farm as that is where I usually train on Sundays I'm not on this Sat, but i am taking my girl to her swimming session in Doveton and was thinking of dropping by to see a work friend who is starting this weekend with his pup.

I use a combination of bach flower essences, which is what rescue remedy is made from, but I had one specially made for my dog. I have found it works well, but better if it is given regularly rather than only before or during a specific event. Vitamin B, magnesium and copper are all important for stress relief! There is a product available called DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) that is available in a plug in (wall socket) diffuser, a collar and a spray formula. I have tried the diffuser (the spray and collar may be unavailable due to product licensing issues) with great success. If the collar and the spray are still unavailable, it still works well if you put a few drops from the diffuser on the dogs coat or on a hanky to carry with you.

OOh I'll have to come see you next time I'm there, she's a real cutie

Much better to feed them as a meal rather than crappy commercial pet food IMO. See how she goes, you may find you need to switch to wings or frames soon, as even pups tend to swallow a neck whole. The frames and wings take a bit more munching

Boiling the meast may kill any nasties but it will also leave it devoid of nutrients so there is no point. Raw meat is fine. If it's green and/or moving on its own, obviously don't feed it but dogs have a much stronger digestive system than us hoomans and can handle eating meat that would make us sick.

raw meat is the best food for your pup IMO and best fed on the bone

I have large dog but when I had the little pup he started on whole chicken carcasses at 5 weeks with no problem. They can cut the up themselves just fine Rainbow meats in Chirnside park also sell chicken wings for 1.99 kilo. I buy my frames from Megapet Warehouse in Ringwood for 0.65 a kilo.

How is using a baseball bat a less humane way of killing than spraying it with dettol? Surely the dettol kills them slowly and painfully?

I wouldn't be too concerned. I took a whole years worth when i was 3rs old and all the Dr did was shrug and say "at least she won't get pregnant"

Yes I agree, you have trained the dog but not proofed the training under distraction. I'd love to hear about your class with Steve Austin after you go!

I have been bitten by a dog wearing a husher and I would definately not use or recommend the use of such muzzles. IMO the wire basket muzzles are the safest and best.

I agree with that ginger's mum. Good to hear everything is going well Shiloh

I also use the VAN omega blend and love it. Any oils you buy should be cold pressed and human grade.

My rescue GSD was 3 years old when he started training. The obedience club i go to take dogs from 8 weeks onwards. I think age restrictions are silly. In the office the other day we took a call from a woman who had been told by a 'professional' trainer that at 12 mths it was too late to start training her dog He also told her that as her dog wouldn't take food treats there was no hope for him

I used to pull ticks of the dogs, cats and horses every day when i worked in Sydney. Just use a pair of tweezers and be sure to remove the head. If paralysis ticks are prevalent in your area I would consider a vet check seeing as the tick has been there awhile.

No problem at all Zero, a special class for aggressive dogs is something I and others have been pushing for quite some time. Unfortuanately as not every trainer highly specialises in aggressive dogs, we often don't have the appropriate person to take the class. The trainer who would ahve run that class is one of the resident gurus on dog aggression, so you can rest assured that by following his advice, Tank will respond in no time! I intend to personally keep an eye on what is happening with you and Tank and make sure things are running smoothly, even if it means working at heidleburg myself! Managing dog aggression is big task, definately not one you can avoid. Personally I think Tank is going to be a quick study. I know it seems like you're standing in front of a mountain right now, but it will soon be a mole hill with a little work. Have you seen the ADT website? In the FAQ section there is a story on a member and her dog entitled "Carolyn and Skully," which would be of interest to you. That was the 'scariest' case of dog aggression I had ever seen, not that you would know it to see them today. Carolyn and Skully now form an integral part of our display team, having passed advanced obedience and trained with Team Extreme. Keep me updated! ;)

The alpha roll is an overtly aggressive act, rarely necessary and has the potential to cause negative contingencies like fear agression and dimish the dog/handler bond. I think sin binning is an appropriate punishment for pups if you have tried ignoring the dog when she mouths and she continues to do it, but i would not advocate the alpha roll, or doing things like staring at the dog as punishment for the majority of dogs.

When you say submissive position, exactly what are we talking about? Holding the dog in a drop, or an alpha roll while clasping the dogs muzzle and staring in the eyes? Also, what occurs when you sin bin the dog?

I've no doubt that people like you K9, are more than capable of assessing if their dog is temperamentally sound for this technique and applying it correctly, to benefit the dog rather than be detrimental. I realise that you run seminars and train people average people in this method succesfully, but I have seen so many people mismanage their dogs in training so often that I would hesitate to teach the method to the general population, because I honestly think there is great potential for damage to the dog (psychologically). When I use the term aversive, it doesn't necessarily mean a painful stimulus or saomethin that causes fear. I still consider an ecollar stimulus to be aversive, just as someone tapping me on the shoulder would get irritating. The person sitting next to me on the train and whistling inceasantly is aversive, as is a cold shower etc. I don't think there is anything wrong with using -R though, in fact I believe it is not utilised in training nearly as much as it should, because of the misconception general people have about it being pain induced. So when are you coming to Melbourne? I would like to attend and learn more.