Erny

I recognise both Kelpie-i's and HR's points in their posts. If they permit me to be so bold as to tender an interpretation? I think both recognise the integrity, professionalism and capabilities of the trainers at both 4Paws and ADT, and that all four quadrants of training principals are recognised, understood and, where appropriate, applied. The skills trained by NDTF renders it both feasible and possible for the trainers within each to interchange, whether or not the principal methods of each school differ, simply because the trainers have a broad based open minded knowledge and expertise. Kelpie-i and HR. Feel free to flame me if I'm off mark and out-of-line.

I could have sworn there was a thread where someone has asked this (and received answers) but I can't find it for you, Norskgra. The only reputable training school I know of in Sydney is at Hanrob Kennels (Steve Austin), but I don't even know where that is in relationship to you. I think K9 Force might know of a school too - but again, don't know if it will be near you. Sorry I can't help much more than that. At least my response will serve as a "bump" to your thread and perhaps draw the attention of DOLers who can be more helpful.

You're a dog instructor's dream, Anne21! If you've got the enthusiasm, you've got the motivation. The instructors can help you use that motivation to train and shape your dog's behaviour. Two more sleeps to go until training day!

Good for you, LuvMyBc ..... I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves! Be sure to re-visit here and let us know how you go.

I presume splaying feet in an older dog would likely to be merely an age thing? She's definately not overweight. She's 12 yo. I noticed it when she was about 10 yo. In the last year and half she's had incidences of irritable bowel, so you've got me worried about nutrition.

Question, please K9, with reference to the above. To the dog, wouldn't a toy, which is there ONLY for the dog to chew on (but which YOU don't play with, don't "put movement into" and isn't the same as your prey item) be the same as sticks laying around? And wouldn't that be preferable to no toys or sticks (which can be chewed and splinter)?

Oops! It was a good site, but I wasn't THAT excited! Double post. Sorry.

Good site, Puggles.

Good site, Puggles.

HR is at Heidelberg periodically. But it's not as local to him as the other centres. I haven't done Heidelberg for ages, for the same reason. But don't worry .... you'll get to know people down there (both handlers and instructors alike), if you haven't already. How are you enjoying it, Annodam? How're your Basenji's going? Independent? Wilful? ADT have a client with a Basenji puppy down at Boronia. He gives his owner a run for her money!

That's a good point. But trying to convice the VCA to allows the use of an e-collar could be near on impossible. I guess the other possibility is that the person with this dog joins a high standard non VCA affiliated club (one that has the capability of dealing with a 'special needs' dog such as this).

It could wear a vibrating mobile phone and you could ring him. Sorry, couldn't resist. I haven't heard of a collar that simply vibrates - not to say there isn't one ... I just haven't had the need to go looking to find out. Good idea, though. I trust it has already been marketed and is available. Have you googled?

What breed of dog, and what temperament does the dog have, Yogi? I would expect the lowest stim on a remote trainer would be ok - probably just enough to get an ear flick. We used one for a client at training (on his deaf dog). The use he applied it for, however, was as a cue to look at him (for distance work) so he could then give a hand signal command. HR and/or K9 would probably have some good input to add here.

Have just read this thread. Must say I was somewhat surprised by this poster's slander on people who have trained under NDTF. I'm NDTF trained, and proud of that. It's given me a fantastic broad training knowledge and experience base on which to further enhance my knowledge and skills. I attend other programs/seminars (positive & others) and have contemplated doing the DELTA course when I have the time and the money. It's all about exploration and learning. NDTF encourage that and welcome our feedback and discussions of new/different ideas. Would you be as open-minded, Mel774? I get on very well with a lady well known by "Deltorians" - I love bantering with her and trying on various training methods and ideas "for size". She is a wealth of knowledge and assisted me greatly when I was preparing my "Avoidance Motivated Aggression" Behaviour thesis for one of the NDTF courses I was doing. There's alot of NDTF trained trainers who have put alot of time in this forum responding to people's request for help with their dog training issues. To comment as you have, Mel implies to me a lack of confidence - evidenced further by your avoidance to the training forum. It's not "our" forum, so you don't need an invite .... but we'd be glad if you would join in to swap views and ideas with the rest of us ........ it's all in the interest of "continued learning".

Oh good .... I've been waiting for an age for it to become available.

From stories I've been told of his training, this emoticon is appropriate ..... I agree with HR - Steven Lindsay's books are fantastic. But I admit they are not for the novice.

Ooooh, this is like waiting for final exam results! Hope I make it to your final list!

Realise this, YB.

Except that the ball is neither rolling fast going directly away from or directly towards the dog. Perhaps it helps the dog as it passes the ball to compute in more detail exactly its placement to enable it to more easily and successfully 'catch' it. Just musing. Placement of the dog's eyes (which alter from breed to breed) could have a bearing too.

Don't know about Delta, but NDTF have electives which allows the student to take an expanded course, if required. However, to divide the base course into units IMO would be detrimental to its overall success, as many things learnt in one unit overlap and intertwine and go to explain more in another unit. When all the units are completed, it is recognised how the components to dog training and understanding dogs all comes together in the end. You haven't completed the book until you've read all the chapters. Nice idea YB in theory, but don't believe it would be advantageous, either to the high reputation NDTF carries, nor to the participants of the course.

Not to argue that this is the (or only the) reason for dogs running beyond the ball, but more clarity (or less, as the case may be) depends on the colour of the ball and the colour of the background on which the ball was thrown. Dogs see green, yellow, red at one end of the spectrum. Dogs see blue, indigo and violet at the other end of the spectrum. But they can't tell the difference between each of the colours within the same groupings. Eg. A red ball on green grass would be represented in the same colouring. (Hence, IMO, manufacturers are better to produce, and purchasers are better to buy, a violet coloured ball if it is to be thrown on a grassed field.) What the dog is assisted by, in these circumstances is the movement of the ball, which utilises not only sight but also brain computation to give depth of field. All other colours are seen as white or varying shades of grey. Hence your golf ball is more easily spotted against the colour green, than would be a ball if it were coloured, for example, red.

Could this just be a 'learnt' behaviour (or technique, for want of another word)? And/or perhaps an instinctive hunting behaviour (ie cutting the prey off at the pass). Don't know .... just guessing. Interesting observation, Myszka. Could also have something to do with eyesight "depth" perception and colour perception factors, as Haven touches on.

:rolleyes: I always thought I was joking, Pippi ... now I can truley say that it has happened! ETA: Truth be known, I like my dog to have her eyes on what's around us (particularly at night) so she can alert me if there's any "unsavory" (sp?) people around.

Agree - there are numerous circumstances where the "left" rule needs to be flexible! Personally, I don't push for the "head up, keep looking at my face" style heel. (I don't do obedience trials either.) I'm happy so long as my dog shows she is attentive to my left leg, and maybe the occasional look up at me evidencing "team work". If I fall in a hole in the ground, I don't need my dog to do likewise! :rolleyes:

EW - Just something else .... the way I was taught, and the way I teach is that IF you are right handed, the dog SHOULD be on your left. You hold the leash in your right hand, generally leaving the left hand (which is closest to the dog) free to give the dog a reward (scratch and tickle and/or pat, food treat) for being obedient, and perhaps for using hand signals (eg. "stand", if you need to) when coming to a halt. Some people are left handed .... in which case they walk their dogs on the right. I commonly find those who use the same hand on the leash as the side the dog walks on, often "grab" the leash back (ie pull) to stop the dog leaving the heel position. I also find, commonly, that these people have a tendancy to become very "leash dependant". Just what I've found, anyway.