Kelpie-i

rosebud, you "sound" like a different person already...more confident about yourself and your actions with your dog. Well done and keep up the good work.

Hi Trisven13 Unfortunately you won't find a great deal of drive training methodology on the web -it's not actually a "formal" form of training and not one used by many people. Another term for drive training is "motivational" training. Lablover once put up a link about drive training, not sure which thread it was on...and whilst it didn't go into technique it gave you a run down on when, what etc. The write up was a little technical and unless you are familiar with terms such as thresholds, modes etc, it would right over your head. Find a school that trains in drive (not many of them) or that uses motivational based training. Another good source is to go to a schutzund club and watch them train. They usually train in drive.

Good decision....long gone will be the yawns!

Tethered for two weeks :rolleyes: My goodness it sounds like boot camp (worse!) MM, do yourself and Missy a favour and sack them. This is not dog training or behaviour problem solving -it's a joke!

Erny, as you know similar to a franchise so it's a very methodical approach, ie one recipe to work with....pretty much like McDonalds (food ) MM, this is the biggest load of garbage. With that said, however, all tug games must be controlled by you, ie. you instigate and you end it with a "off" or "enough" command. How long have you been told to withhold all these things from Missy?. Sounds like she's being deprived of all things fun I would be definitely be checking out either Steve at K9 or Steve at Hanrob.

sounds like my GSD whenever food is around...nothing else matters! He's 11yo now and I thougt that by this age he would start to settle...boy was I wrong.

Rosebud, you've been given some very good advice but I'd also like to reiterate that puppy preschool is merely the "tip of the iceberg" for your dog. You will need to continue his training, especially due to his "dominance" problem at least untill he reaches maturity. How long does the current course run for and where abouts in Melbourne are you?

Kavik, some dogs are certainly very highly strung and in some cases, drive training can make them a little uncontrollable, at first!. The best thing would be to teach them an "off" or "enough" command and keep the sessions somewhat lower key and short. Drive training can also consist of a fetch game if that what you dog likes. It dosn't necessarily need to be a game of tug or chase. Some people have the complete opposite problem to you, where the dogs are not overly interested in toys etc but go absolutely nuts over food, so much so that the dog cannot concentrate on anything else.....hold on......that sounds like me

Erny, I guessed that too before I continued to read on. Certainly the "Dogtech" style of training...you can't miss it. MM, I would go with Erny's suggestion in training in drive or "motivational" style training for the layman. This heightens the dog's enthusiasm, making training alot more fun and also teaches the dog quicker. Haven's comments about implementing leadership without being a nazi is spot on. The severity of the program is obviously causing your dog to stress. IMO, consult with Steve from K9 and see what he suggests. I too would be interested in knowing what the dogtech behaviourist tells you about the stress.

Hmmmm Herdng Guy, Yes I totally agree with this one. Even the whistle didn't work! BTW, did I tell you that I'm getting you a new watch for your birthday. Very good thread, can I add mine: The ability to "read" a class and modify to suit the sort of particpants or the mood of participants that day. Good explanations and even better demonstrations. Being able to keep the exercises flowing, interesting and fun. Having a complete "bag of tricks" of different methods and being able to use them effectively when needed. Talks positively and encourages the person to do better. Remembers names (I always seem to remember the dog's name but not the owner's)....aaah to have a good memory for names. Dogdayz, not sure if you're an instructor but this can sometimes be extremely difficult as even being the most sympathetic explanations can hurt some extremely sensitive individuals. I graded a client once and was not able to pass her dog due to certain things and she left crying. I didn't see her back for weeks. Most people take it fairy well and see the positives and work on what they need to but some are not so optimistic.

Hi everyone It was great meeting some other DOLers today. Good to put a face and name to the forum name :rolleyes: Here are some of the pics I took today. I will apologise beforehand if I happen to stuff this up. Here goes! This one...go Sascha! And this one...Hi Pippi Would you buy your next car from these people Go the Aussie Shepherd.....with a tail! Here's Lochie the corgi x doing her thang! Here's Bodie (sp?) in the yard..nice work Sparty Here's Tasha and Dave.....don't fall Dave! KC, told you Sascha could learn to back and bark! Scout and Tasha trying to get the sheep into the "Claytons" race. It was a really fun day...

Chilli, as Yogibear said, NDTF have distance learning now, so you don't have to be in Melbourne. HR, I'd pay to see that

Cheeky.....I'm still in holiday mode .....and besides I loooooove my bed too I'll be the one sitting in the corner catching some ZZZZZ

Herding Guy, will have to drag my sorry arse out of bed at 7am

What about me???? Can Tasha come too??? Pippi said she may not go it if was at 7.30am...is that right Pippi?

What happens in the case of it being hot on both days??

I never had a doubt.... Congrats Vicki and Trim! You both deserve it for the hard work you put in.

Very interesting thread...hope you don't mind if I add my 20c worth. Along with ADT, there are many other schools/clubs out there with qualifed and certified instructors who are paid to work. These instructors are paid because of their knowledge, experience and certification and the school wants to make sure that the person standing in front of the class can do more than just teach a dog to sit and drop. For this reason, the client pays a higher fee. I've known many dogs who have been "kicked out" of their volunteer run clubs because the instructor couldn't help with the problem. It was much easier to give them their marching orders. In a way I say Thank God, because I'd hate to see the sort of advice given to the owner by an unqualified "trainer". The old saying.....pay peanuts, get monkeys still rings true in many cases. But as Erny says, if you are achieving results by attending a volunteer club, then fantastic - no one is going to argue with that. However, please remember that not all dogs are sociable, controllable and easily trained. The owners of these dogs require expert tuition and guidance from a qualified individual and this certainly comes at a price.

Oh LL, so sorry to hear.

wyvernblade, who did you contact re the Kelpies?? Was it Paul McPhail? If the Kelpie is WKC registered it doesn't mean you cannot trial them in obedience. You'll just need to join up with a VCA club in order to partake in trial events. Most working Kelpie breeders will question what you want the dog for as these are working dogs and do not do well in a small backyard with nothing to do. If you have your heart set on one, make sure you ask for a softer natured Kelpie but be prepared to put in some work. Having said that, we own 2 other breeds of dogs and our kelpie is the laziest of them all. I can put you in contact with some Kelpie breeders who breed nice Kelpies if you want. Whichever breed of dog you choose (even if it's a cross breed), you will still need to put in the hard yards, unfortunately dogs don't come with a pre-programmed microchip (even though that would be nice!)

Hi wyvernblade You'll find that most breeds are good with kids, provided they are socialised to them from a young age. It's all about the socialisation!!! You will also find that all breeds of dogs are destructive as pups. This is due to their young, inquisitive minds and exploring their world (and boredom plays a factor as well) Kelpies (I'm talking the working variety) are an extremely intelligent dog in the sense that they have an uncanny ability to problem solve - so they'll figure things out for themselves. They require a firm but fair leader/handler who will provide loads of stimulation. Kelpies are highly trainable and in fact if you don't train them, they will train you. As well as being active workers, they can be quite the couch potatoe as well. Tired dogs are happy dogs! Kelpies are fast, highly agile (which is why they do extremely well in agility, flyball and of course herding) and hard working. Kelpies do not suffer from any congenital defects and rarely suffer from allergies etc. They are a strong, hardy dog that require very little in the way of grooming and fussing over. Of course a Kelpie is not for everyone, but for a true blue Australian dog without all the bells and whistles, the Kelpie is the one!

Get a working Kelpie....you can't beat'em for speed, agility and endurance.... :rolleyes: Signed Unbiased

ROBOTOT....Interesting name Erny! Haven, I'll wait for you to come rushing in with the doggy bag and then I'll open the door so that Erny can carry Steve out - in one foul swoop! I will bring my ray gun which doubles as a missile shooter in case we strike trouble. Melbournites - May the force be with you.......

Well Erny, you're the brains of this outfit, have you figured out a way to steal Steve from those Sydney people yet??