birdielover

That is fantastic, I have just started a while ago training my dogs in agility and my Border Collie almost ready for the Novice (I think that is what it is called). We also started to learn flyball (all clicker training too). I am learning to use my body for the dogs to read, it is so different to what I am used to but if I can master it, I reckon it would work wonders. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN - that really is something to brag about.

He looks like a nice dog. My staffy (pedigree) is just over 2 years old. Excellent with people and kids (although can be a bit rough with little ones). But has always had a very dominant personality. I have tried a few things and obedience for me has helped her (slowly but it has). Aggression was not a problem until a few months ago. She has always tried to hang off my border collie (border collie is almost 4 and have had him since 10 weeks of age), but the other day when at a flyball training session (our first lesson) Summa (staffy) would not focus on anything but Mysta and gave him a really hard time, plus a dog came over to her with a slightly dominant stance "stiff" sort of if you know what i mean and he growled softly at summa and she wanted to have him. She has done this a couple of times now with dogs that try to dominate or show their dominance to her. she has always had a dominate personality, (have had her since she was 11 weeks old) and when called would turn her head look at us and just keep going her merry way. When asked to stay, she just wouldn't. She would literally push/barge her way through the door before us - which I did not tolerate. But I am happy to say that after a long time (she is over 2 years old now) I am entering her in a sweepstake this weekend and am very hopeful she will pass - unless she has an obstinate fall back. LOL. She is not the first staffy I have owned, she is the third, but she is the most obstinate, pig headed, domineering dog I have ever owned. Not the most aggressive (that went to a bullterrier I owned), apart from all that she is a very loving loyal dog and i am very glad to have ventured out and learn other types of training techniques. Today I have just started crate training her and doing a program called "tuff luv". I am very new to this type of training, but gee it seems really positive - except for the fact that Summa wants out of her cage. But as I type now she is beside me and settled in her cage. I have taken her outside before and trained and played tug with her. I am about to feed her (with my hands) and then take her and Mysta for a walk. I am lucky I have the guidance of someone new to our club who is helping me and some others who want to learn some new training techniques for our dogs. Just thought I would share that.

I also remembered that our senior instructor made it a game for Mysta to "get" the dumbell in the beginning. did not matter how he got it as long as he got excited and picked it up. He just was not interested until she did this and he loved the game and getting him hyped up. Then I would hold his snout gently and also walk backwards telling him "come" "hold, hold, hold" then "give" - it worked for us.

Hello i hope I am not stepping on any toes here, being new and all. But I have just taught my border collie to retrieve the dumbell and I did not think i would ever manage to do it. He learned in about 6 weeks. I first did fetch/hold/give while he was sitting with me and not doing anything else. Then i would go a bit further away. Getting him to hold was a bit difficult, but I kept my hand gently over his snout and kept saying hold, hold, hold, then "give" and then made a fuss over him and told him "good boy". I thought I would have big problems because with a tennis ball his brings it so far then nudges it with his nose to me. But with a few mins a day and a bit of patience he is now fetching and retrieving on the flat and over the jump. I only started to teach him this in early June as he got his CD title at end of May. I have entered in a double trial on the 3/4 Sept with him. I am only learning clicker training and so did not clicker train him this or anything else so far. I have only used the clicker on him to get him to look at me and to stay close to me. I have used the clicker on my staffy to get her to drop. Just thought I'd share that.