superminty

I am sure you didn't mean it to come across the way it did, but what an insensitive and hurtful comment. Accidents are just that - accidents. It happens, it is horrific and it is NOT a reflection on someone's love and commitment to their child/animal.

My 18 month old kelpie has one floppy ear too. It will stand upright for a short period, then flop! Down it goes. Means people can tell her apart from all the other black and tan kelpies ;-)

My Frenchie also likes to intently sniff eye sockets. weird! I have one of these. Thank doG she is NOT a licker! It is mildly disconcerting to strangers though, as she shoves her pointy nose into their eye socket..

This is a great post. Thanks!! Precisely my point. There is always a compromise.

IMO, the moment you start selecting for "look", you are making a compromise. Structure is different - in kelpies you have long legged, rangy dogs that have correct structure for droving work, and lighter framed dogs more suited to paddock work etc. I have two pure kelpies - one is above knee height, weighs 25kg and is an upright, casual worker and the other hits mid shin, is 13kg and is a compact little creepy thing. They both look like kelpies to me :) There are many different jobs and many different types, and some of them don't "look" like kelpies - but genetically they are pure. Your average working line breeder couldn't care less what the dog looks like (provided structure is sound). So there is little incentive to follow a standard that restricts what the dog can look like. My main issue with the breeding of working kelpies is the lack of focus on temperament, but that is a whole other argument...

Been following this thread with interest. I have a barker (go figure, a kelpie) and something that helped me was selectively rewarding "chatting" rather than barking i.e. if she was making any noise prior to an actual bark, or did a really soft bark, we would keep training - when she barked loudly (and my goodness she is loud for a little thing), we stopped. Now I am working on selecting only for pre-barking noises and not rewarding ANY barking. Barking usually happens where there is frustration so I am making sure I am very clear on what I want - and setting up mildly frustrating situations so she can practice NOT barking to solve them.

We used to exercise racehorses at Altona beach during the warmer months. A few dog owners got a serve for not having effective control but most were pretty good, or their owners leashed them. Some people think they own the leash free areas and had a go at us for having horses there, but they were educated pretty smartly! One summer I saw a Shetland pony at the same beach, having a swim. Most of the dogs treated it like any other dog! Maybe size does matter?

Be your dog's biggest advocate.

There is always that temptation to reward when they eventually get it right, isn't there? And then you have a lovely pattern trained down-sit, or jump-sit etc. Thisbe's default behaviour is a lie down (heavily reinforced when she was a puppy because she is so busy), so sit is really hard for her and often comes paired with a lie down first! This course is helping that a lot.

Nice work! That's the technique I use with Thisbe if I think there is a chance her recall won't work - she has a good drop at distance thanks to her stockwork and it gives me a chance to break through "distracted brain" and get her engaging with me again.

Yes! Got nose touches in the face of high distraction (passing dogs) only a metre away today! She was practically punching my hand with her nose too. Very pleased.

How was the homecoming? Everything you expected? :laugh: I just haven't had the energy to train lately, was just getting over the flu when I got a cold so I'm probably a week away from feeling normal again. But daylight savings will be here soon and I am usually more motivated when the days get longer, so I'll get around to it. I actually think the week break put me out of routine, not sure it worked for me.

leah82, have you tried lavender essential oil? I use a tiny bit on the tips of the ears for my stress-head at the vet, and also for thunder phobia in my old girl in combination with Rescue Remedy and the thundershirt, and it works a charm. Well, it at least calms me down, lol.

I am a bit behind too, but keeping up to date with all the games and watching the videos, so sometimes I chuck a random game into whatever I happen to be doing at the time. Getting great lead outs and solid sits now, with no other specific "stay" training other than some of these games - I think that is so cool! I must say anything that involves IYC with food or her favourite Kong Bounzer just drives Thisbe mental :laugh: And she is still RZ-ing people all over the place.

I have three and find it no problem at all. I chose a female for the third because my male is a bully with other males, and I wanted to minimise the drama. Still took him 5 months to get used to her, but now they are besties. I thought having another young dog would take the pressure of the old dog to play, but they all play with each other, the old girl just doesn't do the crazy running chasey games that the younger two do. When I take them out, I usually take two dogs at a time, so one is home alone, meaning they are all used to spending time alone which mitigates the risk of separation issues occurring, and means I can kennel separately if I go away. Disadvantage? Costs more! More risk management because my male is a resource guarder, and while the old girl has him worked out, I have to be careful with the male around the newest dog. Um, what else...my car is a bit small? Lol.

Thanks grumpette, and congrats to you too! There were definitely some interesting interpretations of the courses, not just from you :laugh: Go the black and tans.

Have finally managed to practise some games outside the home environment. Mostly static type exercises like RZ and nose touch, but also some start line stuff, and a bit of tug. Today we were at the Bendigo Rally trial and she stayed focused really well - got her interested in the toy by playing Hide N Seek 1 - which amused people no end as she knocked my hat and sunglasses off and wriggled her way underneath me. Her attention span is pretty short but I am getting better at finishing a session before she loses interest (sometimes only 10 secs or so) and recognising when she is done and needs a snooze. Only a couple of weeks to go! We need to arrange a post Recallers catch up.

Well done everyone on recent brags. Minty finished her Rally Novice title today with a 96 and first place, then had two more runs for a 4th and another first. I lost points in one exercise because I did it the way you do it in Advanced apparently (moving sidestep) so I guess we will continue on :laugh:

Sven is just gorgeous! Highly recommend The Vet Practice - clinics in South Morang and Whittlesea. For puppy/obedience classes, Four Paws K9 Training in Keilor Downs is not too far, or Dog Solutions based in Epping. I think Karen (Dog Solutions) may also run puppy classes at The Vet Practice.

12 year old Minty came out of retirement to try her paw at Rally at the Vic State trial this weekend. Despite me having a rotten cold so doing no training in the lead up, she remembered all her long-ago-taught obedience and scored a 99 in her first run (third place on time only) and 97 in her second (second place by a point). Was great to get the old girl out again, she can really be fun.

Played a few games at training on Sat, Thisbe is finally getting comfortable there and is a little tugging maniac. I am committed to taking her to my local park tomorrow to try her tugging out there, it has been a while and she can be a bit off with tugging in public. Fav toy is a ball on a rope, which isn't MY fav but we'll work with it for now and transfer the value gradually. She is cracking me up with her love of RZ though, I sometimes cannot get her out of it to do, say, a sit to front, and she has started offering it to people she meets, which confuses them no end! And if you don't notice/pay quickly enough, she starts backing around you and yodelling.

Just love this! Hopefully a cattle dog is in my near future, love em to bits.

Ooh, that sounds good Sue and Waldo - maybe a post Recallers catch up? I love a close loo :laugh:

Woohoo Sue and Waldo,that is fantastic!

Thank you cavNrott. I am sure that wasn't your intention, the written word can be a challenging thing to interpret sometimes. I do understand the need for the proper equipment. Just sounds like the OP has had a rough run up til now trying to get this diagnosed and I hope they find someone who will investigate all possible causes. As I just learned from having my own dog worked on, lameness in one place can be a result of soreness somewhere completely different - my dog looks like he has a sore back, but the cause is actually a very tight neck. Can be hard to find someone who will actually diagnose the cause, not just treat the symptoms.