shoemonster

Ah bugger we wont be there, but will be at frankston its been soooo long now!

Squeak, I started trialling in Easter this year and have gotten both my dog and bitchs CCD titles so I'm a real noobie! I have never had dogs before I agree with DD on the start post, this may be because I started out with my dog and I was paranoid he would decide to pee on the post! The trials I've been to they always ask which end I would like to leave them for the recall, I started leaving them at the post end but alternated for various reasons since then I am always nervous as all hell, and I havent quite figured out my routine yet, but I normally leave the dogs in the car or crate until the dog before them goes in the ring, I dont want them hanging around feeding off all my nerves while we wait I think you need confidence in your dog but I also know that leading up to every trial we have done (10 now) I have wondered what the hell I am doing entering a trial 5 out of the 6 passes my two have gotten have been 1st place or 2nd place though so though I am a mess I guess the dogs have skill :D So I say dont be nervous, but I know that it wont make a difference!!!

Also I found doing lots of rapid drop sit drop sit, and really getting them excited got them dropping more enthusiasticly. so revving them up maybe saying, ready, ready and then drop When you really have their attention, say it quickly, and excited, and when they do it praise the hell out of them and then give them a treat at the end of the praise, if they are a really excitable dog it might be too much for them, but a more reserved dog should react well to it This is assuming they "know" the drop command

Hmm you are right, I have taught them back as in back up as well, but they seem to understand the difference and what I want, if they are in front and I ask for back and do a flip finish, if we are going out a door nd I say back they shuffle back out of the way

Luke, yeah thats why I have the heel and the back Well its not why I taught it but it comes in handy now I have taught it

Dont stress too much Did you pay by cheque or money order? If its cheque and it gets presented you will know you're ok

I've taught the return to heel as "heel"and the flip as "back" Both commands I lured to teach

You dont have to but I do, just so I know that it got there and I'm definately entered 50cent insurance against turning up for no reason! Should make that 55 cents now though I guess!

No dont do that, this is really interesting Thanks for all the advice, I am all motivated to get going now!

Cool thanks for that Another question (I am full of them at the moment) how do you wash your articles? I know people try to keep them seperate but if they get mixed together again?

Also do you use a seperate seekback article to your other scent articles? It says in the rules "and the dimensions are not to exceed those of a Scent Discrimination article." but the seek back article is thicker isnt it? Where is a good place to get articles? I know this website, are there any others? http://www.obedienceproducts.com/resources.html

Ah cool, are they like gardening gloves?

Where do you get the thicker gloves from? The ones I got to start were just cotton gloves from the supermarket Do they have to be white?

hehe thanks! She is a bit cute, she looks like a little puppy but she is 3 years old now!

We have some success!

Excellent, more labs and then we can have an all lab team as well as an all stafford team!

Still on one glove, just want to get her solid holding a glove before I start complicating things!

Ok, have her holding the glove now, 2 out of 3 times she will hold it nicely, and she's cottoned onto the click for holding it One more question, is there a particular way they have to hold it? Or it is just as long as a piece of it is in her mouth? she tends to hang it out by one finger alot of the time

I'm really sorry I cant help much as my dogs are my first ever, but hopefully there are some others who can come give you some advice and support

Paulp, Ebon isnt the ebon whos just started flyball is he?!!! (i) what breed is your dog E, stafford M stafford (ii) was the dog obtained as a puppy or adult E, puppy M, 8 months (iii) if obtained as an adult, did the dog have any prior training (eg., ex-show dog) E, N/A M, no training beyond basic puppy school (iv) how was your dog taught the hold/retrieve? eg: clicker training, purely positive, forced retrieve/ear pinch E, purely positive, started shirly chong method, but only up to take not yet at hold stage, and have given it a break to focus on other things M, Mix of forced and positive, opened her mouth gently and held it to get her to hold the dumbell, had to do that maybe 5 times, then positive with a bridge word from then on (v) have you previously trained other dogs to retrieve - if you have, did you find this dog learnt faster than you previous dog? No previous dogs I answered between 1 week and 1 month for both questions in the poll, but answered only for Molly as Ed hasnt learnt the full formal retrieve yet She took around a week to hold, and was fetching and sitting in front of me within a few weeks, but took a few months to refine it. Only working now on an occasional rolling in the mouth when she waits for me to take it now

Thanks for the compliments! Clicking mad, I held the tennis ball by a few hairs with my finger nails so there were no fingers in shot and I told my sometimes obedient dogs to sit stay and depth of field did the rest for me

Ahhh good idea, I reckon she would figure that out well, she's pretty quick to learn And thanks for that site, thats fantastic, makes heaps of sencs, I really didnt know where to start

lol thanks Rocco1 - there was no way in the world I was allowed to touch a tennis ball in this house today without 3 boofers following my every move! Oh I found all the info for the pics too 1. f5, 1/320, 38mm 2. f4.8, 1/320, 38mm 3. f4, 1/500, 18mm 4. f4, 1/400, 18mm

Some from mucking around this arvo, Nikon D50, Nikkor 18-55mm lense, some quick playing with settings in photoshop And some funny ones! Tennis balls dont last long around here