shoemonster

Definitely go to obedience, it's great for them, and safer than a park as the people are there to learn, and the dogs are under a little bit more control! We took Eddie to obedience classes as soon as he had his 2nd needle, after talking to the vet who told us it was a justifiable risk

i think so either that or you used that girly softener and it will make the other boys call him names!

oh so true!!! I find it so hard not to laugh sometimes though!

Yeah Eddie has never done it except those two times, when Shaun was holding him and I had Molly on her lead, and I was distracted, talking to people Wonder what it was that I was doing that offended him!

Great articles, they are really helpful After reading them and your post a few times over I realise a few things which will help in general life so I am glad that I posted about this! (I nearly didn't as it's abit embarrasing! lol) We stupidly have believed that his attitude was sooky, as opposed to dominant, but this does make sense Being new to dogs, i assumed dominance was more of a agro guarding thing, but now realise it isn't

oh, I'm reading the articles now, thank you for those too ;)

Thanks TD He has always been a sooky submissive boy but as he grows he is perhaps becoming non-aggressively dominant, he is very aloof all the time He never guards toys or anything and I can take his meals and toys away without a problem, though he can be selectively deaf We never let him get his own way with being on the couch/bed etc if we don't want him to be, we always make him get off, but I didn't think of the affection needing to be one sided, as he is like that He does get in my way, but then when we get home he won't go inside until he knows I'm coming inside (he waits for me) so he is throwing mixed signals Both times he has marked me I haven't been holding him, my OH has had him on his lead, is this strange? ;) that's hilariousI do sometimes force him into cuddles so I might extend on this and push it further Sorry if this post is confusing, I'm typing as I'm thinking!!! lol

Would you like to give me any dominance examples then, it would be helpful to see what is going on?

lol maybe I will have a word with him! Scare him into behaving I don't think it is a dominance thing, as he doesn't really have any other dominance issues, making he is just claiming me!!! Freaky little boy! ;)

Over the last week, Eddie has decided to cock his leg on my leg twice, once last Sunday at the walk and once this sunday at school, just before class ;) He is 10 months and un desexed (show dog) stafford Any ideas why he would be doing this??? It's really gross

I train with food and I don't think I will ever stop! I guess it depends on the dog, but my 2 are very food orientated and will work 100 times better for a treat than anything else, they consider food to be their god!!!!! They will work without food, though if they no there is no chance of getting food they can be harder to work with, but they will still do what I ask, though it may be slower and less energetic There are still young (10 months) and doing well

I have 3 cats, 11 years old, 2 1/2 years old and 2 years old When we brought Eddie home we keep them out the back room for an hour or so and let him run aound, then we let the cats in and held onto him and let them sniff him, and they have been fine ever since We don't leave them together unsupervised when we go out though, I don't like to tempt fate The day before we broght Eddie home, we clipped the cats claws with human nail clippers so if they did decide to swipe him it wouldn't cause any damage Now: Molly and the cats Eddie and the cats Then - Eddie 8 weeks old!!!

Thanks Sam - will try that

Help!!! How can I make the touch last longer, at the moment it is a quick nudge with the nose How can I make the contact firmer (ie if I want use use the target stick to spin the dog etc) Thanks

I have had my clicker for months, but have only just started using it cos we just started doing freestyle Now I wish I had started earlier! lol

cool, i love my treat bag though OH won't use it, says it looks too much like a bum bag and he's too cool for that

Make sure that when you treat you treat from the hand they are not targetting too so if you have a treat in the target hand don't give them that one, give them one from the other hand! Does that make sense???!!! lol

Imy, I'm just starting clicker training too I have been teaching nose targets (if they bring their nose to touch my 2 pointed fingers, they get a click and a treat) They got that quickly and now we are doing a target stick (touch the end of the stick and get a ct - click treat) They learn so quick, it's great, but I feel like a goose when I muddle it up!!! BTW I LOVE your cake, how cool is that!!!

We had the opposite when we introduced Eddie to the cats, as he was only 8 weeks old We were so worried about it but they were fine I am no expert but I would let the kitten sniff around and check the lounge room out abit and then intro Holly on the lead Don't stress too much cos they will sense it and react differently You will be fine

Oh wow! She is cute cute cute!!! What's her name?

Sounds like you will be fine as you will be supervising them They should grow up to be best of friends! Eddie is great with our cats and Molly s slowly learning - when we got her at 8 months she had never seen a cat before, she will chase if they run but once she gets them she plays and doesn't hurt, the cats tease her all the time, and sit above her and smack her with their tails lol By the way, we need lots and lots of pics!!!!!

Thanks guys, OH is taking it really badly even though we knew it would come soon enough Saba was very special to him Lately, when playing with our 2 stafford nutcases Saba had been the best in a long time, following them around the yard and almost playing again, it was great to see his last months with him a bit lively

My OH's first dog had to be pts today after his back end collapsed and he lost his motor functions He was 14 years old, deaf and going blind, but he was a happy boy, who loved his bum being scratched, it wasn't unusual for him to come to you backwards so his bum got scratched before anything else! Some photos of him from last month, looking pretty spiffy for his age :D He will be missed greatly Saba

I'm over the other side of Melbourne so my obed school would be too far but I just wanted to say that though cats and dogs are very different, my cat went missing a few years ago and in my many trips to the pound we ended up getting 2 cats (12 m and 18 m) Everyone asked us if we would take them back if Mort came home and it was very very upsetting Turned out that Mort came home the day after I picked up Nettie and Blos from having their desexing, and I was rapt, I now have 3 cats - all who are loved and none who I would regret having It all happened over a space of Mort being gone for only 8 days - I say only 8 days but at the time it felt like 8 years as I was devestated, I wasn't functioning So now after all that rambling none of us know how we will react when we lose a loved one, and none should judge too quickly as all we know of each other here is what we type and I certainly never thought i would do what I did, but I do not regret it Vivien, good luck with Ginger and the two new terrors Get them into training early and put lots of time andf love into it and I'm sure you will be ok (even though they are gr's who will take 10 years to get out of puppy hood! LOL )

Definately go the obedience classes as soon as you can And when you crate one to train the other, put a long lasting treat in the crate, this will keep them occupied and it won't be unpleasant for them Also if they are having an episode in the crate, wait til they are quiet to let them out otherwise you are just teaching them that crying in there will get them out (sorry if you know this stuff but it can make a big difference) Good luck with them, but if you put lots of work in I'm sure you will be fine