MissMonaro Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I use check chains on my dogs for obedience. Always have. I also use food rewards. I have since seen the likes of haltis and head collars be allowed to be used. However, watching someone that doesnt know how to use one correctly and I've seen dogs walking with a bent neck half the time. I dont think that would be great for the spine. Anyway, each to their own. Agility and flyball classes must however be done in a flat collar. But at my club you cannot do agility either until you have reached class 4 obedience. I think this is fair as you need a dog that is reliable off lead and also comes when called. Although even now at agility I see some that even though they are competiting in obedience, the excitement of agility and they are off running around....so imagine a dog that has no training at all. Plus most of the dogs in the earlier classes are usually too young to compete in agility. At my club they arent allowed to start in agility training till they are 14 months and then only allowed over the small jumps. No full on training until they are 18 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retriever Girls Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 I think it is a good thing that agility clubs don't allow large dogs younger than 18months. I didn't want to start my dog til she was 2 yo. She is a flat coat and I wouldnt dream of stressing her joints etc before this. She is now nearly 2 and I suppose I should have started this serious obedience training earlier. My Flatty is totally reliable off lead (except if a man is playing with a dog and a BALL !!, but not too many dogs are 100% reliable) I'm in Adelaide and I think I will try the agility club at West Beach, as well as persist with my inner suburbs obedience club. If my dog mis-behaved -didn't come when called etc- I would be very ashamed. I just want to try agility- it looks like fun!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rastus_froggy Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 The obedience club I train at has one instructor who talks about the use of clickers although doesnt actually encourage people to use them in class. Check chains are ok with them (reccommended by some instructors, not by others), food is also ok but all in all I still feel they are very old school, I still get looked at strange if I play with my dog when an exercise is finished or if I use a toy in class. But agility on the other hand (at a different club) is all fun and games!! As both clubs train at the same time I usually only go to obedience once a month and that is with my dog who doesnt do agility. My new dog wont have any "formal obedience" but she has started agility already, OT - I have been VERY fortunate with my new dog I have had her one month and so far she has had a 100% perfect recall (which I am still yet to achieve with my other 2 dogs). She thinks that I am the centre of her universe. She was dumped and I think she just loves me to bits for finding her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tibbiemax71 Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 We travelled to Albury one week to see what thier training was like and it was fantastic. It is actually righ up our alley - a combination of both of those methods and it really worked for us.Actually OH has been promoted and we are moving to Albury in the next couple of weeks adn I see this as one of the biggest positives - great training and facilities. Now maybe we can do some trialling mercedes - Trisven13 and I go to Albury & Border Kennel club to and find the training methods great (I have been going there for 12 years and have seen a few changes) hope to see you there in a couple of weeks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akitaowner Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 our training club let you use any piece of equipement (check chains, prongs etc) providing you show adequete knowledge of how to use it effectively. otherwise we will show them how to use them or make appropriate suggestions. i was a little tentative when i first joined and showed up with a young girl in a prong - she was and still is very well behaved (i was weaning her off at the time) and they were happy for me to continue class. we do use hands on - also if a dog does not respond to the command in the first instance, or does not know what the command means. Its not rough just positioning. the first club i went to in sydney wouldnt let me use a check chain....or a martingale - i was expected to control a big pup on a flat collar with only treats - IMO that is as bad as the other extreme!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 agree with WMR- but some clubs use a combination which is my preference, you don't have to go completely one way or another. Ours is like this but majority of trainers favour check chains and not many use clickers, although they are available. I am happy as long as they respect that various training methods are available and that no one thing works for every dog. Personally I use a check chain on Daisy (only at obedience, we walk on a martingale) but use food rewards too. I rarely check her collar, it is there mainly so she knows there is a difference between her walking collar and her "school" collar. She associates the check chain with going to school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellyBeggs Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 My new school said they would help train using what ever equipment that I wished to use.....chain, halti, flat collar, clicker etc.... They also encourage food rewards, bringing a toy to play with as reward and used a lot of 'socialisation' to break up the class and make it fun. It was also good for the newbies to have the instructor talking about the interactions and behaviour while the dogs were sniffing each other or playing. My old clubs were a lot more strict.......chains only, even on pups and big slabs of heeling. The dogs were not permitted to socialise within the class either.... Things have definately changed!!! And for the better too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joan of Arc Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 MLH already on to that with Trisven13. Organising some get togethers after we move - she has the proposed new address etc. Thought about a trip to dry old Bowna for a run as well. :D Cant wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tibbiemax71 Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 MLH already on to that with Trisven13. Organising some get togethers after we move - she has the proposed new address etc.Thought about a trip to dry old Bowna for a run as well. Cant wait Sounds great!! Am looking forward to meeting you :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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