Training Talk Thread

[Ptolomy]

I have just come home from the beach and I am exhausted.

Little Lexi, who is only knee high to a grass hopper made friends with a labrador who was retrieveing things 70m off shore - and yep - out she went through the waves and I didn't think I would see her again, following her new friend. Scoota and Lara thought they would then join in the game.

I discovered that drop and sit meaning absolutely NOTHING when you are an OC and are at the beach - had to resort to screaming like a fishwife

and why is it ........you take 7 dogs to the beach and all 7 of them have to "poo"

So they are now all bathed - the towels are washed, car cleaned out, dog are all fed and I am ready for a nanna nap

[J...]

Jess - my 'new collection' is coming soon LOL -and will be experimenting with making much longer leads too - as soon as I finish reports.

(The martingales from Rush to Tug were about 1.5 metres as an estimation as I'm too lazy to find a tape measure - I had them with me at Knox as a couple of people asked for a look, but you couldn't have been there at the time - will bring them along next time we catch up)

You stalker

Definitely wasn't around when you got them out at Knox, would love to take a look. As I said I'd love one for "good" and those colours would look sensational on Darcy or Zee. I could cope with 1.5 m as a good lead, my tug leads are about 1.6 - 1.7 when finished.

Hey totally OT but I worked my way through the hot choc list, looooovvvved the Jaffa!!! Didn't try the Chilli (not my thing) and missed out on the Iced Chocolate but will get one another day - it's not far off the highway now I know my way around The big question is, do I try the Iced Choc and potentially miss the chance at having another Jaffa???

[bedazzledx2]

Many years ago I did this at our local oval to be told off by someone with their totally out of control dog. I was told if I wanted to train my dog I should do it in my own backyard!!! After I picked my jaw up off the ground I left never to return!!!! I actually travel 45 minutes to our Canine grounds to train rather than use the large number of local ovals 5 minutes away due to other peoples out of control dogs!

Hey Tiggy, how long is the actual lead on that combo if you don't mind me asking?

I've taken to making my own tug leads because none of the tug leads I've found are very long. That one looks nice and long I'd love one for "good"

Quick question - for those of you who "set-up" something while training, how do you go with other people expecting to use the area with dogs who aren't under any form of control? This is in an unofficial off-lead area.

I have no issue with moving if I'm training without gear, and I normally do to avoid the risk to my dogs. If I've spent 15 mins setting up agility gear then I'm reluctant to move but there seems to be an expectation that I'll either move or put up with people's out of control dogs. It's only something I do about every 10 days or so, so I'm not hogging the area every night for an hour.

I know what the rules are i.e dogs not under effective control, but I'm interested to know how people deal with it in a practical sense? Without coming across as the crazy dog person from hell if I can possibly avoid it?

[ness]

Its called having spent 12 years going to the local private school and making friends with the various principals . The only thing I have to make sure is that my training sessions don't clash with a school sporting events. Was great in summer though over the school holidays as the grounds were seldom used and as long as we didn't get in the way of anything it was fine. I jokingly refer to it as my extended backyard .

You would still get the occasional other person walk through with there dogs but there was also plenty of oval space and most people are pretty good.

The most inconsiderate person I encountered at another oval and that pissed me off the most would actually be a dog breeder and previous dog sport competitors and its not just happened once. I had gone there in the middle of the afternoon (not like its an especially popular dog walking time) and set up some agility gear and another time I had set up some UD gear. Well the oval is pretty big and plenty big enough for people to keep dogs away and still have room. I had to yell at them to come and collect there dogs. Sorry that is really bad when your a breeder, dog showie and you don't have your dogs under effective control.

Edited May 29, 2010 by ness

[Tiggy]

I think the Rush to Tug leads are 5ft

[kelpiechick]

You stalker

Definitely wasn't around when you got them out at Knox, would love to take a look. As I said I'd love one for "good" and those colours would look sensational on Darcy or Zee. I could cope with 1.5 m as a good lead, my tug leads are about 1.6 - 1.7 when finished.

Hey totally OT but I worked my way through the hot choc list, looooovvvved the Jaffa!!! Didn't try the Chilli (not my thing) and missed out on the Iced Chocolate but will get one another day - it's not far off the highway now I know my way around The big question is, do I try the Iced Choc and potentially miss the chance at having another Jaffa???

The 2 leads I bought are different sizes (one for Ivy and one for 'da boyz') and also different lengths so the longest one may have been around 1.6 to 1.7.

I'm hoping I can make up some long ones too - but now I am obsessing about the braid as I want it perfect

The other thing is that the quality of the fleece here is nowhere near as good as in the US - I usually work with the more expensive stuff here but it's still not as good as OS. So the braids with Aussie fleece don't turn out as firm as with the US fleece in general.

I like the firm fleece myself, but I have an order for a lead and a tug toy atm as the dog they are intended for is not a crazy tugger and didn't like the 'hardness' of the Rush to Tug ones. Sure they won't bother yours though, or mine either.

The chocolate thing is a dilemma - I would probably get the Jaffa and then get the Iced Choc to go

I feel your pain with the training thing, as you know !

Unfortunately I have found that doing anything resembling training on public ground attracts an audience like a magnet - you know my story about Tilz weaving in front of the local high school kids.

Lucky here in that our local showgrounds are pretty much deserted - but you know my advice anyway girl - hire that digger and then you won't have to leave your own backyard as much, except for proofing !

[Tiggy]

I have just come home from the beach and I am exhausted.

Little Lexi, who is only knee high to a grass hopper made friends with a labrador who was retrieveing things 70m off shore - and yep - out she went through the waves and I didn't think I would see her again, following her new friend. Scoota and Lara thought they would then join in the game.

I discovered that drop and sit meaning absolutely NOTHING when you are an OC and are at the beach - had to resort to screaming like a fishwife

and why is it ........you take 7 dogs to the beach and all 7 of them have to "poo"

So they are now all bathed - the towels are washed, car cleaned out, dog are all fed and I am ready for a nanna nap

7 dogs at the beach . It's hard enough keeping track of my 3 . Mine all have to do a poo to but it's usually more of a spray form the salt water .

[ness]

I think I'd be in serious need of a nap if I had 7 dogs at the beach. Just keeping track of that number!!!!

[TerraNik]

I reckon!!!! I think I could handle 3... maybe 4... But 7????? No way!

[Tiggy]

I went and watched the ADAA trial today and saw Maximus the black SBT and was thinking him and Banjo should do pairs and I have a great name to since Max has a gay tail and Banjo has a kinked tail - Gay and Kinky .

[J...]

The chocolate thing is a dilemma - I would probably get the Jaffa and then get the Iced Choc to go

That's kind of what I did Friday morning, was running out of time to try everything so I had a hazelnut with my brekky and then got a Jaffa to take away because I loved it so much Going for a very long walk on the beach tomorrow to start wearing it all back off, I'm amazed my jeans still fit

Bedazzled that's a shocker - what a scumbag!! And same to your person who should know better ness - they must've been jealous!!

This is the local showgrounds so it's not quite so bad - I've had the occasional issue but they've all been mortified that their dogs interrupted and one even asked me if I was setting up for a class and could she join? The regulars are all good, just a couple who are newbies who I can see might cause an issue if we clash on the wrong day.

I don't mind the audience J, as long as their dogs are under control As for the earthworks required out the back, it's not the levelling that worries me, I reckon that would be the cheap bit. It's the retaining wall work that would be needed

[Mas1981]

Ptolomy- all dogs seem to lose their minds at the beach, I know Mason does, he does not listen to me at all and today in our training group we discussed it and another lady has the same problem with her dog too. I think they just love it and get so excited

[RubyStar]

At training this arvo, I had Millie climb over my back seat then climb out the back window Never mind the fact that we'd just spent 2 hours training and playing i-squeak, the second I wanted to practice a SFE with Ruby without Millie and her i-squeak going off, she didn't like this one bit so made every effort to join us again

7 dogs all on your own, Ptolomy? Keeping an eye on my 2 on my own is hard enough!

[Ptolomy]

OK - I pencilled in July as Lexi's UD debut - BUT - I have now broken her box (hmm sounds sinister doesn't it ) - luckily I didn't say which July

I think we have reached the stage in UD training - where everything was going really well - so you start thinking about entering and then one by one the exercises start to go pearshaped. Today I took her to a new oval to train and I had the jumps a lot closer together than I usually do - so she started going over the jump on the left to get to the box Then she became ever more confused and started looking for her seekback - so back to breaking it down into small pieces again.

Its very interesting/hard training three dogs at three different UD levels and making sure you don't expect too much from the novice UD dogs. You have the occassionally clever dog who should be able to do all this blindfolded, but does have blonde moments/trials/days, then you have the novice UD dog who is really no longer novice - but she stuggles with distractions and is easily switched off and then you have the really really really novice dog, who breaks very very easily, but who makes you smile with her enthusiasm All so different .......

Note to self - need to makes some new friends who can help me with stays especially now Rubystar is into open

[JulesP]

3 dogs trained in herding yesterday, 3 in obedience today (the same 3!!). My head hurts! They are all at such different levels.

Brock did his first CCD run through and it was his first go at obedience in 2 years. He did pretty well and actually seems steady enough to maybe get a pass. He is a super sook.

All dogs behaved well both days

You would have liked the social class I went in today for distraction Ptolomy. We had dogs weaving through the stays, prams, soft toys, squeaky things, furry objects being dragged along the ground right in front of the dogs. & horns! Poppy-I-am-scared-in-stays just sat there!!!

[Tiggy]

Ptolomy your posts are funny . My two are the same, pretty much at the same level, but have different strengths and weaknesses, plus they have a newbie trainer .

[Ptolomy]

3 dogs trained in herding yesterday, 3 in obedience today (the same 3!!). My head hurts! They are all at such different levels.

Brock did his first CCD run through and it was his first go at obedience in 2 years. He did pretty well and actually seems steady enough to maybe get a pass. He is a super sook.

All dogs behaved well both days

You would have liked the social class I went in today for distraction Ptolomy. We had dogs weaving through the stays, prams, soft toys, squeaky things, furry objects being dragged along the ground right in front of the dogs. & horns! Poppy-I-am-scared-in-stays just sat there!!!

JulesP was it you that lost your lead??? If it was I take it that you found it again

I am interested to find out if your most advanced at herding is also your best at obedience and if so are they the oldest?

WOW regarding the distractions - I sure would have loved to join in

I took the first 10 minutes of class today - it was probably more like 15 minutes - and I made a note that next time I will take my toy basket down as I am sure none of the dogs have ever done any distraction work

and Soggy Bears SFE are getting better

[Ptolomy]

Ptolomy your posts are funny . My two are the same, pretty much at the same level, but have different strengths and weaknesses, plus they have a newbie trainer .

Three novices - I hate it when you only know a smidge more than the dog

[Ptolomy]

Bedazzled - hows the dancing coming along

[Tiggy]

Three novices - I hate it when you only know a smidge more than the dog

I think my dogs are training me , they're great trainers, very patient .