Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Nice update Willem I think the mental all round exhaustion - is why I like crates for breaks so much. Dog likes them too. If she's a bit frustrated sometimes she will try to get back in her crate instead of trying the exercise again. But we can both relax if she's in the crate (with the view covered up). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted October 24, 2015 Author Share Posted October 24, 2015 Nice update Willem I think the mental all round exhaustion - is why I like crates for breaks so much. Dog likes them too. If she's a bit frustrated sometimes she will try to get back in her crate instead of trying the exercise again. But we can both relax if she's in the crate (with the view covered up). ...till now I couldn't find one that fit my size Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted October 24, 2015 Author Share Posted October 24, 2015 ...sorry, I couldn't resist :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 LOL willem me and the dog both fit in this one http://k9softdogcrates.com.au/crates/caprice and they make a bigger one in the competition crates. I like the caprice because it comes with side covers. You can use a sheet but they have annoying habit of blowing away and aren't good for keeping bad weather out. I also have one like this that is more roomy but a palaver to set up (I have to tie drink bottles to the guy ropes and chuck them over to get the fly on... https://www.snowys.com.au/Tents-Shelters/Dome-Tents/Tanami-Delta-4-Tent.aspx?c=1&sc=1&id=80 and friends have this one - which is fast set up but doesn't fit in my car the way I have it set up. https://www.snowys.com.au/Tents-Shelters/Touring-Tents/RV3-Canvas-Touring-Tent.aspx?c=1&sc=3&id=113 Most competition people use the square oztrail gazebos - again they're hard to fit in the back of a landcruiser. Easy to fit in a station wagon with fold down seats. I don't know why they don't make them fit across the back more easily. Sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 (edited) I better start saving some $$$ ...or may start with something cheaper My link she got her bronze banderole and graduated to the silver class, however before the official runs she had a run off with an other dog (so much about a stable 'stay' - must have been the full moon). The runs were pretty good so, not perfect...I would give a 8 out of 10 considering her age (nearly 11 month) :D . ...this agility stuff is somehow very addictive ... :) Edited October 29, 2015 by Willem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I better start saving some $$$ ...or may start with something cheaper My link she got her bronze banderole and graduated to the silver class, however before the official runs she had a run off with an other dog (so much about a stable 'stay' - must have been the full moon). The runs were pretty good so, not perfect...I would give a 8 out of 10 considering her age (nearly 11 month) :D . ...this agility stuff is somehow very addictive ... :) Get a K9 crate that MRB telks about. You only get what you pay for & "poor man pays twice" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 You only get what you pay for & "poor man pays twice" The K9+ crates are definitely the strongest, best built. I had a vebo pet crate first. And it lasted about two years before it died from being sat on by people who broke part of the frame (Not sure the K9+ would survive that either), and having the bottom dug out by dog beating up a bob-a-lot. It folded flatter than the K9+ one which was nice, fitted in the car better when folded. But for days when the dog is in crate for extended periods - I'm much more confident about the k9+ one. It's easier to block the view of scary things, the dog stays calmer... and it's a bit more robust. And you can get new skins if you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 some updates: the girl is now 12 month old, and while there is room for improvement there is a lot of positive change and development. I'm just back from the obedience training, and today she really presented herself from her best side. The training for her on the trainings ground includes 3 sessions for her: the first 15 - 20 minutes (before the official obedience training) is playing with the flirt pole 'take it - leave it' and approaching other dogs and the fenced off-leash area with the long leash training the recall; the second 'session' is 'playtime' with the other dogs in the fenced off-leash area (including recalls) and then the official obedience training. Now today when she was running with the other dogs in the fenced area she responded to every!!! recall (at least 10 recalls) nearly immediately!!! ...every time she got her treat, pats and another run as a reward...maybe she gets addicted to the juicy chicken meat balls, but whatever caused it, it was a astonishing performance. The official obedience training was also very good - the distraction here by other dogs is very, very little now - the biggest distractions are the 'lost treats' all over the trainings area and the different scents in the grass. She had her crazy 30 seconds when she jumped and tried to nibble, but no comparison to earlier trainings sessions - 'NO!' & 'DROP' and leaving her for 10 -30 seconds in drop does the job now. All the exercises we did today were at least 8 out of 10 :) . As a highlight she refused to take the treat from the instructor today when I gave her the 'NO!'...(on of he exercises we did today). The biggest challenge for her are meeting one of her flurry friends in the morning - if she sees one dog in the distance, she immediately drops while her tail goes like a propeller...if the dog passes on the other side of the road, she stays in drop without tension on the lead, but for the last 5 meters I still need some tension on the lead to hold her back from running off. Thanks to all the friendly dog owners in our neighborhood who are supporting our trainings regimen and waiting patiently outside the trigger zone for her to calm down. Her social skills regards other dogs are pretty good too - if another dog growls indicating that he wants to be left alone she backs off immediately, she approaches strange dogs (not the ones she is meeting every morning) with caution while not being scared of bigger dogs; most of the time she is one of the smallest / lightest dogs in the off-leash area, but if it is too wild for her taste she outruns the bigger guys like German Shepards and Boxers etc. and takes a break. ...so far so good :) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roova Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Well done, all your efforts are paying off. What a great reward for you too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 biggest distractions are the 'lost treats' all over the trainings area and the different scents in the grass I try to "premack" foraging eg "go sniff"... so the dog knows when they have permission to go sniff / forage. I prefer she sits and barks if she finds something but she only does that at home - not the park - too much history of free foraging. At training if she starts sniffing without permission - I collar grab and put my hand under her nose and lift her chin up gently. I don't say anything at all but turn that into a game of "its yer choice". Ie while I've still got hold of her - I take my hand away from her chin and see what her choice is. Usually she seems "embarrassed" - oh what? I thought this was an ok thing to do? And she stops pretty quickly, and I reward that. I try not to use a drop-stay as a sort of time out for doing something I don't want. And I'm pretty sure my dog only knows "NO" as "no reward for that" so if she's already helping herself to something nice - it has zero effect on her. "What are you doing?" sometimes works because the follow up to that if I don't like it - is the collar grab. But you do have to pair the collar grab with lots of rewards so the dog doesn't see it as punishment/aversive/bad thing - otherwise - most intelligent dogs will move away when you reach out instead of putting their neck in your hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share Posted January 2, 2016 (edited) while she still gets overexcited (much..muuuch better so) when she gets to close to other dogs, I noticed something interesting: there are a few dogs on properties in the neighbourhood and when we walk along their fences the distance to the fence is sometimes only 1-2 meters. Now, if it is a colourbond fence, or a fence with only little gaps, she shows nearly no interest in the dog on the other side of the fence, even if the other one is running up and down and barks at her. She notices the other dog, sees glimpse of the dog through the gaps, smells and hear it, but she doesn't get excited at all. I guess a good example of classical conditioning, she learned that there is no chance to play with the other dog if a solid fence separates them. I didn't had to train this with her, or at least I'm not aware of it. Overexcitment was also never a problem with the neighbours' dogs when she is outside in the backyard. She might rush sometimes to the fence (colourbond and timber) and there is a short barking when she and the neighbours dogs are outside at the same time, but it takes really only seconds and then everyone does its own business. So, if I would have listened to the suggestions at the beginning of this thread and wouldn't have let her play with other dogs at all, I guess at this stage she also wouldn't be overexited anymore when she sees another dog outside the backyard. On the other hand, this overexcitment last now a few seconds if we bump into another dog, if I allow it respectively let them met its a sniff, some attmpts to get playtime but a 'Let's Go' is in most cases enough to make her continue walking (without pulling the leash!). So I guess knowing that she really plays nicely with other dogs and that she doesn't show any aggression at all plus the huge improvement over the last months is a good outcome too. Edited January 2, 2016 by Willem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 (edited) some updates (from the morning walk): bumped into 3 dogs, no playtime allowed, 1 dog she ignored nearly totally (we were in trainings mode playing fetch and other stuff), the 2 others we passed triggered her interest, some pulling at the leash, but not obsessive ... I think she is pretty good socialized, however, there is always something new: this morning 2 guys slept in swags at the place (kind of lookout point) where I often train her. She never saw this before, 2 green bulky monster caterpillars with 'internal' movement....definitely a threat that needs to be addressed :D ...she barked at them and pulled in their direction, luckily I still had her on the leash and the guys survived :D . There is also one car (parked) where she shows a similar behaviour. I can't recognize anything abnormal, it is a normal station wagon, no fancy addons, nothing hiding under the car, no one inside...maybe some scent that triggers it. She is growing up pretty fast, 4 month ago she was a puppy that was very submissive and went nuts every time she saw another dog... when I look at the photo (taking on our morning walk yesterday) I can't believe that it is just 3 month ago when I started this thread. Edited January 7, 2016 by Willem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 What a lovely photo...sounds like she is going well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 she does, the 'sportful' discussions here and in other threads helped a lot too :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 ..I think we pretty much there, this morning when we saw the first dog on the horizon she remained in 'drop' till the other dog was right in front of her snout. I didn't have to reinforce 'stay' and 'drop', no tension on the leash, tail was wagging of course. She just went through her fist heat (first heat came pretty late with 13 month?), and the hormones may also play a role for becoming more 'matured'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 (edited) ...this morning was the first obedience training of the year after a long break over Christmas. She changed quite a lot - it seems that other dogs respectively playing with other dogs are not anymore the biggest attraction in her life. When I let her run off leash with the other dogs before the official training (fenced area) she wasn't over excited...and definitely didn't go nuts like she did 4 month ago. No matter where she was and where she was running: recall was 100% !...good girl. In the official training she was also good - not perfect, but really good - we have some shaping to do so, but I'm pretty sure we can sort this out over the next 2 weeks. Overall she is a fantastic dog and companion, and she has a huge positive impact on our health: the daily walks resulted in significant weight losses, significant increase in overall fitness, and she taught me to be more balanced. Wrt the topic 'How To GET Her Focus When Other Dogs Are Around': I guess it was a good mix of training (lots of training), following advices given by other forum members here in this thread, socialisation and normal maturing over the last 4 months that resulted in an absolute fantastic outcome . Edited February 6, 2016 by Willem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roova Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Good on you for putting the effort in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willem Posted February 6, 2016 Author Share Posted February 6, 2016 Good on you for putting the effort in! definitely worth it and I'm sure it will pay off big times for the years to come. Timing was also good as I could work the last 3 month from home respectively did a lot of renovation work at our house, hence could train her at least twice a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Way to go Willem Clearly putting some effort into dog training and getting some advice or help - goes a long way to having a great relationship with your dog. Recall 100%... I wonder if I will ever be able to say that about my dog. Sigh. I'm just grateful I can catch her when it's time to go. Or just before she notices it's time to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 ...this morning was the first obedience training of the year after a long break over Christmas. She changed quite a lot - it seems that other dogs respectively playing with other dogs are not anymore the biggest attraction in her life. When I let her run off leash with the other dogs before the official training (fenced area) she wasn't over excited...and definitely didn't go nuts like she did 4 month ago. No matter where she was and where she was running: recall was 100% !...good girl. In the official training she was also good - not perfect, but really good - we have some shaping to do so, but I'm pretty sure we can sort this out over the next 2 weeks. Overall she is a fantastic dog and companion, and she has a huge positive impact on our health: the daily walks resulted in significant weight losses, significant increase in overall fitness, and she taught me to be more balanced. Wrt the topic 'How To GET Her Focus When Other Dogs Are Around': I guess it was a good mix of training (lots of training), following advices given by other forum members here in this thread, socialisation and normal maturing over the last 4 months that resulted in an absolute fantastic outcome . Such a lovely update :) I had a similar chat today in class with a lady who was nearly in tears with her dog being a 'good girl' she was saying how nice it is to see some results when you've been doing hard work and I couldn't agree more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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