dlmckay

I teach it as a two part thing - a command to move away from you through two poles and then another command to call the dog back to you through the poles. so: WEAVE = dog moves away through the poles and then DOG NAME to call them back to you. Our baby beginner class only uses 4 poles. Then you're just repeating the same thing over and over until you get your 12 pole weave. For a while, I had this little two step dance going on to help Tui through the wands WEAVE, TUI, WEAVE, TUI, WEAVE, TUI Thankfully, I've moved away from that now as she's become more confident!

Tui took her Basic and Bronze at the weekend... and passed We're supposed to be teaching this at our domestic obedience classes and felt that if we're to be teaching it, we ought to be able to pass it ourselves. One of our handlers didn't pass however, because his dog was too happy to see him when he came back from the stay out of sight and failed the test. Seems a real shame. If you read the test, it would appear that any exuberance on the part of the dog is penalised. It is being sold here in NZ as a test for pet dogs and if my pet dog didn't show some happiness in an owner returning, I'd be upset! He's going to take it again however, which is a good thing, and the rest of us are going to take the Silver and Gold in two weeks' time! Wish us luck!

All our time is saved with good ball catches and a clean turn at the box. Fantastic clips!

Hahaha, start a sport that combines the two! I'm lucky enough to have fly training on a Wednesday, agility training on Fridays and competitions are scheduled to avoid conflicts because of the small population There's not a lot I miss out on! Diana

Raven got her first title on 17 June - I'm one proud mama She is now Raven FD and has 23 points - points are gained by winning individual heats, each progression is one point. Raven has been competing for nearly two years now and I'm super chuffed that she's picked up her title. The next title to aim for is FDX - 50 points might take a while to get to that!

You mention there are other dogs in your household. Are any of them bullet proof with lairy people? What I would suggest is to walk Sparky with a steady dog who doesn't freak out at alarming incidents. Raven used to freak out on car journeys, leap about and bark like an idiot. After about a month of driving with a quiet dog beside her, this all just stopped. The same thing with Jet - he likes to yodel - but after just four car journeys beside Tui, my quiet, steady dog, this has now subsided to quiet whining. Tui's not freaking out which gives him the idea that maybe there's no reason for him to freak out either. Can you apply this to Sparky? Dogs learn so many things from each other. If you don't have a steady dog, do you have a friend or relative (or Refuge member!) that does?

I teach the stop/start method. Some dogs get programmed into "tension on collar means pull" - Jet couldn't even have a lead clipped on his collar without surging forward. First thing. The lead is for the dog's safety and council requirements. Not to stop the dog pulling forward. Have it loose when teaching. Remove all the tension. Second thing. Have a ball game in the garden or something that makes her run about and take the edge off her "sillies". Once you've had a game with her (Jess and you, not another dog), she should be more tuned into you and now thinks you're ace. How to do. Have Jess beside you sitting. Take one step forward with the words JESS HEEL. Jess is likely to stay with you for one step and then surge forward. The second she moves too far in front, stop. Dead. If she's tuned into you, she should stop too and look back at you. Ask her to come BACK and physically bring her back into place if you need to. Repeat. And so on until you can walk a decent distance. The idea of this is not to use the lead at all, but to ask the dog to move back to your side by their own choice. To get a thinking dog that thinks where it should be instead of a constantly corrected dog that waits for the correction and doesn't use it's own brain power.

Two reasons why it needs to be made to fit. 1. She's got a round skull and a long nose - I didn't want to have it too loose around the crucial mouth area! 2. She's incredibly strong, weighs 40kg and is the only dog I've owned that was able to bite off a Halti headcollar whilst wearing it! Have successfully contacted Canis Equus and measurements are being taken!

Thanks, I'll give that a go...

Right, it's crunch time - I need a muzzle - but because of the shape of Raven's head, I think I need one making for her. Does anyone know where I can get one with a wire basket over the mouth and leather straps over the head made to fit? The reason this has come about is because tonight Raven bit me. She was actually aiming for another dog, but my knee got in the way and even through jeans, she has broken skin and given me quite a lot of bruising. She wears a red ribbon and I tell people CONSTANTLY to keep their dogs clear, but of course, the handlers get distracted and let their dogs wander to the end of the lead.... she gives no warning. No growls, no smacking lips, no hard stare, nothing. She just lunges. Anyone?

Like the interrupter method for barking. Dog starts to bark, dog gets short reminder of "shht", dog stops barking, praise. Quite simple, but you need to be consistent... but then if most owners were consistent, then half the dogs might not display unwanted behaviour in the first place

I taught my dogs TAKE IT . It means, you may now have the food treat I'm offering you. Means they don't snatch and I wonder if if might help your dog. If he doesn't hear the word, he won't take the treat. To teach it, have the dog sitting first. You hold the dog's treat in your hand so that it can be seen, but not taken. Offer it to the dog, all your body giving physical reassurance that he can have it, but don't actually allow him to touch it at all. If he lunges for it, just whip your hand out of the way and ask for a sit again. Eventually, they learn that if they wait for the TAKE IT, they get to take the treat without it being whipped away. It also means that food can be offered, but the dog has learnt to wait for the words before taking it. Gradually have the food showing more and more in your palm. Tui can now be offered food from anyone and she doesn't take it until told. This is actually rather good when there's little kids around because they always have biscuits and whatnot in their hands and could look to the dog as if they're offering it to them.

It is strange isn't it? It's almost like she's gone through one of her developmental fear stages, but we both know she's too old for that - isn't she? My first thought was sight and then I wondered if it isn't just some anxiety brought on by something really, really tiny that's got worked out of all proportion. Do you have a steady, non-freaking canine walking companion you can take with you past the shops? Some canine tutoring may have more of an effect on her...

I like some of Cesar's methods. Not all of them, some. It doesn't hurt to watch and decide for yourself really. If you find you don't like what he's doing, then that particular method isn't for you, but you may find a technique you really like, try and find successful. Every dog is different and knowing more training techniques can only add "more power to your elbow" (as my aunt would say!).

What a lovely, lovely tribute. So sorry to hear this news Wendy. Hugs to you and your family.

There are HEAPS of kelpies in NZ doing flyball (or at least our version of it - flygility) and they're quite good at it. I agree with gooster - I think if you have a ball keen dog, it doesn't matter what breed they are to do fly I run a collie x (Tui), a GSD/Hunterway x (Raven) and a general black dog (Jet)! All are keen and Raven was 7th fastest in the country a few months ago We have a lot of mini dogs doing fly too - JRTs and the like - don't be deceived, those little legs can move very, very fast!

I'm happy for you to lock this one up now as the subject has been discussed and put to bed with my decision on how to deal with it. But I would mention that a "certain member" also made personal remarks towards me too, so that the naughty stick is shaken equally But I will add just quickly that Caitlin is healing fine, no infection has been noted and she's as bubbly as ever. However, we saw a dog tied up outside the store and she told me it was a nice dog and she could pat it... will keep a tigher rein on her, so this sorry little episode is not repeated.

That's one heck of a litter... not puppies for the faint-hearted! If it were me, I'd make sure that these pups are socialised as much as you humanly can. People, other dogs, traffic, loud noises, livestock... to desensitise them and hopefully make a difference to their social skills as adolescent dogs. It wouldn't hurt to throw a little control training in there too. You know, like wait to be told to eat etc... discouraging the puppies to mouth anything and be accepting in handing toys over, blah, blah, blah. I would also ensure that any home they go to are not first time dog owners and are well experienced in handling large dogs. Good luck!

Key word - allow. I didn't allow Caitlin to cuddle the dog, she just spontaneously did it before I could do anything. It's your irrepressible forum manner that I have come to love over the years Kathy - don't change - I know exactly what you're thinking when you type! Right, off to bed now. Will write letter to owner and leave the authorities out of it. Good night!

Fair point, but whenever we've gone to the beach in the winter, there's less people around and therefore easier to keep distance between yourselves and other beach go-ers... Kathy, sigh... there's no "irrational anger" here - jeepers, I'd only have to make a complaint to the police and this dog would be destroyed. I'm trying to weigh up a way for the owners to understand that their dog hurts when touched and allowances made. Keeping it on leash or under stricter control does not seem to me a "drive for some form of retribution". We've all had the discussion when we've got cross that someone else's dogs have approached ours without warning and owners shout helpful things like "he's friendly". This is exactly what the owner said to me, she didn't expect that would happen and the dog has always been friendly. Caitlin disproved that notion for the owner... and I would hate for another child to suffer the same.

Steady on Kathy... the dog approached us remember... I have told all my children to leave all strange dogs alone and if they are allowed to pat one, then to pat at the side of the head or under the chin. Children are unpredictable and cannot be kept on leads like a dog can - the government gets upset when you do this and sends Social Services around http://www.dogsafety.govt.nz/dogsafety.nsf...33;OpenDocument This was brought about when a 7yo was attacked in a park in September 2003 - as a result, dogs were banned from pretty much every public place unless on a leash... I won't take it further, but will reiterate to the lady to keep the dog on lead in future when there's people around.

This is where I'm thinking at the moment. Things just happened more quickly than I could react to and I was actually herding the children away from the dog when Caitlin decided to quickly give it a hug before she left. Trouble is, Caitlin loves dogs so much and thinks they are all as lovely as our Tui. Thankfully, the message is sinking into to her 3yo head that not all dogs are lovely. Hopefully it will stay with her!

I should also mention though, that the dog was off lead and allowed to approach us, we didn't approach the dog...

But the point of the dog ban is precisely to avoid people being bitten... Caitlin's fine, she's healing well and hopefully no scars - jeepers, I read the BBC webpage today and it could have been so much worse.

My 3yo got bitten by an elderly BC whilst we were on holiday on the Coromandel Peninsula in NZ. There is currently a dog ban in place on all beaches which last all summer, but I was surprised to see three different dogs on the beaches we visited - obviously not enforced then... What happened? We were walking along the (quite small) stretch of beach when some ladies came down to the beach to set off in some kayaks and their teenage kids and their dog followed them down to see them off. Their dog sniffed at me as we passed and all three of my kids stopped to pet the dog. As we continued on our walk, Caitlin decided to give the dog a quick hug before she followed us. She hugged it around the neck, the dog stiffened, I called to Caitlin to let the dog go, but it was too late, the dog spun and nipped Caitlin on the face. This is the result... Caitlin has a gash on the bridge of her nose, a tooth went into her bottom lip and she has grazing on her chin. and just to show she's ok! There was blood everywhere at the time - it's amazing how a little blood goes such a long way. The lady in the kayak (who owns the dog) jumped out and helped us back to her house to clean Caitlin up and then find a doctor. We couldn't find one in the local area on the phone (the lady told us to go to Thames which is an hour's drive away), so we drove back to Coromandel Town and checked both the medical centres - nothing - all closed for the holidays. We went to the local police station to get their advice and they told us to visit the nursing home next door - grand idea! The nurses patched Caitlin up (as per the photos) and then they called the on-call doctor, who met us at the Medical Centre and gave us some antibiotics to prevent any infection. We have not asked that the dog be put down because I feel that the dog was hurt by Caitlin squeezing it's neck and also didn't know Caitlin at all. I am humming and hawing about writing to the local council to ask them to send the lady a notice for having the dog on the beach because if it hadn't been there, Caitlin wouldn't have been bitten... tricky, tricky. The backlash for the owner is that they might end up with a Dangerous Dog notice being placed on their dog which means their dog must be on a leash and muzzled in public. What would you do if you were in this situation? Caitlin should not have squeezed the dog, but the dog should not have been on the beach. The dog does not deserve to be put down, but does it deserve a muzzle? Should the owner pay a fine? (They are currently paying the $90 doctor's fee for Caitlin's treatment) Over to you...