JulesP

That's very kind of you, but alas, the whole forum is not as tolerant. I can't be ranting here because apparently I'm already an arrogant know-it-all who refuses to listen to people that know better than I do. And that was when I was being restrained, open-minded and fair! Probably best not to let them see how arrogant I really am. Corvus I feel that I have a communication issue with you but I am trying. I don't tend to give up. I am sure it would all be fine if we spoke face to face.

Better put a couple of plugs in for Victoria. I've been buying meat from Mount Evelyn pet supplies (top of York Road) and Lilydale pet supplies (next to Horseland). Both sell a variety of mince/chopped meat for under $4 a kilo. Both say that they don't add preservatives. Mount Evelyn have mixes with veggies, garlic added.

I guess because of the way some people have a go at instructors. I have given up around 150 Sunday mornings to teach so when people go on about hopeless instructors I just feel shit.

Often the method does work if you can get the person to just do it properly! For instance a good quick right about turn works beautifully on a pulling dog. But it doesn't work if the handler does a u turn or is really slow and stops half way through to let Fido sniff. So I will persist until the person is doing it correctly. It takes some people a while to get it. But I am a 'nice' instructor and don't say "you are doing it wrong" so it may appear that I am persisting with a method that doesn't work. To be honest the way these threads turn out depresses the crap out of me and makes me never want to teach again.

Err how do you know that trainers don't have a strong background in theory? All the trainers I know do. Even I did weeks and weeks of theory before being unleashed as a volunteer trainer.

Let me see to get an electrician out here the other day I was going to have to pay $160 for a call out fee. My gardener charges $45 an hour. Last haircut was $50 and I was in and out well within the hour. So why exactly should a groomer work as a charity?

Nope not entered anything at the moment. I missed the closing date of the one I was going to enter. Am avoiding training as I will be in trouble!

I have the same hand signal for both finishes. I just use left hand for flip and right for round the back.

Mine howl when the local CFA sirens go off. I can barely hear the sirens.

I've had trouble with ants getting into the cat's kibble. A pest guy suggested talcum powder around the bowl and that has worked really well. They don't like walking in it apparently.

Bird scarer? There used to be one near me that sort of sounded like pigs squealing.

OMG my nerves are worse now then before the trial that I did Before I got nervous from when I entered the trial, now I can't even read the schedules without having to rush to the loo (sorry for the tmi).

I charged $30 for pugs. As you have 3 there would have been some sort of discount.

If you couldn't tell then chances are the breeder couldn't tell either.

The couch has been taken. And the bike. :D

Can't say that I am surprised from reading your posts on the health forum. So Congrats to you! You have always sounded very attached to her.

If I gave something to charity I would do it in the hopes of being helpful not because I expect the "charity to do the work for free". I was going to drop off some pictures, vases etc and now don't know if I should

That was rather rude. Someone will pick it up from outside your house. I rarely have any hard rubbish left when the collection day arrives.

Most of these metal runs are just weldmesh panels. I could get some of those and use cable ties.

I found this on a horse forum and thought it might be good for dogs too. You can even electrify it if needed. Portable but not cheap. http://www.allsun.com.au/Electranets.html The problem is anything over 90cm is going to be tricky to pack. The Bunnings panels cost about $26 for 4. You could use some as a roof. Or you could buy weld mesh panels from Bunnings.

I like to look at my dog, my dogs like to look at me. The instructors here HATE that I look at the dog.

I agree with seeking out a good positive dog trainer. When I went back to my club after a long break and it was all positive I was very much WTF. I have never relied on group lessons though coming from a horse background. With help from Ness on here I found a very good positive/clicker type trainer and learnt from her. I took out the things from positive I wanted to use and discarded the things that didn't make sense to me (I very rarely use a NRM and I never put my dog away if it isn't working). I use TOT and NILF. If my dog growls at me if I walk past it when it has a bone well I am not going to be siting there fixing that with treats. It is straight into boot camp. I try and respond to stuff like that how another dog would. If my dog was barking its head off for no good reason it would be getting some sort of barking collar on it. Amber has been growling at a possum at night. I decided that was fair enough and she has been crated at night. Some positive trainers are crap. Some non positive trainers are crap. A positive trainer can learn from a balanced trainer and the reverse is true as long as the respect is there.

Try to avoid having the dog stick its tongue in your mouth after eating said disgusting stuff Been there, done that. Dead rat - mmm yum, not.

Actually when of the first question that I hear the herding instructors ask when a dog will not switch on to stock is "Has the dog been told off for chasing". Bunnies and border collies pups need to be kept apart. Border collies will spend all day staring at that cage and I imagine that will stress the bunnies. And we need photos!

The sit at the target is to pass something in my advanced class. The dog has to go to a target and sit at it. The idea is you then put the target in the box. Don't know whether I would choose to teach box work like this but it is what I have to do for class. The whole marking feels blah. The dog sits/drops/stands perfectly in the PIM, lol. I am just having trouble with my foot work getting it to be smooth. It feels jarring. I am sort of stopping in the sit.