JulesP

Yep no clicker because it tends to make the dog look at you and the aim is for the dog to look straight down the poles with a fairly low head set. If you want to totally shape it then I guess you have to just wait until the dog gives you something to reward. If I could see my dog getting frustrated then I would chuck a couple of bits of food through the poles, but I am not that into purely shaping. So I guess it depends on how pure you want to be with it.

It was the Lamb and Rice I tried too. I also usually use Proplan either Salmon, Performance or Selects.

It is the one that stayed to give lessons I think I am boring the crap out of people now with my herding talk

Susan wasn't keen on the manners minder in her blog. Actually just read it again and she doesn't like the food on a plate either! She prefers a toy stuffed with food. http://susangarrett.wordpress.com/2009/01/...-motivated-dog/ There is the article.

Yes the first step is to shape through the poles. No body movement from you or encouragement to go through the poles. Susan says that you can do it with a food dog but I think it would be easier with a toy dog. I was ok with 4 poles with my mainly food dog but after that I ran into some difficulties. If you can get the dog to go to a food bowl or something from the start rather than throwing the food that might help.

I use the Nature's Gifts treats. They have some new ones out which are pretty good. I got the ones called 'indulgence' and the dogs were liking it better than the cheese yesterday.

Looking good Ness

Joanna Righetti is a vet/behaviorist in Sydney. If you google her name, her website should come up.

I tried a bag. No bad effects. My dogs are in great nick so no improvement either. But they only had it for 2 weeks. I really did not like the way it smelled though. Kind of like really cheap kibble. Tried the Artemis just before it and they seemed to prefer the taste of that.

Another good clinic. Did a couple of PT runs, which went well. Also had a go at doing a started obstacle, which we did, faint! Poppy worked better out in a bigger paddock. Got through the gates with no real issues and penned the sheepies. She isn't that fussed if she looses a sheep, so need to work on that. Think it is because she is so focused that she just doesn't realize. Asked about the poly pipe but no one really seemed to know the 'whys' of it. Dova my instructor was your judge at your HIC trial Good day. Am stuffed. The sheepies knocked me over too, that was rather embarrassing!

Poppy is 18 months old. I've only just started all of her agility, apart from some foundation stuff. I am still fairly careful with what I ask her to do.

Poly pipe sure does make a noise when you whack it on the bum of a naughty horse Herding clinic this weekend.

I just looked in the rules and you can use other material not just doweling. You just can't use poly pipe. No idea why. If I had to have a guess I would say it is because poly pipe makes a noise. I was told that you could have council tags on the dog because of the jingling noise. If no one else has the real answer I can ask on the weekend.

I think drive is or can be different from excitement. My dogs in drive do not look excited. I wouldn't try and teach a dog something if it was going nutso. Unless I need the excitement to teach the dog the thing! So depends! lol.

Armahani are the Lappies that I know! Didn't you do a stop and recall TerraNik?? For my HIC we did the stop and recall at the beginning. Walked down to the sheep on lead, let the dogs off lead and pretty much did a HT. A couple of dogs stayed on lead. You don't have to go off lead to pass. I had only gone to do the HIC but because she pretty much did a HT I was asked if I wanted to upgrade my second HIC to a HT and then I did the second HT and next thing I knew I had passed both! Good way to compete as I didn't get much chance to get nervous! Am off herding on the weekend again, yeah! Clinic this time.

Well done TerraNik! Someone I know with Lappies does herding. We also have some Samoyeds doing it!

I have 12 poles up slightly open. I am having to move with her. She is getting some quite good angles into the weaves and I can move about 2 meters laterally from her. Can call through from about half way down. Today she showed signs of wanting to move a bit through the weaves which was nice. I guess I have moved to a more channel method. She has progressed faster than Brock. Interestingly I think Brock made less mistakes with entries. Brock knew quite early on which side he had to enter from. Poppy appears to have less understanding of this. Sending from angles did help with sending to tunnels on funny angles.

:cheer: Well done! HT next!

I used to get plenty of itches from poodles when I was a groomer.

I have really bad allergies. I don't have much trouble with my borders. I got a bit of hay fever today after washing them but that could have been the shampoo. I do get hives from some animal hair but don't react to them.

Yes that sort of thing.

Gosh they are growing so quickly! Super cute!

Good luck for tomorrow Dova!

You and me both Laffi. It was something I was asked to do. We were supposed to run towards the left hand side of the tunnel, do the threadle and send into the right hand side.