JulesP

Most of those tires are able to swing. Our tires at club don't swing, they are attached solidly. How many clubs in Australia have tires that are on ropes and can move around?

I would use an ecollar on the handler! Actually I was thinking about asking Erny if I could borrow one for my class at the weekend. I have a couple of pupils that need a bit of a zapping! ;)

I agree but it just means that I would prefer to go and audit rather than take my dog and risk confusing him/her.

Thanks that does help! Susan is my god at the moment.

Thanks. Do you have any links to anything that she has written? I have googled but can't find anything.

errr yes. Don't get your knickers in a knot. Was typing quickly with one hand whilst on a phone call! Would think it was fairly obvious what I was asking.

Is this lady good?

I wanna try failing at herding too!

lol I didn't take that many as it was stinking hot! I'll have a look tonight and start a thread on it.

I audited on the Foundation day LP! Was very good. How were the days that you went to?? Got to say that I am starting to lean more towards agility now...... Starting prep with Poppy on Sunday at some ungodly hour!!!

Reading, reading lol. I am struggling with when to enter the first trial too. I did a run through on Sunday after no training all Xmas and Poppy went really well. Passed all her CCD stuff and did some novice stuff too. I had a different judge too which normally freaks me out and it wasn't until I was finished that I realised I was much better. Was a really, really good handler too which normally flips me out. I don't think I want to enter until I am 100% confident. Am about 80% at the moment. Mainly because I know I get so nervous. Poppy is only 13 months so there is no hurry. Am about to start agility with her though so hope that doesn't muck the obedience up. Have already noticed that she wants to heal a little bit out after the agility circle work I have been doing. LP have you umm had a bit of a taste of the new metal articles?? Sounds like there is something about the taste that he doesn't like. They weren't hot either were they on the day he mucked it up? Was cooler yesterday.

I like to see what my dogs are up to. You also don't want an agility dog to be behind you. I am also not sure if anyone told dogs about this rule, lol. My old dog Fern is very much boss dog but the 2 younger ones run in front of her. She doesn't seem to take it as an insult to her leadership.

Errrr I was at work bored so couldn't really go out and train my doggies. You will be pleased to know that they have been trained prior to me logging back on. In the last week I have also gone to the Greg Derrett Foundation day, taken Poppy to trialling training and taught my class. Just because people like to chat on a computer doesn't mean that they aren't out 'doing' too.

lol. Loootttssss of people watching! Are they waiting for blood?

I hope to do my job as a trainer well enough so that there isn't a problem to fix.

I guess I don't consider it a 'problem' that needs to be fixed Erny. I can tell them to drop or sit during the bath catching and the twits will do that so they aren't hard to catch. So it is more a matter of keeping the recall 'pure'. If that makes any sense. Timing of when to call is very important.

My aim is for the dog to not know it can pull! I am very confident that my dog's recall would hold up in any environment. I haven't had an issue yet. Including calling them off of stock. I would be happy to let them off lead anywhere that was safe. ie. not near traffic.

What am I gunna do?? stalk the buggers down and catch them! That is what I tell my pupils to do! I never call them if I know that they are not going to obey me. I don't want them to ever learn that mummy can be ignored.

Erny the only time I would use an ecollar would be to fix a life or death issue. What I have got out the ecollar discussions is the danger of correction chains, not something I use but I am even more determined now to get those dogs heeling on a flat collar! So that is what I got out of those ecollar discussions. I have had horses for years. There are soooo many different methods. What I tell people that are getting lost is look for the method that speaks to you. PP speaks to me with dogs. Shaping I am not so keen on because I am impatient! I also did natural horsemanship stuff but the not so nutty stuff. When I did dressage I liked the classical approach. There is a theme here.

I do think that giving advice to a handler that you don't know on a forum can be dangerous. You don't know if they can read the dog correctly, what their timing is like etc. I had a pupil explain a problem on the weekend and thought I was going to be needing Erny from the description. What I saw was not at all how it was described. I have 100% reliable recalls, under distraction. Except at bath time

I like arguing about theory Anita! Erny I am happy to say what I would do in a training situation as long as there is respect. I do think that a lot of the positive trainers are concerned about being hammered on here.

Errr we discuss stuff because we like doing so. If you don't like it then you don't have to get involved. Mr Dunbar sounds like he needs to take a chill pill. Some people like to discuss, debate until the cows come home, some don't. I don't care if people don't like to do this but will stand up for my right to do so! Even discussions that I don't agree about I find interesting and usually get something of value out of them.

I agree Kavik! Also about respecting other people's opinions even when we don't agree.

The Derretts said that they start their dogs on equipment at 13 months. They start doing foundation stuff straight away.

Ummm Animal science, zoology and one is a vet. I should point out that this is my criteria if I don't know the person! I have passed both Erny & Cosmolo's details on to other people that have been having behaviour issues as I 'know' you. And I usually suggest Steve if the person is in Sydney. The guy I worked with today at club is one of the best handlers in Vic so I really don't care what his qualifications are!