huski

I don't feed Daisy before training and if we are going to have a big night/day of training I will either feed her a very small breakfast (i.e. one chicken neck) or will fast her for 24 hours. I also don't exercise her before training or do any activity with her before training. This isn't just to make her more eager for the food but our training can be quite high energy and it's better to work her on an empty stomach. I'll also feed her a meal through training but that's not depriving her IMO. If I trained in prey drive I wouldn't give the dog access to toys unless we were training. I do think fasting is healthy for dogs but obviously I would draw the line if the dog was actually being starved. ETA: Daisy is a hard dog to keep weight off and anyone who has met her can see she's certainly not on the light side

We are getting there slowly and still on track for getting our CCD this year. Just polishing up some things and working on stays then we will be ready to enter I'm not going to say when or what trial ww are aiming for though in case I jinx it Daisy can also do all of the Novice exercises bar stays and her off leash heelwork is ok so we should also be ready for CD not long after getting our CCD.

I'm lucky with Daisy... She is very food driven and will work for anything. We do stick to soft and smelly things for training so she can swallow them quickly and easily. My favourites for training are roast chicken, sausage or luncheon roll. Although I do find the luncheon roll pretty gross.

Daisy likes cooked heart but I cannot bring myself to cook it I feed it raw all the time and that doesn't bother me but the thougt of cooking it in my oven or one of my pots... :D

I feed their main meal in the morning and then a smaller meal at night. Although this can depend on when we are training as I often "pay" them their meal through training treats.

What kind of food are you using?

I agree, I also left my dog hanging when we were building drive. I don't think frustration is always a bad thing.

Well done to both of you Hope there is video!

Gillypoo, I don't know if any DOLers know anyone in Bunbury but Kathy Kopellis McLeod is highly recommended over in WA - she is based in Perth but might be able to recommend someone closer to you. http://www.kathysdogtraining.com.au/

The simple answer for me would be a great trainer is someone who can help the owner get the best out of their dog.

Sorry huski, must have misunderstood the above. Somehow. Erik isn't real easy, but I wasn't really recommending Valls. Just pointing out that he's anything but aloof and disinterested in human company and cuddles. Quite the opposite, in fact. Yes, perhaps the part where you somehow thought I was saying all spitz breeds are aloof? Many are in comparison to some other breeds, it's a common trait amongst the breeds. That doesn't mean all are, or that they don't make good companions. It also depends on your definition of aloof.

I never said that Spitz breeds don't make good companions. I am well aware my breed has been bred to work closely with people, however, many Spitz breeds are considered to be more aloof than other breeds of dog. FranQ's recent thread on adjusting to having a dog who is not a constant snuggle bum is a good example, even Lappies can be a bit independent and aloof. In general Siberians, like a lot of the Spitzies, are active dogs who require a fair bit of training and exercise. I don't know any Sibe owner who would refute that. Going by your posts, Corvus, Erik definitely does not seem like the laid back and 'not too energetic' dog that the OP is looking for. I think there are many novice owners who would find a dog like Erik difficult to handle.

Do you mean you want to train your dog to compete in obedience? To compete in obedience you will need to become a member of your state canine control council (if you are in NSW this is DogsNSW). Your dog does not have to have a pedigree, if it doesn't you need to have them put on the associate register. In terms of training your dog to compete, have you got any good obedience clubs in your area you can join? Have you ever been to an obedience trial? I've stewarded at a couple of trials and that is also a great way to get a handle on what is required to compete in obedience.

Cross off Siberians and most of the Spitz breeds off your list (if you were considering any others). They are energetic, active dogs that require a dog savvy owner who is prepared to have a dog who can be aloof and not necessarily interested in being with you all the time and having lots of cuddles. Beagles again can be quite active dogs, and both breeds must go to homes with good fencing as they can be escape artists. Both Sibes and Beags can be stubborn and strong willed and can require a fair bit of mental and physical exercise. Neither my Beagle nor my Siberian escape out of my yard but that's only because I have excellent fencing and make sure I don't give them opportunities to escape like leaving gates open (they are all padlocked) or leaving the front door open.

Generally fear periods are between 12-16 weeks. So, you have between 8-12 weeks to do a lot of socialisation too. I would try to ensure that my pup has loads of positive experiences between 8-12 weeks so we don't have to do as much socialisation in their fear period, or when we do, they've already had a lot of positive experiences in the first four weeks that have allowed them to develop a positive value for these experiences.

I don't personally get the pretending to eat the dog's food either. There are many easier ways to get your dog to see food as a resource you control, my dogs look to me for permission to eat and I've never pretended to eat their food

I always feed my separately because I use feeding time as an opportunity to do some one on one training. None of my dogs have problems with resource guarding.

Glad to hear you've found someone who can help you with Miki, ESCS

Didn't we have one of these threads just last week?

That's true you might miss out on something, but there's no point trying to work your dog if he just can't focus. It just makes it frustrating for you, and no doubt the dog can pick up on that too. And there's not much you will learn if you are frustrated and distracted trying to get your dog to focus.

I am sure there are some great trainers out there who have done the DELTA course, just as there are some bad ones. The only reason the NDTF course appeals to me more as a potential student is because I want to learn about all aspects of dog training, and the NDTF course is far more varied on this front than the Delta course. If I was a purely positive only trainer and would only ever be interested in doing purely positive training, I would probably be more inclined to do the Delta course.

I used to have days like this all the time with Daisy! If he is really unfocused like that I would take him out of class. Walk him away, ask for something simple, like a look or just a brief moment of focus and then reward for that. If you really can't get anything for him put him away on a tie out, in his crate/in the car or take him home. No point training when he's not switching on or willing to work and you are just getting frustrated.

GSD, you can see her here: (muzzle and long-line, it's an off-leash area) She is a DDR, I found this video of her stunning grand-sire last night: I did wonder if we were talking about the same thing, I use the long-line in my classes and when a dog goes over-threshold we try to catch them before they get any momentum and even then I shudder every time! Sabella is a beautiful GSD Aidan! Exactly the type I would like to own if I had a GSD

Same here. I refuse to give them a cent.

Was it a bearded collie? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_Collie