huski

She is looking great LP and looks awesome in the harness too! Are you training for IPO?

I've seen a clinic cat run into the middle of the waiting room, do a crazy cat dance, trigger all the dogs in the waiting room into prey drive and all dogs were more than close enough to grab it. Sheer luck that the cat didn't get eaten, not every dog owner there would have been savvy enough to react quickly if their dog had gone to grab the cat. I was picking my cat up from the vet I board her at (not where I take my dogs) and the large clinic dog came out from behind the desk (no staff in the room at the time so the dog was roaming unsupervised). It approached an owner waiting with their Swf who let the greeting continue. just as I started to say "that dog isn't showing good body language I would move your dog away" the clinic dog had a go at the Swf and a fight broke out. There may be clinics that responsibly manage clinic pets but I don't think they are a good idea for the majority. IMO they shouldn't be allowed ANY free access to the waiting room or other places clients and their dogs frequent.

Me: get my act together, sharpen my handling, deal with my nerves and get back into the ring! Note how what I know I need to work on, is me, not the dog (she's pretty good) :laugh:

My local vet has bench style seating with vinyl covering and they have signs asking that you don't let dogs sit on the seats. I usually wait outside with my dogs anyway, I don't want them waiting inside the vets where sick/diseased dogs frequent. And if it's busy, there is undoubtedly going to be some idiot who wants to let their dog jump all over mine (where is their common sense, who knows what disease or sickness another dog could have!!! Dogs are often stressed and sick at the vets. It's not a social outing.) I walked wisdom into the vet when she was heavily pregnant the other week, heading straight through into a consult room and some idiot with a young bouncy dog let it hit the end of the leash trying to jump all over her. I had a go at them and they were like "come here schnookums, they won't let that dog be your friend". Seriously!!

A dog in drive isn't calm. I wouldn't wait out a dog until it lost drive; I would tell it what I wanted it to do and mark the correct behavior. If you have a good communication system the dog won't throw lots of behaviors at you unless you aren't giving any feedback or haven't given a command. If I said to any of my dogs now "ready" and stood there doing nothing they would both throw lots of behaviors at me to work out what I wanted and how to gain reward. The dog needs to understand the basics of the game and how to earn reward before you can progress, if you were training the dog in drive, the first several training sessions I would reward purely for the dog responding to a trigger command and building his understanding of the markers and release command. ETA: this is just for the sake of discussion though, you could use a clicker and/or classical conditioning too, this is just how I would do it

Yep the release word also marks behaviour. I use a trigger word to put the dog in drive; then I give a command such as sit. If the dog is only just learning I would say yes as soon as the dog complied which releases the dog to the reward (I don't reward in position, I would use yes or good to mark the position). Once I want to extend the position I would say ready (my trigger word) command (sit) marker (goooood) and then after x time I would give the release word (yes). Eventually I would fade out 'good' once the behavior was durable and I would randomly use 'yes' to reward the dog unpredictably.

One thing I find that helps heaps with dogs that offer a lot of behaviors is clear markers. I use a marker which tells the dog you've got it right and the reward is coming (I use the word good). This really helps you mark correct behavior and extend it. This is different to the release word (which for me is yes) ETA: I also use markers etc a lot because I don't personally ever want the dog to be calm in an active training session. I want a lot of drive, excitement and engagement. I would not use classical conditioning in a training session, but obviously it depends on your goals too.

Timing and using clear markers are so important! I would start by teaching him how the game works, so if you use a clicker make sure he understands how he can earn rewards from it. It will help extend his ability to hold position too. I find dogs driven like this 1000x easier and faster to train than dogs that aren't as easily motivated, you just need the right approach.

We got the last shipment of these beds that Kyjen had made; http://www.k9pro.com.au/instinct-nesting-bed-1476.html We have had some one test here for the last six months or so and they hold the width really well and don't go flat. I have found they are really great for the 15 year old GSD here, and dogs really like snuggling into them.

Thanks for sharing the vids Luke what spunky little dogs! If you trust the breeder you are importing from and considering breeding isn't your primary concern I would be inclined to go with a younger bitch rather than one that is older with a few litters under her belt. Even if it isn't titled if you trust the breeder to send you a good dog, the genetics will be there for you to build on.

I have never met a working cocker but I would really like to! I was planning to get a WL Springer before fate had other ideas and I ended up with a Mal, but I loved the dogs I met and I still think they are really super.

BlackJaq what was the purpose behind breeding Weimaraners to be "man sharp"?

Thanks guys they are just the best thing ever! I really could spend all day watching them

Thanks Lisa we love them so much already! I can't wait to see how they grow over the next few weeks. I could spend all day watching them (sadly work is far too busy to allow that lol)

Lol I just saw this and the answer is definitely, yes! We are in puppy heaven at the moment with Wisdoms babies being born early yesterday morning. So. Much. Cute!!

Hey Sares, just to clarify we don't run a traditional puppy class or school. You would come in for a one on one consult with Steve and he will design a puppy raising program tailored specifically to your pup and your goals. Feel free to PM me with any questions :)

Thanks guys Wisdom is a great mummy and we love the pups so much already! It's probably more likely to be more puppy biting than cuddles and kisses once they get older so I will make use of the no teeth stage while it lasts :laugh: (I can't wait until they are running around doing lots of biting lol)

It's hard to believe they will one day be the same size as their parents!!!

Hey TLC no plans to keep a pup myself this time Wisdom is more than enough Malinois for me! (For now :laugh: ).

Thanks Nic, definitely only four! I'm super lucky as wiz and the babies are staying with Steve who bred the litter so I get to see them when I go to work every day and do all the fun stuff, and learn the ins and outs of raising a super litter of working pups. I am really looking forward to the next few weeks! :)

Thanks again guys it is so exciting although I have only had two hours sleep since yesterday so I am a bit buggered now! She had two boys and two girls :) And the biggest was 580g! (I think I made a typo on FB earlier and typed 590g). Here's probably my favourite pic of the day, Wiz and her mini-Wiz puppy. This wasn't posed I just caught them both napping this way. So cute!!

Thanks Julie. It was amazing and so exciting. I mostly just got to watch as Steve was in charge and wiz did all the hard work. Couldn't be happier wuth how it went. Not sure if I will ever be game to breed myself but it was great to see such a smooth whelping. Thanks everyone We think they are just wonderful!

It's my birthday this week and Wisdom gave me the best early birthday present last night. It's so exciting I just had to share! Four not so little baby Maligators

Excellent! When are they due? Today going by the first mating :D

What a gorgeous polar bear face! We are playing the waiting game here with Wisdom about to have her babies any moment now really. It will be the first time I've been involved with a litter from day one, how exciting