huski

We have a letter we can send you for when your neighbours dog is barking. You can print it out and pop it in their letterbox. If you PM me with your email address I can email it to you on Monday :)

I never have the dogs in the front yard but I once had workmen let themselves into my back yard. Luckily I had only just seconds before put the dogs away! (I wasn't expecting them). The reality is that the majority of people can't read dog body language well. The tradies who entered my back yard without permission thought my dog was friendly because she wasn't barking at them. Some people have no idea and that's how people end up getting bitten.

It is sad, I really think we are behind the times in Australia in a lot of ways, when you look at what is the standard in competition on an international level. There is nothing like seeing a dog working with joy and excitement and lots of animation and focus, regardless of the sport!

Obedience can be just as fun (if not more! :p) than agility and is also awesome for building your relationship, it is just unfortunately we are a bit behind in Australia in some ways and a lot of people still believe obedience is about teaching the dog 'you must work for me', rather than teaching the dog how to work with you as a team. If you look to the top obedience competitors world wide they don't train with the methods a lot of clubs still do.

I instructed at Metro when I lived in QLD and to be honest I find most obedience clubs are much the same. It may be ok for the average pet owner but makes it hard if you want to compete and be competitive as most clubs are still training pretty old school methods. I found there's a better choice of clubs when it comes to agility though!

hey guys, I've had some PMs and emails asking more about the content of the workshops and training in drive. For anyone unfamiliar with Steve's methods, it might interest you to read his article from last week about how he trains competitive obedience; http://blog.k9pro.com.au/competitive-obedience-coaching-by-steve-courtney/ I believe we still have a couple of places left in QLD and some spectator spots left in Perth :)

I love beagles! And like Riverstar said I do live with The Evil Beagle. The breed standard calls them a merry little hound and I think this describes the breed well. IMO they can be a great family dog - active but not crazy, will lay around or go for long walks or jogs with you. They like to be with you but aren't Velcro dogs generally. They should have good solid nerves and are a nice sturdy size. A good beagle is friendly, confident and out going and just an all round happy dog. They generally get along with other animals well. They do shed a lot and some people find their scent drive a challenge, but they are usually very food driven which works well for training. I wouldn't call them super pack driven but they want to be with you and doing things. They are active and need an output both mentally and physically. I will always want to have a beagle in my household, just love them!

You'd be better off with a good quality long line. It won't fail under pressure like an extendable or other cheap leashes. IMO it is never worth it to rely on cheap crappy gear especially leashes.

I think plenty of pet owners would like a reliable recall, they just don't know how to do it. Training a good recall would be one of the most common things pet owners ask about when they come for training. It doesn't have to be something that is difficult to train. I don't think you have to be a super trainer either - we teach plenty of pet owners how to get a reliable recall and they can and do achieve it.

I'm not sure what your point is Corvus

Corvus I don't take my dogs to dog parks, we either go bush walking or go for walks in busy areas or I run them in open fields. I don't notice an obvious difference aside from letting them run off leash on bush walks is obviously more stimulating to them than a big open open field.

It depends on the weather but I take them bush walking quite frequently. Why?

Wow, that's impressive. Does that mean the reward you give her for coming back to you is more high value to her than chasing her prey? And I'm guessing that chasing her prey is very rewarding indeed! How do you reward her for leaving such an incredibly high value item? She is trained in prey drive and has more value for the game I provide than anything else, she has also been taught from day one that toys and playing with me give her drive satisfaction, not chasing after wild animals etc. It is more complex than that but that is it in a nut shell :laugh: It is great to hear Zeus is making such great progress! Learning how to use a reward can make a really huge difference. One thing to remember is that training in drive is only one way to train a recall, it might not be the best way for every dog and owner. No you are right, they have lots of drive so are easy to motivate to train in drive if you know how to do it. I wouldn't say it is easy though! I also have a beagle, and plenty of people said it wouldn't be possible to have a reliable recall on a scent hound.

IMO if you get training recall right you proof in high levels of distraction and the dog is taught buying into a distraction doesn't pay for them. I have never seen a dog with more prey drive than my Malinois but she will recall mid chase off live prey, training a reliable recall is IMO something that is possible with ANY dog of ANY breed.

Not yet no, we are just too busy at the moment. Hopefully later in the year!

I don't think it matters if the dog is 'just' a pet or a competition or working dog, to me reliability and effective control means the dog responds to the command the first time, straight away.

The problems you are experiencing from what you've described are really common! Even if you don't want to train him as assistance dog and just want a well behaved pet, there's no reason you can't teach him to be more responsive and well mannered, you just need to get the right help so you can be shown how to do it. It really frustrates me to hear trainers, who as supposed to be professionals, turn around and tell people their dog is untrainable.

Sorry Lhok but any trainer who tells you that your dog is too stupid or stubborn to train is not worth your time or money. There is no such thing as a dog that can't be trained, and it sounds like your requirements for Treble as an assistance dog are fairly basic? Great pic LP, she looks awesome in her martingale!

I agree with Ness :) if you have behaviorial problems especially as a private is one on one dedicated time to helping you and your dog. The workshops are awesome fun and cover more topics as it goes for longer but it is more generalized. While Steve does work with every dog at the workshop it's not the same as a dedicated one on one consult Hope that helps :)

Nothing is 110% confirmed yet but it will be over the weekend of the 23rd/24th :)

Hi Teekay The venue we've hired out is at a school that has a big under cover area. I haven't actually been there before myself so I can't be certain how big it is, but I do know it is fairly open. There are only a limited number of handler spots available each day so there would be no more than say a dozen or so dogs there, but we do ask that all dogs are crated or at the very least, leashed and dogs won't be interacting with each other. Steve works one dog at a time, so it won't be a situation where there are lots of dogs on top of each other.

Don't be nervous, it will be a really fun weekend. I always say don't worry if he does play up, Steve can show you what to do when things go wrong!

BUMP! Just a heads up that our Brisbane workshop tickets are on sale now :) Details updated in the OP and can be found in the link below; http://training.k9pro.com.au/dir/shop/brisbane-workshop-tickets/ Looking forward to it :thumbsup:

I have to say I think that German WL dog is just stunning! I know nothing much about GSDs but it definitely appeals to me.

No, IMO, 100% not. It's behaviour not an expression of love. There are lots of reasons for this; - The ability of the 'new person' to read and engage with the dog - Their body language - The dog's relationship and reward history with the owner etc etc