huski

Cool! Ok, if he likes balls, I find the ChuckIt erratic balls are awesome, as are the Chuckit Ultra Balls. You can add a rope onto the ChuckIt Erratic balls which is the ball I use as my magnetic ball. The other option for balls which I think is awesome is a small orbee ball on a rope, Orbees are really super balls for training and the small size is perfect for little dogs. For a tug, a flirt pole is a good starting point for building drive, and I like leather bite rags too. A french linen pocket tug is also useful to have as well.

Sorry if I missed this Whitka, what breed/size is the dog?

In terms of trainers working other peoples dogs, majority of the time the dogs we see will work better for the trainer, after all that is why people invest in seeing a trainer because they are having trouble handling their dogs. I think that dogs can definitely take advantage when someone new handles them, my Mal would do it, my beagle will do it, they want to 'test' people to see what the criteria is and how easily they can earn a reward. My Mal will also tone down her drive if it means it will make it easier for her to earn a reward, such as when kids are playing with her. She knows she has to be slower and more gentle, and show some patience in order to get the reward. She does this of her own accord. She also knows when she can go harder and smash someone and when she needs to go easy on them. Very interesting to watch!

What do you consider loyalty though? Dogs do things for two reasons; to gain reward or to avoid correction. Often dogs will 'test' new people to gauge their ability to gain a reward be that praise, food, toys etc. A lot of people would look at my dog working and seeing food and toys being shoved in her face by other people and see that as loyalty but it is just the reward history I've built.

I would have him on a long line until he is consistent with bringing it back, I would also consider giving him a food treat if he will take it when he brings it back, or having two balls so as soon as he brings it back you throw the other ball etc. I find that playing tug can be a good starting point for building a relationship where the dog sees you as being a huge part of making the game happen, he needs to learn that when he brings the tug back to you the game happens which is lots of fun. Tug can be a bit more interactive like that compared to a ball where you often throw the reward away from you.

This is an old video, and Wiz's heel work is approximately 1000x better now ( :laugh: ) but it shows you how I use a magnetic ball as a reward. I find the mag ball particularly useful for obedience! I use a tug too, but I do mix it up. If I am using a tug I will throw it on the ground and have her heel over the top of it etc then release her to it. She races to it and brings it back to me a for a game.

My dogs will generally take food from other people if they offer it in general life situations but in a training situation they have been taught that even if food or toys look available from elsewhere, it isn't. They think it's a trick if someone holds out food or waves a toy around and won't buy into it at all, they don't look to other people for rewards. I have also got a strong reward history with them and I give them a reward experience which has more value than just having a piece of food handed over. I definitely think some people have a more natural way with dogs than others, a good trainer also knows how to read a dog and engage with it.

I mix it up, like with my prey driven dog, I don't want her to be dependent on a specific toy. I tend to lean towards using soft and smelly food that is easy for the dog to swallow, dried treats are harder to swallow and can cause the dog to stop and cough it up. With my beagle when I was competing with her so training more frequently I would boil chuck steak and chop it up to give her a leaner treat.

When you say you rewarding with a toy, what do you mean? Are you playing tug or throwing a ball etc?

Yes it's funny how people will want to pat your puppy when it's cute and little, no one ever asks to pat Wisdom now, ever! I was just saying to a client the other day who was having trouble with people not asking to pat his GSD pup that give it a few months and they won't be asking anymore! Sad but true. However My beagle and Sibe (when he lived with me) always get loads of attention when we take them out.

I don't really experience that but I don't use dog clubs and don't go to places like dog parks. I had a shop assistant at the pet store ask if they could give my dog a treat the other day and I just said she would love one but let me give it to her. If an instructor at a club or anyone asked to take my dog or went to take them I would just say no

I think there are lots of different ways to approach training dogs and that probably hasn't changed much over time :) With what you are saying about not using food - I think this comes down to having a different perspective. I seek out pups with lots of food and prey drive, I want to utilize that in training. If he becomes a "blithering idiot" around food, he needs to learn more self control and have a better understanding of how to gain rewards. My dogs food and prey drive would match any dogs but I use it to my advantage and IMHO the results of that pay off by giving you a dog that is more durable and 'bomb proof' plus you just can't match the attitude that comes with working a dog in drive. When my dog is working she doesn't want to have cuddles and pats - she's in drive for a different reward than praise. She stilll plays with me and play is very physical as i have built that into the reward experience but a pat in that moment wont satisfy her. Some people don't like that but it's how I do it and it works great for us :) It definitely comes down to your goals and what you want. Lots of people get scared or put off if their dog shows lots of drive for food and prey but it doesn't have to be scary it can work amazingly to your advantage if you use it properly.

The stomach and crotch hits are the worst. She's dropped OH and a friend of ours a few times :laugh: she always has that look of 'that will teach you to' as she trots off with her toy :laugh: lol yeah, she has somehow managed to punch me in the stomach a few times. Charming lady!

Yeah we often say that Wiz hits you like a dog double her size, so if she was literally double her size she would probably give me a concussion :laugh: ETA: A bit surprised I haven't had one already LOL!

I am one of the few people who have no interested in having a giant dog LOL! I find my Mal the perfect size for me, I wouldn't want anything bigger (she's about 27kg). I can't imagine how many more bruises etc I would get from a giant sized Mal! LOL

Me, too. That's a lovely pic of you & your dog....doesn't need words! :) Thanks Mita, I may be biased but I think she is a very special girl :D

I agree with what others have said, take a few steps back (figuratively speaking) and work on having them really understand where heel position is before you add any forward motion. Once the dogs are nailing heel position when you are stationary you can add a few steps. This is when I also test them by heeling backwards, side ways, adding turns etc. Think about the style of heel work you like and how you'd like it to look and work towards that one step at a time. You have to get the foundations there first, or the dog won't truly understand the exercise and that is when it falls apart.

I don't need to describe my dream dog because I already have her I've been asked before what I love so much about her and the only answer I can give is that she is everything I want in a dog and more. Super drive and power, solid nerves, sweet temperament. There is nothing she can't do!

I don't feed budget mince (what our food supply store calls the fattier version of semi lean) because when I asked they confirmed it has bones in it which as I feed raw isnt what I am after. (I want pure meat/off cuts so I know what meat/bone ratio I am feeding)

KC I feed the whole tin even when I give it to my beagle :)

I give Wiz sardines with every meal but I dont give them daily to my beagle, she puts weight on far too easily!

Kelpie cuddles I just get the Woolies or Coles home brand ones in spring water :)

I would mix sardines into her dried and I would chuck a whole raw egg in there as well at least once a week. I don't feed dried but it might be worth looking into other brands if this one isnt the one your dog is doing best on? Animal Naturals make a supplement for weight gain but I don't think it will be available here until next year.

My Mal is super lean and very active so goes through food fast. I feed semi lean mince (minced beef fat meat and off cuts but not bone); sardines; whole raw egg; beef or lamb brisket/flaps as well as raw meaty bones like chicken or turkey wings. She also gets the Animal Naturals Super Fuel supplement with her meal every night which helps to keep weight on and bulk up muscle

I am 110% confident that my dogs love me, choose to be with me and show more affection to me over any one else because I give them access to the things they really want. My youngest dog's biggest motivator is prey drive, if I didn't give her an opportunity to bite things, I am positive she wouldn't display affection to me like she does now. Similarly my beagle loves food, and until I learned how to give her what she needed she was rarely affectionate with me. She's still not overly pack driven but much more attached to me and cuddly. Some dogs are more pack driven than others and will become more dependent on certain pack members over others. However despite knowing all of the above I still choose to believe my puppies love me and their "devotion" to me makes me feel special :D