Keshwar

I didn't research my breed, should I not have a dog? If you were looking at buying a new TV or a car would you do any research or would you just go out and buy the first one that looked nice? If you research buying an inanimate object surely there should be some research done before buying a living being? If having done no research on buying a car or TV would you then decide to make changes to the one you ended up buying because it didn't turn out quite right? The car goes to fast, the TV is too loud, better get it changed! FFS dogs are living breathing beings I think it behoves anyone to at least do basic research before they buy one. This is one of the major objections to pet shops, they encourage impulse buying. People get a dog without knowing anything about it. These are the dogs that end up in pounds or rescue. [/soapbox]

Yup, although some of the differences can be subtle. For example with Afghans you usually hold the tail, whereas for Saluki you don't. Best way to learn how to stack your particular breed is to either talk to your breeder and get them to show you, go to show classes, or go to shows and watch. Bear. Is that to stop the Affies from jumping all over the judge and other exhibitors? No that is to stop the Affies jumping all over their handlers!

Yup, although some of the differences can be subtle. For example with Afghans you usually hold the tail, whereas for Saluki you don't. Best way to learn how to stack your particular breed is to either talk to your breeder and get them to show you, go to show classes, or go to shows and watch. Bear.

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/labra...0-1225825959379 A DUCK hunter in California is recovering after being shot by his own dog. The 53-year-old man was wounded in the upper back when his female black labrador retriever stepped on his loaded shotgun, causing the safety to disengage and the weapon to fire, Fox 26 and KMPH.com reported. Officials at Merced County Sheriff's Department said the man was hunting with a friend near Los Banos on Saturday. As they packed up at the end of the day, the victim set down his shotgun and went to retrieve some decoy ducks about 15m away. At that moment the dog stepped on the shotgun. The injured man was treated at Los Banos Memorial Hospital and released. ___________________ I reckon the dog was on the duck's side.

Thanks PF will do.

Is he a smaller guy, or does he have a back or shoulder injury? Check for a legitimate reason first. Where handlers can be overpowered or injured by a dog I will have them use a balance-leash attached to either a front-attaching harness or head halter and collar. The harness or halter isn't used, but it's there if the dog does decide to pull for whatever reason. Nope, large, healthy and very fit guy.

You can use that to your advantage Bear. An appeal to ego rarely goes wrong. Now that they've demonstrated that they have decent training skills, they don't need to rely on such contraptions (it is a great word ) and can use their ability to get focus and work from their dogs instead. Most of these "training aids" are substitutes for training, not aids at all. Thanks PF. I think that is the way I will have to go. With one of these guy's it will be easy the other we'll see.

you cannot control a dog on this and it is unsafe. Why are they allowed at the club at all? With one of these handlers putting my foot down is only likely to get his back up. I don't want to do that. I think it would be better to come up with good solid training reasons for not using the equipment. The annoying thing about the GSD guy is that he isn't actually using the halti, it is just on the dog for his reassurance. I also don't think it is a training issue. Both dogs work really well. The problem is in the handlers heads. They think they need these contraptions. I need to convince them that they don't - and they really don't. As far as I'm aware extenda leads aren't allowed in classes. This is why I'm amazed that this person has got to this level still using one. Personally I would have got him to use a standard lead/flat collar way back in puppy class. Unfortunately this is one of the problems with obedience clubs and volunteer instructors. The level of instruction and skills varies widely.

As far as I could see there didn't seem to be any health issues but I shall ask. I guess the bigger part of the problem is these teams have come up through a number of levels and no-one seems to have tried to wean them off these "contraptions" - great word PF - before now.

I need some suggestions. Took the first class of the year last night (obedience club) and I have two problem handlers. This is at what is called Gold level - advanced companion. I have a guy with a beautiful GSD. He has a halti on the GSD but has the lead attached to the flat collar. To me it looks like the halti is there purely for the handlers peace of mind - kinda like a security blanket. The dog doesn't need it. Any suggestions on how I get the Handler to remove it altogether? The other person has a Toy poodle. Again this dog works beautifully and would do so on a flat collar. Last night he had the poodle in a harness and was using an extenda lead. After class I asked him if next week he could bring a standard lead. He has said he will. We'll see. Now how do I get rid of the harness? I suspect this is going to be harder. Bear.

If I had an angry neighbour with two guns standing in front of me I might just do what ever he wants. Not condoning anything. Just saying.

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/breedism Breedism Survey results are often accepted unquestionably without considering the representative database, the validity of the results, or even, whether or not the findings make sense. Because it is written down, it must be the gospel truth. Quite frankly though, I have yet to read even a single published survey on the breed incidence of biting, which would receive a grade better than F in a kindergarten midterm examination. More disturbing, once these hopelessly unreliable and unrepresentative surveys are edited, expurgated, bowdlerised and summarized to an hundred words or less for popular consumption by our ant-brained tabloid media, the remaining newsprint is hardly fit for paper-training puppies. It would not be so bad if the surveys were merely frivolous. Unfortunately such ill-conceived “results” sow the seeds for breedism, which, fostered by hard-wired, worker-reporters in the media, flourish into undeserved bad reputations for some breeds in particular and for all dogs in general. Some years ago, I reviewed a score of surveys (on the relative incidence of biting in different breeds in the United States), which had been published over the past twenty years. Please do not pay heed to the results — they are all but meaningless — and are only included to illustrate just how silly so-called researchers can be at times. Averaging the results of all twenty studies, produced the following overall ranking of dogs involved in bite incidents: way ahead of all other breeds and occupying undisputed first place — number 1. The German Shepherd, followed by 2. Cocker Spaniel, 3. Poodle, 4. Collie, 5. Dachshund, 6. Labrador Retriever, 7. Dobermann Pinscher, 8. Miniature Schnauzer, 9. Springer Spaniel, and 10. Old English Sheepdog. Breed Bias All the surveys were strongly biased towards the more popular breeds. Difficult though it may be to believe, none of the twenty studies even considered breed popularity and the effect it might have on the number of bites by each breed. Of course one can expect more bites from cockers, poodles, Labradors, shepherds, beagles, miniature schnauzers and Dachshunds, since these represented seven out the top ten most popular breeds in the United States for that time period. Until the results have been controlled for differential breed popularity, it is absolutely unfounded to state that shepherds, cockers and poodles are more likely to bite than other breeds of dog. Such statements are asinine twaddle. Body Size Bias An important question about any survey concerns the source of the data. Most dog bite surveys (including eighteen of those averaged above) are based on public health reports of reported dog bites. However, from my bite-case histories, it is frighteningly apparent that less than 1 out of 20 bites are actually reported. Indeed, the vast majority of bites occur in the home and usually the dog lives with, or at least knows, the bite victim, who is most often a child, or a man. Indeed, when bitten by the family dog, few people are going to report the bite to public health, medical, or police authorities. Hence, reported bites are an extremely unrepresentative database, since they reflect only a fraction of the bites that actually occur. In addition, public health surveys are strongly biased towards the type of bite that is likely to be reported, i.e., severe bites and/or incidents in which the victim did not know the dog, for example when the bite occurred on public property with the dog running at large. Severe bites are most commonly caused by large and/or powerful dogs. Also, the profile of a free-ranging dog is a medium-sized to large dog, usually a mixed breed. Thus, public health surveys based on reported bites are strongly biased towards large and powerful breeds and towards mixed-breeds. Controlling for Bias To control for bias against breed popularity and large body size, I divided the mean number of reported bites for each breed by the number of dogs of that breed registered by the American Kennel Club and by the average weight of that breed in pounds. Even so, the results still did not make sense: German shepherds still remained way (WAY) in the lead, followed by Labradors, huskies and terriers, with the rest of the pack all in a bunch. The results were not what I expected. I had discussed bite-incidence with many dog professionals and most would agree that: all breeds of dog bite people; little dogs are apt to bite more frequently (largely because they get away with it), but larger dogs cause more damage. So how come the results of these studies did not reflect this obvious common sense? Erroneous Breed Classification The reason for the illogical bite distribution was even more fundamental than I had first thought. The major confounding of all these studies lies with the original breed assignation of the biting dog. Since mixed-breeds are the most common type of dog, presumably they should be at the top of every bite survey. However, of the studies I reviewed, mixed-breeds were ranked #1 in only one survey and placed in the “top ten” in only five others. Mixed breeds were inexplicably absent from the remaining 14 studies, in which there was not even a category for bites by mixed-breeds. Unbelievable! So how on earth were the substantial number of mixed-breed bites classified? "Who got the mongrel vote?" Prototypical Dog - that's who! Presumably bites by mongrels were classified as the closest resembling pure-breed. Now, if four dissimilar pure-breeds e.g., Lhasa Apso, Cardigan Corgi, Saluki and Newfoundland, were allowed to interbreed willy nilly, within just two generations, the mixed-breed offspring would largely resemble shepherds, Labradors, huskies and terriers types, even though these dogs have had no shepherd, Lab, husky, or terrier blood in their veins for hundreds of generations. This phenomenon is known as atavism, whereby the interbreeding of highly selected strains causes a reversion to the wild type, i.e., wolfy-lookalikes (shepherds and huskies) and prototypical dogs (Lab-pointer types). Thus, many mongrel bites are erroneously classified as shepherd, Labrador and husky bites because the dogs looked like those breeds, i.e., the dogs were classified by phenotype (looks) rather than genotype (geneology). All black dogs were classified as Labradors. Large dogs with sticky-up ears were called shepherds, but sticky-up ears and a curly tail would put the dog in the husky category. Similarly, little dogs were invariably called cockerpoos or terriers and the most sophisticated classification of all, small brown Heinz 57's were invariably and expertly categorized as shepherd/terrier crosses. Wow! A bona fide first filial shepherd/terrier hybrid! How on earth did they tell? In so many studies the very data is basically questionable and therefore, the results are utterly invalid. GIGO — Garbage in - garbage out. No amount of fancy statistics can make a survey respectable if the original data base is a bunch of baloney. Again, if the fallout from these slipshod studies were not so serious, the whole thing would be laughable. The weak link in the chain lies in the identification of the breed of the biter. For example, when a child is bitten by an unknown dog, it is usually the child and the doctor who arrive at a breed diagnosis... I'm sorry, but this has to be a case of the blind leading the blind. No one can convince me, that even the cutest and most intelligent of children along with the most competent of physicians could ever agree on the correct classification of a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon bite, for example, that is if they could even distinguish a Griffon from a hole in the ground. Most likely, the bite would be categorized as a German shepherd/American cocker bite. Several years ago, I conducted an informal survey of ten eight-year-old children and ten physicians. I showed all twenty subjects 146 black and white photographs from my faithful five shilling, 1965 Revised Edition of The Observer's Book of Dogs. Surprisingly, (well, maybe not so surprisingly), American eight-year-olds recognized more breeds that did American physicians. However, even more to my surprise, neither group correctly identified more than twenty breeds of dog! Thus, potential biting-breed categories must be limited to those few breeds familiar to the victim and the physician. And of course, the most recognizable breeds are likely to be the most popular (yet another bias of popularity), the most unique and those made famous by the arts and the media. When a purebred or mixed-breed biter is incorrectly identified, it is most commonly miss-labeled as one of the more well-known breeds. For example, in the sixties and seventies, a number of public health studies ranked collies as the most biting breed. During that period of course, thanks to Lassie, collies were extremely popular, easily recognizable and known by all. It is extremely unlikely that collies were biting significantly more than other breeds; rather there were oodles of collies, and every large, hairy biting dog was given the collie classification. Similarly, in the seventies, black and tan biters were called Dobermans, whereas nowadays they are called Rottweilers. Breed Reputation Sometimes the arts and the media create a different kind of reputation; different breeds become infamous rather than famous. Generally, large and powerful breeds, rapidly increasing in popularity acquire bad reputations. It is hard to say precisely how and why, but once established, unwarranted reputations grow in leaps and bounds, magnified by further unrepresentative media coverage. For years, the media trashed German Shepherds and Doberman Pinschers, then Rottweilers and more recently, pitbulls, the Tosa Inu, Fila Brasilieros and Dogo Argentino. Very few people are even familiar with the last three breeds but we'll soon know what they look like though, courtesy of the media. And just how different is the generic “pitbull” from the American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, etc? Soon we can expect similar vendettas to be leveled against Chows, Akitas and Shar Peis. Then, what next? Retrievers for Heavens sake? Fighting Dogs The whole “fighting-dog” argument is one big red herring and too silly for words. Albeit an illegal activity, fighting dogs, by definition, have to be non-aggressive towards people, otherwise they might injure the handlers and judge in the ring. Also, most breeds of dog were, at one time or another, raised and trained to hunt and/or kill one life-form or another. Some were even bred to kill dogs and some bred to kill humans. In fact, most of the “mastiff-type” dogs, (dogs with a characteristically short muzzle, pronounced stop and hangy-down ears), were thought to be descended from the giant Molossian and Hyrcanian mastiff war dogs that were bred, raised and trained to kill and eat people!. Since mastiff-type dogs comprise the majority of modern day breeds, including nearly all working dogs, herding dogs and gundogs, ban these breeds and we'll have no dogs left. Breed X To be fair to the media, with the notable exception of sports and weather, by definition, “news” is totally unrepresentative — it has to be. If the events were truly representative of everyday living, they would not be newsworthy. Who, for example, would be astounded to hear, that for yet another day in the United States, over three hundred million people have not been savaged by breed X? On the other hand, if a dog remotely resembling breed X were to merely look grumpy, let alone growl and snap, it would most likely be reported on the front page in headlines higher than dog's hocks. Once a bad breed reputation is established, whether warranted or not, a vicious circle quickly develops, whereby differential and unrepresentative media coverage increases the recognition of breed X, which in turn increases the likelihood that breed X bites will be reported (and therefore included in surveys) and also, increases the likelihood that bites from mixed-breeds and other purebreds will be misclassified as breed X bites. This in turn, increases the media coverage of bad breed X. At which point breed X becomes a hot prospect for some pea-brained jerk, who intentionally wants to create a bad dog. More fuel for the media. Eventually, the media-manufactured reputation in itself becomes a primary and direct cause of dog bites. Public scare campaigns foster a fear of dogs in general and of breed X in particular. And without a doubt, fear, or uneasiness towards dogs is the most potent, provocative cue to cause dogs to feel apprehensive and uneasy around people and maybe even defend themselves. To be a little more specific, when people are scared of a dog, they are much more likely to be bitten. Thus, sensational media-coverage is also a major contributory factor for dog bites. For example, a gaggle of fleeing, flailing and screaming children, who think they have just encountered big bad breed X of television notoriety, is the very stimulus that might excite and incite a lesser-proofed dog to give chase and nip and maybe bite. Whereas, if the children were not afraid, most probably the dog would have just ignored them, passed them by and happily gone about his daily doggy business of sniffing and peeing. The Danger of Dogs Certainly, dogs can be dangerous; they frequently bite, very infrequently maim and only extremely rarely, kill people. Certainly, each death is a heart-rending tragedy. But it is nonetheless essential to maintain perspective and to consider the danger of dogs relative to other dangers. The incidence of dogs biting people is extremely high. In the United States, there are usually over one million reported dog bites each year and since only one out of every twenty bites are actually reported, the annual toll exceeds twenty million bites. However, very few dog attacks leave the victim maimed. Rather, most incidents involve a only a single nip and very few bites even puncture the skin. Very few people are actually killed by dogs and even fewer children. In the United States, an average of twenty people, half of them children, are killed by dogs each year. This is indeed terrible, but more children are killed annually by farm animals. More children are killed in playgrounds, drowned in swimming pools, or choked on balloons. And last year in the United States, 2000 children were killed — not by dogs — but by their parents. Each year in the US, 2000 children are killed by their parents. This is the problem each year. And of course, many, many, many more children are killed by guns and by cars. The dog bite problem is serious but we must always keep it in perspective. The Solution The solution is not to ban specific foreign makes of automobile. Instead we ban cars that are not road-worthy, we teach people how to drive and we penalize irresponsible drivers. Similarly, banning specific foreign breeds of dog will not prevent dog bites. Instead, as a short-term solution to protect the public from dangerous dogs, it is only common sense to confine and/or muzzle dogs that have nipped or bitten (i.e., keep them off the streets) and although I love dogs, I really think it is kindest to all concerned to euthanize dogs that have maimed or killed. As a long-term solution though, dog owners must be taught, how to teach their dogs bite inhibition (so that they cause no damage) and how to socialize dogs to people (so that they feel no need to bite People). The Lassie myth — relying on the dog to magically develop a dandy demeanor and a terrific temperament backfires all too often. Good breeding is great but once dog is born, socialization and training are the only ways to better behavior and temperament. Bite inhibition, socialization, handling, gentling, confidence-building and proofing should all be proactive training exercises — part and parcel of routine canine husbandry. Regardless of breed and breeding, we know it works. So, let’s do it. To hear more of Dr. Dunbar's insights check out his live appearance schedule, he's likely coming to a town near you! This article is based on Dr. Dunbar's Behavior column in the October 1989 issue of the American Kennel Gazette. Reprinted with the permission of the author and the American Kennel Club.

Agree with this. My first obedience dog is an Afghan Hound. The sense of accomplishment when we got our CCD title was awesome. It took us longer than it might have taken someone with a BC or Kelpie but we had a ball. My goal this year is to try to get a CD title on him. I will also be starting agility with my Affie girl this year. ;) :grouphug: We may dot do all that well but hey we will be having a hoot while we do it. Good luck with what ever you decide. Bear

PF has already given you the URL or Dogstardaily. If you go to this page: - http://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads There are two free downloads. Before you get your puppy and After you get your puppy. Both written by Dr Ian Dunbar. They are both free and well worth a read. Re puppy classes most vet's these days run puppy pre-schools fro dogs that haven't had all their shots. Check with your local vet.

Good question but not easy to answer. But I'll give it a go. First up provide the basics - food, shelter & exercise. Provide veterinary care when required - annual checkups etc. If not a registered breeder or participant in a dog sport that requires intact dogs, desex at an appropriate age for the breed. Provide a safe environment for dog/s - eg. secure fenced area for play Provide at least basic training for dog/s. Will not allow dogs to roam free. Will pick up after dog/s. Have dog/s on a leash except in designated off-leash areas. In designated off-leash areas have control of dog/s. Well I guess that's a start.

Coursing video Afghans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYL5EZSiFRk Saluki http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD2kgTeo4JM

High Prey High Prey Play And finally Prey again The first two are chasing the lure. 3rd is playing chase with Jas Last pic is looking at a Hare in the paddock.

http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2349733 The right to breed The state that has no business in the bedrooms of the nation seeks to insert itself into the fallopian tubes of its poodles

When people stop falling for the scams. :rofl: ;) :D ;) ;)

Last session of last year, I instructed a trialling class. The class consisted of people who had just graduated to trialling and experienced triallers. With the new people I did the Ian Dunbar method of one large step and stop. I placed cones a large step apart so they couldn't keep going. (it amazes me how when you tell people "take one large step" they interpret to mean take a bunch of steps, the cones seemed to prevent this.) Slowly increasing to two and three steps. This greatly improved the dogs focus on the handler. With the experienced people I got them walking straight lines and doing right angle turns - separate exercises. It always amazes me how experienced triallers can't walk straight lines or do precise right angle turns. Bear.

Lochie has to dig the water before he drinks. And then if it gets too hot well...

LEGEND OF HOW THE AFGHAN HOUND BECAME SCENTED There must be folks out there who don't know this legend, so if I have your indulgence and you have the timeI will tell you the story once again. I will tell the legend of why some Afghans carry a haunting odor with them for life. Science being science will likely have a much more cut and dried answer to this question, but for me, being among those fortunate enough to experience this wonder... I'll take the legend... This is a story of a Princess, wonderful hounds, a very deep love and a promise kept. It happened long ago, and very far away. Far away over the seas, over the mountains and valleys to a land called Afghanistan. Afghanistan borders on the country of China. It is a land of sharp crags, steep cliffs, and deep gullies. The soil is hard to till. It is also a land of stark beauty, a fiercely proud people and the ancestral home of our beloved Afghan Hounds. A very long time ago, as we measure time, the Kingdom was ruled by a great Khan. Each day the Khan mounted his horse and rode out to meet with his people and see to their needs. He was much loved throughout his Kingdom because he had such a caring heart. Each day his daughter Farrah rode by his side. She was a beautiful child, large dark eyes and braided black hair that hung to her waist. The people loved Farrah as they loved her father. Her eyes always laughed. Her hands always reached out in friendliness. Though she was young, she was learning the lessons of her father's example very well. Farrah had another great love in her life, the magnificent dogs that ran beside them each day on their rounds. These beautiful hounds filled her heart with joy and they returned her love a hundred times over. Every day the Princess would pluck sprigs of Jasmine, which grew on the hillsides. Then, she would tuck a sprig under the collar of her most favoured. Jasmine was Farrah's special scent, it filled the air with it's musky and mysterious odor. She told her father how much it seemed to belong to the Afghan Hound. These dogs, in whose eyes you could see the reflection of hundreds of years gone by. Her father always explained to her how wise they were. When they were set on the hunt, following the hawk that led them until their prey came into their far seeing eyesight, they had to think for themselves. Racing over the mountain sides and deep gullies there was none who could keep up with them. Her father agreed that they were truly dogs of great mystery. Princess Farrah grew to be a beautiful young woman. On days when her father was unable to ride out among his people, Farrah and her hounds went in his place. As Farrah had grown, the people had only learned to cherish her more. They would call out greetings to her and wave as she rode by. She would quietly listen to any problem that was brought to her and she would take it to her father so that he could apply his wisdom and create an answer. Wherever the princess went, whether riding across the mountainside or strolling through the palace, she was accompanied by her beloved dogs. A head was never far from her hand. She would reach out and stroke this noble creature and this caring was always returned. A gentle rub of a head against her leg or if sitting, her touch would be acknowledged by a gentle breath of air across her neck as a dog placed his head on her shoulder. Time passed and the princess was to be wed. Her husband to be was a handsome young prince from a neighboring kingdom. Like the Khan, the Prince too was a good man. He respected his people and admired their hard work and dedication to their land. As was the custom of their land, it had been decided long ago that these two would marry. From childhood he had heard Farrah's name. He had learned that she was beautiful and kind. He knew also that she was intelligent, she understood her people. He loved her deeply for all of her qualities, long before he met her. Wedding preparations took over the palace. Even the dogs caught the excitement. They barked, jumped and ran with joy. Sprigs of Jasmine were everywhere. The beautiful and mysterious aroma filled the palace. Servants moved with light steps. No chore was too difficult or too tiring to be carried out. The wedding garments were ready. The palace sparkled. Tables were laden with food and guests were beginning to arrive from far away kingdoms. It was a magical time. Suddenly the joy ceased. The palace was hushed. The Princess was ill. It struck without warning. One day she was laughing and dancing and the next she could not rise from her bed. The Princess' beloved dogs sensed that this was very serious. On silent paws they moved around her. Each in turn took his place at her side and pushed against her hand with his head. Farrah's treasured female, heavy with whelp, never left the foot of her bed, her head lay gently across the princess' legs. The Khan was overcome by an all-encompassing sadness. The light that filled his life was fading. He sat on one side of her bed, the Prince on the other. Two powerful men, totally devastated by what was happening. Tow powerful men, totally unable to do anything to stop what seemed to be inevitable. Their princess was leaving them and time was short. Farrah opened her eyes and clasped the hand of her father in one hand and that of her Prince in the other. She pressed them to her cheeks and they could feel the warmth of her tears. "I must leave you now," she said, her voice was soft and weak, "but I will come back to you and you will know that I am here". How could this be? The two men looked at one another. Again the halting whisper, "believe me when I say, you will know that I am with you". How could she be back with them and how could they know? They shook their heads. It is the fever, their eyes seemed to say. And then she was gone. Great sadness filled the palace. Servants moved so quietly they appeared to glide over the floor. The laughter and joy so vibrant only days ago, was replaced by crushing sorrow. It was only a few days after her passing that Farrah's favorite lady let it be known that her time to deliver had arrived. Ahmed, the trusted master of the dogs, was ready. Nothing must happen to this wondrous animal. All must go well. The puppies began to make their way into the world and as they did, Ahmed realized that something astounding was happening. He must get the Khan and the Prince. Immediately he arose and ran down the hall, calling for them to, "come, come quickly". The two men followed the servant in haste and yet with great foreboding. Cautiously they approached the doorway. As they did, an all too familiar scent filled their nostrils; it was the scent of Jasmine. It could not be. The servants had removed all traces of Jasmine after the Princess died. There was none to be found anywhere within the palace walls. But the scent was here, in this room. Slowly, the two men approached the mother and her babes. The scent became stronger. They looked at one another in astonishment. They reached down and raised a small wiggling puppy. There it was....on the puppy's head, the scent of Jasmine. Astonishment filled their faces. Now they knew. Now they understood. They had no doubts at all. The Princess had kept her promise. She was here. She had rejoined them. Today, when a litter of Afghan Hounds is born, sometimes there is, hovering over them, around them and with them the scent of Jasmine. For those fortunate enough to experience this marvelous phenomenon, they too will know that the Princess has once again kept her promise.

Initially I was putting her in the stack and then saying "stand." Then when she started doing it herself I rewarded and praised reinforcing the stand cue. She picked it up fairly quickly. "If I do this when Bear says stand I get a treat." These days I very rarely fix her in the stack. Bear.

Dog Star Daily have put up a heap of training videos. Check out http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos It's interesting seeing a youngish Ian Dunbar.

I was just reading this on DSD. My guy's have definitely trained me to do a few things. Faxon's idea of fetch is for me to throw the toy etc , him to chase it and when it stops moving me to go get it to throw again. So what have your dogs trained you to do - either with your knowledge or without. ;) Bear.