SkySoaringMagpie

Folks, just a reminder about the shows on the ANZAC weekend in the ACT. There are All Breeds shows on the Friday (2pm start), Saturday and Monday as well as Gundog and Toy shows on Saturday. On Sunday there are Group shows for all Groups. So a great long weekend's showing. Entries are about to close and some clubs including the Terrier Show on Saturday and the Hound Show on Saturday can't accept late entries. So get those entry forms out now! Entries also available on OzEntries for most shows. Schedules all available on the DogsACT website: http://www.dogsact.org.au/Calendar1.htm See you there!

The sock example was a good one. I have one dog who is a fast, heavy, pushy bugger when he runs with our smaller dogs. I used to yell NO and get cranky when he'd ignore me and continue to try and play dog soccer. Now I recall him instead and it works great because recalls are a game with us and he likes to play. I also manage his opportunities to run with the others so that he doesn't go out there fresh on a tired smaller dog, for example (I usually do the reverse). Works for me. These discussions always seem to devolve into a religious argument but for me the key question is "what is the most effective method here bearing in mind the importance of the training outcome and the impact on the dog/s (now and in the future)". Almost always stopping and thinking gives you a different answer to yelling no.

Wilbur's Saluki Ch Pazada Star View. RUBIS was the Afghan Grd Ch Gengala Super Trooper.

Gave Genie a hug, couldn't cheer him on as he was in the same class as Jadir!! Results for the Saluki Spec live from the scene while we wait for a zillion whippets to finish at the Sighthound Show. BIS - Ch Elarabie Oasis Jericho RUBIS - Ch Padtheway Pattern Pending Reserve Dog CC - Nomadic Pericles Celui Reserve Bitch CC - Ch Padtheway Polkadot My boy came a creditable 2nd in his class to the RCC winner so I'm happy enough Congrats to all the winners!

The difficulty with head halters is that they are well known as a behaviour modification device. People use them because they have a specific effect on dog behaviour, and that is why they are not permitted in formal obedience (where a dog is expected to work on a flat collar). Part of the test of working ability and temperament is the dog and handler's ability to work without modification devices. You may run into judges who don't know this, but most working group judges at least would question a halter being on a show dog and I suspect gun dog judges would be similar. In fact, any judges who have some exposure to current thinking in obedience would question a halter on a show dog. Edit: I've just realised that you can mostly imitate a halter with a show lead and get away with it. If your breeder can't help, let's catch up at our next show and try it!

Bugger! No PF, no Diva, and no Barinya/Alyosha. Who is going to stand on one foot and wave their hands now? I will give Genie a hug. Good luck for the Bozo Borzoi speciality

There's been some mention of "good" slickers. We use Doggyman because they are gentle and effective.

That's what OH said when it was over: Great report, but it needs to be on A Current Affair or Today Tonight.

If I wanted a lab for agility I would see if I could get hold of a "failed" Customs dog. They are adopted out to families from time to time and are lean labs bred for an active working life. The only thing to watch is that the breeding program aims for a pretty full on working temperament, but on the other hand, sometimes the ones that flunk flunk because they don't have that.

That's easy for you wolfie people to say! Your dogs look "appropriate" in the cold and wet, the 'lukis and 'ghans just look a bit sad Diva, we'll see if we can organise a group photo of us giving the signal, just for you :D

Keshwar and I are heading down on Saturday for the Saluki show and the Sighthound show at Castle Hill. Who else is going to be in Sydney this weekend? Should we develop a little DOL signal so we recognise each other?

Lime green can be tough on the complexion but if you have the right shirt perhaps it will mute it a bit. To be honest I don't like the really screamy colours but if I had a border I would probably wear a lime green skirt rather than jacket and team it with a white or black jacket. That way you get the colour near your dog but it's not something that will blind the judge at 10 paces. Also, I would probably be more inclined to wear a screamy colour on an overcast day. Banana yellow, bright orange, lime green etc on a blazing hot day is hard on the eyes.

Think it might have been here on DOL that I read about a breeder including 6 weeks pet health insurance with her puppy packs and an encouragement for the owners to keep up the insurance? Our mob are not insured, but I think it sounds like a good idea for a new owner. Is there any reason why you wouldn't do this? And for those that do, which company do you use and what is the arrangement?

I've reported myself. Someone posted in a thread I started to say the subject wasn't appropriate for DOL. I reported it so that a mod could decide whether the subject should be discussed. So, not weird at all

Probably it's the kids. A few things behind that: 1 - If you have 3 small kids, the breeder will be wanting to know how much time you can give the dog and especially how much time you can give to supervision and education and training (the kids and the dog). Realistically, what is your life like now? Dogs, even "easy" breeds like Cavs, are a lot of work. 2 - Everyone, but everyone says that their kids are great kids and wouldn't hurt the dog etc. It's like everyone thinking they are a good driver - yet the roads are full of idiots. The thing is, kids can and do seriously injure small dogs like cavvies without intending to or even knowing that they've done it. It has nothing to do with whether they are a good kid or not. Also, to be frank, not everyone is a good judge of whether their kids would intentionally hurt a dog either. Vets and vet nurses can tell you stories about that. It's not personal, it's just that the breeders have no information about you they can use to work out if you are the exception to the rule. And if they have homes lined up with retired ladies in their 60's who have had Cavs for the last 30 years then you can see that you won't get over the line. 3 - "Good with children" is often code for "will put up with any crap that the kids dish out without biting them". You might not intend to send this message, but unless you are demonstrating that you are clueful about dogs and kids in your interactions with the breeders they may be concluding that by "good with children" you want a very tolerant dog. They may rightfully decide that they don't want to put a dog - even one with bomb-proof temperament - into a house where it spends most of its time tolerating stressful behaviour. You might say "oh, but that's not us" but the breeder has no way of knowing that and there's older divorcee Mrs Smith looking for a Cav after her Pookie died last year and she's a much safer bet.

"Separation Anxiety" is used to describe a range of behavioural issues and I think it's a good idea to specifically describe the behaviour before putting a label on it or trying to treat it. I try and separate out two main clusters - one the mostly environment driven fixable stuff which I often call "mild SA" and the second the full (usually genetically based) disaster where the dog isn't anywhere near in full possession of itself and can't cope, even with medication. Really serious SA is no easy fix matter and I've known people who aren't hopelessly soft who haven't been able to fix it in rescue dogs. PTS is sometimes the only option for a dog that literally cannot cope on its own and does things like tearing out its teeth and claws trying to escape, chewing through doors and walls, etc etc. I recently got on top of it in a rescue and I've trained it out of a puppy but I'm no genius and the issues were mild - to me. I see a dog shitting itself and paw painting its crate as one of those things, rather than an indication that the world is coming to an end, for example. Perhaps someone else would see that as a deal breaker, I don't know. In both cases they stopped with basic training. I have no doubt tho' that if it was a very serious case I like most people would NOT have been able to fix it. I understand what Chewy is saying - a lot of it is owner mediated - but some of it just isn't and is hard wired into a doggie brain that is basically a prison for the poor dog concerned. A useful test I once learned from someone a lot more cluey than me is to listen to the barking/wailing. If it is a constant stream of distressed vocalising then it's probably SA. if it's "bark bark bark, wait if they come back, bark bark bark, wait, maybe they'll come back, bark bark bark, OK I'm bored I think I'll chew this stick instead" then it's probably just the dog seeing how far it can train you. Edited for spelling

It is not just the new and vulnerable that have to think carefully about what they post here. That isn't the fault of the DOL moderation team, it's the nature of the internet. DOL is actively monitored by people who never post, I remembered that again recently when OH got a nosy phone call about something I posted in the breeders' forum. You need to be careful what you post no matter who you are. These days my expectation would be that most people would use DOL as an information source for all sorts of things. In fact, I have privately used information I've read here when assessing a potential placement for a rescue puppy. There are also people here who care about the dog first and foremost and that shows in their posts. Sometimes they make errors of judgement when they confront someone with past information, because sometimes that isn't ultimately going to help the dog. OTOH, I think it's good that people know they will be held accountable to their history. I don't think it's offensive to ask someone about something they've posted in the past but haven't brought into the current discussion.

There is no place for aggressive behaviour and the "old school" methods to deal with aggression IMO work best. What do you mean by old school methods? For example, what do you do if a dog attempts to guard a person, position or object?

Yass Valley - $40 per dog lifetime registration with a DogsNSW membership card. Don't recall how much it is if you're not registered with DogsNSW but it's significantly more for entire animals. Microchipping is compulsory for pets/showdogs.

Actually I don't think digging up thread history is unreasonable, especially not in this sort of situation. For example, if I posted on here about having to make a hard decision about continuing to keep one of my dogs and had NOT talked to the breeder, then I would expect a) that people would tell the breeder and b) to cop it from both barrels from the breeder. I think one of the good things about DOL, in spite of what people are saying here, is that it encourages people to be accountable for their actions because people are watching what you are doing.

Excellent news, I'm glad it worked out for you, tho' god knows it shouldn't have been that hard. OH bought a puppy from QLD recently and his registration certificate was in the puppy folder the breeder gives to everyone along with details about training, diet and coat care and a copy of the sales contract.

Is the dog OK with predictable adults? I'm guessing you know that rehoming a dog that snaps is a dangerous business but at the same time, it sounds like your house is a particularly challenging one for a dog so perhaps his behaviour is manageable and it would be appropriate to adopt him out with full disclosure. Only you know if you can find a good home. That's obviously the ideal solution if you're not prepared to stop fostering. Otherwise I guess the next option is to have a lovely day with Ben by yourself finishing with an appointment with the vet. One thing I wouldn't try in the same position is continuing as you have been. Kids will disobey rules, even good kids can't be totally relied on around a difficult dog much less foster kids with behavioural issues. And living in a crate and/or outside if the dog has previously had a close relationship with you is no life for a dog.

It seems to be rather hit and miss. It works for some dogs and doesn't seem to touch other dogs. I'd be interested to see a decent trial on the placebo effect and clomicalm for that reason. One thing many people don't know, it causes birth defects. Of course, if a dog needs Clomicalm it shouldn't be bred from anyway, but not everyone has that kind of sense.

A number of people in breeds where there isn't a major issue with same sex aggression just pick one sex for their companions. Ie, only boys or only girls. Which one doesn't seem to matter, some find entire dogs more annoying than entire bitches and vice versa, also depends a bit if you are planning just to show (dogs) or will be pursuing a breeding program (bitches).

There is often a difference between the legal answer and the right answer to this question. I personally would not handle any breed of dog under the breeder of my dogs because we have a close mentoring relationship. She's one judge out of a zillion judges and so it does not cause me any dramas to skip a show she might be judging. If there is a significant apparent conflict of interest then even if it's legal per the regs and the judge is as straight as an arrow, any wins will be tainted and will reflect poorly on the judge, you and by extension, the show committee. However, if the judge in question sold you a dog years ago that is now out of circulation and there was no apparent conflict of interest then I probably would show.