Vickie

when westielover & I were camping we got asked if we were a dogwalking service :D 9 dogs between the 2 of us

I don't have clients, I have a few fellow triallers who ring me up when they have a problem or want to start pups off, to ask if I will help. some come once, some a few times. Last year I was sent a number of problem dogs from trainers & clubs who needed some one on one help before they were ready for class situations. It's just me helping people I know or know of. I'm not doing it this year, it's rewarding but I can't justify doing it every day for nothing and I don't want a business.

Cosmolo, the running off is an issue for sure. I think that is one of the benefits of true foundation training. When you are only doing one thing at a time & your sessions are short & you are doing 3 times the amount of rewarding & play as actual exercises, it is much easier to keep a dogs focus. Even in a fenced area, if the dog is distracted or running off, the exercises need to be quicker & simpler & the rewards need to be higher & more frequent. I never let a dog do 3 obstacles if it can't do one with enthusiasm & focus. It's amazing how quickly things move when you get it right to start. I set up a complex drill today for a young dog. I had planned to work on it over the next few weeks, but the owner had done some homework. We started just rewarding a few times before the first jump, then a few times after, then we did 2 jumps. From there we were able to do 6. Had we tried to start with 6, it would have started ugly & probably stayed ugly. It's not quite perfect, but by the end of the session it was damned close! Same with weaves. I do all my work on 3 poles. 3 to 5 over a couple of weeks & they're ready for 12. Entries are done and they are independent. There is still proofing, but the time spent breaking it down initially & getting the dog to think makes things go very fast.

I think you can both the drive forward & the straight angle just by teaching a position by your side. It is possible to build anticipation on the flat with a toy. Dog is only released when they focus ahead. Using this method it is easy to put a jump or a weave entry in front for the to drive through & be rewarded. I do lots of restrained recalls as well but find the above exercise builds as much anticipation & drive as the rr does.

hi Cosmolo, I am sorry I did not know the video was from your class. If your students are happy with their progress & the dogs are happy & safe, then I guess it is all OK. I learnt agility exactly like this 10 years ago. I didn't want to compete either. When i did get interested in competing (as so many do) I had to retrain everything & honestly my enjoyment and my dogs enjoyment increased tenfold. I think it's only fair to students though to let them know that your classes are not geared towards competition & that they will need a different type of class if they are even considering competition

BM, I am sorry, there is no way I mean to criticise you or bundy. If the truth be know, I was a little horrified that anyone teaching agility would allow something like this. But that is no reflection on you. You & bundy were great. I really just learn to keep my mouth shut, it was just hard not to say something

I watched a run recently on youtube & decided it was worth setting up some of it, as it looked challenging. It sure was! I don't have a map of it, but videoed the girls running it. It took us a few goes with each to get it right(ish). The big challenge was that the dogs started with a long fast run & then had to collect for a tight bit, then extend out again & collect again into the weaves before finishing with another straight run. I nearly landed on my fat butt a few times Trim's weaves are not nearly as independent as I thought they were & getting Shine to turn after a tunnel when she could see the home stretch proved quite a challenge too! We found a number of things we need to work on...that's what training is I guess

Glad you had a good time So are you an addict yet??? Don't be too hard on yourself or him. It is a MASSIVE call to take a young dog around a course before you have learnt any obstacle performance or handling. Are you allowed to take the lead off? That should help heaps next time. Hopefully attempting a course was a one off & the next sessions will focus on teaching & rewarding correct performance & handling. He's a beautiful dog. I have quite a soft spot for Vizslas.

YAY Ruby :D . Hopefully she will continue with her confidence.

This is such a beautiful thread CM, not only because your photos are so totally gorgeous, but also because of how much you adore your beautiful Texas. He is one of my favourite DOL dogs too. Keep spoiling him rotten and I hope you can keep him pain free & happy for as long as possible.

A number of years ago I did an "out of bounds" tutorial. It was the first time I had done anything even remotely complex in elements. I will see if it is still online as it really explained layers to me as well as a few other bits & pieces. I think using Photoshop is a bit like picking up a DSLR for the first time, it is impossible to master it all at once (or ever lol) but as you learn each function, you can apply it to others. I think it's normal to overdo everything when you start too. Eta, just found it, it was on flickr, not sure if you are on there? The guys name is serrator, if you do a search on out of bounds tutorial elements you will find plenty, I just found serrators tutorial very easy to follow

Ditto to everything Janba said ;)

Brilliant photos kirislin!!! They are such magnificent animals & you have really captured their power

Owww you poor thing, hope it heals soon. I've had a couple of bites from playing tug with young dogs, it bloody well hurts! Especially when infection sets in

My Zeus was like this. He only ever had eyes for me & would strain & struggle if someone, including my husband even tried to walk him away on lead. He did get better once we started agility & his confidence grew. In the end my daughter could run him, so long as he knew I was around. I always found it amusing that he would run for her but never wanted affection from her. We started very slowly by getting her to ask him for very simple things with the promise of a good reward. I think in the end his love for agility overcame his need to be with me and he was willing to run full courses. Lol, he still always came back to me for his reward at the end though. With the confidence he gained in agility, he became much more willing to do everyday things for other people. So long as I was around, he was happy to go have fun with someone else. My other dogs will all doing anything for anyone & seem to forget I even exist once they see agility or sheep.

man: "what else does it have in it?" me: other than what? Man: greyhound me: she's a border collie man: "listen love, I've had greyhounds all my life, I know a dog with greyhound in it when i see one and I'm telling you that dog is mostly greyhound!"

I find the size/presentation of the treat and/or the rate with which you deliver it, much more important than what it actually is. Eg if you dog is not interested in a 1cm cube of chicken, try a whole chicken schnitzel & break a piece off every x seconds.

Many years ago my husband had to go interstate to work for 6 months. He would come home most weekends. For a few weeks when he first left, my 2 dogs prowled around the house all night. They did not alert bark but they did growl & grumble at the front & back door. Normally they slept in our room with us, but they just paced all night. In time they settled down, got used to him being away & came back to sleep in our room with no more pacing or growling. All I could think was that I was subconsciously worried about being in the house alone & they were picking up on it.

This question will be impossible for anyone to answer. Some of the most skittish and some of the most confident dogs I know are coolies. Their temperaments vary widely, as does their suitability as a suburban pet. I agree she needs to get someone knowledgeable to assess & help her with the dog. The worst thing she can do is baby it all the time & try to show it affection. This is what most novice owners will do with a dog like thi and it will only make them worse. Where is she located in NSW? We may be able to recommend someone to help her.

Hmmmm Chloe wanted me to enter her & Pep in the next trial we are going to. They are NOWHERE NEAR ready to trial. I decided the only way to prove it was to set up a Novice type course to show Chloe just how far away they are yet. I said to her "I'll tell you what, if you can get her around this, I will enter her for you" Ooops. I guess that backfired, big time What a clever little dog she is, she has NEVER done 13 obstacles in a row. I don't think she's ever even seen a rear cross. I guess at least now Chloe will be training her every day in anticipation (and to teach her the 3-4 obstacles she's never seen yet )

Thanks Linda Dogs are only allowed offlead on the beach before 8am & after 6pm so that certainly helps ensure nice lighting.

how cute! Where was your camera? We need pics

OMG How totally gorgeous!!! Both the dog & the pic I bet this would sell as a greeting card

Just noticed Shine's face in this pic. Yep, she's a total fruitloop! LOL, she makes me laugh so much. That is her scary face for Pep, who has the very annoying habit of biting Shine's legs as she runs, Shine pulls all the faces like she's going to nail her but she never does. I'm guessing Trim has really told her off at some point b/c Pep reserves her annoyingness for Shine. I have a whole series of the 4 of them running up the beach, with some more funny faces. Will try to load the others up at some point.

Thanks for your comments everyone & for your thoughts about my beautiful Zeus. I know, but I am about the most biased person in the world towards them