Ptolomy

That look is a classic - my kids will actually try extra hard to pay attention when I scatter toys around a ring and heel around them. You sounds like you are really enjoying your training at the moment

The agility gods were looking after you today..... Well done - there is now a light at the end of the tunnel...

Not sure what that means! Well done mate...... I saw your heeling this morning and I have to say WOW Ruby has improved a lot - you can see you have been working on it - she certainly didn't lag and she wagged her tail around the ring - it was pretty to watch. I then held my breath for the SFE and not a problem in the world. You should be proud of your girl and its not been an easy week for you. I hope you have emailed Deb the vet to let her know your good news. On to novice you go......

The top obedience dog in WA for a couple of years was a black standard poodle - Kiri

I try not to put my 2 cents worth of advice in too often as I'm still wearing my L plates with my L plates dog too, so don't think I'm overly qualified to give advice! But saying that, I have that problem with Ruby where she just jumps in any old position on my left side and thinks its right :cool: I had Sue tell me that when she gets into heel and she's not quite there, over exaggerate her error in judgement by stepping away from her with an "uh oh!" and ask her to try again. The reason she said to move away and get her to try again, as opposed to staying put and trying to help her get into the correct position, is the dog will start thinking "it's ok, mum will just help me if I'm wrong" and won't try harder for the right position first time. I've been doing this with Ruby by getting her to only get into position from my left, she isn't allowed to go around behind me to find the position as that is her way of cheating! If I stop her from going that way, she has to work harder to find the position and also move her backend. She know knows if I step away she has to try again, so I'm asking her a bit less to get into position now, she just does it. Not always right though when going directly to the left, she tries every way possible to take shortcuts I can also say heel now from wherever she is and she comes to my left side, we're just working on getting the position spot on! Woo Hoo Rubystar - you are making progress WELL DONE

Goodonya shoemonster....... The idea is to treat it as a game. I usually play find it inside during the winter months before work - the kids all sit on the mat in the lounge room and I go and hide it in a room somewhere and then send them one by one to fine it. The babies I usually put it somewhere easy, the older kids usually have to hunt a bit harder. I am currently using a wooden scent article - yet my seekback is actually a leather article. Of course - the find it, bring it back and get rewarded - they think they are so smart I have used a couple of methods for teaching seekback outside. I have tried throwing the article into long grass and sending them to find it - this really teaches them to use their nose. Our K9 grounds are like bowling greens - so I have also put out a start peg and heeled the dog forward dropping the article in front of me as I heel forward the after a few steps I about turn and ask them to find it. I then gradually extend the distance, and put in turns. I usually offer lots of verbal encouragement to begin with and they get rewarded bigtime with either food or a ball thrown or the two food game. I still have Laras one and only original rolled black leather seekback and it is in great condition.- she is 12 1/2. I now use a different leather seekback for the red kids. I have 2 - one is more chewed that the other - and no judge has ever commented on the teeth marks LOL

Duration Heelwork has a few stages and stopping food if you haven’t reached that stage would be a no no in my books. I would keep food on you for several sessions then mix it up with rewarding from lots of sources as ness suggested. I would go out while my boy was inside and hide his breakfast in a different spot everyday…I would also alternate with using very small SEALED containers on ME. Just be creative…you can hide small containers in your pocket, bra, even down your pants. There is no set rules on where and when you reward but you must reward…you must reward!! As Sue said to me…imagine taking a picture of what you like..that is when you reward…you will know. I would also have to say if she got to the lagging stage - you didn't break it off soon enough. Also - don't feel that you have to reward just for the sake of rewarding - you probably would have been better off - putting her inside for a while and coming out and trying again 15 minutes later. I have a toller and I tend to keep most rewards on me for fear that the red dogs genes will tell them to run off whenever they see a container that could possibly contain a treat. They don't see me load up with food and it is usually in a sealed container in my pocket PS - its terrific to see you giving it a go WELL DONE

hey, you had your weekend last weekend...we're having ours soon, lots of fun we'll be having Have you decided where yet......nothing like the car park of a major shopping centre, or the beach - can just imagine setting the box up just on watersedge, then we have next to the duck pond - that should tip them over the edge

I-squeaks are GREAT!! Good for training, great for keeping 2 social Labs' attention on you in a crowded park! ....and good for distraction work yes thank you Caffy - nothing like throwing an I-Squeak through the UD ring as I send Scoota to the box and then sending Alex to get it when I tell Moo which jump to go over. You can't beat this sort of distraction work. I actually didn't realise it was an i-squeak you were using - no wonder he was sooooo tempted.

hehehe I spy another I-squeak convert :D

It would be good if you could have Sue come over for a follow-up in 8 weeks time - just to go over what she originally told you and to correct all the mistakes/bad habits that have crept in in the meantime. I know after I have had a lesson I come away all enthused - its like a battery recharge As for the duration heelwork - hmm it me that gets bored not the dogs - and its not easy walking at a solid pace for 3,4,5,6 minutes say she puffing and panting with aching legs

I enjoyed every minute of that run...hang on, it was only 33 secs!!LOL LOL thats how long I held my breath for

In WA we have "not for competition". So at a normal trial you send your entry form in and the cost per class is half a normal entry. You get to run - the judge judges you and you get timed, but your results don't count. You can compete down a class, so a masters dog can run in novice or excellent, they can jump at the usual dogs height or lower. You cannot run in a higher class than what you are qualified for.

OVER CAFFY AND MY DEAD BODIES

Caffy's little red man, and Scoota's partner in crime Mr Alex won masters agility today. It was the bestest run I have ever seen him do ...... Well done mate!

Sexi Lexi got her first open obedience pass yesterday - but it was special as she was drawn next to the GSD that stood over her in stays at the Western Classic. This is the first lot of stays she has done since the beginning of March - it has been a slow work in progress rebuilding her confidence and I am tickled pink that she sat there for the entire 3 minutes Good girl Lex.... Lexi followed up today with her last leg of excellent agility - so she now gets to play with the BIG kids Beans also got an open agility pass - go I guess I can't write that she was woeful on my website again......

OK after yesterdays obedience trial .....I need Sue back - please pop her and her bags on the next plane back to WA You have had her long enough!

Sitting here sulking - come on guys - you have to give us more than just she was very good........ Oh and Ness didn't eat the Cheese So perhaps scent discrimination with an open tin of tuna in the middle of the pack might not be beyond her

I too am looking forward to finding out what Sue covers and what you all learn Boy I wish I was there......

Well done Sal. I am sitting here laughing as Ness obviously has you on just the right reinforcement schedule to keep you going..... Good luck at the next trial - better practice those contacts between now and then

A small brag for my little obedience dogs. The State Agility Championships today and Lexi got 2 passes in excellent agility and made the finals and Scoota finished 4th in masters jumping and made the final. Not a hope in hell in being competitive in the finals - when you are running against super fast BC's but we got to rub shoulders with them Can't ask for more than that......

Hey Rubystar she has come such a long way - well done. You can see her sniffing each article and she knows when she has found the correct one. You don't lose points for the dog taking a while to find it - as long as they keep working. Scoota went through a stresshead stage where he would run out to the pack and just stand there for what seemed like hours he would then start to sniff the pack - I would lose 2-3 marks for this.

Maybe thats one of the questions you could ask Sue........You could sort of put it like ......... "whats the most frustrating breed of dog you have ever trialled" OR "what is the most intelligent breed of dog you have ever worked but has pushed all your buttons when you trialled it" OR "What breed has turned you grey"

I'm jealous, I'm jealous, I'm jealous Hey Caffy - lets hope they don't all rush out and get red dogs Enjoy the weekend - you should ALL get a lot out of it.

Its interesting - I did CCD with my last dog - used it to see what needed work and what would fall to bits. I did 2 legs of CCD with Beans and I couldn't get the third leg for her title - so I went onto novice