Ptolomy

Mine get lambs tongues when I can get them

Gees Ness you will have to be praying hard to get everything you have asked for all on the one night! Happy Birthday Sal - just go out and enjoy...... ;)

That'd be great, thanks Does she sell, or does anyone know where I can find, a plastic dumbell? I have a large one, too large for Ruby (though it's what I used to teach her to retrieve and hold something) so I bought a smaller wood one for her but with very little use it has big chunks coming off the bell bit (not to mention endless teethmarks ) So thought I would go back to plastic as she doesn't mouth them as much. The K9 shop sells them. There may be a show on NYE otherwise you will have to wait for the first show in January to have a look. She would probably need a medium which is about $11

I know she has a couple of orders for scent articles for other people - so I will ask her to make another set. I think they are $30 a set.

I think I would be starrting off on grass rather than carpet (although I did teach Blaize and Scoota on carpet) - carpet would hold a lot of scent. Just my thoughts.....

When I taught Blaize and Scoota scent they both were able to hold the article before I started teaching the scenting part. Beans and Lexi were different and although I tried to teach them to hold before moving onto the scenting it just wasn't happening - so I decided to move on - and funnily enough the holding part just happened further down the track - really easily. You must treat this as a game - so if the dog is struggling make it fun by offering encouragement, thats why I say take all formality out of the game to begin with - the turns and presents can be added and worked on later as a separate exercise. In the initial stages, when the dog just has the 4 unscented and 1 scented article on the ground, when the dog has picked up the correct article and turned around and started back to you I would be telling them how clever they were or C/T'ing. Once the light bulb has gone on and the dog is catching onto the exercise I would start delaying the "good dog" until they were almost at your feet. You should find that as the dog becomes more confident the sit will come, although you may have to put a verbal on it initially. I would hopefully be getting a good dog in before it drops the article - you should find as the dog becomes more confident it should be holding onto the article longer and longer. Lexi used to throw the article at me, so once she was confident in making the correct article selection, I started asking her to pick the article up and deliver to hand.

You could start off by playing the two food game with two scent articles which will get the dog used to racing out and picking up the article. Usually dogs finding picking up the metal the hardest and if they are going to chew an article it will usually be the wood. You could also start hiding a scent article (in easy places to begin with) and sending the dog to find it. This article will then become your heavily scented article to start scent with.

The other thing I should mention - is that when the dog is learning you don't worry about the about turns, the holding of the article, the sits or straight presents - the only thing we are looking for is bringing back the correct article.

You really do need a couple of sets of articles - especially when the dog is learning. I gather you are using tongs to put your unscented article out and that you are using the same number metal article as your heavily scented one. Remember all your articles will have some of your scent on it - and really we want the dog to bring back the hottest scent. I also have to say that to begin with it is almost luck that the dog brings back the correct one, but you will definitely see when the dog understands the exercises as you start adding more articles. As an interesting exercise - can I suggest that you leave scent for 2 days (the articles should be well aired by then) - then on Thursday - put out 4 metal articles with tongs - 15cm apart and add one scented one and send her to find it. If she brings back the incorrect one take it off her and send her to find it again. If she gets it wrong again just give her a pat and pack it up and we will try it another way. If she gets the correct one - tell her she is brilliant and try one more time only. Then pack the game away. Let us know how you get on. PS - You can get more scent articles from Zoe with the tollers. She will be at the practice trial.

Hi Katie I have used the dog scout method for the last 4 dogs and it is brilliant. I had this exact issue with Blaize who was the first dog I taught using this methos and I was gob smacked when it said if the dog brings back the wrong article then just stand there - from memory I waited her out for about 30 seconds and sure enough she went back and brought the correct article - and it was like from then on the penny dropped. I do have to say that each of my kids are clicker trained so are used to offering behaviours and maybe this helped. Some things to try..... Use the same scented metal each night - this will become your heavily scented article. If the dog brings back the wrong article - don't use that article again that night. If the dog brings back the wrong article twice - I would tend to pack it up and leave it for the night. I do have to say for the first dog I threw the scented article which I think is supposed to land 40-50cm from the unscented one - well my throws are shocking and the scented article would always land on top of the other one - so from then on I placed the article where I wanted it. It may help to play fetch with the scented article to begin with - so throw it and ask her to fetch and reward a couple of times. If all else failes leave it for a couple of nights and then try again. I also don't tend to stay at the same level for very long - so I very quickly add a second, third and forth article - it is somewhere around adding the third and forth article that you see the penny drop. K9 opens again on the 5th January (so I am told) so happy to catch up after that and have a look if you are still having issues.

No you don't have to have your dog measured for CCD - only once you are ready to enter open.

Sorry Ness..... Which part are you jealous of????? http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=fEeLN3eJ3WQ I am not sure if this link will work - but this is "The Witch" at the State Champs held in October this year. Have to say it was one of her more focused efforts.

God I hate that. I struggle trying to do something, hand the dog over to Sue and in two seconds she has the dog doing it like they have done it all their lives. Makes me feel very novice! And Cathy does this mean Alex will never miss his contacts again?????

That's great, Anna, I'll know someone there now! I'll attend too if all working spots are gone but I sooooooooooo hope I get a working spot!! Did they say when they would let you know if you got a working spot or not? Auditing is actually good because you don't have a dog to worry about and you can watch everybody else be all fingers and thumbs. Not sure if you know but Gina put out a book a couple of years ago on training a dog for open obedience and overcoming some of the problems. You might want to ask her about it.

Gina O'Keefe is running a seminar on the 10th January run by Northern Districts Club http://www.northernsuburbsdogclub.org/ Click on Gina Seminar Price is $20 for a working spot and $10 for an auditor. It would be money well spent.......

We have done the elimination diet - was on goat and sweet potato for 3 months before we could start adding things. Was it worth it - it sure was - before seeing Mandy at Murdoch I had tried to eliminate foods myself - but I wasn't cut throat enough in terms of the dog only having 2 foods and nothing else. I also didn't realise that when you added a "new" food to try it has to make up 1/3 of her daily food intake and she had to be on it for 10 days. Was it expensive - no definitely not Did it work - it sure did - I now know that she can't have beef, lamb, milk, wheat or corn. Was it a nuisance ....to begin with it was, I felt really sorry for the dog because all the others could have lots of treats, Beans could only have goat or sweet potato and you really are limited in the number of ways you can give these two foods. I was also still training Beans which mean any food rewards at training could only be goat or sweet potato. Interesting, that I now use a lot of sweet potato as treats for all my kids. Lucky for me I drive past South Street Pet Supplies every day - so accessing goat was easy.

Gees how funny is it to look back - missed out on the 2 x UDX legs and the CDX is still a work in progress with Beans - but managed to tick everything else off. Hey think the Toller Tree died due to a lack of use......

Maybe if you include $100 you might get lucky! Guilty or Not Guilty??? that is the question!

Sorry Ness I cannot lie to santa You need to do your own dirty work..... love Ptolomy xx

Have been thinking about this all evening.... Dear Santa I have been really really good Can I please have a sack full of SFE's A guarantee that all 4 feet will stay on the ground. All my love Ptolomy xxx

I have just finished writing a summary of what the kids achieved training and title wise in 2008 - which got me thinking - what would I like to achieve in 2009. So heregoes (praying to Santa and the obedience and agility gods)..... LEXI Obedience - CDX title - this is doable Agility - ADX JDX titles if she can keep all the bars up Would also like to give retrieving a go...... BEANS Obedience - That last CDX leg - its been a work in progress for over 12 months. Agility - all I want for Xmas is some distance handling please....... BLAIZE Obedience - YES YES YES on a more consistent basis if possible. Agility - argh she can retire SCOOTA Obedience - hmm planning 2 interstate trips and have the Obedience Nationals in Perth - so an order for some top notch, not over the top, no crabbing type work please, where you do acknowledge the jump I indicate in the directed jumping exercise and you do hold onto the gloves until I say "give" and don't throw them at me in anticipation of running to the car for a jackpot. Agility - you get what you train - so maybe to complete a few more training sessions would be nice.

I have been using them for a while and the kids love them.

I think I placed my CR order on the 5th December from memory Yes LP I think it was the rabbit tuggy - I actually have a stuffed rabbit under the front seat of my car which I bring out for retrieving every now and again and this usually sends Blaize over the top. Hmmm maybe I should bring it out prior to going into the UD ring with her tonight - although i have visions of her being sent to find her seekback and having her climb through my car window, digging the bunny out from under the seat and then running off and chewing it to bits. and........I have i-squeak balls everywhere

My Clean Run Package arrived last night - boy was I excited. I opened it.........got the new tuggy out, you know the one with the hairy bit in the middle and the handle on each end, and played tug with the kids. TUG TUG TUG, TUG TUG TUG - even the non toy motivated kids were getting right into it. Then the phone rang - I went outside and chatted for 5 minutes, well it may have been 10 minutes..... Came back inside to find Miss Blaize (you know the one I keep offering free to a good home) had helped herself to the new tuggy and set about pulling out all the fur she was having a wonderful time - there was fur everywhere and she had the biggest smile on her face. This is also why I can't do retrieving with her as she tends to run off with the birdie and then proceeds to de feather it in record time ARGH

I also ordered Proofing Against All Temptation Training Card Pack, and Making Reinforcement Fun DVD. Now if I won lotto - I would love to make an obedience training dvd Or perhaps I could do 101 things to do with an I-Squeak ball