Ptolomy

Still celebrating just getting there - Judge chose rough collie

How did you get on last weekend in the in show lineup??

First obedience trial for the year this weekend and I have decided to jump in with both feet...... UDX, UD and open with Scoota :D ;) and Open with Beans Think all three of us should have a fried brain by the end of it.

My toller boy also looked like the big dipper at 6 months of age, 7 months he was worse and looked very long in body, 8 months and some friends tried to get some stacked shots of him and boy they were bad and then in the space of a week, the same week he turned 9 months old I looked at him and thought things where starting to level up, he is still slightly bum high, but the difference between the front and back is getting better and his movement is That was 2 weeks ago and for the last 2 weekends he has won Best Puppy in Group. So hang in there

Thanks to Rally Valley who tonight handled Strauss for Best Puppy in Group for the second week running and NO I am not considering crossing to the dark side Hannah you did a great job and all my kids love you

My back room is flooded Do you think I could ask Julia for some of that flood levy?

Hugs Mirawee - you sure could use them!

HUgs to you - and stop beating yourself up - we have all been in this boat at some time and the best news is that she is still fighting. Lets hope she improves and we all want you to keep us updated. hang in there.....

LOL - I said that about Strauss and come to think about it, Scoota before him. I have actually changed my opinion of Moo - but I really have to say, my girls generally pick things up much faster.

Gees a bike ride AND a training session. Now I feel really guilty!

Cnr of Warton and Ranford Roads Southern River (hmm now I am not certain if the suburb is Canning Vale its one or the other)

Saturday night at the Canine Grounds There is also an agility trial there on Friday night.

Well done mate - he has come a long way in such a short period of time. How did you overcome his fear of bikes and does he still have anxious moments around them? I started working on the fear in late November - but he made a large leap forward a few weeks ago! (A bit detailed and possibly boring) I used a clicker and first of all clicked for being calm 2 m from the bike laying on the ground, then gradually moved closer, then clicked for him touching the bike, then cliked for him not trying to run away while I moved the bike while it was lying down (i.e spun the tyre, moved the handlebar or pedal), then I would lift the bike a little and click if he was calm and put it down to start over again, once it was fully up I would click touching again, then I would move the bike back and foward and click for calm near the bike, then he was touching the bike while moving then moving the handlebars side to side was a bit scarier then when he was calm around that I began sitting on the bike, back and forward ect. until I could ride with him next to me! The biggest breakthough was handlebars side to side while sitting on the bike. He is a lot better with other bikes i.e this morning on our walk a whole peleton of cyclists went by on the road and he saw them but didn't react however a bit later on a narrow footpath two cyclists came past and he went on my other side and hesitates a little, but nothing like a few months back where his tail would be between his legs and he would curl in a shaking little ball or he would slip his collar and bolt. :D Also the other day at Riverside we saw a bike and he noticed it (and was offleash) but still stayed near me as the bike went past about 1m away as he thought I might throw his ball! He is still a bit scared of cars but honestly I don't know if I want to change that... he is also scared of skateboards, trolleys, prams ect, all things we have to work on... hopefully after a few he will start to generalize all 'wheels' We should all take notice of how you had to break everything down into tiny pieces, lumping wasn't a choice, but how you have transformed a dog that was so frightened of a bike laying on the ground to one that will run beside one. A tremendous effort

Well done mate - he has come a long way in such a short period of time. How did you overcome his fear of bikes and does he still have anxious moments around them?

Hey good job Tiggy and where did all this motivation come from Banjo did a great job heeling - what sort of food were you using - the cheese would have been good)? Strauss was better on the outside cirlces than the inside ones (and still is and it looks like Banjo is the same). Start Bear on catching food now away from heeling. I have just had a look at your rear end awareness videos The one of Bear was how Strauss started too and it didn't take him long to catch on at all - its funny because at this stage they are oblivious to the phone book even being there - just more intent on getting the chunks of cheese. The one of Banjo on his stiff side. Try standing opposite him and asking him to line up or get in or whatever your command is for him to find heel position and you stand still - he might find this easier. Hmm actually you will have to break this down a bit, you stand with him in heel and take a step to your right and ask him to line up. Once he can do this, then you take 2 steps etc until you are opposite him and he can scoot around.

Hallaluyear :D I now have a brand new fence at the front and down the side and after taking 5 dogs to the vets 5 dogs that are moving better than they were this morning :D Boxagirl - I feel your pain and I hope Wolf is more mobile tomorrow.

Hmm I would have thought it would be a DQ - Rubystar because she had taken the obstacle out of sequence.

Hmm somethimes that is easier said than done Don't forget the oppositional reflex stuff too - where you leave her in a stand, walk away and about turn and then gently pull on the lead. If she moves tell her too bad and put her back - if she stays there - then celebrate. You can also put her in a stand and with you standing in front of her get some food and slowly edge it towards her - if she moves in an attempt to get it - the remove the food, put her back into a stand and try again. If she stands still and doesn;t move then she gets the food. You don't have to say anything with this one as actions speak louder than words. make sure while you are doing these games you have a glass of red in your other hand (this is for you not her)

;) Let us know how she gets on and dare I ask do you have HBF

So whats puppy of the year and how does that work. No idea how Soggy cut her foot - but I came inside and went there was blood everywhere, walls, floor, rugs. Hmm I then has to work out by process of emilination which dog it was - not easy when you have 8. INteresting I put Soggy in a crate so I could clean up and you would have thought I had beaten her every day of her life. So later that afternoon we played some crate games and in the end I had each of the kids running into the crate by name and dropping waiting for their rewards. Note to self I must do some more of this before we head East.

When training the DOR in obedience the biggest problem we have is the dog coming to us for the reward, which is not what we want. I start teaching the drop at a distance while playing. Pretend to throw a ball the dog will race off to get it (but it is still in my hand) when they turn around to look at me I give them a drop verbal and signal and once they drop I throw the ball. With my kids they catch onto this game very quickly and the drops become lightening fast. I then start to incorporate the two food game, when I will throw food in one direction and send the dog to go and get it as the dog is returning I will give the drop signal, when the dog drops I will throw food in the other direction and send the dog off to get that again - so each time they are not coming back to me for the reward. Not sure if this is any help??

Corvus are you after something similar to the drop on recall in open obedience??

After a crappy day (Soggy cut her foot ) tonight we got our first show ribbon ever (and now I know how newby obedience people feel when they get their first pass) when ..... Strauss got best puppy in Group I had no idea what happens after group has finished as I am usually home tucked up in bed :D

I have dug up this thread because I walked inside the house today and found blood over the floor, carpet and walls - one of the kids has sliced her front paw pad. So what did everybody decide was the beat course of action - to cover or leave uncovered (I think the cut is too deep to leave uncovered for at least a couple of days and if I did walking on the grass would be very uncomfortable). I have peroxided it and applied antiseptic and 4 hours down the track the vet wrap is still in place. I will check it out again later this arvo.

Woo Hoo BIG Click and Treat to you Rally Valley for all your hard efforts and for not giving up. Toby is a lucky boy to have you as his mum :D