angelsun

German Pinschers when raised with kids make great family pets. they can be as active or dormant as you want them to be and also make great alarms but not overly barky. Being a medium size, they are portable and dont take a lot of room and shed minimaly.

I have always talked to my dogs in the ring. Some need more than others, but I train with the words "Stand" and of course "stay" and will always encourage during the exam saying "good boy/girl" When about to move, I will say to the dog "ok, lets go" and that is their command to move out. With my shep boy, he knows to move out at the end of the lead when we gait but only when I say "go out". On the down and back I'll use "easy" and he knows he must stay with me. There is nothing wrong with talking to the dogs, however use a normal voice andnot a high pitched one as that usually turns untrained pups into lunatics I've found. Naturally all dogs are different, and with a non food motivated dog, that squeeky voice can be your best friend to show expression.

This is my preggy girl. We think only three in there but that's betterthan her last litter two years ago which only gave us one. If she looks this pissed off and pathetic now, imagine what she'll be in a couple more weeks when she's almost ready to whelp!

I totally agree Eridor and I am so honoured and privaleged that I was welcomed into their friendship when I arrived on these shores. Tony and I miss Bo every day in one way or another and we think of Jeanette just as often, hoping that she will rise above this terrible tragedy.

Have added my litter to May as we miscalculated the dates.

forgot all about this thread. I have a litter due to be born May 2nd. We are pretty sure there are three in there. (German Pinschers)

As mentioned...the use of the term Correction Collar might sit better with you. These reactions are very human and very common. The key as also mentioned is that you did the right amount of correction at the right time. Where corrections become potentially harmful is when they are used incorrectly and with extreme force and repetativeness. As you say, he is a confident dog. It takes more than a few pops on a correction collar to break a dogs spirit and knowing where he stands in your pack is the most important issue here. Without that 'order' any dog is subject to fail, and when I say fail, it usually means PTS. When this dog proves he can move past a correction collar, move him to a flat collar. This is a right he must earn by continually behaving and responding to you, the alpha. Unfortunately it's all too common for smaller dogs to attempt to be boss and because they are smaller, for whatever reason, so many feel that the dog can get away with inappropriate behaviours. If this sort of behaviour happened with a Great Dane, it would be hell to pay. A dog is a dog, regardless of the size and they all come with the same number of teeth that can inflict injury. Correcting in this manner is not a bad thing, and like any tool or method, is used only as long as needed before moving forward to another. Training also never stops, but is a lifetime event.

My flight to Perth isn't til the beginning of July.

Positive training is not about lack of punishment as many think. There must always be a positive and a negative to teach the dog which is desired. Regardless of how many want to twist the words, grammar or syntax, that is in fact reality. So those claiming that NO negative is used, are in fact not correct. The lack of positive, is in fact not neutral, but negative to a dog. Stress is positive or negative. There is no neutral stress in play. The difference in many methods using a positive reward/negative reaction is that there is positive and then there is permissive. Clicker training and shaping as much as many believe are purely positive, have negative stress involved as well. If this were not the case, we would not see the clicker trained dog perform its repatoir in hopes of hearing the click and gettting the food reward. Watching the body language of that dog shows a stressful posture as it tries to figure out (read our minds) what it is supposed to do. Because clicker believes, as does many alleged positive methods, that the dog performs and then we add a command to that action, the dog is forced (stressed) to read OUR body actions and interpret them to provide the required (correct) response or action. The statement of the square being smaller and the walls higher, in regards to Delta's methods is a good one. I will not state that, and have never stated that all their methods or ideology is incorrect, however in too many cases we see that small square appear which eliminates a majority of dogs and owners from getting help or guidance. The square is so small in fact, that one club has attempted to put into their membership application that in order to join, the applicant must only use and believe in the Delta methods for training. This by the way is an accredited club. How much smaller can that square go when this sort of thing happens? We see more and more attendance in clubs offering a broader range of training techniques. We see more and more Delta drop outs head over to those clubs in desperation for help. These clubs have great trainers who offer alternative methods based on the needs of the dogs attending. We aren't seeing that open mindedness with the Delta organization as has been pointed out in various threads currently running. Sending a dog off to a behaviouralist for such simple issues as pulling on lead. Suggesting a dog of 12 weeks be PTS by an instructor because they beleive it to be aggressive to the point there is no hope. Removing students from participating from classes they have paid for because the teacher is at a loss to know what to do with them. Verbally disrespecting breeds and owners because the dogs are taking more work than they are prepared to provide or in areas they are not qualified to attempt to fix. A system when during the course, encourages students to go to dog shows to truly witness dogs under stress. A system which leads the general public to beleive that their accreditation and documentation of education for levels of training is in fact the only one out there. The days of choke the dogs til they comply is over (for the most part) And yet, when you sit with the retrievers and spaniels who are working and training, E collars and ear pinches are still the norm and yet we seldom hear anyone squawking about that or them.

this is exactly the thing. Everyone (meaning humans) has a different set of ethics, beliefs and behaviours and is comfortable with a variation of methods or actions regarding dogs and training. It is not up to anyone to dictate to another person how they should choose to act when it comes down to methods etc as listed above. When asked specifically which methods I am in favour of, naturally I will state my opinion in hopes of educating or at the least, informing about issues that haven't been disclosed. I will not go up to a person and tell them that their methods are 'stupid' or 'waste of time' but I will express my opinion on methods when asked directly.

Yes she did make it but was a bit of a snob did not even come to say hi to me . Or me! and we were closer So did either of you wander over and say hello to HER ?!!!!! :D fifi Nope, because I didn't know she was coming til I got home Sunday afternoon! (and trying to work dogs in three rings that all were about the same time!)

I didn't see you today Trish......did you make it?

My bill will be in the mail!

I had this happen to me not long ago for Runner up In Breed. Stood ringside and RUBOB was awarded at BOB. Done and over with.....didn't really bother me though as the last thing I wanted to do was run around the ring yet again!

Thanks for those that complimented my little black and tan devil (aka Angel the GP) on her Puppy in Group win. In spite of the wet weather, she showed well for me. Huge thanks to Kerry for putting on a great show inspite of challenges (internal club rubbish from a few) She kept things together and the show ran well.

I always end on a high note and encourage my students to do the same. Most of the dogs in my class when it's done will then go have a 'play' session which also keeps their spirits very high. I have found over the years, this simply encourages a dog to work better during class as it learns that the reward at the end is very good.

As mentioned...there are good trainers and bad trainers regardless of the methods used, however I think what is the big problem is the promotion of Delta as THE ONLY WAY to train your dog because it's "not cruel" as is implied about the other methods or the use of correction collars. There will always be those that have plenty of papers to show they are qualified, and yet in the real world they are not. The problem again, is simply that the promotion of the Delta trainers implies that they are superior simply because they have a 'certification four diploma' compared to others out there. It's not so much the method (although I do not agree with a lot of the practices in Delta, I will state again that there are aspects of the training which are good and do work with a lot of dogs) but the people that are promoting the organization, and I add that it is not ALL people of course, but as we know, it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the barrel. The situation I'm seeing is that more and more are coming out and telling their stories about bad experiences with Delta trainers.....yes I'm sure there are many positive experiences out there as well.

You have hit the nail on the head and this is my concern. We've had too many people left in the dust because they DO have dogs that have issues. Not insurmountable by any stretch, but seemingly more than the local trainers are willing or capable of handling. As mentioned before, and I'll reiterate again: a GOOD trainer will assess each dogs needs and train accordingly. Yes you can do that in a group situation and not have any others be held back because of it. We as trainers might be able to suggest methods or tasks to practice to clear up some issues, but in the end, if the owner/handler isn't comfortable with what we suggest, they won't practice or reinforce it and therefore the dog is still left out in the cold. By offering different methods of solving a problem, handlers/owners can decide which method they feel comfortable. I always attempt to offer a handler more than one solution to help fix a problem or change a behaviour. At that point, the decision to what is done, lays on the back of the handler. When only one method is offered, and a handler either does not agree or is not able to comply, the dog loses. Scenario I was told today of a dog that is in the conformation ring. A breed that is vocal and this particular dog is not aggressive either to humans or dogs and yet when the judge does the exam, it vocalizes with a groan/moan/rumble sound. To some, this would come off as aggresive and in the show ring, can have you removed from competition quickly. When this scenario was presented to a Delta trainer, the answer was simply, "feed the dog". Sure, feeding could be a distraction from what the judge is doing, however is it infact solving the problem or behaviour? Absolutely not..it's a simple 'bandaid' solution and in fact, didn't work. As I mentioned, it's not hard to customize classes because in the end, it simply offers more options for everyone in the class. The other thing to remember is that not all lessons or training applies to all dogs at that moment, however it should be remembered that in some cases, owners have another dog at home that the exercise might be more appropriate for even though the owner doesn't feel that the dog needs structured classes. That owners might end up with a dog in the future that has some of the other class dogs problems and draw from the classes to solve them. Private lessons are fine to a point, however it does nothing to help a dog get used to other dogs, nor does it give enough distractions to 'proof' a dog correctly. although private lessons can solve some severe issues that are best dealt with quietly and with great focus, all too often, other issues crop up simply because there isn't the distractions of other dogs and people. The privately trained 'problem child' dog, is not properly prepared for a simple walk down the street or venture to a dog park, because they have not learned to respond during distractions of everyday events. I've had my share of private students and although they performed brilliantly in 'class', they were not prepared for the real world simply because they had been sequestered. Well structured classes with multiple solutions to problems, can and are being done. it is important to remember that trainers are not there to train YOUR dog....we are there to teach YOU how to train your dog.

I can't help you re: classes, but I can tell you that Rally is a sport that every dog, regardless of the breed can excel at. With the positive attitude used during the run, dogs that generally could care less about obedience, tend to really respond, and this is beyond the Novice level, so on lead or off, the dogs are more hyped about this sort of thing simply because (and this applies a lot to hounds that I find get bored easily with same old/same old) the unknown course and actions that have to be done. The dogs are always guessing and never get tired of it. I've done my share of trialling with Doxies, and have judged borzoi and whippets and other hounds. I can't say that they are at less of an advantage because of their breed. It is also nice to see breeds in the obedience ring that normally aren't seen and proves that hounds CAN do this sort of thing and do it well!

Clearly you aren't sure on what Rally is to ask this. Rally IS obedience. Whatever method gets the best out of a dog, is the method that is used. Some dogs respond well to praise, others need food. The difference between the two sports is that in Rally, praise is encouraged whereas traditional obedience it is penalized. Right off the bat, we see dogs that are sour in the obedience ring, perk up when doing Rally. The definition of corrections should be defined as any action to aid or help change the position or action of the dog with the goal being to complete the task according to the rules. Do you call a tease using food a correction? I do....do you call touching a dogs butt to encourage a sit a correction? I do.....do you call a pat on the leg to encourage a lagging dog to return to correct heel position? I do....so yes...I do correct when doing Rally. I also correct when training for traditional obedience and in both cases, firstly because in the latter this is considered multiple signals, I stress that in the former, TOO much encouragement shows the dogs simply isn't ready for that level and so more training must happen. Corrections can also be used because too much praise is given, such as a high energy dog that completes a station, gets a praise reward and loses focus then for the next station. A word such as "watch me" or "focus" or "settle" to many, is considered a correction. I will question the statement that some trainers have been using Rally for years, as I've travelled across this country, and will be doing more this year in prep for Rally to be recognized and spoken to many clubs and trainers, most of which know nothing about Rally, and others that attempted some of the tasks but due to their inability to fully understand the sport, allowed it to slip away during training classes. When I ran into a few that claimed to know Rally, they quickly realized they didn't know it, as I took them through the seminar. They like so many others, beleived that Rally was a sport of 'allowances' and 'good enough' mentality for performance, and there was a clear line between this and traditional obedience as many instructors felt that Rally was in fact second class obedience or even lower than that. Because they felt that Rally allowed praise and reward communication, they also beleived that Rally could not be precise and challenging. Those that experience my seminar will attest, neither of these ideas are correct. It's important to remember that ANY introduction to ANY discipline, there will be corrections to shape the actions correctly. It's unfortunate that when someone says the word 'correction' they automatically assume that it means a hard pop on a choke chain...Nothing could be further from the truth in many performance sports however due to the latest fad of 'positive reinforcement or nothing' mentality, we see the word correction being used as a dirty word when in fact, it is not. BTW...I taught Agility the same as I teach Rally....no dog is forced however we do encourage. I've got dogs I trained that are now members of the 'superdogs' team in North America, mulitple levels of agility titles etc. Corrections were used, however it wasn't a pop on a choke chain. Good, well rounded trainers realize that training is not black and white. That not all methods work with all dogs and that they must be able to think on their feet and change to plan B when needed. Unfortunately there has been nothing in the Delta program that shows me that this is the case with them. I want to add that the clubs that have hosted Rally seminars, without exception, have all commented at some point or another about "the church of Delta" and many are of the opinion that the system, a fad and well promoted thing at the start, has deteriorated to not provide the service that pet owners need, nor are they in fact doing what is best for the dogs to make them social citizens. Sure these dogs can pass a test given by this organization for which they've trained for some weeks to desensitise them to, however those same dogs, put out in the real world are not behaving the same way. This is a real life observation not only from myself, but many others including some that have dogs that have CGC's and gone through the program, and realizing that the dogs have no basic manners and are out of control. If Delta trainers were so hyped to use Rally, why has there been a clear shunning of the seminars and classes here in the North East by both the instructors themselves and dictated to their students that they must not attend?

It was asked by some Delta trainers when I arrived here in the country and began giving seminars in Rally Obedience, if I was a positive trainer. Time went by and I was approached to give a seminar fairly local to me, and someone from the local club mentioned the seminar to the club stating she was going. A number of people stepped up and expressed interest in the seminar, however the main Delta instructor told these interested parties they were not to attend the seminar. There went another aspect of dog sport for those interested people. This is not the first time that the main Delta instructor has dictated the actions of their underlings or students. Students were told to not attend the club 'fun' day held a month or so ago. Regardless of the methods involved, it doesn't strike me as dog friendly to discourage people from experiencing new activities, but apparently unless it's CGC training, it doesn't matter.

When I lived in Canada, I imported a bitch from here that had been bred. Unfortunately she absorbed the pups about three days after arriving and being confirmed in whelp at four weeks along. Although she seemed to handle the trip well enough, clearly it was stressful as she went on to have three litters for me without incident, so it wasn't a case of her having issues. Without knowing the dates you're flying, you might run into restrictions in regards to the bitch being too far along. If you barely had done the breeding however, you probably would be safer to assume you would get a litter and I believe it would be worth the try in that case.

You can insert a photo after you generate the pedigree with sit/stay by putting it in your word doc program.

20 years ago....we've evolved since then.

That's exactly what should happen, that is progress through the use of a type of tool, to another tool that uses less persuasion for lack of a better term. This is the true way to use a pinch collar....