sheena

Put the treat curled up in your hand & when he stops trying to get at it, either give him the treat in your hand or another from the other hand. Keep repeating this until he gets the message that he has to be offerred the treat before he is allowed to take it gently. When you have mastered this, then hold the treat on a flat palm. When he moves towards it close your fist, when he backs off then pick the treat up with the other hand & give it to him. Do the same with your foot or hand on the ground but be ready to cover the treat if he goes for it. He can only move off the spot & get the treat when you give the "OK get it" command.

Did you realise they come in all different sizes

I bought mine from direct from Mars & yes it was around $60 but worth it as it is very good quality

I think I might stick a gold fish in my girls water bucket (it is a large one) to try & keep the mozzies down a bit.

Bindi will choose weave poles or contact obstacles over tunnels any day, & I think that it is because that is where the best rewards have come from in the past.

Sorry, but I'm having trouble believing that this guy is for real. If dogs wander around here they usually get shot without any prior warning given to the owners & that is the way it is out on properties. Get real mate & put up a fence for your dog. Buy an electric fence from the produce store, put up a sturdy 1 metre high dog fence then run the electric wire (from the electric fence unit) about 30 cm above this.....simple easy & effective. If you can't be bothered putting up a fence to keep your dog safe & the neighbours livestock also safe, then find your dog a new home with someone who will care for him. I have over 200 acres with all the sheds driveways etc but I we had no trouble in fencing of not one, but two areas for our Border collie to enjoy herself in safely. She gets to go for a run when we take her. It's pretty hard to protect them from snakes while outside, but fortunately my girl knows to leave everything reptile alone, & she didn't learn that from being bitten, I think it is a natural intinct in most dogs

Interesting...I have a big birdbath in the full sun which the dogs just loved to drink from. It was always going green with this horrible slimey stuff in it & I was forever cleaning it out & refilling it. I decided that I no longer wanted the dogs to drink from it as it looked so unhealthy, so I put a piece of wire over the top to stop them. For months now the water has stayed clear, which makes me think it was the saliva from the dogs which was turning the water green & slimy. Their other water bowls I just keep cleaning them out & refilling every couple of days. I have noticed in the garden too, it's the birdbaths which are under trees & getting bird poo in them that are always green. The ones out in the open with no poo remain clear.

Seems obvious to me....fence your yard. We live on a farm & if we didn't have our house yard fenced our BC would not be around for very long, what with trigger happy neighbours, fox baits, wild dogs & motor cars. We just have a 4ft dog wire fence with an electric fence wire running around the top...she has only tried to go over it once This is one thing I can never understand, why people who live in the bush don't fence their yards if they have a dog. Having neighbours dogs from many klms away roaming & chasing our stock is very annoying.

Does Capstar have any effect on ticks

Highly recommend this site for everything puppy/dog & you can download Ian Dunbars books Before & After you get Your Puppy for free. Join us in the border collie sub forum with lots of pics of your new baby. Where are you getting him from? We got Ollie just from a local breeder. Where can I find the border collie sub forum? I've been going a little over the top with the photos Here's the link to the BC Photo thread....lots more pictures please. I think most of us use Photobucket to uplaod our pictures http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...07&st=23385

When my girl was young I would take her for a walk to the vets every couple of weeks just to weigh her & gave her treats & I would stay for a while talking to the receptionist then walk out. She has never had any problem with the vets. Oh & I made a point & still do of handling her all over & playing with her ears, tails & feet. Also you can get them used to a finger going into their mouth by putting something nice on it like vegemite. Comes in handy when needing to give a pill.

What do you do when he runs outside...if you chase after him he will think it is a great game & just keep running, thinking you are joining in. Sounds like he hasn't had much if any training at all

What training have you done with him already to try & fix the problems What training do you do with him in general?

I have taught my girl to do 2o2o on the seesaw, (in training) using the clicker & she has been doing it well for some time now. Just lately though, she has been stopping before or just on the contact zone & just wants to stay there. It is not as if she is frightened of it, as it is one of her favourite pieces of equipment. If I ignore her, she doesn't care & will lie down & wait for me to give in & call her through to the next jump. If I call her through for the next obstacle she will keep running straight through & off, but this is not what I want. OH thinks she is just being naughty, but I really think she thinks for some reason that this is where she is meant to stop. If I use a target she will run straight into position, but take the target away & she stops again half way up. Thinking maybe I should do a few runs with the target & clicker then progress to no treat on the target, but click & deliver when her nose touches the target. But then how do I phase out the target all together I don't think she would have this problem in a real trial as all 2o2o training goes out the window when she is excited

I used to clip my old border collie at least three times a year, so I could keep on top of the ticks. I don't clip my new girl though cause I don't want to ruin her lovely coat. I just had a pair of Brevilles from Big W pet dept, cost $99 with a twelve month warranty. The first pair packed it in just short of the 12 months & were immediately replaced & the second pair were still working years later when I lent them to someone & they were never returned.

We use that for the calves, but didn't know you could use it on dogs...that's interesting.

I used the clicker to stop my dog getting distracted by smells on the ground. When she would put her nose to the ground I would call "here" & as soon as she turned to look at me I clicked & treated, with the added result that she learnt that the best place to walk, when on leash, was right by my side looking up at me I still carry treats every time we go walking & treat occassionally.

Any recomendations for nail grinders & are they easy to use???

Sounds like the report was written by some vegetarians I for one, don't believe everything I read. Dogs have been eating meat for a very long time & they havn't become extinct yet.

I always crumble the shell up because we have chooks & I don't want her thinking it is OK to eat the eggs. The raw shell is a valuable source of calcium...it's not much different to your dog eating a meaty bone....texture wise

Probably throwing the ball before she completes the weaves would only be rewarding her for popping out. Using the ball as a reward can sometimes cause them to lift their head to look at you & they pop out before completion. Use a marker word like "yes" as soon as she enters the right way, but don't reward her unless she completes the weave.

What sort of dogs are they.. My BC gets at least one a week & sometimes two. Use the whole egg including the crumbled up shell for a balance meal.

haha no won't work, he has never been frightened of the water bottle. My big dog has tho. My girl just loves water, even loves playing & having the hose put on her face, full force, but show her a water squirt bottle & she will go away & hide. Its either the shock of it, or maybe even the sound....hissssss, but most dogs, even if they love water will still find the water bottle squirt a nuisance & if they are smart soon learn, that if they want the annoying, distracting squirt to go away, then they stop barking. You wont know till you try, but make sure you squeeze that trigger as soon as dog opens mouth to bark...if dog changes his mind & doesn't bark, then praise & treat. Works wonders. If you have a small breed dog & you don't get onto this problem early you will regret it for the next 18 or so years ETA & if this doesn't work then get a hand held ultrasonic devise & press the button on that every time he barks, along with your "Ugh" word. But don't use it around your other dog who is probably being very good.

Carry a water bottle with you & squirt him every time he goes to bark...worked for my BC girl

good point, which heartwormers aren't flavoured? Milbemax tablets. Valuheart? Maybe someone can confirm this? I haven't seen them IRL. My Girl's on Valuheart & they are flavoured