RubyStar

You looking forward to seeing him sunday? Nah not really. OF COURSE I AM!!!!

Getting so close now for Gibbs' arrival

Ooooh I might have to try it for my two! Must say, best work I ever got was after Ruby got a chicken foot for a reward! She was desperate for another so was heeling along with so much enthusiasm and spunk, I loved it! Might need to chase some more down for her next obedience trial (not sure when that will be, though). I had a very hard time teaching Millie dumbbell. She absolutely hated things in her mouth. Just lots of patience and perseverance got us there. First time she sat and held it I had a huuuuuuuuuge party and she was certain she had done well due to my reaction! I took it so slowly with C/T for incremental interactions with the dumbbell. She's now a retrieving freak, seriously loves it! Separate to the dumbbell issue, what's interesting with Ruby is she has been hard to motivate to heel and do hand thrown dummy retrieves for retrieving. But for some reason, if I use a dummy for a reward, she heels with more enthusiasm and loves retrieving hand thrown dummies over and over! So combining two troublesome behaviours has resulted in a win in both situations for me Woohoo! Congrats on your new addition! :D

Unfortunately she'll spit it out before she stops mouthing it :p Edit: She'll tilt her head back and let it slide to the back of her mouth, let it sit there and maybe wriggle/mouth slightly, then spit it out. My blonde retriever does the throw it back in the mouth thing then rolls it as she returns She looks like she's having a jolly good time with it! We lost considerable marks on it for the first time in our last trial. I have to sort of back chain it to see at what point she decides to roll it as I mostly only get it on full retrieves. (but I know she can do it other times so it's a matter of me training it out, but I've been lazy ) Millie used to spit if I didn't take it from her in a reasonable time frame (still does on occasion), but I still try to wait her out and gradually increase it. She's getting better I'm experiencing the mouthing most on leathers with her, though, but using the same principle in waiting her out like I did for dumbbell.

Yep, I rarely do formal ones as I'm just trying to get enthusiasm and less mouthing. Unfortunately the more I do the more mouthing I get (she rolls it back in her mouth THEN mouths, if that makes sense). If I give a NRM and try again it either gets worse or she refuses to pick the dumbbell up at all. I told one of the instructors about the issues and said "she almost looks tortured when holding the dumbbell", I showed her and she said "oh... I see what you mean" I have been trying to reenforce her for holding it correctly by holding while she takes it and clicking for the right position in her mouth. I can generally get her to hold it correctly without mouthing if I hand it to her but not if she picks it up off the ground. I think I just have to be patient and precise in my clicks I would try waiting her out. If she mouths it, don't NRM her, just wait until she stops mouthing and holds it nicely, then C/T.

Thanks TSD, I'll have a flick through this thread on the weekend when I get some time

Hi TSD, I see you mention the term "walking singles" a lot. Can you please clarify for me if I have it correct in my head what that is? Throw one, retrieve, walk to another position, throw another, etc? Bump :D

Thanks...will try to post more than

Have you gone back to clicking her when she picks it up, just rewarding the pickup, and taking out the formality?

The Lavender Farm is on Dumbarton Road which is on the Avon River, Perth side of Toodyay. You have to head for Toodyay, then turn onto the road to Northam, which is just before the town, and continue a few klm and Dumbarton Rd is on your left. Go over the bridge and turn into the first driveway on your left. There will be a depleted field as four handlers have left for the Nationals in NSW. I have cancelled our trip to NSW as both my girls came in season on Monday. That, plus the crook leg, put paid to any trip this year. Can't believe it....two years in a row of bad luck. Sorry to hear about your bad luck! Hopefully third times the charm for you!!

Update to this. The whistle is definitely faulty, so I emailed Cabelas about it and they offered me a refund or replacement. Speedy response too I'd definitely recommend them for dog training goods, customer service was great

I think of retirement breeds too as dogs for when/if I've decided I no longer want to train for competition obedience Hence the English Setter. I'm also hoping retirement age means I might be fortunate enough to own a few different breeds as I'd like to try so many! I can't see me going into a retirement home as I will always need a yard for my Labs! Besides the grooming, a mini schnauzer would be a good retirement breed. My parents just got one. Just need to get through that puppyhood, she's damn feisty!

An English Setter will be one of my retirement breeds! But I can't see retirement taking me away from Labs

They should be fixing or replacing their equipment, not asking dogs to slow down to cater for their dodgy equipment!

Yep the good training sessions are what keep me going with this whole crazy dog trialling thing! What is also great is we were working right next to an agility class, distractions galore! And neither of my kiddies were fussed that other dogs were running and jumping nearby, they had clearly decided that I was more fun and rewarding to be with That is such a win! I ran the girls over an agility course once each before i left for home, and let's just say that while they were both still eager (we had been there over 2 hours already), my agility handling skills need major work And a tunnel under the A-Frame was just too much for their little brains :D But they had good parts in the mess we made of it so it's all good :D Where are you at with the retrieving? Anything we can help with? Open is fun! But I can't wait for UD :D

Sure, I can try. I'm not the most artistic of people though, I just keep them simple

Finally met Tiggy and Bear tonight. Bear, you are huuuuuuuuuge!!!! One big ball of muscle

Candice, it will be nice if we both get our Labbies trialling next season

So tonight's training = If I could bottle Ruby's enthusiasm to work tonight, I would have! :D She was pushing me in the heelwork, did a lovely seekback, speedy to the box, nailed all 3 scent articles, my baby girl was just brimming with enthusiasm :D Gloves still need work, as do signals (as her strong point is verbal commands, not signals ) and I haven't started teaching directed jumping yet. Still a load of proofing to do, but I must say UD is coming along nicely! :D Millie's signal heelwork on the other hand is good, but she's decided dropping in the box is the thing to do now Seekback isn't as strong as Ruby's, and her scent seems to be making a reappearance after we lost it for a while. Oh and gloves need work too Just had to share what a great training night I had!

I will always do CCD with my dogs. I may have been in the ring before, but the dog hasn't, so I like to transition them into trialling this way The lead does get in the way, but it's not a deal breaker for me to skip CCD

Why dont we try for next weekend the weekend of the 9th and 10th while he is still little?? ETA I will bug RS once he is home and I have nice pics of him doing cute things lol No worries, send me some photos and I'll have a crack

Hi TSD, I see you mention the term "walking singles" a lot. Can you please clarify for me if I have it correct in my head what that is? Throw one, retrieve, walk to another position, throw another, etc? Ruby gets bored very quickly with drills The only time I get animation out of her when it's the real deal with thrower. Working lines seem more and more appealing to me each day Millie on the other hand loves retrieving dummies regardless of how they were thrown! Stupid Associate register rules :p I train with Ann when we're both free and there are no trials on. Between us both working full time and trials, it gets hard to find a spare morning to do some training. If you and fetchitup don't mind me tagging along to any training you do in the summer break, I would be so grateful. The more chances to train the better And to me, you are a guru, you all are You have come such a long way in such a short time, you should be so proud and accept that others think you have some knowledge to share to newbies :D

I really, reeeeeaaaally want to, but we will see what happens with training and how much time/help I can pinch from all you WA retrieving gurus :D It's one of those very grey areas for me in terms of knowing what to do and how to get there, so I tend to just sway back to obedience because of the ease in which it can be trained (anywhere, anytime, by myself, etc. I want to get Ruby in the UD ring at some stage). But retrieving always lures me back, it's addictive!

Thanks for the info Wow last one already, blink and you miss it!! (or get lazy with training and miss it ;))

To those who ordered the Alphabet Drills book, I will have them with me tonight at ACWA training. Come and see me to grab your book :D it doesn't rain so training is still on! For anyone who wants one and didn't order one, PM me, I have a spare