Zug Zug

That's great to hear - you must be both relieved and exhausted!

Ditto - how's he going?

Yeah my boy likes to hump his bed, but only when I pick it up to move it. Boy dogs are weird

It's tricky isn't it? Half my brain is thinking 'go back before he thinks about breaking' and the other half is thinking 'he's fine stretch him out a bit' And I just seem to err on the soft side more often than not. I find it easier if I distract myself by cleaning up the yard or doing something while he's in a stay. But that's not much like a trial situation, is it? With the iphone gymboss I'm currently using, I could set it up like this: Sit stay - 1m Return - 20 seconds Sit stay - 45 seconds Return - 20 seconds sit stay - 50 seconds Rreturn - 20 seconds Sit stay - 20 seconds Return - 20 seconds Sit stay - 1m Return You can do these more complex sets on the more complex actual gymboss as well, just not the more basic version in the video I posted. And it's easy to change the numbers each time so it's still variable - just the beep is there to keep me on track. ETA: I have Morgan Spector's book so will check it out.

CC I didn't mean to suggest their legs mean they can't sit. I was just responding to this comment in the original post: There have been times when Pasha has looked like this while sitting, and there's nothing wrong with him physically. It was just his gangly adolescent stage combined with long legs. A lot of people have commented to me that he looks very 'tall' when sitting. But that's just his shape. I wasn't meaning to suggest that they can't drop or sit nicely. Certainly they can - although I take the point of AlphaBet too that it might not be as lightning fast as some smaller breeds.

Yeah I guess I am thinking about working on duration and keeping myself honest. I have an unfortunate tendency to take pity on him and go back early. So our progress is very slow. I also think it will help me remember how many he got right, so I can then apply the 80/20 rule before asking for more.

Hope they can sort him out quickly so he can get some rest, and you can have him home tomorrow.

I had been planning to get a gymboss to help me with my running. It is basically an interval timer. You set it to beep at you after say 1 minute, then again after say 20 seconds, and then you tell it how many of these sets you want to do (one after the other). It's great because you don't have to be looking at your watch. In running, I will run 4 mins, then it beeps and I walk 1 min, then it beeps again and I'm back to running 4 mins and so on. I am using the free gymboss app on my iPhone at present. My actual gymboss died and I haven't got a new one yet. But I have just realised it's perfect for training stays! Set it to 1 min (stay and leave your dog), then it beeps and I have allowed 20 seconds to return to my dog, then it beeps again so I stay and leave my dog... Undecided whether to do 3 sets or 5. Has anyone tried something similar? Here is a youtube clip to show you how it works:

Throw the reward behind the dog, or have a reward waiting behind the dog and release them to 'get it' when the position is performed correctly. Still need to start up close and build up to it I have also found using a platform helpful, then fade to a stick on the ground, then a leash on the ground, then nothing.

I don't think it is fair to criticise the grandmother for answering honestly at the hospital. After that incident, she may well have been quite scared of the dog herself.

Yes some dogs are prone to aggression, and while in most cases it can be managed if caught early, I think it is naive to suggest that all aggressive dogs are that way as a result of ill treatment by humans.

Just a note that a standard poodle's long legs can make the sit look very vertical compared with other breeds, especially when they are young as their legs can grow quickly. They shouldn't tip back, but a bit of tension could lead to this. Which isn't to say don't check with the vet. Just that this might be normal at this stage of a young dog's development.

Kirty - bloody hell my sympathies on what must have been a traumatic experience. I really do feel for that child as well. I hope that has taught her parents a lesson. If they've had the dog long enough to be taking the dog to classes, then they certainly knew better than to do this. I don't know about carrying a stick to be honest. I think there's a risk of translating your anxiety through to Toby and really I think it's best to put on a face that says 'we're good, we're safe, nothing to worry about here' to give Toby the best chance of bouncing back quickly. But having said that I really do understand the thinking behind it, as it is so difficult to defend your dog in these circumstances. I think your advice to take the dog back to the RSPCA was pretty sensible. The dog sounds a real handful and they don't sound like they have the skills or experience to manage it. And with young kids in the house as well...

OK so my update goes like this: Zamba - exactly on track and now 14 years old. A friend of mine said yesterday that she's the healthiest 14yo dog she's ever seen, which I am very proud of. :) Pasha - He's not far off heading into the RN ring. I am proofing him at present and am about to start taking him along to sit around at some trial grounds as an observer, just to get him used to the environment. Still fading the lures, but I think that goal is realistic. CCD not sure - it will depend how his stays are going. Beach and agility - still too arousing for him and for the time being I'm happy to let these goals go on the back-burner. I will try the beach again later this year but the agility environment will be for when he is older and has more self-control.

I'm awful - have used so many different release words with my dogs it's a wonder they listen to me at all. 'OK' does seem to have floated to the top of the pile and my 18mo boy released yesterday when I accidentally said 'OK' but was not intending to release him - so yes this is likely to be a problem but it comes so naturally to me I'm finding it hard not to use it. Other words I've used include: 'you're done', 'that'll do', 'scoot!' (this is another favourite), 'free', 'yes'. But even then I find myself saying 'OK, scoot!', or 'OK, that'll do' - so the 'OK' bit seems to be the consistent link across everything. I am sad to say these words are all still in use in different circumstances. My poor boy I do feel a bit sorry for him.

What a lovely thought - and also a very practical way of keeping this issue at the front of the minds of those working in the grooming industry. I'm really pleased to hear that this is happening. I hope you're doing ok. It must be hard to be reminded all the time, although I'm sure he's never really far from your thoughts.

I have a K9Pro leather leash and it is pretty much the only leash I use now. I do have a nylon long line and find it useful to train my dog around distractions, but I have stopped using my gripper long line since I got a very serious calf burn from it one day which took over a month to heal (it was very deep and very painful). My new long line is nylon (not much nicer on the skin to be honest) but shorter (7m - the gripper was 10m) and partially for that reason I find it easier to manage. But based on my experience I don't think the gripper is easy on the hands and skin. Leather is much more forgiving and softer to handle. I highly recommend the K9Pro leather leash in terms of softness on your hands and also strength and reliability. I have another really well made braided burgundy leather leash which I also love, but it just isn't as soft as the K9Pro leash and for that reason hardly ever sees the light of day. It was also nowhere near as cheap - my burgundy lead cost me $90 from a specialist leather merchant some years ago. This is the K9Pro leash I'm talking about: http://www.k9pro.com.au/products/Premium-Leather-Leash-5%7B47%7D8%22-General-Duty-Leash.html They are definitely not sharp. I've had leather leashes previously that have started out quite stiff, and softened very slowly over a number of years. These are different - they are soft on the hands from day 1, and get even softer again over time (I've had mine for 18 months now).

I agree with earlier posts - yes crating on the first night is fine but you need to be sleeping near the crate. I did this with my latest puppy by setting the crate up in the family room (which has doors to the back yard) and camping out in that room myself for several weeks. We have a very comfortable couch which makes a perfect bed when the back cushions are removed so it was easy. Alternatively setting up a bed for yourself on the floor would be an option. That does 2 things: 1. it means you're nearby if your puppy needs you during the night (e.g. to go outside to the toilet) 2. it means you and your puppy are bonding closely by spending a lot of time together, sleeping near each other, etc. 3. teaches the puppy that being in the crate does not mean being isolated from its 'pack' (although of course later on I migrated back to my own bed, but by then he loved his crate) The other thing to be mindful of with a young pup is to make sure the crate is made smaller while the puppy is smaller. Essentially the area in the crate should be essentially the same size as the dog, and you increase the area gradually as the puppy grows. This is usually done by using some kind of internal barrier (some crates come with these) to limit the internal space in the crate. Alternatively you could put a cardboard box in there or something similar just to limit the amount of space inside the crate while pup is little. Too big and you risk the puppy weeing down the far end of the crate. They're great tools and your dog will learn to love the crate and see it as his/her haven from the world.

What about Susan Garrett's 'It's Yer Choice' game? Great vid here to show how it works:

Depending on the dog, bitter spray (I have one called Red Hot Chilli) can be helpful for specific items you want him to leave alone. IME you need to keep topping up the spray. For example, I have sprayed my other dog's coat with it - to stop my big guy from grabbing her by the coat while playing which I think is a bit unfair. I also used it to spray on the couch when he started taking a shine to it. It works for a while (with some dogs) but just remember it wears off so you need to keep adding to it every day or so until your dog gets the idea to leave that thing alone. I still wouldn't trust the dog unsupervised with anything that's particularly special though. Not sure of the merits of rugs around the legs of the desk. He might just start enjoying chewing the rugs. For an example like that, I'd tend to go for a combination of bitter spray on the desk, and an awesome kong to chew while you're in the room, and completely restricting his access when you can't be in the room.

What a lucky boy he was RIP Mickey

Oh no that is just heartbreaking. I really feel for you. You did everything you could for her and could not possibly have known this was coming. She was beautiful. My heart goes out to you.

I have an old mini poodle x and a young standard poodle. They are both very active - obviously the younger dog is a lot stronger and my older dog at 14 years old is not as strong as she thinks she is. She has also always been nervous with other dogs and had been attacked by a dog not long before we got Pasha, so I was careful (bordering on paranoid) in the early months with these two together. I was aiming to get a gentle natured boy dog but instead have a fabulous, very playful, sometimes rough boy dog. While she has handled it well, there are times when we do separate them to give her a break. He has been a pest at times, and we don't expect her to put up with him 24/7 (although they are quite safe left in the yard alone together). If these are issues for you, I would suggest that early on you make use of a baby gate, later on you may consider using a crate to separate them when need be and settle things down when you need to and to give the smaller one a break (and you for that matter). Puppies can be persistent. We did both of these things, don't need them anymore, but I do still intervene to ask them to settle at times when things are getting boisterous inside. I have a rule that goes something like this: play = outside. calm = inside.

My daughter haz a borzoi - got her from a breeder who is a regular on this forum (Alyosha). Based on this experience, all I can say is they're absolutely beautiful, very easy to live with, match your description to a tee (friendly with other dogs, calm around the house, very affectionate) and I'd honestly find her hard to fault from any angle. Even my cranky old poodle x loves her - and Zamba is not a fan of other dogs generally. There is just something special about Arya (the Borzoi) that everyone loves. My daughter is completely smitten and I would also say that Arya is a truly beautiful dog with a truly beautiful coat that I imagine would be eye-catching in the ring (although in our case Arya is desexed as my daughter had no plans to show her). Show people will be able to tell you more about how well Borzois tend to do in group line-ups etc. I don't know about that side of things really. She is a large dog obviously, but easy to live with because she's very laid back in the house, but also fun and loves to muck about with the other dog in my daughter's household (an Aussie Bulldog). She is obviously pretty robust because he is a canine bowling ball, very active and she has never been injured even though they like to play rough at times. Seriously, if they are a dog you like, get to know some of them and see what your heart tells you. Another breed my daughter really likes and is a bit similar in temperament as I understand it is the Deerhound. Also a lovely breed, although I don't have direct experience to contribute.

I can also vouch for the k9pro collars. My standard poodle wears one - the leather is simple yet beautiful, very strong and the buckles are also extremely strong. It will hold your dog safely, and has a nice 'classic' look. There are various widths/sizes available. Classic black or classic brown from memory. So for an everyday collar I think they're great. For a fancy collar, shop elsewhere (but from your post I don't think that's what you are after) If you get the k9pro collar, do yourself a favour and get the matching lead. The leather is so nice on your hands. It will instantly be your favourite lead and you'll never want to use anything else. And no, I don't work for k9pro or anything like that. I just think their collars and leads are brilliant. Several people I know have bought from them after handling mine at dog club and being surprised how nice the leather feels, while still being really strong.