milzi09

Anyone know where in Adelaide you can get Titer tests done? My vet won't do them anymore

Ah yes crate games... another one I have started teaching but never continued. Looks like its time to dust of the dvd and get cracking on it this week as well.

Bex_sta79 I taught nose targetting the same way you have done. However, I never would put food in my hand to get them to touch it because I thought that would create a situation where they would only touch it if there was food in my hand, which sounds like your situation. I used a clicker and basically put my my hand out quite purposefully in front of the dog (just far enough they had to lean forward to touch it). They were curious as to what my hand was doing so they leant out to smell it. Bingo I clicked, removed my hand and treated. I did this 5 times where they probably didn't even touch my hand. Then I raised the criteria to when I present my hand they had to touch it. As soon as they did, click, remove hand and treat. For me my dogs loved the game and caught on really quickly which made progressing to the target pretty easy. But for you maybe you need to break it down into even smaller steps by clicking for even looking at your hand, then moving slightly towards it, then closer to it etc...

Great thanks for the tips everyone. My ex partner actually taught Kiesha to walk backwards when he did doggy dancing with her But its something we should definately progress. Its just one of those exercises I have been putting off because I don't like doing it Time to bite the bullet and make it next weeks project

Cool, I think we've got a fairly good foundation down already then. Obviously everything could do with some more work but the basics are there. Definately got to work on the Susan Salo jump grids though. For a small dog Kiesha has an almighty leap (the kitchen bench is a walk in the park for her ) so often thinks it's easier, faster and more fun to jump over two jumps at once What targeting exercises do you teach? Kiesha can target different objects with her nose from differing distances so far and just last night started teach her to target her two front paws on a book. Also might be a dumb question but what is shadow handling?

In a few weeks time I'm starting my second dog in agility classes. With my first dog its all about having a bit of fun because quite seriously the poor boy with his short stumpy slow legs really isn't going to get very far But he loves it so we continue for fun. My second girl however has more potential. She's quick, agile and loves to learn and please. She's a clicker savvy dog that has done alot of free shaping and is fairly solid on most intermediate to advanced obedience commands. My question is though, what foundation behaviours do you teach your dogs and through experience what behaviours have your found to be useful in your agility training?

I have always used this guideline below, building up very very slowly. 8 weeks - 5 minutes 12 weeks - 10 minutes 16 weeks - 15 minutes 20 weeks - 20 minutes 24 weeks - 25 minutes etc. I 've also found this really helps with training loose leash walking as well because your training the length of time in gradual incrememts. At 8 weeks its only generally extremely short walk down our street, stopping frequently 'to be a tree' or for a sniff or to say hi to the neightbour etc.

Clicker train the toileting on command - that way she can mark the precise behaviour that she is being rewarded for. Without using a marker by the time the dog recieves the treat she is being rewarded for something completely different. For every time she goes in the correct place (outside) treat with 10 really good treats (I'd be using 10 tiny pieces of roast chicken every time to jackpot the behaviour). Has the dog been checked out for any medical reasons for the lack of toileting control? eg UTI or something

I use 'off' for the furniture and anything I want them to get off. For laying down I use 'drop' and to give me something from their mouth I use 'give'. However next time I'm going to use 'down' for laying down since whenever anyone else plays fetch with them when they ask for the ball they say drop - every time both dogs will drop with the ball or whatever in their mouth and look at them very confused when they continue to say drop, drop it, you stupid dog drop the ball etc. I can just hear it going through their minds 'what is with this stupid human, are they blind, I have dropped!!!!' So the best thing I can say is use words that the whole family will use and agree to in order to avoid confusion and frustration - write them on the fridge if you have to!

My dog Chip will do ANYTHING for hot chips from Hungry Jacks (not actually where the name came from but very fitting). He also loves powerade!!!! After football my brother will give him the dregs of the bottle with the lid taken off and he'll roll it around for hours trying to lick up every last drop.

I personally would very rarely hand my dog over to someone else unless it was a short demo etc. and someone I trusted immensely but never for a whole class. IMO part of what makes us a great team is the bond and trust my dogs have in me which they don't necessarily have with someone else. I certainly wouldn't go out of eye sight either. But maybe I am in the minority since it seems most people don't really have a problem with it.

I have found that the biggest mistake people make with clicker training is making their sessions too long and yes the dogs do get bored. I only ever do 1 minute sessions at one time. For example I might do 10 different sessions throughout the day - while I'm cooking tea, in between ironing work shirts, a couple sessions during tv ad breaks, a couple on our walk, some out in the garden while I'm watering etc. In each session I would do two different exercises. By keeping the sessions so short my dogs never get bored and ALWAYS want more.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'll give some bigger bones a go this week and see how things go. I know one does gulp it down but the other seems to chew hers fairly thoroughly. Yet there is always bits of bone in their vomit so perhaps it hasn't been chewed properly.

Wow its good (well not good but you know what I mean) to know that someone else has the same problem, because no one else I know has it. I have tried lamb bones and they were fine, but haven't tried chicken wings. I'm going to give turkey necks a go and see how this goes. If all else fails I think I'll just cut out the chicken as was suggested. It just seems strange that it happens to both my dogs who are not related.

Hi all, I feed my two dogs about an 80% raw diet with about 20% commercial (kibble to go into the treat balls). So both of my dogs are used to getting fresh meat and big raw meaty bones etc. However, I have the trouble that whenever I feed them chicken necks at night (so I can supervise since they get their breakfast in kongs when I leave for work), they will generally vomit in the early hours of the morning. The last time I noticed little pieces of bone in the vomit At the start I was buying the necks from a chain store and thought perhaps they were bad quality necks, so I tried a range of them from other stores and they still vomit. So has anyone else experienced anything similar and would you stop feeding your dogs chicken necks if you were experiencing the same thing?

I would have to agree with you crazy beagle lady. These harnesses are fantastic! If you go to www.petdogtraining.com.au/products.html there is a road test that I was involved in of the sensible harness compared to numerous other products.

I am from Adelaide. I understand that the club environment would be fantastic for proofing and distraction but before I get to that stage I just want to get the behaviours more precise and and reliable before moving onto that stage. I'll have a look for Morgan Spectors book. Thanks.

I'm thinking about starting obedience with my two dogs. I have been a trainer at a pet dog training club for a few years now and have two well behaved doggy citizens that can do medium to advanced behaviours. The only thing is I haven't had any experience with formal obedience before and so whilst I'm sure they can do most of the behaviours they are lacking the precision required. For myself I need some info on what behaviours are required for each title etc. Both my dogs are purely clicker trained and there aren't any obedience clubs that I know of in my area that use the clicker method so i don't really want to join a club at this stage. So can anyone give me any advice or recommend any good books, DVD's on obedience training using positives? Thanks in advance.

Could Diesel be stressed by the training you are trying to do? Some dogs have this problem and just shut down eg. walk off, not pay any attention, do nothing. My newest girl will start stressing out after two or three reps of a very easy behaviour like 'sit' and just lie down and pretend to sleep and offer no behaviour at all! Now I just do two reps of everything and finish. Slowly she has started wanting more and more - all of her own accord. Does Diesel show any stress signs?

Both my dogs heel further away from me than they probably should. But I think this is to do with the fact that to look up at me and actually see my face they have to be further away or else the angle doesn't work and they only see my shoulder. You try getting to their level and looking up at someone from their 'heel' positions and see how you go

Find a positive reinforcement training class to attend and practice the things they teach you in your our daily life.

Slightly OT - but how long would you recommend leaving the puppy in the play pen for while you're at work. The main reason to do this is to stop them from learning unwanted destructive behaviours - eg chewing the furniture, peeing in the wrong places etc. but some dogs will do this up until they are say 2 years of age (even with environmental enrichment options).

Erny I'd like to teach my dogs these tricks too!!!!

There needs to be several components to it. Eg a somersault would involve: touching a target, touching a target down low near its legs, touching a target between its legs, touching a target whilst flipping over.

Yeah paw on the face isn't really complex but it will be fun to teach. Well done Kavik on shaping the go to the box